I’m sure some people remember Chip’s Challenge, a simple puzzle game originally released way back in 1989 for the Atari Lynx and eventually ported to several computers, such as the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64, as well as Microsoft Windows. What some people might not know is that there’s a sequel to Chip’s Challenge that was completed in 1992 but was never released because the trademark had been sold to someone else who wanted the original creator to fund the publishing himself. Well, it’s been 23 years since it was finished but we finally have a way to play Chip’s Challenge 2, thanks to Steam.
When you start up Chip’s Challenge 2, it should bear a striking resemblance to the original. This makes sense, as it was completed three years after the original. If you recall, Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan (which we didn’t see until Super Mario All-Stars on the Super NES) used mostly the same graphics and engine as the original and was still a lot of fun, though quite a bit more challenging. When doing this review, one of my goals was to see what additions were put in place, any new obstacles or items, and so on, to differentiate it from the original.
If you’re unfamiliar with Chip’s Challenge, the goal is to navigate each stage and get to the goal. In most stages you’ll have enemies to avoid, traps to contend with, and chips to collect. A lot of stages will have a chip socket blocking the goal, and you have to collect a certain number of chips to remove the socket, though not all stages have the socket, making the goal reachable without having to collect chips. That’s fine, but it does get a tad annoying when you’re trying to find a way to gather every chip, only to realize you didn’t have to collect any at all to finish the stage--though you do gain points for collecting them.
The original Chip’s Challenge had a decent number of items to collect such as colored keys and various types of footware that would allow you to cross various types of terrain, such as cleats to keep your footing on ice and flippers to swim in water without drowning. These all make a return along with some new mechanics. This time around Chip isn’t alone, as his girlfriend, Melinda, is also tackling some of the mazes. Melinda works a bit differently than Chip, as she doesn’t slip on ice (meaning you won’t need cleats), but she can’t move in concrete or dirt without hiking boots. Along with the returning "appearing wall" (invisible walls that only appear when you touch them), you also have blue walls that disappear when you touch them, and green walls that you can walk over…essentially performing the same function as the blue wall, so I’m not sure why both were included.
You also have the ability to cycle through your items and drop them. I didn’t mention this in my review of the original Chip’s Challenge because I didn’t realize you could do it there. But you can cycle through your footwear and then drop the right-most item (you can only cycle the items in the original Chip’s Challenge, you can’t drop them). This allows you to drop items from your inventory if you have to pass a barrier that doesn’t allow that item. Dropping an item won’t completely get rid of it entirely: It’ll just drop it where you’re currently standing, and you can always pick it back up again if need be.
Racking your brain on 200 new puzzles can be a challenge, but have you ever thought to yourself, “Pfft, I can do better”? I don’t blame you if you haven’t, because a lot of these puzzles are quite challenging. But if you’ve ever wanted to make your own puzzles, now you can. Chip’s Challenge 2 has a puzzle editor that lets you make your own puzzles using any combination of elements found in the main game. Puzzles can have lengths and widths as small as 10 squares to as large as 100. You can use either Chip or Melinda, or you can even have multiples of each and have to get all of them to the goal. The possibilities are nearly endless.
Much like the original, there’s not much else to say about Chip’s Challenge 2. I do have a couple of small complaints, though, namely with the level editor. Surprisingly, The editor doesn’t come with the game; you have to buy it as an add-on for three dollars. There is a bundle, as of this writing, however, where you can get both Chip’s Challenge 1 and 2 as well as the level editor for five dollars. Considering Chip’s Challenge 2 alone is five dollars, you might as well get the bundle. But if you were to get these two items separately (i.e. if the bundle ever goes away), that’s eight dollars for the game and editor. The other issue I have with the editor is that you can save your levels and load them up in the editor, but I couldn’t find a way to put them together in a level pack. If you click on File on the main window, there’s an option to Load Level Pack, but all it has is "Chip’s Challenge 2." If there’s a way to make custom level packs, I’m not seeing it.
If you enjoyed the original Chip’s Challenge, you’ll likely enjoy the sequel as well. The 200 stages included with the game should provide a decent challenge, and the level editor gives you nearly endless possibilities for more. I am a little disappointed that the game literally looks like the original only with different puzzles and a few new elements and includes the same graphics and music. But that doesn’t mean the game isn’t good. While eight dollars for both the game and level editor separately may seem a bit much at first (then again, this is the first time Chip’s Challenge 2 has ever been released), the five dollar bundle makes it more than worth it.
Chip's Challenge 2 is a pretty good follow-up to the original. I would have liked a change in graphics--as well as the music, which gets repetitive and irritating at times. The individual price tag might turn some people off, but if you can get this as part of a bundle that includes both games and the level editor, it's more than worth it.