Awesome Pea 2

Pea is back for round two, still rocking green-tinted, Game Boy-esque visuals. This sequel improves on the original with better level design, tighter controls, and the added ability to jump after falling off edges.

Awesome Pea 2 is a tightly focused precision platformer that proudly embraces old-school design values while refining the formula introduced in its predecessor. Developed and published by PigeonDev, the game strips platforming down to its essentials—movement, timing, and pattern recognition—and builds a challenging experience around those fundamentals. Rather than chasing modern trends or layered systems, it commits fully to delivering short, demanding levels that test player skill and patience in equal measure. The premise is simple and intentionally light on exposition. You once again control the Greedy Pea, a small but determined character driven by an insatiable hunger for gold. This minimal setup exists largely to justify movement through dungeon-like environments filled with traps and enemies, and it never distracts from the gameplay itself. The lack of narrative focus feels deliberate, allowing players to remain locked into the rhythm of learning levels, failing, retrying, and eventually mastering each challenge. Gameplay revolves around classic 2D platforming mechanics with a strong emphasis on precision. Movement is responsive and reliable, with jumping and double-jumping forming the core of your toolset. Levels are designed around exact timing, demanding that players read enemy patterns, anticipate trap cycles, and commit to jumps with confidence. Death is frequent, but restarts are quick, reinforcing a “learn by doing” loop that encourages experimentation rather than punishing mistakes. The controls feel refined and dependable, which is crucial in a game where success often hinges on split-second decisions. Level design is where Awesome Pea 2 truly asserts itself. The stages are compact and self-contained, each built around a specific challenge or combination of hazards. Early levels serve as gentle introductions, but the difficulty ramps up steadily, layering multiple threats into tight spaces that require careful planning and execution. Later stages demand near-perfect runs, pushing players to internalize patterns and maintain focus over extended sequences. While the structure remains consistent throughout, the escalating complexity ensures that the challenge continues to feel fresh rather than repetitive. Visually, the game adopts a retro pixel-art style inspired by classic handheld systems, using a limited color palette that reinforces its nostalgic tone. The green-tinted visuals are clean and readable, ensuring that traps and enemies stand out clearly against the environment. This clarity is essential given the game’s difficulty, as deaths rarely feel unfair when the cause is immediately visible. The aesthetic may be simple, but it is cohesive and purposeful, contributing to the game’s identity without unnecessary embellishment. The audio design complements the visuals with chiptune-style music that fits the retro theme. The soundtrack provides energy without becoming distracting, though it loops frequently and is unlikely to leave a lasting impression on its own. Sound effects are functional and precise, offering clear feedback for jumps, hazards, and enemy interactions. Like the visuals, the audio prioritizes clarity and consistency over spectacle. One of the more divisive aspects of Awesome Pea 2 is its uncompromising difficulty. The game makes little effort to accommodate players seeking a relaxed experience, and there are no difficulty options or assist modes. This approach will appeal strongly to fans of hardcore platformers who enjoy mastering demanding mechanics, but it may alienate players who prefer more forgiving progression or varied pacing. Collectibles such as coins add optional goals for completionists, though they do not significantly alter gameplay beyond personal satisfaction and achievements. In terms of length, the game is relatively short, but its replay value comes from the challenge rather than sheer content volume. Players determined to perfect their runs or collect every optional item will find reasons to revisit levels, while others may see the experience as a compact but intense burst of platforming. The focused scope aligns well with the game’s design philosophy, avoiding filler and maintaining consistent pressure throughout. Ultimately, Awesome Pea 2 succeeds by knowing exactly what it wants to deliver. It is a pure, skill-driven platformer that values precision, fairness, and tight design over narrative depth or mechanical variety. While it may not appeal to everyone, it offers a satisfying and disciplined experience for players who appreciate old-school challenge and responsive controls. As a sequel, it refines and reinforces the strengths of the original, standing as a confident example of how minimalist design can still provide a compelling and rewarding platforming experience. Rating: 7/10

