Chiller 2 is a homebrew Commodore 64 release based on the Mastertronic game, Chiller. It was created by Andy Vaisey and first released in 2020.

The game follows the basic format of the original Chiller, where you control either a boy or a girl and must jump around and collect crosses over a number of single screen platform levels in order to make it to the next. You have an energy bar at the bottom of the screen which depletes if you touch any of the moving monsters, or stand on any poisonous mushrooms.

Picking up a cross makes the next one appear, which is different to the original Chiller, and you must collect a set number of them to progress to the next screen.

Unlike the original Chiller it does have a number of things going for it, like the feel of the jumping and movement of the main character, which is very good, and the fact that your energy bar is re-filled when you complete a level and start a new one. There are also sprites in the borders, which extends the top of the screen.

There is one thing about Chiller 2 that really bugged me, though, and that’s the fact that the player character constantly wants to face outward, even when running sideways, which seems counter-intuitive to me and really made my brain hurt… If a character in a 2D platform game runs sideways, then surely they’ve got to face sideways, and not out of the screen when they move?

I also think that you have to collect too many crosses on each screen (twenty in total), and it quickly becomes boring having to keep running around the same screen. Ten would’ve been about right, but twenty is too much. It makes each screen overstay its welcome.

Chiller 2 is worth downloading and playing, though, in spite of its faults. It’s a freebie, so I can’t complain too much, but if you release a game to public scrutiny you have to accept criticism if any is due.

More: Chiller 2 on CSDb