The Goonies II
Encyclopedia
is an adventure
game developed and published by Konami
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
. It was released on in Japan
, November in North America
, and on in Europe
. It is a sequel to the first Famicom Goonies
game, which was only available in North America on Nintendo Vs. System and PlayChoice-10
arcade units. This led some people to believe that it was supposed to be a sequel to the movie The Goonies
which was never produced.
The game's story centers on Mikey. His friends, the Goonies, have been kidnapped by the Fratellis, an Italian family of small-time crooks and counterfeiters. Mikey must rescue all six of his friends and free a captured mermaid
named Annie who didn't appear in the film.
When the player exits the platform screen by entering a door, the game shifts to a first-person mode. Using a command menu similar to Shadowgate
(released around the same time), the player explores the area by navigating through rooms, searching for hidden items and interacting with non-player character
s. The items the player finds may be useful on the overworld (such as weapons or transceivers) or within the rooms themselves (such as the candle, key and ladder). The player will find the six Goonies in cells
in this mode. Each rescued Goonie increases Mikey's health.
There are a number of weapons the player can use, and the player can equip both a primary and secondary weapon. Mikey can use three primary weapons: the yo-yo
, a short-range weapon with limited power; the slingshot
, a ranged, ammunition-based weapon; and the boomerang
, a slower ranged weapon with unlimited use. The bomb
and molotov cocktail
are the two secondary weapons the player can use, and the player can increase Mikey's carrying capacity by finding additional cases of them. These are explosive weapons that have a small blast radius and can damage Mikey if he is in range; the bomb can also reveal hidden doors.
There are also two performance boosting shoes in the game. The spring shoes increase Mikey's jumping ability and are required to reach certain areas of the map. The hyper shoes increase Mikey's speed and make some areas more easily accessible.
In addition to the consequences listed above, hitting these characters with a fist prompted the compelling broken English response: "Ouch! What do you do?" If hit with the hammer, they say, "Please, help me!"
among classic gamers. Though the game was received with mildly positive reviews and is typically given average or mildly positive ratings, it is still known among gamers for several reasons. The game was unique in its mix of a platform game and a first person exploration game. Players still recall confusion at the title given the Family Computer
game The Goonies was never released for the NES home consoles in North America
, Europe
and Australia
and that there was no sequel to the motion picture
. References to the game even appear in elements of pop-culture including the title of Homestar Runner
's FAQ
page
.
in the hotel scene, though the sound effects are not of the game. (Generic sound effects for video games are typical in most movies and TV shows.)
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
game developed and published by Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
for the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
. It was released on in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, November in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, and on in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. It is a sequel to the first Famicom Goonies
The Goonies (Famicom game)
The Goonies is a platform game based on the film of the same name produced by Konami for the Nintendo Family Computer in Japan. It was later ported to the Disk System in . While the game was never officially sold in North America, an arcade port was released there for the Vs. System titled Vs....
game, which was only available in North America on Nintendo Vs. System and PlayChoice-10
PlayChoice-10
PlayChoice-10 was an arcade machine which could consist of as many as 10 different games previously available only on the Nintendo Entertainment System home console...
arcade units. This led some people to believe that it was supposed to be a sequel to the movie The Goonies
The Goonies
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure-comedy film directed by Richard Donner. The screenplay was written by Chris Columbus from a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. The premise surrounds a band of pre-teens who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon hoping to save...
which was never produced.
The game's story centers on Mikey. His friends, the Goonies, have been kidnapped by the Fratellis, an Italian family of small-time crooks and counterfeiters. Mikey must rescue all six of his friends and free a captured mermaid
Mermaid
A mermaid is a mythological aquatic creature with a female human head, arms, and torso and the tail of a fish. A male version of a mermaid is known as a "merman" and in general both males and females are known as "merfolk"...
named Annie who didn't appear in the film.
Gameplay
The Goonies II features two modes of play: platform and first-person. Most of the game is played as the former as the player works through a non-linear map. The player moves Mikey to new areas of the map by ladders or doors that may act as warp zones. Several different types of zones are found in the game, each with distinct enemies, graphics and music.When the player exits the platform screen by entering a door, the game shifts to a first-person mode. Using a command menu similar to Shadowgate
Shadowgate
Shadowgate is a 1987 "point-and-click" adventure video game originally for the Apple Macintosh and is the most popular in the MacVenture series. It was also ported to the Atari ST home computer and was also released in 1989 for the Nintendo Entertainment System, where it garnered mild success. The...
(released around the same time), the player explores the area by navigating through rooms, searching for hidden items and interacting with non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s. The items the player finds may be useful on the overworld (such as weapons or transceivers) or within the rooms themselves (such as the candle, key and ladder). The player will find the six Goonies in cells
Prison cell
A prison cell or holding cell or lock-up is a small room in a prison, or police station where a prisoner is held.Prison cells are usually about 6 by 8 feet in size with steel or brick walls and one solid or barred door that locks from the outside. Many modern prison cells are pre-cast. Solid doors...
in this mode. Each rescued Goonie increases Mikey's health.
There are a number of weapons the player can use, and the player can equip both a primary and secondary weapon. Mikey can use three primary weapons: the yo-yo
Yo-yo
The yo-yo in its simplest form is an object consisting of an axle connected to two disks, and a length of twine looped around the axle, similar to a slender spool...
, a short-range weapon with limited power; the slingshot
Slingshot
A slingshot, shanghai, flip, bean shooter or catapult is a small hand-powered projectile weapon. The classic form consists of a Y-shaped frame held in the off hand, with two rubber strips attached to the uprights. The other ends of the strips lead back to a pocket which holds the projectile...
