RoboCop 2
System: NES
Release Date: April 1991
Developer: Painting by Numbers
Publisher: Data East
Genre: Action
Destroy all the Nuke you can in RoboCop 2! Things have gone from bad to worse in Detroit. The cops are all on strike because the city is bankrupt leading to skyrocketing crime. The drugs are the biggest problem in the city and only you can stop Cain and his goons. But keep your eyes open for the next RoboCop prototype, RoboCop 2!
RoboCop needs to move to the right of each stage, stepping on bottles of nuke, shooting bad guys, and arresting specific criminals by touching them. You are required to destroy at least 60% of the nuke and arrest at least 60% of the villains on each level. The fun part is you don’t know how much nuke or how many villains any level holds. It took me quite awhile to find out there is a hidden sewer on the first level where most of the nuke is hidden.
There is a ton of platforming to take part in, but it isn’t any good, as RoboCop is possibly the floatiest character I’ve had the misfortune of controlling. The running and jumping are just so rotten. RoboCop starts moving like molasses, which makes your jump garbage, but then he can also go too fast and far. God forbid you have to drop down onto a platform beneath you.
You have a health meter shown by the amount of battery charge at the top of the screen. However, there are a plethora of instant kill traps, enemies, and projectiles. Fall in the water or off the screen? Dead. Activate a floor or ceiling trap? Dead. Touch a gear? Dead. Get hit by these projectiles? Dead. It’s frustrating that you even have health if more than half the obstacles kill you in one hit.
There are two boss battles. The first against Cain, where you have to avoid his shots and then punch him over and over again until he drops. The second is a three round battle against RoboCop 2. Each fight has a pattern that you will learn in order to win. This is a game I would have quit in the first few levels if it wasn’t for my ability to time travel. Having to restart over and over again wouldn’t have made me happy and I bet plenty of kids were infuriated by this game.
Graphics: 1.0
Nothing looks good. The middle levels are way too busy leading to confusion.
Sound: 1.0
The music is bad overall and the sounds are annoying.
Gameplay: 0.0
RoboCop controls horribly and there’s way too much instant death. Good luck.
Difficulty: 1.0
You have to memorize each level and then get lucky to get through.
Fun Factor: 0.0
There’s no fun to be had in this one.
Overall Rating: 0.6
RoboCop 2 earns a D-. Boy, what an awful game I just had the misfortune of playing. Don’t make my same mistake!