Windjammers 2 documentary: A ’90s classic revitalized

Dig out that neon sunblock

It’s freezing today here in Blighty. Straight freezing. So I have little recourse but to jot down a few words about the sun-baked world of Windjammers 2, in a desperate attempt to feel those ’90s rays, warm sands, and Global Hypercolor shirts. It’s been such a long, long wait for Dotemu’s Day-Glo sequel, but our roster of international contenders are finally ready to hit the beach when Windjammers 2 finally launches on PC and consoles January 20.

In order to plug these last few weeks in what has been a years-long journey, Dotemu has released a neat 30-minute documentary looking at the development of the new game. The video spotlights the talented team of designers and developers tasked with taking Data East’s classic 1994 arcade and revitalizing it for a brand new generation — bringing the disc-flinging action up to speed while retaining the exciting action and devil-may-care attitude of the ’90s original.

Windjammers 2, first unveiled waaaay back in 2018, hopes to capitalize on the franchise’s latter-day resurgence, which has seen the multiplayer title become a mainstay of major fighting game tournaments such as EVO. Due to its “easy-to-play hard-to-master” gameplay, as well as its lurid and attractive visual style, Windjammers has won over a community of brand new players, all of whom are no doubt tingling with anticipation for the new sequel.

Starring a roster of 10 uniquely skilled characters (including six returning characters) Windjammers 2‘s gameplay includes new arenas, revamped gameplay, and dazzling new EX moves. The sequel will feature both single and multiplayer modes, as well as crossplay between Xbox and PC platforms. It already looks like a faithful recreation of the original, and Dotemu has more than proved its pedigree at bringing back the classics for new generations of players and hardware. Frankly, it’s probably the closest I’ll be getting to the beach this year, so let’s do this.

Windjammers 2 launches January 20 on PS4, PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Stadia.