Windjammers is a game developed by Data East and originally released in Neo Geo arcade cabinets in 1994. It's a simple game that, based on my reading of it, went largely unheralded at the time of its release. It has, however, undergone a bit of a renaissance due to it's inclusion on the Wii Virtual Console, and later on PS4, Vita, and the Switch.
Windjammers is Pong. It's a tremendous overstatement, but it gives you a very good idea of the basic rules and mechanics of the game. You pick between 6 playable characters that have a range of speed and power, and have to throw a disc back and forth. If you get the disc past your opponent, you score points, and the match is over once you hit the determined number of points. Your character can dive for distant shots, and if you set up perfectly to catch the disc while still, you can pop the disc in the air and prepare for a power shot that varies depending on your character.
Matches take place on a handful of maps that change your strategy dramatically. Some maps have bouncers in the middle that will alter the trajectory of the shot, some are wider, and all have different layouts for point scoring. On each map, there's some yellow zones, for which you get three points, and at least one red zone, which is worth 5 points. These zones depend on the map, so your strategy will have to adjust based on where you're playing, in addition to the opponent's tendencies.
The graphics of this game have aged very nicely for a game of this era. As my son said, "it looks like a new game that they tried to make look like an old game". It's very polished and has a look that's completely at home on modern consoles.
The music of the game is very good, with a handful of infectious tunes that I found myself humming long after turning the game off.
The controls are very good and tight, although they take some getting used to. Figuring out which direction your analog stick needs to point to aim the disc properly takes some adjustment, but with a little effort you'll be guiding your circular baby right at your opponent's weak point.
The high point of the game is the local multiplayer, which will be sure to be a hit for gamers of every age and skill level. We recently held a little Memorial Day Windjammers tournament at my house, featuring my kids, their mother, their uncle, and their grandfather, and we all, from ages 7 to 60, had a great time taunting each other, celebrating, and competing. This game has the feel of a fighting game due to its quick rounds and focus on 1v1 combat, but is designed to be accessible for all and it's now a big family favorite.
The online seems to work fine, when you can get an opponent. It's nearly impossible. I tried to get matchmade on a Saturday morning, and literally sat in a queue for five minutes without being able to find a single player. But I did get in a handful of online matches over the weekend, and found the experience fun, if a bit lacking in comparison to the energy of playing an opponent live.
The game is pretty shallow, and lacks hardly any replay value for a single player. This game thrives with friends, and needs to be played as such. But with the right group, this will be a great night of fun, and you'll find that people just want to play this game again and again. I'll give it an 8.8/10.
Up next is a reTROview of a game that's been taunting me for decades (taunting me for so long that I may have already teased it months or years ago, but I forget), and was one of the oldest members of my remaining backlog. Check out the teaser below...
-TRO
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