I should clarify something before I make the bold, sweeping statement that I'm about to make: I really, really like Rocketbirds 2. In fact, I'd go as far as to call it shockingly underrated. I get why the first Rocketbirds isn't to everyone's liking; it's clearly a homage to much older genre efforts that can feel impenetrable to a modern audience. But Rocketbirds 2 is a joy to play from the moment it starts. Each of the weapons feels unique and awesome to use, and although platforming is never too much of a challenge, the movement feels buttery smooth. As a sequel, Rocketbirds 2 manages to improve on its predecessor in almost every conceivable way. As a twin-stick shooter with platforming mechanics, it's one of the best of its kind alright, I guess (I have an issue with hyperbole; I am aware). Put simply, Rocketbirds 2 has never been shown the love it rightfully deserves.

And as much as it bums me out to say this, I get why.

So, a little trivia about myself: I adore the PlayStation Vita almost as much as I adore this game. To cut a long story short, unfortunately, the only reason the Vita had an extended lifetime at all is that it was a better platform for indies than the 3DS was. Sure, 3DS developers tried, but who in their right mind was going to buy a Circle Pad Pro to play Hotline Miami? This meant the Vita was the platform of choice for those seeking out new, independent titles for a time. Now that other, better options have presented themselves and Sony is eyeing the "shut down PSN servers" button like a pin-up model, there's a chunk of the Vita's history that will soon be lost to time.

Enter Limited Run Games. There's a lot that could be said about them. Shoddy customer service, damaged packages, and extended shipping times that will test even the most patient of gaming enthusiasts is only the tip of a much larger iceberg that puts their company name into question. But when they're the only ones who have a consistent selection of Vita titles that vendors are reselling on eBay after the purchase window ends, where else are you going to turn to when you want to start collecting? Although all of the reports I've listed are legitimate and should be taken into consideration before making any purchases with this company, I can tell you a different story. Eight out of the nine LRG products I own are pretty decent, and although I don't go near them nearly as much as I should, I don't regret buying them.

The ninth game is a different story.

Imagine this hypothetical scenario: you're a Limited Run Games consumer. You buy a copy of Rocketbirds 2 for the PlayStation Vita, wait months if not a year to get it in your hands, and by the time you've finally had the opportunity to play it, something is off. The ID on your cartridge doesn't match the ID the digital storefront has for the game, which only seems to confirm any speculation on your part. By the time you've received your package, you're stuck with a cartridge of the 1.0 version of the game and can't download any of the more recent updates the game's been getting. The LRG copy you purchased doesn't come with a key for a digital copy. The version you paid far too much money for, waited far too long for, and could barely wait to try is inferior in every way.

The original version of Rocketbirds 2 is mostly the same as the game I know now, but it's different. Its crosshair doesn't have the same distinctive look and blends into some backgrounds, making shooting—the bread and butter of this game—feel cumbersome in certain areas. AIm assist isn't even an option. Considering how precise this game wants your shooting to be at times, this is an inconvenience at best if you're not on the Vita. If you are on the Vita, the small thumbsticks make aim assist downright necessary in certain situations, and not having it makes the game unnecessarily difficult to work with. Using the inventory menu doesn't pause the action, and using said inventory menu is a hassle beyond words due to functionality that simply wasn't polished enough for a full release. It feels clunkier to move down and pick up items, and worst of all, the already bad performance that updated versions of the port suffer from is horrendous. And as a cherry on top, a neat little garnish, Co-Op is locked to this version of the game. AdHoc doesn't work; I have more than one hacked Vita, I tried. Rocketbirds 2, as it was released in 2016, lives up to its tepid critical reception.

So what does this say about how it's going to be preserved? Well, if I'm being completely honest with it, it's looking pretty fucking bleak. At least the PlayStation 4 version that they also released has local Co-Op. Performance is probably better and, as somebody who's obsessed over this game to the point where I've played it on all three platforms with the aid of PlayStation Plus, I can say that this is a game that controls the best with a DualShock 4/DualSense in your hands. But if it's anything like the downgraded version I was handed in the mail, don't get your hopes up. I'm not going to say that I was totally fleeced, because as far as I can tell, the LRG Vita copy of Rocketbirds 2 is the only way you can play the 1.0 release without too many compromises. Preserving different versions of games is an entirely different conversation, and it helps me to appreciate what I have elsewhere. But when I won't have the best versions of this game in 20 years, it's only going to leave a sour taste in my mouth.

In short: Rocketbirds 2 is fucking fantastic, but don't waste your money by chasing a physical copy of it as I did. Like piss in the wind, my money is...

Rocketbirds 2 is both a massive step forwards and a few steps back. It took some time for me to love Rocketbirds 2 almost as much as I am endeared to its predecessor, but when you get the hang of things, you'll find a game that manages to make the best of its flaws.

