Joe Danger 2: The Movie Review

Points. Millions of points. And not just some millions, either. Bloody loads of them. Like an overly generous pinball table or a broken calculator, Joe Danger 2 stands ready to cough up big numbers at even the slightest whiff of skill, and a huge number at those who know what they’re doing. And no matter how ridiculous those numbers get, you’ll always want to push yourself to add a couple more zeroes.

While Trials asks players simply to get from A to B with as few errors as possible, which is easier said than done in most cases, Joe Danger adds a smattering of extra layers. The most obvious is that of score, the simple two-button stunt system concealing genuine depth and the end-of-level breakdown encouraging you to try again with a few more flips and wheelies or an unbroken run of tricks. It’s a vastly improved system over the original – before, you could double-jump and boost to get mad air and therefore mad points out of nothing, but now there’s a score multiplier for reaching the goal in the target time. It’s such a minor change, but it’s a big one and unless you’ve got crazy combo skills, a strong run that comes in under the par time will generally score far higher than a slower one filled with diminishing-returns backflips.

New vehicles mix things up, though only a couple really change the mechanics. The more traditional ones – bikes, mine carts and so on – still prove strongest for score attack play, though if it’s challenge you’re after, Joe Danger lives up to his name. Some of the Star goals are punishing enough on their own, so getting a Pro Medal – awarded for claiming all of a level’s Stars in one run – will prove too much for some.

But, for those with the patience, dexterity and determination to face its challenges and haul themselves up the leaderboards, Joe Danger: The Movie is a true delight. With 100 unique stages and an easy-to-use level editor with which to create or download countless more, you’ll have no trouble finding at least a couple of levels to really hammer until you can call them your own. If you have even a drop of competitive blood in your body, Joe Danger will make it rush and boil in the best way possible.

Score: 8/10