The Game Boy Color port of Croc 2 is a 2D version of the PlayStation sequel that was developed by Natsume and published by THQ in 2001.

The backstory and aims are essentially the same as in the PS1 original, but the gameplay has been adapted into an overhead scrolling action game where Croc must complete various tasks given to him by Gobbos (small, big-eyed friendly creatures).

Croc can jump, and can whip enemies with his tail. By double-tapping a direction on the d-pad, Croc can run, which allows him to jump further. He must avoid falling into bottomless pits, lava, or being hurt by enemies.

At the beginning of the game, Croc has three hearts at the bottom of the screen that represent his health, and losing all of them will result in the loss of a life. He can, however, increase the number of hearts he has by either buying or finding them, or being given them by Gobbos.

Enemies patrol certain areas and will hurt Croc if they touch him, or if he’s hit by their projectiles. Thankfully, though, if Croc manages to kill one of them they’ll drop hearts (that can be picked-up to replace lost health), or crystals (which can be used to buy useful items from shops).

Each of the four stages has a hub area with a shop, and three gates that lead to individual levels, each with an associated task. A fourth gate opens when all the tasks have been completed, and this leads to a boss battle. Each stage also has five large coloured gems hidden within them, and collecting all five will unlock a special area that contains a ‘Golden Gobbo‘. If you want the ‘good’ ending when you complete the game, you need to collect all four Golden Gobbos before facing the final boss.

In some respects, Croc 2 is better than the original PlayStation version, because it’s not as fiddly to play, and because the cute, cartoon-style graphics suit the game well. That said, there is one thing that does hold the game back, and that’s the fact that there’s no map, so finding your way around can be difficult, and knowing where to go next can be confusing. I spent a fair bit of time just wandering around, not really knowing where to go next, and it took me a while to figure out what to do, which was frustrating. A map (and a few pointers) would definitely have helped.

Croc 2 has decent graphics, jolly tunes, and responsive controls, and is fun to play once you get into it. If you can avoid wandering around, lost, that is. The key thing is to use Croc‘s running jump to reach areas you otherwise wouldn’t be able to reach, and to also figure out where to push the boxes without getting yourself stuck (although you can exit and re-enter an area to re-set the boxes if you mess up).

More: Croc 2 on Wikipedia
More: Croc 2 on crocwiki.com