Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo… what an interesting title for a new release, right? Come learn more about this 2D platformer in our Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo review!

 

Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo is a colorful platformer that presents us with a big challenge over its 30 levels. You’ll need to master each stage, collect every coin and every diamond, which will take time and patience. When you boot up the game for the first time, a short cutscene plays that shows the giant evil king who shows up to torment the little people, dropping skeletons all over the place. Once the main menu pops up and you hit play, you will get to learn the basics from the oppressed people who will give you tips as you go, so you’ll be able to learn how to run, jump, use bounce pads, kill skeletons, and more.

The level design, sounds, and platforming mechanics all come together to give us a game that would not have seemed out of place 20 odd years ago or so. As was usually the case for games of that era, if you die you will have to repeat the level from the start. This is not much of an issue for the first set of stages since they are very easy and you can collect all coins and the corresponding diamonds without issue, but after you’re done with the first boss, you will start to run into some issues.

To finish each of the stages in the game, you will need to defeat all skeletons and throw their skulls into the shine that is located somewhere in the level. You will need to dump multiple skulls before the shrine cleanses the area so that you can proceed to the next stage. Getting to where each skeleton is located in a stage, defeating it, and taking its skull back to the shrine is part of the challenge you will face, and while some are on your path and are easy to reach, others will require some extra effort.

 

Gameplay is simple since you will need to jump from platform to platform, bounce off jump pads to reach higher platforms that you couldn’t reach with a standard jump, and can defeat enemies by jumping on their heads. Skulls from skeletons can be picked up with the L1 button so that you can carry them to the shrine. If you find an obstacle you can’t clear while carrying a skull, you can drop and kick the skull to clear the obstacle so that can grab it again and carry on. There are other enemies, some of which you cannot really harm. You can ignore some of them, but others you will need to use as a stepping platform so that can carry on with your adventure. A platform seems to be out of reach? Then jump on an enemy to gain some extra bounce!

There are some small bonus levels around the map, and the goal of these is to solve a puzzle to reach a heart piece. There are no skeletons to worry about, which is a nice change of pace from the rest of the game. For these stages, you will need to use the available gadgets to reach the heart that at first is just out of your reach. Extra hearts are a must since extra hits are needed when you battle bosses as you learn their movement and attack patterns. So if you see a bonus level, be sure to give it a go!

Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo is a fun old-school infused platformer that feels like a game from an age long gone, with the refinements you’d expect to find in a minimalist indie platformer from the 21st century. The challenge increases at a steady pace, and by the time you reach the final boss, you’ll be ready to take the crown away from the king.

Disclaimer
This Super Skull Smash GO! 2 Turbo review is based on a PlayStation Vita copy provided by Poppy Works.