Impossible Mission 2

Description

Impossible Mission 2 is the sequel to the influential home-computer game Impossible Mission. The story continues the conflict with the villainous Elvin Atombender, who has returned seeking revenge after the events of the original game. You infiltrate his vast stronghold and attempt to stop his latest scheme before time runs out. The NES version arrived after all the various computer releases and was distributed in Australia by HES (Home Entertainment Suppliers), a company best known for bringing numerous unlicensed cartridges to the local market.

Rather than following a conventional action-platform formula, the game centres on exploration and problem-solving. Atombender’s fortress is divided into themed towers connected by corridors, elevators, and locked routes. Players search rooms for clues, numbers, tools, and musical fragments needed to unlock new areas and ultimately reach the central tower. A variety of robots patrol the complex, each with distinct behaviours ranging from laying mines to physically pushing the player from platforms. Bombs, mines, lift resets, and robot-freezing devices can all be collected and used strategically. Adding further pressure, every death reduces the remaining time available to complete the mission.

The NES adaptation preserves much of the original design’s complexity and nonlinearity, but it also gained a reputation for being exceptionally difficult. Large labyrinthine environments, punishing time limits, sparse guidance, and demanding platforming create a challenge that can feel overwhelming to newcomers. While the computer versions of Impossible Mission 2 were generally well regarded, reception to the NES release was more mixed, with critics and players often finding it a less accessible experience. Retrospectively the HES release is an interesting piece of Australian NES history and a rare example of a deep computer-style puzzle adventure appearing on Nintendo’s 8-bit console.