The first thing you'll likely notice if you've played the original Rocketbirds as much as I have is that the voice actors sound different. I can't find any evidence that says who the voice actor for Hardboiled in this is. But I'm assuming it's either the same guy who did the voice for the first game, and his voice sounds different here, or they got a soundalike. Either way, the voice acting still manages to do the campy nature of this game's writing very well and adds a ton of added humor. Rocketbirds 2 still feels like a Saturday Morning Cartoon mixed with an 80s' action flick despite its different art style. That's likely the second thing you'll notice. Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken had this gorgeous 2.5D aesthetic. The characters and cutscenes were all hand-drawn and animated, but the backdrops were this stylish 3D that kept in style with the characters. I've said my piece on how well that's held up, but the critical thing to take out of that is that it's different in Rocketbirds 2. They've cheaped out, and now the game is fully 3D. This doesn't have the same character as the 2.5D, but if you can ignore the stylistic differences, you'll be in for a (mostly) fun time.

What's really changed in Rocketbirds 2 is the combat. Hardboiled Chicken played like a throwback to games like Another World and Blackthorne, so its movement was deliberately clunky, and jumps were hard to control. You shot in a straight line, or you didn't shoot at all. In Evolution, you're given a full 360 degrees to aim with. On top of that, guns feel punchier than in Hardboiled Chicken, and the combat is genuinely fun.

The best thing about Evolution, without a doubt, is its Co-Op. The Co-Op in Hardboiled Chicken was a pretty standard side-campaign that reused some stages from the single-player content to pad out its run-time. Pretty fun, but you wouldn't be remiss if you decided to pass on it. Rocketbirds 2, on the other hand, goes all out. Procedurally generated missions, a fleshed-out progression system, compelling and rewarding Co-Op mechanics. Although the single-player stuff in Evolution is pretty fun, it pales in comparison to the multiplayer content. There are just two issues, though: the net code isn't that great, and if you're looking to play this locally, it takes time to adjust to how aiming works on a gamepad. It feels pretty natural with a PlayStation controller because of how the sticks are laid out, but without aim assist, it can take some time to get used to on an Xbox or Xbox-style controller. Once you get the hang of things, it's good fun. But until then, it might take some convincing to get your friends to try this.

This leaves me to talk about the single-player campaign. It's mostly fun, but it takes some time to find its footing. Although it makes a decent impression with some solid shooting (minus a shotgun that feels kind of weak), the first few stages in Rocketbirds 2 treat you like a child. They aren't tutorials as much as they are "hey, idiot, look over here." There's a decent amount of replay value with signs that are hidden all over the map. Unlike Hardboiled Chicken, finding these signs is more contextual within the boundaries of the map. Instead of positioning enemies into certain places and swapping between different screens, you'll be blowing up walls and kicking bombs around. There are also a few hidden weapons that are great fun to use. One of the most significant accomplishments of Evolution, though, is its improved flight sections. Although I have somewhat of a soft spot for the flight sections in Hardboiled Chicken, I'd be lying if I didn't say going back to them can feel rough. You have to monitor when you're flying and when you're not. The direction you're flying in dictates the direction you shoot in (at least, I think) unless you're falling in the air. It can be pretty fun to work out how that's supposed to work, but it requires patience to sit through the clumsiness of it all, and I know for a fact that it likely turns some people off of that game.

In Rocketbirds 2, you are always in the air. The difference is that, instead of there being a button to fly, there's a button to boost, so there's still a little bit of strategy in how you approach combat. Flight combat in Rocketbirds 2 manages to get at what Hardboiled Chicken was attempting to do while intelligently streamlining it. Evolution has fewer levels, but that might be because almost every level is a little bigger in size. Rocketbirds has made the transition to Metroidvania-style maps and backtracking. Like the flight combat, though, it's streamlined in ways that manage to make you feel like you're clever without doing all that much. Occasionally, it does stumble and is a little confusing or a little too straightforward, but for the most part, it nails what it goes for.

If the original Rocketbirds was a little divisive, I could absolutely see some people not getting past the first level here. Improvements to shooting, map design, and
controls should make this a must-buy for fans of the original, though. And who could forget: New World Revolution did entirely new music for this game, and it's glorious. This was free on PlayStation Plus about a year or two ago, so if you had that at the time, chances are you already have this in your library. The PC version does offer Mouse and Keyboard support, which makes getting used to the controls more accessible.

It might be worth noting that if you're eyeing the physical copy of this for the PS Vita on eBay, you might want to reconsider. I don't know if this is a thing with my copy, but the game version on the cart is permanently the 1.0 version of this game. The serialized IDs between the physical version and the version on the PlayStation Store do not match up. The performance on the PS Vita port already isn't excellent, but it's a lot worse without the updates that addressed it. Still, it's a neat goodie to have if you're a collector.