Ufouria: The Saga 2 mini-review

Sunsoft’s NES title receives an unessential follow-up more than three decades later.

Recently, Sony and Microsoft have begun to port some of their exclusives onto PC. But beyond a few mobile-based spin-offs, Nintendo has been notoriously protective of their properties. The result is a conspicuous dearth of thoroughly polished, character-driven action titles. Sure, a few indie efforts like New Super Lucky’s Tale and Penny’s Big Breakaway come close to duplicating that signature Nintendo charm, but I’m still looking for a platformer that truly rivals one of Kirby’s outings.

With a visual aesthetic that recalls both Kirby’s Epic Yarn and Yoshi’s Wooly World, Ufouria: The Saga 2 comes close to capturing the visual allure of one of Nintendo’s first-party titles. Here, trees look like they’re constructed of layers of felt, while clouds resemble billowy cotton balls. Dialog boxes and post-boss battle fireworks appear to be assembled from tiny buttons. It’s all irresistibly cute and in sharp contrast with much of the industry’s output.

Hebereke: Where Every Series Entry is Different

Just like the 1991 precursor, Ufouria for the NES/Famicom, the numerical pun in the title signifies being able to swap between a quartet of playable characters. But this time out the switch occurs with a spirited tag between heroes instead of having to visit a menu. Each has their own abilities, which allow you to explore new regions, of course.

But Ufouria 2’s play isn’t quite as adept as its looks. Offensively, you can summon and toss Popoons, which look like gacha-balls. But between a short throwing range, a sluggish cooldown meter, and the fact they only stun enemies, they’re not much fun to use. Butt-bouncing on foes isn’t any better. If you don’t land on enemies with dead-center accuracy, you can expect to lose one of your health pips. And determining when to switch characters is consistently obvious, tarnishing any chance for gratification from light solving.

As Concise as it is Cute

While the original Ufouria was a metroidvania with a grided map screen, the follow-up adopts a more linear approach. For half of the campaign, you’re rounding up your fellow allies, earning their loyalty by buying items from vending machines. Across the second half, you’ll accumulate skills that help you bypass the game’s environmental obstacles. Largely, it’s a succinct game, clocking in at around five hours.

For better or worse, there’s little chance of getting lost. Zones branch off from your hub-area home, stretching out into mostly flat regions. Yes, there’s some basic gate keeping, with water, ice or lava signaling you need a specific ability to proceed. The most remarkable trait about the game’s level design is the randomized nature of levels. Each time you revisit them, the environment will be slightly different. But like most instances of procedural generation, these zones can’t match the appeal of locations constructed by a human designer.

Conclusion

Look past the game’s beguiling ‘arts and crafts’-inspired visuals and Ufouria: The Saga 2 is woefully unmarkable. Exploration, combat, and the game’s dialog are all just adequate, rarely producing the kind of enjoyment delivered by Ufouria 2’s peers. 33 years in the making, Sunsoft’s follow-up is tragically unessential.

Ufouria: The Saga 2 was played on PC with review code provided by the publisher.