Furry duo return in solid fun
In a previous issue, I reviewed Disney’s Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers for the NES. I reviewed the game as a nod to the times of the late ’80s and early ’90s where you knew the ins and outs of your favorite shows, including the opening and ending theme songs. With the arrival of Disney+ and Capcom’s re-release of Disney Afternoon-themed games for current consoles, I heard that Disney’s dynamic duo had another game for the NES. I reviewed Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 to see if it would jump start my carefree kid memories.
Rescue Rangers 2 starts off with our furry heroes and their comrades enjoying a well-deserved rest after stopping their notorious arch nemesis, Fat Cat, in the first game. However, like most great villains, Fat Cat was able to mastermind his escape from prison and acquire the legendary Urn of the Pharaoh to re-launch his fiendish plans. With Fat Cat on the loose and having evil spirits at his disposal, the Rescue Rangers are the only ones standing between Fat Cat and world peace.
Rescue Rangers 2’s gameplay is exactly like the original; you can choose either Chip or 
Dale to battle through several levels to do battle against Fat Cat’s legions of henchmen who are determined to stop our heroes from saving the day. Chip and Dale can jump, duck and used pint-sized boxes to throw either horizontally or vertically to defeat enemies. These boxes have various power-ups, such as acorns, to replenish health, extra lives or Rescue Rangers plaques that can earn Ranger icons. These icons will give the character of your choice an extra heart.
The controls also remain the same from the first game. Rescue Rangers veterans will be familiar with the control layout, but newcomers will go through trial
and error until they are comfortable.
All the levels and backgrounds were done with great care, making me believe that I was playing an actual episode of Rescue Rangers. I commend Capcom for letting Disney animators work their magic on heroes and boss characters, ensuring that the bosses provided a challenge without losing Disney elements.
As much as I enjoyed Rescue Rangers 2, it’s not without some flaws. I stated earlier that controlling either Chip or Dale would take practice; that is important since during stages, you cannot go back to a lower level to pick up items without losing a life. That makes things unnecessarily tough. Also, the Rescue Rangers’ roles were drastically from the first game. The first game incorporated Monterey Jack, Gadget and Zipper into finding hidden paths, scouting for enemies, and backup and reach support; they’re now reduced to background scenery with little screen time.
Audio-wise, the music sounds dialed-in like the music from “1945,” showing that Capcom’s development starts strong but becomes weak in certain areas. Finally, the challenge level is high, but I advise players to have special cheat codes enabled if they want to finish this game. You shouldn’t have to use them, but they are a must here.
Chip ’n Dale Rescue Rangers 2 has delivered, keeping intact all the elements that made it a Disney favorite but, unfortunately, keeps some of Capcom’s bad habits as well. The Disney Afternoon lives on in this small but solid sequel.