Windjammers’ competitive discus throw has a unique appeal. I’ve long heard about its greatness from the anime/alternative games community (and from certain gaming content figures), and a few intense sessions of sprinting, throwing, and lobbying were all it took to win. Over the decades, this obscure platform game has developed a reputation and a loyal competitive scene.

And now, nearly 30 years after the first game debuted, Windjammers 2 has come out to show why gamers old and new should be exploding with excitement at the prospect of throwing a virtual Frisbee. This classic sports video game was developed and published by Dotemu. The long-anticipated game comes after Its 1994 prequel, Windjammers, which was co-produced by Data East and SNK. The game is available on MS Windows, Nintendo Switch, PS 4, Stadia, and Xbox One platforms. Windjammers 2 was released on January 20, 2022.

Interesting Concept and Excellent Game Tools

The basic concepts of Windjammers 2 are the same as its much-loved predecessor: take the basics of Pong (throw a disc into the opponent’s goal area to win when they try to block it and bounce it back), and add international characters with unique abilities, throw in a bunch of offensive and defensive options, then throw them all into one of several arenas to battle it out in the most intense high-powered discus throwing competition you’ve ever seen. Combining skill, quick reactions, mind games, and smart moves creates a fast and exciting experience with incredible skill.

Unique and Amazing Characters

While this new game was carefully built to follow the steps of its predecessor, it is not the same as before. Windjammers 2 adds four new selectable characters to the cast, from the speedy Jao Raposa to the whirlwind Max Hurricane. Each character comes with unique super shots to stun and confuse opponents. Added new offensive and defensive manoeuvres, such as a button that instantly throws the disc back at the opponent at high speed and the ability to jump, intercept and throw a high-flying disc. These skills, along with each character’s unique traits and special attacks, add a satisfying new layer of depth and competitive strategy to an already fiercely competitive game.

Exclusive Game Rules Guide

There are several new courts with unique rules. For instance, floors award double points when a player drops the puck. Mid-court trajectory-changing barriers move when you hit them with the puck, and high-goal areas get bigger every time a player on that side earns points. Even on the luxury casino stage, where every service is different, the point value is random. 

Learning the details of each pitch is just as important to victory as movement and character skills. Will obstacles in the middle of the field spoil your planned shot path? Is it better to force the enemy to drop the disc or aim their target with a quick trick and hope they can’t react in time? If you try to hit the disc of power, can I hit you back with a change? You’ll need to analyze and make quick decisions to ensure victory, and seeing how you can get inside your opponent’s head while responding to their throwing attacks is part of the fun.

Skilled and Organized Competitive Online Players

With a lot of effort put into perfecting and enhancing the mechanics of one-on-one gameplay, Windjammers 2’s primary focus is on competitive PvP gameplay. The online multiplayer game takes centre stage when you click on the back of the title. While it’s tempting to jump right into the fight, newcomers to Windjammers should probably check out the “how to play” section expecting a good tutorial.

Instead, you’re presented with a series of illustrated images and control charts showing various offensive and defensive skills with little context on when and how to use them. Windjammers is undoubtedly not the most challenging game to learn, but there are many skills and strategies beneath its simplicity. 

Even a basic playable tutorial can help new players a lot. Here, you’ll need to learn skills like block timing, post-charge options, the purpose of lobs, both offensive and defensive moves, and excellent meter options with only a control chart that you can’t even look at in the middle of the game.

Another Alternative to the Online Multiplayer

The great thing about Windjammers is that there are different game modes to explore. You can try to practice by going against the CPU. CPU opponents can be selected in match mode, but the primary mode that most people looking to play against the AI will be interested in is arcade mode, as it is the best possible option. 

Here you choose a character, an opponent, and a location to fight on the world map for five fights (plus two bonus stages). The number of extensions you are allowed depends on your difficulty level – easy gives two, normal gives one, and hard starts at zero – but you can get more points.

However, even on the easy level, the CPU can be surprisingly mean, anticipating your reactions and removing full counters and confusing frequencies. If you’re entirely new to Windjammers, you’re in for a trial by fire – but even die-hard disc fans can get annoyed when a CPU opponent stands in the middle of the field, a comfortable position step in, and block a hard disk strike, for the umpteenth time.

Testing Your Skills Against Real Opponents

Once you’ve mastered the various Windjammers gameplay, it’s time to taste the meat of the game: the versus gameplay. Playing against human opponents is more fun and satisfying than CPU, as you can now incorporate fun mind games and player-specific antics into your overall game plan.

The core recovery code also worked smoothly – although I had more problems with other west coast players. Some quirks were left out – the game doesn’t track win/loss stats for the session, there’s no quick rematch option, and you can’t cancel a random character – but the power-over action itself was great. 

Conclusion

Windjammers 2 is a great evolution of a formula that has only become more popular over time. The action is intense, the online is excellent, and the new characters, skills, and levels build nicely on the original foundations. It’s a fantastic competitive experience, but the lack of guidance for new players and the vast shortage of single-player content will keep some people from what should be a triumphant return. If you’re planning to become a disc jockey, you better ensure you’re ready to battle it out online.