‘Slaps And Beans 2’ Review (Nintendo Switch)
Back in 2018 one of the surprise games of the year was Bud Spencer & Terence Hill: Slaps And Beans, a video game based on the films (and personalities) of Bud Spencer and Terence Hill, two guys who were HUGE in the 70s and 80s, with their Italian-made films traversing the globe, bringing the duo’s particular brand of slapstick violence to homes everywhere. I remember first seeing one of their films late at night on Yorkshire TV and having no idea what I was watching but loving it all the same. The duo’s brand of humour and action easily translated language barriers and also translated well to video games too!
As someone who played and reviewed the original game, I was pleasantly surprised to see Slaps And Beans 2 plays out pretty much identical to the first game… which is not a bad thing, mainly because the first game was so much fun; and the fun (and slapstick violence) continues in this game!
Speaking of the previous game, the story in this sequel picks up where the first left off, with Bud Spencer & Terence Hill travelling the globe, all the while trying to get home. This time things start out in Africa with a very similar beat ’em-up play style that marked out the original Slaps and Beans game – and the ability to pick up and use just about any object to beat your opponents with is back too! You can pick up frying pans to bash your enemies with; or pint glasses of beer, which you can drink to restore health and then glass the enemies in the face with the empty… And, once again, you can literally pick up downed enemies and either use them to hit others with or throw them across the screen like a long-range weapon.
Interestingly there are more puzzle elements added to the game this time round, where you must switch back and forth between Bud and Terence to get past certain obstacles or baddies, as each possesses a particular skill set – for example, the more nimble Terence can climb and swing on bars, while big burly Bud can smash tougher objects. And you must figure out how these skills can keep you going further and further into the game.
Much like the first game, Slaps And Beans 2 also features different play styles – very much mini-games within the game itself, which break up the monotony of the traditional button-bashing beat ’em-up formula. And, again like the original, these mini-games vary in difficulty and believe me, when you hit some of these mini-games they can feel impossible to beat – even from the very first “sinking banana boat” mini-game that hits you almost straight away in Slaps And Beans 2!
Graphically Slaps And Beans 2 is identical to the original, pixel-perfect retro-style visuals that make the game feel like it came from a different era. And given the fact Bud Spencer & Terence Hill ARE from a different era, it all feels very apt. Special mention MUST go to the soundtrack from Oliver Onions, which sounds like every cheesy late 70s/early 80s Italian Bud Spencer & Terence Hill film ever… Adding an extra layer of authenticity to a game which is both a fun outing in its own right and a brilliant homage to two of Italy’s greatest exports!
As I said in my review of the first game, I thought it would be hard to see a title like this ever being released outside in this era of direct-to-consumer digital purchases, especially given that Bud Spencer & Terence Hill are such niche subjects but… the first game must have done well enough to warrant this sequel and I for one, as a long time fan of the duo AND of the original game, am happy that it did.
**** 4/5
Bud Spencer & Terence Hill: Slaps And Beans 2 is available on the eShop now.
