Manuganu 2

There are some spoilers in this review!!

Manuganu 2 has arrived!  This is one of my favorite three runners and the fun continues in this latest edition from Alper Sarikaya.  The game has a similiar feel and functionality as the first game with a few tweaks here and there.   Overall the game seems to run smoother than the original on the three big platforms I tried the game on. I recommend sticking to either the Apples or Windows version of the game if you have the choice.  Pricing is cheap at $0.99 on all three platforms.  The Android version of this game is terrible simply due to the excessive ads in between completing each level, literally.  The ads seriously slow down the game and your device plus when your paying for a game it shouldn't be permitted to have 40 ads forced upon you or more depending on how often you die.

Manuganu starts in its traditional form giving small tutorials on how to play as each  level introduces new moves your Indian character can do to survive each level.  I can't recall if the original had a back story but there is a small story at the start of the game explaining just exactly why you are running through this world dodging swinging Moai Heads and angry birds and spiders.  In future incarnations of Manu it would be interesting to see this elaborated more on. 

The game overall has a very familiar look and feel but the levels do seem to get a little more interesting as time goes on.  At the end of each world there is a boss level. The first world ends with a giant flying piranha looking monster chasing after you as you try to weave through a bunch of obstacles.  When he catches you he eats you.  Its awesome!

A new feature of the game is the blue and yellow mushrooms that transport you between the background and the foreground very similar to Mutant Mudds.  With this new play option you do get a sense of exploring more of the Manuganu world which was very one dimensional in the first game.   The stop and go feature is still part of the game which is one of the main features that differentiate this runner from other runner games.  And the handful of bosses you encounter make this a solid sequel to the original.

The game overall is tougher than the original and has some new concepts introduced, like flying much of the second world.  I won't say much more than that as not to spoil everything in store in Manuganu 2.  You do have to learn some maneuvering tricks as well to avoid some of the creatures waiting for you as you try to scale walls.  The pace of the game is fairly fast as well and makes for a whole lot of fun trying to complete tasks, beat times and capture the three stars at the end of each level.

Overall a solid game with some nice improvements and new features.  I look forward to seeing what future releases of Manuganu holds and if it continues its current formula this series has a lot of potential.    I give it a 9.5/10