Back to the Future Part II (video game)

Image Works

Company type	Video game developer and publisher
Industry	Video games
Headquarters	United Kingdom
Products	Back to the Future Part II (video game)

Back to the Future Part II is an action title released in 1990 by Image Works, available on multiple systems such as Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Master System, and ZX Spectrum. The game draws its inspiration from the 1989 movie and consists of five stages that recreate significant moments from the film, though it was met with criticism for its inadequate adaptation. It was followed by the release of Back to the Future Part III.

Gameplay

The gameplay unfolds across five stages, each reflecting scenes from the movie’s storyline, where Marty McFly, Jennifer Parker, and Emmett "Doc" Brown journey from 1985 to 2015 to avert adverse consequences for Marty and Jennifer's future offspring. The game opens with an animation of the DeLorean traveling forward to 2015.

The initial stage is a side-scrolling segment in which Marty rides a hoverboard through Hill Valley, dodging traffic and escaping Griff and his gang. The second stage presents a top-down puzzle challenge where players must guide Jennifer out of her future residence without being spotted by her future self or family members.

In the third level, a side-scrolling beat 'em up, players control Marty as he returns to an alternate 1985 where Biff Tannen has used a sports almanac from 2015 to gain wealth; Marty battles Biff’s henchmen throughout Hill Valley. The fourth stage involves completing a sliding puzzle featuring Marty performing in a band, linking back to moments from the previous films. The final level has Marty on his hoverboard navigating 1955 Hill Valley to evade Biff’s gang and recover the almanac from Biff’s vehicle.

This installment’s story continues in Back to the Future Part III.

Development and release

The game was developed and published by U.K.-based Image Works. During development, the team initially planned to incorporate sandbags from the film’s band scene into the fourth level but eventually replaced this idea with a sliding puzzle due to lack of practical implementation.

Back to the Future Part II launched in 1990 across U.K. platforms including Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, and ZX Spectrum. In early 1991, Konami released an IBM PC compatible edition in the United States. Later that year, a Master System version became available in the U.K.

Reception

Critics offered mixed opinions on Back to the Future Part II, often pointing out its shortcomings as a film adaptation. Mark Patterson of CU Amiga remarked on the challenges of converting the intricate movie plot into engaging gameplay. While some appreciated the introductory sequence, others such as Robert Swan from Computer and Video Games considered it poorly realized.

The soundtrack received widespread acclaim, with Patterson highlighting the rendition of the movie’s theme as particularly impressive. Conversely, character sprites—especially Marty McFly’s—were frequently criticized. Several reviewers felt that hoverboarding segments were unnecessarily prolonged.

Patterson described the beat 'em up section as lacking quality and questioned the relevance of the puzzle-based fourth stage. He also found the second level overly simple and noted that the final stage recycled earlier gameplay mechanics. Gerard Ryle of The Age observed that success in the game depended heavily on quick reflexes and cognitive skills.

Amiga Action criticized both weak background visuals and music quality, whereas Zzap!64 preferred the Amiga version compared to its Commodore 64 counterpart. Commodore Format deemed levels unoriginal but praised sound design, although doubting its replay value beyond a few days.

Mark Caswell from The Games Machine found the Atari ST edition disappointing due to sluggish pacing but acknowledged decent graphical presentation. Swan at CVG believed puzzle elements conflicted with other gameplay styles yet saw untapped potential. Atari ST User complimented colorful graphics but faulted scrolling performance and repetitive gameplay, concluding limited long-term appeal.

Neil Jackson of ST Format described it as a "schizophrenic" experience featuring diverse gameplay styles and excellent graphics but noted problems with collision detection and joystick responsiveness in early stages. He appreciated puzzle segments for providing pacing variation.

Rich Pelley at Your Sinclair praised gameplay variety and fidelity to the movie despite lengthy loading times. Reviewers at Crash expressed disappointment with overall gameplay. Mean Machines criticized Master System graphics, controls, collision detection, and difficulty balance. Meanwhile, Sega Force labeled it frustrating with mediocre first-level visuals but complimented puzzle stage aesthetics.

External links

• Back to the Future Part II on Gamebase 64
• Back to the Future Part II on Spectrum Computing