Shockman (Schbibin Man 2)

~ SHOCKMAN ~

NCS/Masaya

HuCard

1992

Schbibin Man 2 retains the charge-up method of attack featured in its predecessor but ditches swordplay in favor of MegaManish run-and-shoot action. Indeed, a Turbo title so prominently featuring the MM style (the resemblance goes beyond basic combat elements) is a novelty unto itself...

...but its many huge bosses are deviations from the midget men fought by the old blue bomber.

There are even some side-scrolling shooter stages included, and while they feel a little sloppy, they do play well enough to serve as satisfying, nice-looking change-of-pace boards.

The visuals are nice throughout the game, in fact, though some areas are prettier and less repetitive in backdrop design and foreground layout than others. The music is good, as per the norm for this series. But the best part of all might be the fairly high level of difficulty. This game gets really tough towards the end and definitely provides those who conquer its challenges with well-deserved feelings of accomplishment.

So I like all that stuff, but the floaty gameplay... not so much. Sure, Schbibin 2 controls better than its forerunner, but it still leaves plenty of room for improvement, and it's easy to get frustrated during tight parts that call for "careful" advancement.

Despite the control issues, Schbibin Man 2 earns a spot among the good Turbo action games. It's not an extraordinary title, but one can certainly see signs of creative potential here, the origins of ingenious ideas that were eventually realized in the brilliant Schbibin Man 3.