Vectorman 2

n/a

Vectorman 2
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Steam
Publisher: Sega of America (US) Sega Europe (EU) Sega Corporation Ballistic (US re-release)
Developer: BlueSky Software
Supporting companies: Sega Test (testing)
Distributor: Majesco Sales (US re-release) Tec Toy (BR)
Sound driver: GEMS
Peripherals supported: Six Button Control Pad
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1
Release Date RRP Code US 1996-11-08 $59.99 1843 US ▼ (Sega Channel) 1996-10-01 SUB EU ▼ (Sega Channel) 199x SUB BR 1996-12 048280 SA ▼ (Sega Channel) 1996 SUB US ▼ 2012-05-02 $2.99 211208 EU ▼ 2012-05-02 €2.49 211208 DE ▼ 2012-05-02 €2.49 211208 UK ▼ 2012-05-02 £1.99 211208 AU ▼ 2012-05-02 $3.49 211208 US ▼ 2019-02-01 $0.99 211208 EU ▼ 2019-02-01 €0.99 211208 DE ▼ 2019-02-01 €0.99 211208 UK ▼ 2019-02-01 £0.79 211208 AU ▼ 2019-02-01 $1.35 211208 US ▼ 2019-02-01 $0.99 211208 EU ▼ 2019-02-01 €0.99 211208 DE ▼ 2019-02-01 €0.99 211208 UK ▼ 2019-02-01 £0.79 211208 AU ▼ 2019-02-01 $1.35 211208

Vectorman 2 (ベクターマン2) is the sequel to Vectorman, released in 1996 for the Sega Mega Drive. Gameplay is largely the same as its predecessor, but more morphs and weapons have been added.

Story

“	VectorMan 2 picks up on VectorMan's adventures immediately after the demise of his arch-enemy, Warhead. A routine sludge barge excursion is cut short when a mysterious missile critically damages VectorMan's ship. VectorMan escapes destruction and freefalls back to Earth, landing on the outskirts of a seemingly abandoned research facility. As he begins to investigate the source of the missile, VectorMan discovers a mutant strain of insects have begun to flourish in the research facility. Worse yet, the insects display destructive tendencies towards the planet and seem to be run by an unseen intelligence. VectorMan's mission is clear: defeat the mutant insects and once again save the Earth from impending disaster.	„
— US manual

Gameplay

Following on from the first Vectorman game, Vectorman must go through 22 stages fighting mutant insects rather than brainwashed Orbots. By defeating certain insects, Vectorman can acquire assimilation power-ups that increase his offensive capabilities for a limited time. Morphs also return from the first game, though most of them are only used exclusively throughout certain stages, with only the Tornado morph being a power-up. The game features a new selection of weapons and new bonus rounds.

Vectorman moves with or . He crouches with and jumps by pressing . He can "boot-blast," using the thrusters in his soles to double-jump, by pressing again in midair (whether from a jump or a fall). The exhaust from this boost can damage enemies. Vectorman can shoot by pressing or . He can shoot while standing, crouching, or jumping and can aim his weapon in eight directions by holding the D-Pad while shooting. He shoots while crouching with +/ when on the ground but shoots directly downward with +/ in midair. His descent is slowed while shooting downwards. He is initially armed with a basic ball gun that shoots a single projectile at a time, but he can find power-ups that temporarily replace his weapon with rapid-fire laser beams, high-damage energy shots, or scattering projectiles. Items are found by destroying Power Sacks hanging in the stages.

Vectorman starts the game with four health points. He loses a life and restarts the stage from the beginning or from the last checkpoint if he loses all of his health points. Lost health can be replenished by finding green health spheres, and Vectorman's total health can be increased through power-ups as well. He also loses a life if the timer for the stage runs out. The game ends if Vectorman loses his last life and cannot be continued. There are three difficulty levels (Lame, Cool, and Wicked). An extra life is given every 10,000 points on Lame, 20,000 points on Cool, and 40,000 points on Wicked. Bonus points are given at the end of each stage for time remaining, Power Sacks destroyed, and Photons collected, and there is an additional "Pacifist Bonus" given for finishing a stage without firing Vectorman's weapon.

