Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (video game)

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Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Developer(s)	Imagineering Inc
Publisher(s)	THQ
Release date(s)	1992
Genre(s)	Action
Mode(s)	Single player
Platform(s)	Super NES, NES
Media	4-megabit Cartridge

Home Alone 2 (video game) is a movie port of the 1992 movie Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, and was released on the NES and Super NES systems. Though it is based off the movie in terms of plotline and additional dialogue, the game itself was in a ways worlds different from the movie itself. The Super NES version, while boasting a soundtrack with the Super NES' traditionally realistic sounding instrument synth, suffered due to slightly post-8-bit graphics and sound effects, as well as a disjointed feel of uncontinuity between stages. With only 4 real levels, the game can also be completed within a half-hour's time and with limited lasting appeal.

However, certain changes made the game that much more interesting interactively than the movie, such as use of different weapons and power-ups to protect yourself, level layouts with enemies not seen in the movie, and for the Uncle's House level, usage of hidden keys and locked doors gained only after luring Marv or Harry into specific traps laid out in the various rooms (ala the first two Home Alone movies), as well as an active scene involving the Bird Woman and her bird seed attacks (leading to the games end).

[edit] ENEMIES AND LEVELS

LEVEL 1 - THE PLAZA HOTEL: Kevin's first entry to New York is the Plaza Hotel, where his father's stolen credit card helps pay the way for a nice, posh room and ideal room service. But after the hotel workers discover his rouse, he attempts to escape...

• HOTEL CONSEIRGE - The first enemy you'll see in the game who will constantly reappear from time to time. Since he's tall, you can't jump over him so easily nor can you knock him out with the spin jump. You can only stop him with a knuckle weapon or pearl necklace. If he captures you, it'll be an instant death. Avoid at all costs.
• LUGGAGE - The suitcases and dry cleaning bags at the hotel have come alive with no explanation. You can easily avoid them, or defeat them with a sliding attack.
• SERVICE CLERK - Either throwing bombs or hotel keys, these guys are best left alone. You can defeat a few, but not all.
• ROOM SERVICE/LAUNDRY GUY - They walk slowly and sluggishly and can be hard to get by. Stun with the dart gun or knock them out with a spin attack to get by.
• CRAZY OLD LADY - She jumps up in the air like a lunatic, swinging her umbrella. Slide under her when she leaps.
• DETECTIVE (Mini boss) - Once he spots you, he's in hot pursuit until destroyed or out-ran. If he catches you, you lose a life instantly. He'll reappear when you reach the basement kitchen, only tougher. When he's a mini boss, you need to use the knuckle rifle to stun him, then you must quickly fire again before he recovers from the last attack to finish him off.
• VACUUM - Slower than the luggage, but worse of an enemy. It can inhale you, taking a life instantly if you do not avoid it.
• MOP & BUCKET - Aside from soaking the floor, making it more slippery, the mops also leap out of the bucket high into the air, and can injure you if you try to leap over it. Take them out with a sliding attack.
• MAID - Though stationary, they can still throw pillows at you, which bounce and can be tricky to avoid.
• STEAM - In the basement kitchen area, a gush of steam will blast against the conveyor belt and will hang around for a short moment. It is quite difficult to avoid. (NOTE: At the end of the conveyor belt is a vacuum suction that kills you on the spot.)
• COOK - Disgruntled employees seem to be the direct denizens of New York so far, and the cook is no exception. She sits in one area, throwing plates at you. It is a bit hard to avoid the plates, as the destination of the throw is completely random, but once she is gone the throwing stops.
• POTS & PANS - Pots and pans hang precariously from the hooks in the basement and can drop on you if you're not careful.
• CHEF - A few chefs sit, endlessly chopping pieces of meat, oblivious to you as you stroll by. The falling meat or the swing of the cleaver can both cause damage.
• HEAD CHEF (boss) - The head chef, angered at your invasion, comes at you with flying cleavers. You can get him down with a couple sliding attacks. If you defeat him, the pay-off is nice.

