Croc 2

Croc 2 (working title: Croc II or Croc: Kingdom of the Gobbos), is the sequel to Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. It was developed by Argonaut Games PLC and published by Fox Interactive. Croc 2 was originally released for the Sony PlayStation in 1999, and was ported to the PC in 2000. A Game Boy Color version called Croc 2 was released in 2001.

Storyline
The night before the events of the game, Professor Gobbo is putting the finishing touches on a plane he was working on and then went to retire for the night. As he was walking in the jungle, he witnessed chanting coming from an area. Curious, he peeked at what was happening. Dantinis are seen chanting and dancing for a short while, until they back away and witness Baron Dante slowly being raised from the floor, towering over Professor Gobbo. Baron Dante has been brought back from the N'th Dimension seeking revenge on Croc. Professor Gobbo then tried to run away, but was surrounded by Dantinis and was captured by them.

The following morning, Croc, King Rufus, and a few Gobbos are playing volleyball on a beach in the Gobbo Archipelago. While trying to retrieve the ball, Croc stumbles upon a bottle with a message inside. Croc opens the message in front of the Gobbos, where they believe that it had came from Croc's family somewhere in the Mainland. King Rufus gives Croc permission to go on another adventure to find his long lost parents, and so the Gobbos built a giant makeshift catapult with a boulder on a hill used as a counter-weight. Once the boulder is pushed down onto the catapult, Croc is thrown into the air and is tossed towards the Mainland.

Croc lands in the village of Oki-Doki (known as Sailor Village) and is greeted by a Gobbo counting crates, who gives him a Swap Meet Pete Loyalty Card. From this point, Croc meets Swap Meet Pete and completes every level the village had to offer. After doing so, Baron Dante learns of Croc's presence and sends Cannon Boat Keith to dispatch him, where he fails.

Swap Mete Pete was then able to send Croc to Cossack Village, where Croc was able to save several Gobbos along the way from the Dantinis, as well as help the local Gobbos build a snowman, and stop a runaway train. After taking out Flavio and later rescuing Larry from a Lava Monster, Swap Meet Pete sent Croc off to his next location.

In Caveman Village, Croc assisted the local Gobbos by locating their missing wheels, and taking their place in a race against the Dantinis. He then helped retrieve the Caveman King's pet Mammoth, defeated a a giant fly trap and Baron Dante's monster creation before moving on to the last major destination in his journey.

In the Inca Village, Croc fights Baron Dante for the first time in a plane and succeeds. After finishing every level in the village, Croc then goes to fight Baron Dante again. In Dante's Final Fight, Croc meets Professor Gobbo, who then tells him to fend off Baron Dante and his minions while he creates a portal to send Baron Dante back to the N'th Dimension. Through Croc's perseverance and Professor Gobbo's intelligence, the duo were able to defeat Baron Dante and send him back to his world.

In the end, Professor Gobbo takes Croc for a ride in his plane where they then land on Crocodile Island and find Croc's family. Swap Meet Pete and some Gobbos celebrate their victory and the completion of Croc's quest, but Swap Meet Pete believed Baron Dante will soon be back. The credits roll, and it is then found that after his defeat, Baron Dante stole three eggs from Croc's family, and so Croc followed him to his world to retrieve them, where he was successful.

After his quest was completed, Croc temporarily separated from his family and returned to the Mainland.

Gameplay
The gameplay in Croc 2 has advanced considerably compared to Croc: Legend of the Gobbos. Instead of simply finding six Gobbos in each level, Croc now has to complete various tasks.

One of the many changed elements is the health system. Instead of the extra life system from the first game, Croc now has only one life and a Heart count. Any time that Croc takes a hit, he loses one Heart. The Heart count can be restored by finding Heart Tokens in the levels, or by collecting 100 crystals. The starting maximum count for Hearts is three, but the player can buy Heart Pots from Swap Meet Pete to be able to collect more Hearts.

In each level (except Golden Gobbo levels or Guardian levels), there are 100 clear colored crystals to collect. These crystals add to Croc's total amount of funds if he exits or finishes the level alive. There are also five Colored Crystals, each of different color that must be collected if the player wants a chance to get the Golden Gobbo for the level. After getting all of the Golden Gobbos for each level, Croc can enter a Golden Gobbo Door and try to get the Jigsaw Piece from the level. After getting all four of the Jigsaw Pieces, Croc can enter the three hidden levels, which are remakes of the first three Villages full of Dantinis.

Another new aspect is Swap Meet Pete's General Store. The store is owned by a large, anthropomorphic cat, named Pete. In this store the player can buy:


 * Heart Pots, to increase their health
 * Gummi Savers (North American release) or Jelly Jumps (Other Regions), to allow them to reach high places
 * Clockwork Gobbo, to reach otherwise inaccessible areas of a level.

Pete is also capable of teleporting Croc to other Gobbo Villages with the use of his Crystal Ball.

There are four Villages Croc must traverse through before reaching the end of the game, each with Gobbos of different personalities. The four Villages are the Sailor Village, the Cossack Village, the Caveman Village, and the Inca Village. Each Village has five levels, two Guardians (with the exception of the Inca Village, which has only two levels, and one Guardian), and one Golden Gobbo level. Once the fourth Village is finished, Croc then travels to Baron Dante's Tower of Power, and once the Jigsaw Pieces are assembled, a fifth Village can be unlocked The fifth Village is a corrupted version of the Gobbo Villages, created by Dante.

