While we’re all playing sprawling video games with movie style narratives, it can be hard to remember that this hobby started out in the arcade. This is made harder still if you grew up in a country like England, where arcades are more likely to feature penny slots than PAC-MAN. But even so most of us have likely played some of these classics in one form another, be it the original Donkey Kong or Space Invaders. I must admit though I was relatively unfamiliar with Snow Bros, at least until I jumped into the modern remake of its sequel Snow Bros 2 Special.
In a quest to save a princess (obviously) you’ll have to make your way through six worlds of enemies. Enemies can’t just be dealt with by stomping on them or shooting them though, the only ways you’ll defeat them in Snow Bros 2 Special is by turning them into snowballs. You do this by throwing snow at them until they’re fully encased in the white stuff, then launching them across the screen until they hit a wall. I’ll admit when you write this out it sounds pretty brutal, but these enemies have got to be destroyed.
Now sure you can take out the various beasts of Snow Bros one at a time, but it’s much more rewarding to take out many at once by using the ball as a weapon. Stages are made up of mazes of platforms, and if you’re clever you’ll be able to use these passages for maximum destruction. Hitting baddies with other baddies also grants you extra items worth bonus points (with greater rewards for more enemies hit) for all you score chasers.
If snow isn’t your elemental weapon of choice, then maybe you’ll have a better time playing as another less frosty character. Many characters use wind instead, which can similarly cover enemies but turns them into tornadoes, which fire up instead of down. There are some seriously wacky unlockable characters too, like a dancing bean who attacks with sparkles and can double jump.
Completing stages is usually done by clearing the screen of bad guys, but that isn’t always the case. Some stages involve jumping upwards and avoiding obstacles, with a constantly ticking down timer. Others feature bosses to take down, which need smaller foes launched at them to whittle down their health bar. It’s a nice amount of variety especially for a retro arcade game.
While I spent the majority of my time with Snow Bros 2 Special playing the remade version of the game, you’re also able to play classic mode if you’re feeling nostalgic for the arcades. This is still a lot of fun, but I must admit I missed the shiny extras like unlockable characters and extra modes that the modern remix provides.
Whichever mode you play, you can enjoy Snow Bros 2 Special with up to three friends for the ultimate snowball experience. The game is a great time with mates, and absolutely made me nostalgic for those early gaming days of crowding around the CRT and playing for as long as our parents would let us.
Snow Bros 2 Special is a fun retro remake, but as someone who didn’t play the game in the nineties I can’t pretend it really holds up. It’s not a bad game by any stretch, but it often feels like the stages are working against you when it comes to rolling snowballs and that prevents a lot of the fun. It’s especially bad when you happen to choose a character who’s attack isn’t particularly helpful on a specific stage, because you just sort of have to deal with it. A lot of the bosses take way too long to take down too, and avoiding attacks until your next opportunity to land some damage just gets a bit tedious.
Ultimately Snow Bros 2 Special wasn’t really made with someone like me (who was unfamiliar with the series) in mind. It’s a fine arcade game to play, but ultimately it’d be hard to recommend over other similar retro experiences like Bubble Bobble. If you’re a fan of the snowman and his pals though this will likely be more exciting, and nothing I say will stop you playing it, but for everyone else it’s a tougher sell.