Awesome Pea 2, created and released by PigeonDev, debuted on January 2020. This title is a Game Boy-style precision platformer where players navigate Greedy Pea through 25 demanding, compact levels in search of coins and gems. -Gameboy Atmosphere: The authentic visual aesthetic, characterized by a gritty monochrome style and CRT filter, successfully captures the essence of the Game Boy. However, there is a sense of design fatigue as many levels mirror earlier stages, introducing few new mechanics. The 25 brief levels facilitate easy pick-up-and-play sessions. -Gameplay: The controls have been improved, offering a much tighter experience compared to the original, enabling players to perform airborne jumps mid-fall. Nevertheless, there are issues with the save system and occasional visual clutter. Overall, Awesome Pea 2 represents a significant advancement over its predecessor, delivering refined, precise platforming within a retro framework, although its appeal diminishes due to repetitive design and simplistic execution. I score this game 7 Stones out of 10 Rocks and Stone.

AP2 is very similar to 1 in terms of structure, amount of levels (about 24), the gameplay and achievements you can expect. It’s basically a better version in practically every way with one change that might be good or bad depending on who you ask. The game looks better, more polished and the filter retro effect is so good that I decided to keep it this time. The controls are far more responsive, they’re very good actually. With that, the developer decided to make the game more challenging. Some of the sections are tougher but doable and some are a bit longer. The issue with the length is the game still not having any checkpoints within a level. Some of the more challenging levels need it more, my patience was being tested but I still got it done. The levels are actual levels now instead of 5 templates being repeated and slightly altered. Something I didn’t comment on before is the great soundtrack of the first game. It was noticeable with 1 and 2 is just as good if not better. The game is slightly longer, the first was completed within 2.2 hours while this took 2.7 hours. AP2 feels like a proper game that shows all the knowledge gained from the previous games. It’s also a better game and definitely worth playing if you’re okay with a bit of challenge. The current €1 sale price should be considered for the ones looking for a short platformer to take a break on between bigger games. There is AP3 which I’m considering but I’m worried the challenge might increase even more and it might be too much for me. We’ll see what happens with that one!

A fun game that made question if this was a rage game for a bit. Compared to the first game, it has better graphics, less bugs (not to say there were none), and decent music. For whatever reason though, I enjoyed the first game more than the second? Maybe I set my expectations too high but it was still a good game on its own. In terms of bugs, they weren't too bad. Like there was a torch in one level that for some reason blocked some bullets on the screen, but it wasn't bad enough to hinder gameplay. I don't know if this a bug but something that got to me [b]deeply[/b] was the transparent platforms having solid sides. Often times when making a jump, you would get stuck on the side of a very thin platform and just fall down a bit. Questionable but it didn't ruin the game for me. The levels were kinda weird? These levels felt like major difficulty increase while also they felt very similar to other levels. Like a good handful of levels had the same first 20 seconds and then there would be some uniqueness to it. The music in the levels were pretty good but felt very intense to what you were hearing, and what your eyes were seeing. Good game overall, would steer away if you aren't the best at precision platformers.

The controls feel not precise enough. The enemy hitboxes are too big, so many deaths feel unfair. And when I run towards a gap and try to jump as late as possible I often miss the jump and fall off the side of the platform. IMO this game need some further tweeking to make the gameplay more satisfying.

Not very far into but so far is vry fun. While I wish I could customize controls, the default is more than enough. Its a great 5 dollar buy game.

A big improvement over the first game in almost every way. Controller inputs are much more consistent which was a major issue with the first game. The thoughtfulness of level layouts is vastly improved and little touches like a smaller UI and highlighted enemies and platforms make the game much more visually legible. There are still odd glitches and hiccups but if on sale or in a bundle I'd say it's worth it, it can be beaten in a few hours while still feeling rewarding.

Simple and fun! Devs, please fix the problem with the achievements, they did not appear in the "Perfect Games" list when I completed 100%.

Greedy Peach recommends spending your gold on this game!