Weapons

All of the weapons listed here, besides the Ball Gun, have limited ammunition. When a weapon is nearly depleted, its icon starts to flash in the HUD and a warning buzzer sounds. Vectorman's weapon reverts to the standard Ball Gun when ammo is fully depleted.

	Ball Gun
	The standard weapon, which has unlimited ammunition. Shoots a single bullet at a time. There is no rapid-fire, so the shoot button must be pressed repeatedly to continuously fire.
	Laser
	A rapid-fire gun that shoots laser beams. The player can hold or to continuously shoot.
	Energy Shot
	Fires concentrated beams that deal heavy damage.
	Super Energy Shot
	Similar to the Energy Shot, but more powerful and can ricochet off walls.
	Pulse
	Fires more dispersed energy projectiles.
	OverKill
	Destroys all on-screen enemies. It can only be fired once.

Assimilations

Some enemies drop items that temporarily change Vectorman's form. He is invulnerable while in an assimilation form (with the exception of the Fireball form).

	Shield
	Generates a shield that protects Vectorman from damage. Acquired from Shell Bugs.
	Stinger
	Morphs Vectorman into a scorpion shape, allowing him to sting enemies with a tail by pressing or . Acquired from Scorpions.
	Punch
	Increases the size of Vectorman's fists, allowing him to punch enemies with or . Acquired from Ticks.
	Charge
	Allows Vectorman to charge forward like a rampaging rhino with or . Acquired from Rhino Beetles.
	Fireball
	Allows Vectorman to shoot powerful fireballs. Acquired from Fire Ants. This assimilation form acts like a weapon and lasts for a certain number of shots rather than a time period like the others. It also does not confer invulnerability to Vectorman.

Morphs

Some stages are played with Vectorman in a different form. The Tornado morph requires finding a power-up and lasts for only a limited time, but the other morphs are used for the entire stage.

	Helicopter
	Vectorman floats to the ground with a helicopter-like rotor. Pressing or moves, pressing or shoots, and holding slows his descent. Used in Scene 1.
	Skates
	Vectorman's boots gain wheels, like skates, so he moves much more quickly and maintains momentum when stopping. Used in Scenes 8, 10, and 12.
	Tornado
	Vectorman transforms into a tornado that can demolish enemies and some walls by moving into them. Pressing jumps and pressing floats in the air. Used in Scene 18.
	Tank
	Vectorman takes the form of a tank. He faces the same direction when moving back and forth, but pressing faces the other direction. Pressing and moves the gun barrel up and down, and pressing shoots. Pressing jumps. Used in Scenes 19 and 20.

Items

	Power Sacks
	These contain items, weapons, and Photons that are released when Vectorman shoots at them enough times, much like the Television Receivers in the first game. Bonus points are awarded at the end of the stage for the number of Power Sacks destroyed.
	Photon
	Awards points when collected. They are found out in the open or from destroying enemies and Power Sacks. Bonus points are awarded at the end of the stage for the number of Photons collected.
	Multipliers
	Multiplies points, health refills, and extra lives earned for a limited amount of time. When active, it appears in the HUD next to the score and begins to flash when it is about to expire. x2 and x3 multipliers are commonly found by defeating enemies, while x5 and x10 multipliers are rarer and only found in Power Sacks.
	Health Point
	Restores one point of Vectorman's health. Can be multiplied by Multipliers to restore more health.
	Full Health
	Fully restores Vectorman's health.
	Max Health
	Permanently extends Vectorman's maximum health by one.
	1-Up
	Awards an extra life. Can be multiplied by Multipliers.
	Milestone
	Acts as a checkpoint that Vectorman can restart from after losing a life.
	Extra Time
	Adds two minutes to the player's remaining time.
	Time Extender
	Adds more time during bonus rounds.
	Assimilation Icon
	Dropped by certain insects, these change Vectorman into assimilation forms similar to his morphs.
	Tornado
	Morphs into the Tornado form.

