Previous Next

What has basically happened, as far as the plot of Impossible Mission 2 goes, is that Elvin is back, and he's set up a huge missile silo. Playing Agent 4125 once more, you must try to (a) close down the 8 towers, (b) avoid all the robots and (c) get to the evil professor.

The game is very much in the same style as Impossible Mission, with nearly all the same features. You remember, all the rooms connected by lifts and all the rooms made up of platforms, lifts and roaming robots.

There are more robots in this game than in the original, and most of them are really nasty beggars. Minebots lay mines on the floor behind them as they travel the walkways. Pestbots are just that. They have a habit of walking past you and then moving the only lift that connects to the platform you're on, which leaves you with no way out. Squatbots can be used as stepping stones to higher platforms, but they do have a habit of jumping up and smashing you into the ceiling. Bashbots try their damndest to push you off the side of the platforms and down holes. Suicidebots do exactly the same thing, except they have a nasty habit of jumping with you. Shades of Lethal Weapon, methinks.

To escape from each tower, you have to collect a 3-digit number. Separate digits can be found in much the same way as in the predecessor, by searching the furniture. Also in the furniture can be found passwords which are inputted to the computer terminals situated on the various screens. These can be used to stop the robots from moving (temporarily), resetting the platforms (for when the pestbots have been real pests), light bulbs to light up darkened areas and bombs to open the safes. And why do you have to open the safes? To get the bits of the melody which you can then use to operate the doors to Elvin's personal lift.

To edit together the bits of tune, and indeed to put together the three digit code, you have to use your pocket computer. Slightly upgraded from the original computer, this one now features a tape recorder with full splicing facilities, and a number processor. All accessed by the little icon of Mickey Mouse's hand, in the same way as the original.

The graphics for the main sprite are the same as those used in the original, but this is where any similarity ends. The robots are dull and by no means as well animated, the long, frazzly, crackly lasers have turned into thin, straight lines and the lift moves at three times the speed. No bad thing you may say, but it's at the expense of sound. The game is almost completely silent. A slight tap-tap noise is used for the Agent's footsteps and a slight buzz for the lasers. Even the scream that yer man lets out as he falls down a hole has been ignored.

Unfortunately, IM2 is nothing for US Gold to be proud of. I was very disappointed, and I can't think that anyone who buys this game will have cause to feel anything else.

Label: US Gold Author: Andromeda Price: £8.99 Memory: 48K/128K Joystick: various Reviewer: Tony Dillon

Disappointing sequel. Arcade action and puzzle solving.