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The Secret of Cooey 2
(Darkness Ethereal)


vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

"The sun may set over the horizon, but a good secret never dies"


After Cooey defeated the Dark Omen, the power of the Wind Spirit has returned to its maximum, and all the inhabitants of Wind Town. Or is it? The Castle of Flame Cooey entered to defeat the Dark Omen has fallen to pieces, and in its place is a tower larger than anything Cooey or the members of Wind Town have ever seen...


Now the end of Cooey's quest has brought life to another evil. His new mission is to  find the Dark Crystal at the very top of the tower. This will require learning new spells involving Cure, Fire, Thunder, and Ice. But that is only the beginning. Find new weapons and upgrade your spells to bring down the Dark Tower and bring peace to Wind Town once and for all!

Graphics (n.)
The use of animation and visual effects to stimulate the senses
vvvvv
(Excellent)
These are the best graphics delivered by Darkness Ethereal yet. People who have played the original Secret of Cooey will immediately notice Darkness Ethereal's effort to spruce up the game in beautiful 256-color action. I was particularly blown away by the full-screen drawings that were used while you're walking through the fields. The animation is also better than the original Secret of Cooey, although a few details like moving water were left out.

The battle sequence for Secret of Cooey 2 includes a managerie of famous video game RPG characters, including a gentle poke at the Final Fantasy serie's Chocobo and even a clone of Pikachu. Though not very original, this game does maintain such a nice Gothic look that it easily places The Secret of Cooey 2 leagues and leagues higher than its predecessor.

Sound/Music (n.)
The smooth blend of atmospheric sounds and original harmonies
vv
(Average)
The extra time spent by Darkness Ethereal to give this game original music is quite a deviation from the original Secret of Cooey game, which borrowed music from various Squaresoft games. Nevertheless, it was the next logical step for the Cooey franchise, with new and original tunes for each of the mini-parts. There are so many different tunes, from a tune in the castle, to the town, to the forest... though not as great as Square music, a pretty nice job since original music can really give a game an additional level of respect.

My only problem with the music is more of a technical flaw. Sometimes after winning, the victory tune locks up and overrides the tune that should be playing on the field. Not much of a flaw if you're not paying attention, but it gets in the way of enjoying some of the nice music that Secret of Cooey 2 has to offer.

Gameplay (n.)The precision of control and involvement of character within its universe vv
(Average)
Like the original Secret of Cooey, this sequel is a mini-adventure, never meant to take more than an hour to solve. To make a game short and enjoyable, Secret of Cooey 2 centralizes on one town. Instead of focusing on gold, the key to reaching the top of the evil tower will be your spell-casting abilities, which increase gradually as you fight your way through Coo Forest.

The new feature in Secret of Cooey 2 is the implementation of AP, which gives you the opportunity to strengthen your spell by earning magic experience. It adds some dimension to the gameplay, though almost none of the offensive magic works on the bosses.

Story (n.)
The creativity and presentation of the game's critical plot
vvv
(Good)
As usual, Darkness Ethereal sets a pretty tight standard in terms of storytelling in their RPGs. Fans of the Cooey series are treated to a demo introduction, and the quest to recover the Dark Orb from the Tower builds upon the original story from the first Secret of Cooey.

The first legs of Secret of Cooey 2 rely on using the Wind town to open up parts of the story, while the second half the game's plot unfolds in the Dark Tower. There aren't any more big demos from here, but there is some dialogue that help to bring the rest adventure to light. 

Replay Value (n.)
The timelessness of the gamer's delight, such that the experience can be repeated again and again
vvv
(Good)
Good. Secret of Cooey 2 isn't so short that it's unfulfilling, and the enemies give enough of a nudge to make sure that you always have to stand your guard. You may have to play a few extra times also if you're wondering where to find the game's "secret area", as meticulously placed by Darkness Ethereal. There are also some other secrets that help keep Cooey 2 a little more fresh each time you play.
Challenge (v.)
To strike the mental nerve in such a way as to stimulate human thought and reflexes
vv
(Average)
This game works on a simple philosophy: If you can't beat someone, earn some experience levels and eventually you can. Follow this adage and you'll reach the near-end of the game in about an hour. The second hour will probably spent on exploration, trying to find Secret of Cooey's hidden areas while trying to increase your experience level so you can battle the game's powerful last boss.
Fun Factor (n.)
The overall entertainment value as maintained throughout the adventure
vvv
(Good)
The lack of the original Cooey's smooth keyboard handling does get in the way somewhat, but all in all the sequel to The Secret of Cooey is a worthy one, having something for every type of gamer. If you're more into battle, the modified battle system will keep you excited. If you're more of an explorer, this game has some sizable mazes that won't hurt your head but keep you in play. Unless you want to play the first Secret of Cooey game before taking this RPG for a spin, this is one aventure you should definitely try. 
Players 1 player Genre: Role Playing Game
Rating To solve: 2 hours Final Rating: 20/35

To download this game, click here.
 
Installation Tip
wTo play Secret of Cooey 2, unzip the file and run "START.BAT".

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