As a kid, Goonies II confused me to no end. I kept thinking there was a second movie that I never saw. Regardless, Konami managed to find a great way to translate a popular movie into a video game. Goonies II was a fun, side-scrolling adventure where like many games you turn your trusty yo-yo into a weapon. One of these days, I’ve got to learn to do that in real life.

Goonies II was fun for a lot of reasons. As main Goonie honcho Mikey, players set out to save not only the rest of the Goonies, who were kidnappend by the Fratelli’s, but also a beautiful mermaid. Goonies II’s side-scrolling action is complimented by an assortment of items and 3D side rooms. The side rooms go a long way in adding depth and character to what would otherwise be just another platformer.

If the super retro gameplay of Goonies II doesn’t bring back memories, the 8-bit Goonie theme song likely will. This game manages to wrap up a lot of kid culture from the time and pack it in with an entertaining game. I never beat the game as a kid, but I spent plenty of time enjoying it nonetheless.

Play or Stay? Play! Get your grubby hands on a retro kid treasure of a game. Grab your virtual yo-yo, and once again you’ll be saving the Goonies; only this time a mermaid’s life is at stake. There may not be a pirate ship ending, but it’s a whole lot of fun anyway.

Note: While researching this article, I discovered that Goonies II was a sequel not to the movie but to a Goonies game released only in Japan. I don’t think I would have enjoyed this game nearly as much if it wasn’t called Goonies II.