Back to the Future II
In 1990, Mirrorsoft ventured into the video game adaptation of the second chapter of the Back to the Future saga, with results decidedly better than its 8-bit predecessor developed by Electric Dreams Software two years earlier.
After a static screen introduction that recalls the events of the film—in which an overexcited Doc shouts, “We’re going back to the future!”—the player finds themselves in a side-scrolling beat ‘em up. Riding his trusty hoverboard, Marty must punch his way through thugs who try to hinder him along the streets of a futuristic Hill Valley. A future dated October 21, 2015, which, as we recall, shows a considerable gap between the creators’ imagination and the 2015 we have known.
The stages are really full of annoying characters and objects to avoid
Besides the thugs, you’ll face obstacles against which your punches have no effect: an elderly Biff Tannen, who continuously gets underfoot while walking with his cane (this role as a video game nuisance is the destiny of this character), and some technological gadgets like self-aware trash cans, strange spinning robots, or pesky kids with their remote-controlled cars who constantly block your path. Your only countermeasure is to avoid them. Otherwise, you’ll lose energy, and once depleted—as in any video game worth its name—you’ll die. As the icing on the cake, there’s the risk of being run over by a substantial number of futuristic cars and bicycles. To help you out, various canned or bottled drinks are scattered along the way to slightly replenish your energy reserves.
In this level, Doc will try to save Jennifer Parker from her imprisonment.
A notable novelty for a game of this kind was that the scrolling wasn’t always in the same direction but varied continuously during the level, increasing the gameplay difficulty.
After a long section on the streets of Hill Valley, the level opens up to the grand finale on the pond in front of the building, where Griff Tannen—Biff’s grandson—and his gang crash through the glass facade. These are the thugs described at the beginning of the article. As in the film, they are arrested instead of Marty’s son.
A modern-day Bruce Lee, Marty McFly will keep walking to the right, fighting everyone.
In the next level, viewed from above, you play as Emmett “Doc” Brown attempting to free Marty’s girlfriend, Jennifer, from police surveillance after she’s found sleeping in the alley where you left her—a scene present in the film but not in the video game.
This section isn’t particularly difficult but isn’t very playable either; it’s certainly an interlude between the more serious parts.
Returning to the alternate 1985, as per the film’s plot, you find yourself again in a side-scrolling beat ’em up, this time set in a Hill Valley devastated by crime and vice—the result of the hegemony of the alternate Biff Tannen, who became rich thanks to the sports almanac stolen from the future.
Dodging flying barrels and other hazards, you’ll have to smash the faces of punks and mobsters with kicks and punches. If it weren’t for the somewhat shabby quality of this game section, it might almost resemble Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, but… no… it’s not.
At this point, our heroes return to 1955 to prevent Biff from enriching himself with the sports almanac.
In this fourth level, we’re close to ending our sufferings. To finish the game, you face a small minigame where you must reassemble a puzzle depicting Marty playing at the “Enchantment Under the Sea” dance, and another hoverboard section set in 1955, chasing Biff Tannen and the stolen sports almanac.
The Verdict
At the time, its charm lay in interactively retracing the plot of a hugely successful film; the game itself was never anything special. The two hoverboard levels are quite fun; the rest is garbage.
Pros:
• A “return to the past” to remember how we once envisioned the future; if you’re feeling a bit nostalgic, play it.
• Good old-school side-scrolling… so many memories.
Cons:
• Well…
| Score | Rating |
|---|---|
| Amiga 500 Game | 80% |
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