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| By Brad Cook You asked for it, so Pangea Software delivered. Bugdom 2, the colorful sequel to the beloved original 3D adventure, is available exclusively for the Mac. Pangea CEO Brian Greenstone says that Bugdom fans had long been clamoring for something new, and Bugdom 2 introduces a brand new hero and all new gameplay. |
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 Dead Ant, Dead Ant. Battle for control of a picnic tablecloth. |
“Technically,” he adds, “Bugdom 2 isn’t a sequel at all. It’s really more of a spin-off since the characters are so different, and so are the plot and gameplay.”
Cameo. Encounter characters from other Pangea games.
An Electrifying Experience
Bugdom 2 stars Skip DeBoot, who is headed to visit his family on the other side of Bugdom when a Bully Bee knocks him down and steals his backpack. You control Skip as he makes his way around a house to find his backpack so that he can continue his trip. As in the first Bugdom game, plenty of enemy bugs try to stand in his way, but Skip can kick them, throw Buddy Bugs at them, or fly out of tight situations, although his flight power is limited. (See “It’s a Bug’s Life” for more information about gameplay.)
If you own a Macally iShock II gamepad (download the latest driver), you can activate force feedback, which will make the controller vibrate every time an enemy bug hits Skip. This feature is available only in Mac OS X Jaguar version 10.2.3 or higher.
“Force feedback is really cool,” says Greenstone. “It gives that subtle, non-visual feedback which subconsciously adds a lot to the game.”
City Lights. Discover the secret bug world.
A Wide Variety of Gameplay
There are ten levels in the game, and many of them feature tasks that Skip must accomplish before he can move on. This is especially true of levels that feature Sam the Snail, who will require Skip to prove his worthiness before offering help. Another benevolent character, Sally the Chipmunk, only asks Skip to bring her an acorn before giving him a map, a checkpoint (a place that Skip can return to if he loses a life), or other useful objects.
There are also several lost mice wandering about the game; each one Skip rescues earns him a point bonus.
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Download the Universal Binary patch
Greenstone notes that Bugdom 2’s levels sport a wide variety of gameplay, from a playroom where you can race slot cars to areas where you slide down tubes, such as drainpipes, at high speeds while trying to avoid obstacles. He calls the latter “tunnel levels” and says that they’re “kind of like riding a deadly water slide, but with a rollercoaster feel.”
A Bug’s Life. Can you escape the swimming pool?
Eagle-eyed gamers will spot references to other Pangea games, such as a cameo by the robot Otto Matic, throughout Bugdom 2. Some members of the Macintosh community may even recognize themselves in pictures scattered on the floor in one level.
What Manner of Strange Forest is This? Watch out for the ticks.
A Game Fit for Royalty
“Bugdom is our crown jewel,” says Greenstone. With four to five million copies of the first Bugdom sitting on Macintosh hard drives (the game was bundled with many iMacs), he hopes plenty of gamers will want to see what happens next in the bug kingdom.
If you’re one them, make sure to visit Pangea Software for the latest information on Bugdom 2.
If you liked this game, check out:
Cro-Mag Rally Otto Matic
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