Weapons

	Laser
	Equips the Laser weapon.
	Energy Shot
	Equips the Energy Shot weapon.
	Super Energy Shot
	Equips the Super Energy Shot weapon.
	Pulse
	Equips the Pulse weapon.
	OverKill
	Equips the OverKill weapon.

Scenes

Scenes 4, 7, 15, 17, and 22 are boss fights. The other scenes are completed when Vectorman reaches the end (which is not marked, but Vectorman does a victorious pose when he arrives there).

	Scene 1: Geronimo
	Vectorman freefalls back to earth in the Helicopter morph after the destruction of his sludge barge. The stage ends once Vectorman reaches the ground.
	Scene 2: Night in the Swamp
	Scene 3: Bog Jam
	Scene 4: In Blackest Night
	Scene 5: Fired
	Scene 6: Magma P.I.
	Scene 7: Turn up the Heat
	Scene 8: Orbot Express
	Scene 9: Dirty Job
	Scene 10: Vectorman 1 2 3
	Scene 11: I Can Dig It
	Scene 12: Rollerderby
	Scene 13: Mist Chances
	Scene 14: Cave Fear
	Scene 15: Dreamsnake
	Scene 16: Recycle or Die
	Scene 17: The Shadow Nose
	Scene 18: Shout and Twist
	Scene 19: Tank You
	The first of two stages where Vectorman uses the Tank morph.
	Scene 20: Tank Patrol
	The second of two stages where Vectorman uses the Tank morph.
	Scene 21: Bad Eggs
	Scene 22: Queen for a Day

Bonus rounds

Bonus rounds are played at the end of a level after collecting at least 80% of the total Photons within the level. Vectorman must collect Time Extenders to stay in the bonus round; the round ends when Vectorman runs out of health or time.

	Tubular
	This round plays similarly to side-scrolling shoot-'em-ups such as Gradius. Vectorman morphs into a spaceship and flies through a tunnel while shooting down incoming enemies. He moves in any direction using the D-Pad and shoots with .
	Orbot Orbit
	This round uses an overhead perspective and plays similarly to multidirectional shooters such as Asteroids. Vectorman morphs into a spaceship and flies through space while shooting down incoming enemies. He spins in any direction using the D-Pad and shoots with .
	Plan 9
	This round plays similarly to fixed shooters such as Space Invaders. Vectorman defends a stranded sludge barge from swarms of enemies and meteor showers from above. He moves with and and shoots with .

Compatibility

The extra buttons provided by the Six Button Control Pad are not used in gameplay, but they are used in some of the cheat codes.

History

Legacy

As one of the last titles to be released for the system, Vectorman 2 only received a cartridge release in North America and was a Sega Channel exclusive in Europe, but was eventually released in Japan as part of Sega Archives from USA Vol. 3. It has also re-appeared in a number of compilations, including Sonic Gems Collection, Sega Mega Drive Collection, Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection and Western Mega Drive Mini 2 units.

Sega Channel broadcast history

North America

• 1996-10-01 – 1996-11-01
• 1996-11-01 – 1996-12-01
• 1996-12-01 – 1997-01-01
• 1997-02-28 – 1997-03-14
• 1997-03-14 – 1997-03-28
• 1997-03-28 – 1997-04-11
• 1997-06-06 – 1997-06-20
• 1997-06-20 – 1997-07-04

