this is the only version of xxl 2 I can play and it’s pretty good
for a PSP port, it’s not that bad
and for an asterix, it’s awesome
can’t believe they got tomb raider in the game
(still a bit button mashy tho)

Asteix & Obelix XXL 2: Operation Wifix for Nintendo DS is an action-platformer. Getafix got captured or something, and it’s up to the brave Gaul duo to make things right, in the land full of videogame references, because why not.

The game is primarily a 2.5D affair. Both Asterix & Obelix can double jump for added agility, and combat enemies with a few somewhat basic attacks, with Obelix being much stronger at it. The only perk that Asterix has over Obelix that I can think of is that he is smaller, and can fit into smaller passages, and he is slightly faster to move, I think. The goal is simply to get to the end, but there can be branching paths, with the required path being blocked, requiring you to go through mini-challenges, to light torches or find a key to backtrack to the gate that requires said key. There are times where you have to push blocks or pick up Bomberman-looking bombs to destroy obstacles (sometimes consisting of Tetris blocks). These tasks don’t really add anything to gameplay – typically you clear the path of enemies or other obstacles and then pick up the bomb and slowly bring it where it belongs, or slowly push the blocks. The level design in general is unremarkable. For the most part you just find and push levers, or play mini-games. There are rare instances where the gameplay introduces something interesting, such as a Donkey Kong-like climb while dodging incoming barrels (though that can be an exercise of frustration). The game really could’ve used more variety and take advantage of the game references. Well, better that it does already.

There are required combat sections. The combat is pretty basic, you can attack from standstill, you can jump on enemies which does inflict damage. You can also slide forward, which also counts as an attack. Unfortunately, the combat is not very satisfying and pretty repetitive. There’s no defensive maneuvers, at least I didn’t figure out if there’s any, if you perform a basic attack, you’ll be a sitting duck, and the attack only focuses on one enemy in front of you, which means a different enemy can pork you in the meantime. Jumping on enemies is usually a safe bet, though there are some enemies that require different strategies. These combat sections aren’t aided by the fact that you’ll be fighting enemies in double digits. Have fun beating up 10 or even 30 of the same enemy! Yet again, resulting in repetitive gameplay. Oh, and if you die, you’ll have to do these combat encounters again, which makes them even worse.

There are a few mini-games sprinkled throughout. The most common are Super Mario Bros.-style pipes that lead to a Sonic The Hedgehog 2-style tube section. Or maybe it’s Donkey Kong Country 3 GBA? Anyway, you’re running through the tube and avoid the bombs, while trying to snag a key. The controls are too sensitive, it’s hard to make precision adjustments, and you have to predict where the key will come from, or you’ll be running for longer. The second most common is a trolley – you have to trace a path on the touch screen, and it’s awfully strict – a small mistake, and you’ll have to start over. The first time I encountered this, I thought it was borderline impossible – the kaizo of tracing mini-games. Eventually, I got adjusted, or maybe the layouts got easier, I don’t know. In any case, these aren’t all that fun, as you can imagine, maybe even stress-inducing. Lastly, there’s a unique section that houses four different mini-games that aren’t encountered anywhere in the game. First is a variation of the tube challenge, only this time your goal is to smack the oncoming dudes cosplaying as Sonic The Hedgehog. This mini-game drags on, y’know, maybe because you have to eliminate 30 enemies?! Next is a slingshot mini-game. Use a slingshot to throw bombs at enemies, which is basically Angry Birds, 3 years before Angry Birds, though here it’s from the first person perspective. Again, you have to shoot 30 enemies. You can predict when the enemies come onto screen and shoot pre-emptively, and get into a rhythm, which can make the process go quicker, but it’s still no fun. Next, there’s a circular arena, where you run around laps, dodging enemies that have their spears lowered, while beating up those that don’t. Guess how many enemies you have to beat? 30!! Lastly, there’s a shooting gallery sorta game, shoot enemies that are flying towards you In different patterns. If you guessed it already, you have to destroy 30 targets, but I think this mini-game is actually one of the better ones, decent and doesn’t take as much time, relatively speaking. These mini-games result in, say it with me kids, repetition.

Repetition is pretty much the name of the game. Well, it’s actually Asteix & Obelix XXL 2: Operation Wifix, but y’know what I mean. Even boss battles are all pretty much the same. All you have to do is activate a lever to drop a weight onto the big guy, and watch the same unskippable animation of the guy dropping, then slowly getting up, After which you have to run around the circular arena, occasionally dodging hazards until the next lever. And to add insult to injury, later bosses have more health. As if this game wasn’t repetitive enough.

Graphically, the game is about average. At first, I thought 60 frames per-second meant that the game would settle for lower detail and smooth framerate, but that’s not true. It’s not consistent, usually fluctuating around 30, but it does occasionally get worse than that, especially towards the end in larger levels. As if the devs haven’t figured out a way to unload stuff to save on resources or were simply inefficient. The music is decent, especially the title theme. The dialogue does have some humorous moments. There are video clips, though they don’t have their audio, still playing the game’s background, so when the characters in video talk, it’s a bit awkward, since you can’t hear the talk.

Overall, Asteix & Obelix XXL 2: Operation Wifix for Nintendo DS is not a good game. As I’ve already outlined, the game is repetitive and feels like it’s padded to hell with. The platforming is basic, the combat is unsatisfying, and the mini-games are boring. Even the videogame references and “parodies” thrown in don’t add that much to the experience. The only fun parts I can think of about this game is that you can activate some levers through ceilings and the like, so there's speedrun potential. The PSP version looks like a more fun version than this DS rendition, or you should just stick to about any other actually good game. I don’t recommend this one.