Joe Danger 2: The Movie
Developer: Hello Games
Publisher: Hello Games
Platforms: XBLA
Release Date: September 14,  2012
Price: 1200 MSP ($15) – Available Here

Overview
Have you ever ran out of a movie theater with the urge to go and do a back flip, tried shooting your friends with your finger guns, or quoted a cheesy movie quote like, “I’ll be back?” Well, then I’ve got some great news for you, there is now a game for that and it is, Joe Danger 2: The Movie.

The game picks up right where the first one left off. You still play the most determined stunt man in the world, Joe Danger. There is something different though this time, he gets sent to Hollywood to work on some of the greatest movies ever made. Through using motorbikes, jet packs, skis, and sky suits, you get to play a part in some Hollywood productions.

Story
The game is cut up into different movies (chapters) with each one consisting of different scenes (levels) that you have to stunt your way through. The game begins with you playing the role of Indiana Bones and you have to ride your way (by mine cart) to the end of the scene by dodging rocks, avoiding enemy bombs, or ducking to avoid hitting your head.  This is just a taste of what you will be going against as you will be going against this and much, much more.

While the story of Joe Danger 2 might be a little unoriginal at first thanks to the real movie inspired scenes, you will quickly overlook them because the story is just fun and entertaining! While the game is about Joe Danger, there are some minor characters that partake in the game. One of the being the director who will comment on your performance and try to make witty puns at you every once in a while.

Gameplay
All in all, Joe Danger 2 is one thing and that is a side view action game. You will begin with the simplest of levels which will require you to hop into a mine cart and race your way down the tracks with a jump or two along the way. I will just warn you now, that is the only easy level in that game. The games handles level difficulty the right way. You will begin to notice that the levels will get more and more difficult as you continue along. At many points I found myself having to replay the scenes or start from my last checkpoint because I would hit a bomb or I would have neglected to duck when I was supposed to. The beauty behind that was, it wasn’t the games fault but, it was actually mine.

The games play mechanics are very simple and perfect at best. You have to hold down the right trigger to go, hold down the left trigger to reverse, and so on. You have the ability to use your boost by pressing A but, in order to even gain boost, you have to hold down the left button and rotate your joysticks to gain more boost or, you can just collect the little blue stars while you are playing the level (I highly recommend the first way to get it, due to the fact it ends up being a whole lot more fun).

The also pack in some bonus items for you to collect like letters that will spell the word danger and extra stars hidden through each of the scenes. If you collect enough of these, you can unlock some extra in-game content like deleted scenes or costumes for Joe to wear. This adds replay value to the game because I found myself going back to each level trying to collect everything from that level and aim for the perfect score to be considered a pro on that level.

The game does have a multiplayer mechanic to it but, it is only local multiplayer. While this may be okay for cases like mine because I have an extra controller and a little annoying brother to play with, this won’t appeal to the core online gamers. Maybe we can hope for this in a future update for the game! (A stunt man can dream can’t he?)

The game also includes a track editor in which you can design your own creations for you (and your friends) to try out. I found myself creating crazy jumps with explosions to give me that action movie hero feel that everyone craves sooner or later.

Visuals
The games visuals are one thing, and one thing only, perfect. I found myself just thinking about how clean and polished each of the levels looked. That right there caused half of my failure because I would admire the graphics and the background of  each of the games levels. The cartoony aspect of the game makes the game feel much more fun and friendly also!

Audio
The games music feels like it was pulled out of the one classic 80’s movie you have seen but you don’t remember the name to. Who is to say that is a bad thing though? It actually makes you feel like you are the actual character you are supposed to be playing. The game does have some dialogue but it includes very little and I have to say, I really did enjoy hearing the director yell at me with his pirate sounding voice!

The game also has some awesome sound affects. I found the explosions to be the best sounds in the game and would repeat missions just to hear that sweet sound.

Overall
Joe Danger 2: The movie is a game that is really worth purchasing. With the games great story where you will find yourself taking on many roles that include being a treasure hunter or a secret agent. The game play’s absolutely perfectly and there are so many extra things for you to find and collect through each level that you will be going back and replaying all of them many times. The visuals are nice, crisp, and well polished with beautiful colors and objects used throughout each level. The games audio makes you feel like you are really in one of those good ole’ classic movies and the sound affects just seriously help complete the final product. With all this being said and done, go get your jumpsuit on and get to playing!