I had heard of Croc and bu never gave the cutesy character any play, because there were other characters like Crash Bandicoot, Kirby, Yoshi, Mario, Donkey Kong, and Sonic that occupied my time. Croc didn't really stand out from the pack, and got lost in the shuffle. Fast forward to today where Mario hasn't had a really good game, Sonic and Crash had some big flops, and Kirby, Donkey Kong and Yoshi aren't doing much, Croc demands attention and therefore gets it. The cute crocodile makes a return to the Game Boy Color and the wait was well worth it.

     Now, from what I heard, the first Croc game did not do too well for the Game Boy Color, but since I never played it, I pay no mind to those rumors and go into this game with no prior preconceptions. THQ went to Japanese company, Natsume, to give this loveable creature a makeover of sorts, and whatever they did, I sure did like it. I am going to check out the first version and see what people were talking about. Croc plays so good, that I am sure the first wasn't half-bad at all.

     The game starts off right away with Croc playing on the beach with a friend when he finds a bottle containing a letter from his mom. Croc must now set forth to find his long lost family, while also helping other people out along the way, and battling Baron Dante's obstacles through 12 levels.

     The game itself plays very easily with some nice graphics and easy controls. You move Croc from place to place, solving a few puzzles along the way, bopping bad guys and achieving a goal of a new level. Move boxes, find keys, jump across hills, avoid deadly attacks, and be careful not to fall down ditches as you struggle hard to make it to your family. Mom's cooking better be all it is cracked up to be, or Croc is going to have to kick her booty for making him go through such hardships to make it to her. Don't worry, because no matter how many times you die, you have an unlimited supply of continues and you can also use password saves to keep you at the levels you have reached in your adventure. No need to go through repetitive level 1, when you all ready made it to level 6. This is a cool aspect to the game and I am glad they didn't overlook.

     However, I do have a few suggestions about things that were overlooked. The hills in the game were not well animated. I could jump on some of them, but couldn't jump on others that looked exactly the same in height. Also, I got lost easily. I forgot where I was and a map could have been really cool to show me the undiscovered areas I hadn't visited yet. That is pretty much it, in the complaint department besides the two minor glitches I had mad fun playing Croc 2. I haven't played a game from this genre that was this much fun for the Game Boy Color, since Super Mario Brothers Deluxe.

     Badseed's Bottomline: 4 out of 5. The graphics are nice, the character is enjoyable, and the gameplay is well balanced. Croc 2 is really a whole lot of fun for all ages. Croc has made his mark. In the crowded world of character-specific games, don't underestimate this crocodile's bite. Send your comments and questions about this article to Badseed@ybfree.com.

Back to BANDWIDTH's Main Page