Kevin leaps out of the hotel and right into the arms of his old enemies Marv and Harry, who, as well as escaping from prison and attempting to rob the Christmas toy store, have a bone to pick with Kevin and take him away. But after a quick goose on a woman, who in turn socks Marv, Kevin escapes into the confines of Central Park.

LEVEL 2 - CENTRAL PARK: One of New York's most popular tourist attractions, a haven for both glamour (in the daytime) and filth (at night). Kevin enters the park at one of the worst times, having to contend with vermin and urban leeches.

• THUG - In both brown and blue, these cretins appear from behind the bushes, swiping at you with clubs. It is best to avoid them; needlessly attacking them will drain your weapons reserve.
• BAT - Bats live in Central Park (apparently), and will fly off their perch and try to fly into you.
• RAT - Rats are here too, and can be easily anticipated by the high-pitched noises they make. They tend to run in packs, but can be knocked out with a quick slide.
• PUNK - A punk who is armed with bombs and a chain. The chain is easy to by-pass, but the bombs are another story...
• DOGS - Seen only once, a group of stray dogs will run by, damaging you if your not careful.
• PIDGEON LADY (boss) - The homeless pidgeon lady will attempt to defeat you by having her pigeons dive-bomb and drop sticks on you. You can destroy the birds, but it is better to avoid them. In the underground caverns the ground is slippery and hard to run on. After a few trials, she'll become your friend and show you a way out.

LEVEL 3 - THE UNCLE'S HOUSE: Kevin knew he had an uncle who lived in New York and, after much searching, finds his house, and noticing it in a state of disrepair and decay. Stones and plaster drop from the ceiling, there are holes in the floors, and several of the doors to get out are locked. Not only that, Harry and Marv have tracked him down and are both searching diligently for him and attempting to steal what remains in the house. But Kevin's set a few of his trademark traps for them to stumble across...

• PLASTER - They fall from the ceiling through the holes in the floor, and can hurt you if you hit them while jumping across.
• CHUNKS OF PARTICLE - As well as plaster, small particles from the ceiling have broken off and now plow onto the ground. Careful where you walk...
• RATS - The basement is a haven for rats, and they come at you in a consistent straight line. Just slide into them.
• MARV AND HARRY (bosses) - You'll find Marv and Harry more than once in the house; either in the hallways, where they'll chase you down (and kill you instantly if they catch you), or in the various marked rooms, where you need either need to use a trap to defeat them or leap onto their heads to collect the necessary keys to escape.

LEVEL 4 - THE CHASE: After escaping from the house, Marv and Harry give chase to Kevin through the streets of New York. There are two segments to this level.

Segment 1: You must run away from Harry and Marv while avoiding the additional baddies along the way. You must keep running until you reach the giant Christmas tree.

Segment 2: Once inside the Christmas tree, you need to climb to the very top and grab the flashing star in order to receive the help of the pigeon lady. You need to call for help for her to throw bird seeds on Marv and Harry tree times each to properly defeat them and win the game. You can bounce on the ends of the Christmas tree branches to get higher up on the screen.

• TRASH CAN LID - Either flying in a straight line at you or weaving up and down at varying speeds, the lids are hard to avoid and can be destroyed with a knuckle rifle.
• RATS - The rats make one more attempt to stop you and have come in droves.
• BATS - These critters return, and can be quite damaging when you're too concerned with the hastiness of your getaway.
• FLOWER POT - If you get too close to it, it'll fall quickly and smash onto you, causing damage.
• SAFE - Same deal with the safe attached to a weak rope, but the safe will also stick around on the ground and can hurt you if you run into it.
• MARV AND HARRY (bosses) - In the first segment of the stage, they will chase you one at a time. If you defeat one with a weapon, the other will take his place in chasing you down. It is possible to defeat both of them and have a chase-free walk. In the second segment, they will climb the tree after you. They will sometimes only cause normal damage, while other times they will strangle you to an instant death.