The Smurfs 2: Travel the World

The Smurfs 2: Travel the World
Genre(s): 2D platformer Platform(s): SNES, Mega Drive (Genesis), Sega Master System, Gameboy, Game Gear Release Date: 1996 Developer(s): Virtual Studio Publisher(s): Infogrames Country: Europe Series: The Smurfs Predecessor: The Smurfs (1994) Successor: The Smurfs Nightmare

The Smurfs 2: Travel the World is a 1996 game developed by Virtual Studio and published by Infogrames. It is a finale to the 1981 Smurfs TV series. The story involves a Smurf and Smurfette traveling through different continents to retrieve the transportation crystals and return them to Papa Smurf's laboratory. An improvement over its predecessor, the game was released and ported over to the Super Nintendo, Mega Drive (Genesis), Sega Master System, Gameboy and Game Gear.

Why it Rocks

1. This serves as a departure from the first game where a Smurf and Smurfette travel through different continents around the world through transportation crystals, which wasn't done before.
2. The game now has a character select screen, where you get to play as either Smurf or Smurfette, although unfortunately they had the same play style.
3. Exotic locations, such as:
   • South America
   • North Pole
   • North America
   • Africa
   • Australia
   • Asia
4. It has more emphasis on exploring the levels than in the first game, especially in the 16-bits versions.
5. This is the infamous ninth season of the 1980s cartoon show done right in video game form. The characters travel through different continents instead of being lost in time.
6. The SNES version has a great soundtrack.
7. The game has cut down the number of boss fights to three.
8. Good Ending: At the end of the game, Smurf and Smurfette return home to the village safe and sound with the crystals.
9. Wonderful cutscenes that provide the opening and ending of the game.
10. The new levels have improved graphics from the first game. Also, the characters still remain true to Peyo's original comics.
11. The game is translated from its original French into optional languages: English, German and Spanish.

Bad Qualities

1. Unfortunately, the game does not have the option of 2-player mode.
2. Papa Smurf and the other Smurfs don't appear anywhere in the game or the cutscenes, while in the first one they appear.
3. The Master System, Gameboy and Game Gear versions are considered inferior to the SNES and Genesis versions, both in graphics and sound.
4. The music in the Genesis version is a downgrade to the SNES version.
5. Like the first game, it was never released to North America, but this could be executed because of the mixed to negative reception of the 9th season of The Smurfs, and because the game was released late into the SNES and Genesis lifes.
6. Despite its different approach, some fans dislike it for not being true to the original premise of the Smurfs comics, or simply because of the explorations that is confusing at times.
7. The Italian language has been removed from the game's language selection screen.

Trivia

• For most fans, it is believed to be the real finale to the 1980s cartoon show of The Smurfs.

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