Interestingly, a Western-style Village (dubbed by fans Cowboy Village) featuring Cowboys and Native Americans, was planned but never finished.

Controls
Note the following applies to the PlayStation version only, the PC version requires either a keyboard or (preferably) an X-input controller which can mimic the PlayStation control scheme.

Movement: -with Left Analog Stick: Allows for 360 degree movement at variable speeds, depending on how far you push the stick. A very light push or twitch will turn you in that direction while staying on the spot. I recommend sticking primarily to this method of movement.

-with D-pad: Up moves Croc forward, Left/Right turns Croc in that direction, Down turns Croc in the opposite direction. Due to the speed of movement in this game compared to the first Croc, this method is more difficult to control, but it has its uses.

Side-step: [L1] or [R1]

Jump: [X]. Can move while airborne, but Croc will remain facing in the same direction as when he left the ground.

Stomp: [X], then [X] again while in the air. Smashes objects and enemies underneath Croc.

Triple Jump: [X], then [X],[X] and hold until second jump is complete. Final button press must be made before the stomp is executed.

Hop & Flip: [L1] and [R1] together while moving forward.

Attack: [Square], Croc performs a tail swipe. Can be done while in motion.

Jump Attack: [X], then [Square] while in the air. Useful for attacking large enemies.

Scroll Inventory: [L2] and [R2], continue until the desired item appears, provided that you're indeed carrying it.

Use Inventory Item: With the desired item highlighted in you knapsack icon, press [Triangle] to use the item, if permitted.

Swim: Left Analog Stick or D-pad while in water. You can jump while swimming as well.

Swing from grates: Jump up underneath one and Croc will automatically hang. Move around with the Left Stick or D-pad. Press [X] to let go, or simply move past an edge.

Swing from ropes: Jump towards a swinging rope to automatically grab it. Press [X] to let go again, ideally just before the peak of the swing so that you still have a small amount of forward momentum. If you don't press any directional buttons (or the Left Stick) as you jump off, then you should drop onto the spot just below the tip of the rope at the end of its swing.

Hang from balloon: Jump up underneath a balloon to grab its string and ride along a pre-set path.

Speed up dialogue: Hold [X].

Initiate or skip dialogue: Press [Square].

Characters
Croc 2 features several new characters, though some characters from Croc: Legend of the Gobbos are absent, such as Beany Bird.
 * Croc
 * King Rufus
 * Professor Gobbo
 * Swap Meet Pete
 * Lava Lamp Larry
 * Gobbos
 * Baron Dante
 * Cannon Boat Keith
 * Soveena the Squid
 * Flavio the Thermal Fish
 * Firepit Monster
 * Venus Fly Von-Trappe
 * The Village Masher
 * Goo Man Chu

Levels
There are four types of levels in Croc 2. The Mainland consists of four Villages, within each are several normal levels, Guardian battles, and one Golden Gobbo level. In each normal level, there are five Coloured Crystals, and one Golden Gobbo. By obtaining these, the Golden Gobbo Door opens, allowing Croc to get to the Jigsaw Pieces hidden throughout the game. When any three normal levels are complete, the first Guardian level is unlocked. When all normal levels are complete, the final Guardian level is unlocked.

Normal Levels
The most common type of levels. In each one, Croc must complete a task, such as rescuing Gobbos, retrieving stolen Items, or even navigating mazes. There are also some racing levels. Each level contains five Coloured Crystals. When all are collected, Croc can transport to a secret part of the level which must be completed to get the Golden Gobbo. If he dies during that section, he must restart the level.

Guardian Levels
The Guardian levels, as the name implies, have a Guardian. Each world has two, with the exception of the Inca Village, which has only one. The player must complete any three normal levels to unlock the first Guardian level and the remaining two levels to unlock the second. Once the second Guardian has been defeated, Croc can progress to the next Village. For more information see Guardians.

Golden Gobbo Levels
After collecting the Golden Gobbo from each normal level in a Village, the Golden Gobbo Door is unlocked. When completed, Croc will get a Jigsaw Piece. When he collects all of the Jigsaw Pieces, Croc will be able to go to Baron Dante's Secret World to get the lost Crocodile Eggs.

Other Levels

 * Bride of the Dungeon of Defright
 * Goo Man Chu's Tower
 * Baron Dante's Secret World

Soundtrack

 * Karin Griffin - Composer, additional music
 * Justin Scharvona - Additional music
 * Simon Gosling - Guitars
 * Noel Langley - Trumpet
 * Gita Langley - Violin

Trivia

 * First issue copies of Croc: Legend of the Gobbos read on the back of the manual: "Croc II coming Christmas 1998."
 * Sega Saturn and Sega Dreamcast versions were planned, but were ultimately scrapped due to the consoles not selling very well.
 * The Dreamcast version was supposed to be the definitive version of the game; adding things such as minigames and an entire new village, but was scrapped early in development.
 * Some magazines used stock art of Croc swimming underwater for promotional use. However, not only is this stock art intended for the first game, it is misleading as Croc never swims underwater in Croc 2 (although he could at one stage).
 * In addition to this, these magazines show a slightly earlier logo, where the green and yellow colours have been flipped.
 * A direct sequel was planned, and would have taken place where this game left off. Instead, Croc Mobile: Jungle Rumble! was released, and returned Croc with his adoptive Gobbo family.