Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo review for PS Vita, PS4

Platform: PS Vita
Also On: PC, PS4
Publisher: Poppy Works
Developer: Poppy Works/TACS Games
Medium: Digital
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB: E10+

The very first thing you see when you boot up Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo is a mock-up of the game on an Atari 2600 cartridge. That probably tells you more about the game than anything I could possibly write. Because, really, this feels exactly like the kind of platformer that?s been around almost since the medium?s birth.

In part, this is because of the game?s looks. With its retro graphics, Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo could very easily pass for a game that came out 30+ years ago. The character designs and environments are fairly basic, while the music and sound effects are as chiptunes-inspired as you might expect.

Even more than that, though, Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo plays like a game from the era. Contrary to what a lot of modern retro games would have you believe, that doesn?t mean the game is tough as nails right off the bat (though it is undeniably challenging). What it does mean is that the gameplay is simple and straightforward: you jump around platforms, bouncing off enemies and collecting skulls, jewels, and coins. Occasionally the game will throw boss fights or lava at you, but it sets the basic template early on, and doesn?t waver all that much.

And that?s okay. Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo doesn?t try to break the mold that?s been around for several decades, but it doesn?t really need to. It promises players retro-infused platforming fun, and, by any measure, it firmly delivers on that promise.

Poppy Works provided us with a Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo PS4/PS Vita code for review purposes.

Grade: B