, a ranged, ammunition-based weapon; and the boomerang
Boomerang
A boomerang is a flying tool with a curved shape used as a weapon or for sport.-Description:A boomerang is usually thought of as a wooden device, although historically boomerang-like devices have also been made from bones. Modern boomerangs used for sport are often made from carbon fibre-reinforced...
, a slower ranged weapon with unlimited use. The bomb
Bomb
A bomb is any of a range of explosive weapons that only rely on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy...
and molotov cocktail
Molotov cocktail
The Molotov cocktail, also known as the petrol bomb, gasoline bomb, Molotov bomb, fire bottle, fire bomb, or simply Molotov, is a generic name used for a variety of improvised incendiary weapons...
are the two secondary weapons the player can use, and the player can increase Mikey's carrying capacity by finding additional cases of them. These are explosive weapons that have a small blast radius and can damage Mikey if he is in range; the bomb can also reveal hidden doors.
There are also two performance boosting shoes in the game. The spring shoes increase Mikey's jumping ability and are required to reach certain areas of the map. The hyper shoes increase Mikey's speed and make some areas more easily accessible.
Characters
In first-person mode, a number of regular characters will sometimes appear in the passageways:- Old Man–Dressed entirely in white and carries a cane. He often marks the appearance of a warp zoneWarp zoneA warp zone is usually an area in a video game where players can go from one place or level to another. They are sometimes used as cheats and sometimes as ways to avoid too much walking...
that facilitates travel from one sector to another. - Old Woman–Wears a white dress and sits on the floor of certain rooms. Gives the player (sometimes cryptic) advice. She will also sometimes declare "It's fun to play the Goonies 2." In one room, she will give you the candle if she is hit five times.
- Konami Man–Wears a red and blue costume like SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. He will completely refill your health as often as you enter his room, though these rooms are often the most difficult to reach. The earliest instance requires the player to try and "enter" a room directly underneath a damaging waterfallWaterfallA waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
while riding a moving platform. If Konami Man is struck, he will cease being helpful, replying with, "I don't give you energy because you hit me." Konami Man is also sometimes called Captain Konami. - Eskimo–Informs you that he is Eskimo. (In the Japanese version of the game Eskimo says, "I am Eskimo. Oh, you didn't call me here? Sorry, pardon me." This is a reference to the signature gag of late Japanese comedian Hitoshi UekiHitoshi Uekiwas a Japanese actor, comedian, singer, and guitarist. He won six awards for acting. His film credits stretch from 1960 to 1995.Ueki came to fame through the comic jazz-band The Crazy Cats led by Hajime Hana...
.) - Fish Man–A fish-like humanoid who can be found in some underwater rooms. He sometimes gives the player bonus items.
- Goonies–Locked behind barred doors deep in each of the map's sectors, they require a key (rare drop from enemies) to be released, after which they disappear from the room.
- Ambassador Konami–A strange yellow man resembling a space alien who tells the player "Rescue all 6 Goonies to help Annie." He only appears in one room in the volcano area of the game.
- Annie the Mermaid–Inhabits the final room in the game. Like the Goonies, she was captured by the Fratellis and imprisoned at the end of the second underwater area. Saving her ends the game.
In addition to the consequences listed above, hitting these characters with a fist prompted the compelling broken English response: "Ouch! What do you do?" If hit with the hammer, they say, "Please, help me!"
Enemies
In addition to a number of unusual enemies (such as animated suits of armor, meat-cleaver throwing eskimos, and fire-breathing dragons), the Fratellis make repeated appearances in certain rooms. They cannot be "killed" like other monsters, only stunned. After a short period of time, they get up and continue to chase the player (if still on-screen)- Jake Fratelli–Tall, thin man in blue suit. Shoots bullets at Mikey.
- Francis Fratelli–Tall, heavy man in blue suit. Shoots arrows at Mikey. Moves more slowly than Jake.
- Mama Fratelli–Old woman. Throws bouncing bombs. The slowest-moving family member and the only one who can climb ladders.
- Cousin "Pipsqueak" Fratelli (a character exclusive to The Goonies II)–Short, rotund man in blue suit. Jumps quickly at Mikey. Unlike the other Fratelli characters, Pipsqueak can be "defeated" as a normal enemy.
Reception
The Goonies II has developed a cult followingCult following
A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a specific area of pop culture. A film, book, band, or video game, among other things, will be said to have a cult following when it has a small but very passionate fan base...
among classic gamers. Though the game was received with mildly positive reviews and is typically given average or mildly positive ratings, it is still known among gamers for several reasons. The game was unique in its mix of a platform game and a first person exploration game. Players still recall confusion at the title given the Family Computer
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
game The Goonies was never released for the NES home consoles in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and that there was no sequel to the motion picture
The Goonies
The Goonies is a 1985 American adventure-comedy film directed by Richard Donner. The screenplay was written by Chris Columbus from a story by executive producer Steven Spielberg. The premise surrounds a band of pre-teens who live in the "Goon Docks" neighborhood of Astoria, Oregon hoping to save...
. References to the game even appear in elements of pop-culture including the title of Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner
Homestar Runner is a Flash animated Internet cartoon. It mixes surreal humor with references to retro pop culture, notably video games, classic television, and popular music.The cartoons are nominally centered on the title character, Homestar Runner...
's FAQ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. "FAQ" is usually pronounced as an initialism rather than an acronym, but an acronym form does exist. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual...
page
.
Pop Culture
The game Goonies II can be seen being played in the movie My Blue HeavenMy Blue Heaven (1990 film)
My Blue Heaven is a 1990 comedy film directed by Herbert Ross, written by Nora Ephron and starring Steve Martin, Rick Moranis, and Joan Cusack.It has been noted for its relationship to the movie Goodfellas, which was released one month after this film...
in the hotel scene, though the sound effects are not of the game. (Generic sound effects for video games are typical in most movies and TV shows.)