The second release of the arcade beast that is Snow Bros. My younger kid loves arcade classics like this. Anything boss heavy he eats up. Had to complete the series on switch and pick up Snow Bros 2. The sequel where the bosses get a ton more weirder and the chaos gets upped a little more.
STORY
The story of Snow Bros. 2 Special embraces classic, campy 90s arcade tropes. The core plot revolves around the four hero protagonists embarking on a quest across multiple worlds to rescue a kidnapped princess from the Great Demon King Atchich.
Following the events of the original game—where the twin snowmen Nick and Tom successfully saved Snow Land—peace is shattered once again. A bizarre, jelly-bean-like princess is snatched away by the forces of evil. However, Tom is missing this time around. To save her, Nick teams up with three "New Elves," each representing a different elemental weather power.
The story handles the rescue through a running gag: as the heroes complete each world, the princess is comedically passed along from one sub-boss henchman to the next. The brief cutscenes put her in classic, exaggerated cliffhanger scenarios, such as being tied to railroad tracks, keeping the narrative tone lighthearted and humorous.
GAMEPLAY
The "special switch" primarily refers to two distinct features designed to give players control over their gameplay experience: the Art/Version Switch and the Game Mode/Version Switch.
The remake addresses a long-standing division between fans of the original 1994 arcade release regarding character portraits.
The "Special" naming convention signifies that this release acts as a complete package holding two entirely separate versions of the game.
The Original Arcade Mode: A direct emulation of the classic 1994 arcade title (Snow Bros. 2: With New Elves) featuring original pixel art, 4-player local co-op, and original stage layouts.
The Special Remake Mode: A completely revamped modern version featuring redrawn HD-like cartoon graphics, rearranged music, and updated mechanics like the ability to drop down through floors by pressing Down + Jump.
While the original 1994 arcade version concluded after chasing the original bosses across 6 worlds, the Switch's Special Remake Mode expands the narrative.
The campaign's length is effectively doubled, introducing a brand-new secret world where the true final confrontation takes place. Players must navigate revamped, multi-phase boss fights to defeat the ultimate threat, King Atchich.
By playing the new Monster Challenge mode, you can play through the stages from the perspective of the enemy monsters. Completing the game with different characters unlocks unique, collectible ending artwork.
CONSENSUS SCORE
60/100 (Critic Score)
?/100 🤷♂️ (User Score) (Niche to have proper User Review)
67/100 🤔 (My Score)
The addition of the "Monster Challenge" mode lets you play as the enemy monsters, and some completely break the traditional platforming rules by flying .
While the primary heroes (Nick, Bobby, Roy, and Richard) are strictly bound by standard gravity and platforming layouts, unlocking specific monster characters—such as the helicopter enemies—allows you to fly freely across the stages.
The characters fundamentally change how you attack. For example, Richard uses mini-cyclones that intentionally climb upward rather than cascading down platforms, forcing a total reversal of traditional Snow Bros. strategy.
To achieve full completion and unlock all of the game's secret ending artwork, you must successfully beat the campaign using every single one of the 35 playable characters.
