The Goonies II

The Goonies II (Japanese: グーニーズ2 フラッテリー最後の挑戦, The Goonies II: The Fratellis' Last Stand) is a 1987 adventure video game developed and produced by Konami for the Nintendo Family Computer and Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sequel to the 1986 video game The Goonies.

Gameplay[]

The Goonies II plays as a sidescrolling platformer with Metroidvania elements, such as a large map the player must explore. It also features rooms that shifts the perspective to first-person, with a menu of options to interact with them, such as hitting, moving, and using a variety of items picked up while adventuring around.

Like the prequel, the player controls Mikey. He has multiple ways of attacking enemies: a short-range yo-yo, a ranged and limited ammo slingshot, and a slow-moving boomerang. Additional items like bombs and Molotov cocktails can be found lying around and can be used in combat; Mikey can only carry a limited supply of each and upgrades to his max capacity are earned as the game progresses.

Enemies on the platforming portion of the game range from normal animals (birds, snakes, spiders) to aquatic ones (sharks, piranhas, and octopi) to mythical creatures (dragons, skeletons, and ghosts). Defeating enemies will cause them to drop health refills, keys, additional slingshot ammo, or more bombs and Molotov cocktails. The Fratelli brothers also make an appearance in The Goonies II; like the prequel, they can only be stunned temporarily.

Within the first-person section are a number of NPCs. These can be talked to for hints or hit by Mikey, which can result in them giving helpful items. Certain rooms also act as "warp zones", which allow Mikey to move between two parts of the map.

True to its Metroidvania style, there are no set "levels" like the prequel. Areas of the map include a restaurant (possibly meant to represent the Lighthouse Lounge), a cave system, a waterfall area, a series of ice caves, an underwater area, and an active volcano. There also is a suspension bridge which links one map area to the other. An enemy unique to the bridge is a flying iron mask who will eat the player's boomerang if attacked with it or comes into contact with Mikey, and a message found in one of the safes warns of this "Be careful on bridge not to lose boomerang".

Items[]

There are a number of useful items and pieces of equipment Mikey can pick up as he explores the area. These include:

Tools

Hammer: The first item picked up, the hammer allows Mikey to break through certain walls and ceilings in the first-person sections.
Transceiver: A communications device that provides hints from the other Goonies, as well as the game's developer, Konami. Occasionally Mikey would get messages from other Konami characters such as Simon Belmont, or one from the Fratellis: "Mikey, give up and surrender".
Candle: Allows Mikey to light up dark rooms.
Glasses: Allows Mikey to see hidden doors and safes.

Consumables

Key Holder: Keys are necessary to opening lockboxes for other items and jail cells for freeing the Goonies. Two come with each Key Holder found and require one to open anything.
Magic Locator: Marks the map where an unrescued Goonie is.
Ladder: Allows Mikey to traverse through holes in the ceiling or floor in the first-person sections.
Fire Box: Increases Mikey's Molotov cocktail capacity by 5.
Bomb Box: Increases Mikey's bomb capacity by 5.

Upgrades

Helmet: Prevents Mikey from taking damage from falling objects.
Waterproof Coat: Prevents Mikey from taking damage from waterfalls and dripping water.
Bulletproof Vest: Halves the amount of damage Mikey takes from enemies and obstacles.
Jumping Shoes: Upgrades Mikey's jump height, allowing him to reach higher areas of the map.
Hyper Shoes: Upgrades Mikey's movement speed.
Diving Suit: Necessary for the underwater part of the game, this allows Mikey to swim in the water. It comes with a harpoon gun as a weapon.

Enemies

Story[]

Unlike the other Goonies game, The Goonies II features an original story. Following the events of the movie/first game, the Fratellis have broken out from jail. Exacting revenge on the Goonies, they capture all but Mikey and lock them away. They've also kidnapped a mermaid from the ocean named Annie. Mikey adventures off by himself to save his friends, as well as Annie, from the clutches of the criminal family.

All six Goonies must be saved before Annie can be saved. After saving Annie, he is rewarded with a brief romantic remark, where she is freed back to the sea. A scene is then shown where the Fratellis are escorted into a police "paddy wagon" and a news reporter commends the player for the rescue of the Goonies and how "peace has come again to the town of Goon Docks".

Release[]

The Goonies II was re-released in 1988 as a part of the popular PlayChoice 10 arcade cabinet.

Trivia[]

The NPC Konami Man is the main character from the video game Konami Wai Wai World; he has made cameos in a number of other Konami video games.
A chiptune version of Cyndi Lauper's "The Goonies 'R' Good Enough" plays in part of the map. The song was also featured in the first game (which was only released in Japan) during the first stage.
The Japanese box art for the game includes an image of Data; this was removed for releases elsewhere.
Annie the Mermaid was an original character, named in honor of Anne Ramsey, and the cover art depicting her was likely modeled after Kerri Green.