Touch screen controls aren’t often accepting of side-scrolling platformers. The level of precision seen in games like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog is often understated. Sometimes, a game comes along and reminds us just how important tight controls can be. There’s a bit of upside to Super Daddio 2, but a sloppy control scheme and other fundamental issues create a handful of problems.
Touch screen controls aren’t often accepting of side-scrolling platformers. The level of precision seen in games like Super Mario Bros. and Sonic the Hedgehog is often understated. Sometimes, a game comes along and reminds us just how important tight controls can be. There’s a bit of upside to Super Daddio 2, but a sloppy control scheme and other fundamental issues create a handful of problems.
Anyone who’s ever picked up Super Mario Bros. or any of its two-dimensional successors will immediately understand just about everything with Super Daddio 2. You run from one end of the stage to the other, collecting rings, jumping on enemies, and avoiding bottomless pits. Along the way you’ll pick up powerups that turn you larger, let you throw rocks, or gain flight. None of this feels original, and even some of the enemies look like they’re the artist’s own spin on classic Super Mario baddies.
The control scheme is what one would expect from a platformer. There are buttons that let you move left and right, as well as jump, and run/attack. There’s nothing complex about these controls. If anything, the lack of a crouch button doesn’t go unnoticed.
Super Daddio 2 tries to make up for this simplicity by featuring a goal system in each level. In every stage, you’re given three goals: Complete it without dying, complete it under the time limit, and collect enough rings. None of these options are particularly difficult on their own, but can put up a bit of a challenge if you try to land all three in one go. These goals aren’t necessary to complete the game, but they’re an entertaining touch.
Visually, Super Daddio 2 is gorgeous. The art style combines a retro feel with a colorful twist. When nothing on the screen is moving, there’s a lot to love about the game. As soon as animations kick in, there’s a lot to dislike, as well. Every character and platform feel frictionless as they move across the screen, which is amplified by the limited movement animations. The visuals are pretty, but the game’s biggest issue starts with the floaty movement.
That floaty movement carries over into the game’s controls. Touch screen controls have long been an enemy to platformers, and their flaws are obvious in Super Daddio 2. Because everything feels frictionless and weightless, navigating around a level is much harder than it should be. Making precise leaps, wall-jumping, and fighting bosses are all a challenge because of inaccurate controls. The engine is the biggest mishap in Super Daddio 2, and its problems cause the rest of the game to suffer.
Not helping anything, Super Daddio 2 is also a bare-bones experience. The music is good yet forgettable, and there are dozens of stages (including lackluster boss fights), but that’s all there is to the game. What’s present won’t leave you asking for more, but those looking for achievements, leaderboards, or unlockables, are going to be disappointed.
Super Daddio 2 takes a lot of overused platforming ideas and poorly implements them without adding anything of its own. The game is far from unplayable, but with mobile platformers like Cordy 2 on the market, it’s hard to think of Super Daddio 2 as anything other than a missed opportunity. Even with a fundamentally sound idea and pleasant visuals, the game suffers from too many rough spots. Unless you’ve finished every other platformer you can get your hands on, you’d be best off saving your money.
