Back To The Future : Part 2

Copyright : Image Works | Reviewed by : Patrick Furlong

After the abysmal game based on the first game by Activision, Imageworks gets the licence to Back to the Future 2. This is a five level game based on the middle film in the trilogy. Instead of being fixed on one time period, we goto four in the course of the film. Levels 1 + 2 are set in 2015 where in a scene remesisant of Back to the Future 1, you control Marty McFly (Michael J Fox) on a hoverboard, going through Hill Valley and avoiding Griff and his gang, ending up with them crashing into the Clock Tower, then as Jennifer, you have to get out of the future McFly family home without being seen by the family and her future self. During this level, Bif Tannen has taken forbidden knowledge back to the past in order to change history. Level 3 is set in an alternative 1985 where everything is out of control and Biff runs the place. In this level, you have to meet up with Doc Brown outside the clock tower. Level 4 sees you go back to 1955 to get the Sports book. In this level, Biff?s thugs are going to attack you but the you from BTTF 1 who is on stage. Level 5 sees going after Biff in his car to get the Sports book and escape. The game has got to be better than the one based on Part 1...

Graphics

Levels 1, 3 and 5 are Speccy ports - they don?t look bad but they aren?t the best graphics in the world, but thank goodness we didn?t get something which looked like the Sega Master System version. Levels 2 and 4 are in full colour. There isn?t any reconisable detail in level 2 but considering the nature of the level, that?s OK. Level 4?s graphics are slightly blocky but you can reconise BTTF characters. The game starts with a beautiful full colour animated reproduction of the end of Back to the Future 1. Levels are introduced by a crap animated picture of Marty and Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) - neither of them is reconisable but you can just reconise the Delorean.

Sound

The title screen has a reproduction of the theme from the film which is very good. Each level has a theme which is very good. My particular favourite is Level 4?s theme. I?d say the sound is the best bit of the entire game.

Gameplay

The game is very easy to get into despite a very long multi-load on tape. The game in itself is great and I enjoy playing it. Level 1 and 5 are levels which involve you using the hoverboard. These levels are nice and long. Level 2 is a puzzle game. You pick two doors to open - the future family leaves the room and then Jennifer goes out. If she ends up in the same room as one of them, you lose the level. If she is in an empty room, you can pick out another door and so on until she leaves. Level 3 is just a side scrolling beat-em-up and is the weakest level of the game. Level 4 is a sliding puzzle game - the picture is a shot of Marty on stage. This isn?t the best licenced game and more could have been done with it but it is better than the first game. Worth playing for curosity only.