PAL regions

• 1996-12-01 – 1997-01-01
• 1997-08-01 – 1997-09-01

Argentina and Chile

• 1996-11-01 – 1996-12-01
• 1997-01-01 – 1997-02-01
• 1997-02-01 – 1997-03-01

Production credits

• Game Design: John Abad, Marty Davis, Keith R Freiheit, Jerry Huber, Rick Randolph, Rick Schmitz, Ron Thompson, Thi Truong, Jason Weesner, Dok Whitson
• Producer Sega: Jerry Markota
• Producer Blue Sky Software: Jerry Huber
• Lead Artist: Rick Schmitz
• Artists: Jerry Huber, Rick Randolph
• Lead Programmer: Keith R Freiheit
• Programmers: John Abad, Ron Thompson, Thi Truong
• Level Layout: Jason Weesner
• Music Composer: Jon Holland / XYXU Studio
• Sound Effects: Sam Powell
• Special Thanks to: Marty Davis, Ellis Goodson, Jeff Remmer, Dok Whitson, Mark Botta, Rich Karpp, James Doyle, Kevin McMahon
• Marketing: Eric Dunston
• Lead Tester: David Wood
• Assistant Leads: Ty Johnson, Jeremy Campbell, Robert Hernandez
• Testers: Steve Perez, Jason Cordero, Mike Dobbins, Lou DiSimone, Matt Lucich, Eugene Valenzuela, Nicolas Azizian, Fernando Valderrama, Francesco Zappacosta, Matt Underwood, Mark Dawson, Mark Paniagua, Sean Potter, Chris Thompson, Pedro Ponce, Tim Spengler, Eric Sierra, Chris Garrett, Toad Slepian, Mark Griffin, Jeffrey L. Loney, Aron Bandur, Ferdinand Villar, Josh Simpson

Source:

In-game credits

---

• Developed By: BlueSky Software, 6165 Greenwich Drive Suite 300, San Diego, CA 92122, E-mail: http://www.skygames.com
• Game Design: John Abad, Rick Schmitz, Marty Davis, Ron Thompson, Keith Freiheit, Thi Truong, Jerry Huber, Jason Weesner, Rick Randolph, Dok Whitson, Jerry Markota
• Producer, BlueSky Software: Jerry Huber
• Lead Programmer: Keith Freiheit
• Programmers: John Abad, Ron Thompson, Thi Truong
• Art Lead: Rick Schmitz
• Artists: Jerry Huber, Rick Randolph
• Level Layout: Jason Weesner
• Music Composer: Jon Holland, XYXU Studio
• Sound Effects: Sam Powell
• Special Thanks: Marty Davis, Ellis Goodson, Jeff Remmer, Dok Whitson, Mark Botta, Rich Karpp, James Doyle, Kevin McMahon, Theresa Woodberry, Vy Nong
• Producer, SegaSoft: Jerry Markota
• Marketing Managers: Chrissie Kremer, Eric Dunstan, Kristin McCloskey
• Product Specialist: Mark Subotnick
• Game Lead: David Wood
• Assistant Leads: Ty Johnson, Jeremy Campbell, Robert Hernandez
• Testers: Steve Perez, Eugene Valenzuela, Jason Cordero, Nicolas Azizian, Mike Dobbins, Fernando Valderrama, Lou DiSimone, Francesco Zappacosta, Mark Paniagua, Sean Potter, Tim Spengler, Chris Thompson, Pedro Ponce, Eric Sierra, Chris Garrett, Toad Slepian, Mark Griffin, Jeff Loney, Aaron Bandor, Ferdinand Villar, Josh Simpson
• Manual Written by: Jerry Huber and Jason Weesner
• Art and Layout: Rick Randolph and Rick Schmitz

Source:

US manual

Digital manuals

• 

  Steam manual

• 

  Mega Drive Mini 2 US manual

Magazine articles

Main article: Vectorman 2/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Play media

US TV advert

PDF

Print advert in EGM² (US) #29: "November 1996" (1996-xx-xx)

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

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Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Cool Gamer (RU) 90 Electronic Gaming Monthly (US) NTSC-U 73 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 1 (RU) 80 Entsiklopediya luchshikh igr Sega. Vypusk 5 (RU) 90 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 98 Game Informer (US) NTSC-U 83 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 83

	85
Based on 7 reviews

Vectorman 2

Mega Drive, US
Box
Cart Manual Reg card

Mega Drive, US (re-release)
Box
Cart Reg card

Mega Drive, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

Main article: Vectorman 2/Technical information.

External links

• Sega of America webpage: Mega Drive
• Vectorman 2 on Steam