The first was a not very good search-action platformer, and now this one is a very okay run and gun with occasional shmup and “how many y’all like auto-scrolling levels?”

Everyone has their own level now, and their theme song only plays during that level, which, I mean, I’m not gonna sit here and pretend I didn’t ask for that last time. Also, you don’t really get to pick who you play as anymore, you know, an array of classic Konami characters each with their own strengths and weaknesses tailored to intelligent level design. What do you think this is, Little Samson? No, you jump on platforms and shoot, and hope that you get to play as Goemon or Contra man for sixty seconds instead of the baby. I hate that baby.

I like how Goemon’s level is a little drawn out and makes you wonder when it’s going to end, and the contra level takes less than two minutes, in nods to each of their original games. You also get to see a huge R-Type crawl for the classic Gradius enemy ship with barriers that you have to shoot through, and there’s a TwinBee level with Star Fox perspective. I can’t believe I made it to a day I got to see TwinBee ass.