Well into hour two of trying to get the game to look right on my computer, I stopped for a second and realized something very important about this game. I wasn’t just playing a game -- I was playing the gaming equivalent of a classic car.

Maybe I should explain.

 

MDK2 was a great game in its day. The silly, self-deprecating comedy and pulp science setting can’t help but make you smile. The three playable characters all offer wildly different playstyles, and in a rare surprise three different playstyles make one good game and not three mediocre ones. The graphics and music were good. Decent graphics, good humor, high quality and quantity of gameplay; what more could you ask for?

A classic car is the same situation. It was an amazing car in its day. A great car from the 60s has speed, handling and amazing looks. But anyone who owns a classic car will tell you: you trade a lot of things for the feeling of sliding into that driver’s seat. For one, the seat isn’t actually all that comfortable. Where’s my lumbar support? What, no cupholders? Hold on, is this the year model that has air conditioning? What’s that stuttering sound when I turn the key?

 

That’s how I felt about MDK2 HD. It has all the amazing bits that I expected. The comedy writing is just as silly and madcap as I remembered. The gameplay is just as well thought out and entertaining. Just when I get tired of playing as Kurt with his gliding suit and sniper rifle head, the game gives me a segment as Max the four-armed robot dog or Dr. Hawkins the mad scientist. Max’s levels are as insane as you’d expect when you have four arms and all of them are holding guns. Dr. Hawkins takes you through a mix of combat and puzzles where you have to MacGuyver together solutions from items you find in the level around you. All three characters bring something entertaining to the table, complementing each other nicely.

It is undeniably the same game, and at its core it is just as good today as it was in 2000. It is, however, missing a few modern conveniences that I take for granted.

I had some trouble getting the game’s shiny new HD graphics to show up correctly on my machine. This isn’t my first ride at the graphics card rodeo, so I went to the options menu to see if I could tinker around with some settings. The graphics menu gives you exactly two options: a toggle for windowed mode and a list of resolutions and refresh rates you can cycle through. Not a drop down list, mind you: you have to click to advance and you can’t go backwards. Now, I did eventually get everything working. It was just a little idiosyncrasy to put up with.

 

Another little idiosyncrasy is the dated control scheme the tutorial taught me. Pickup items are floating monstrosities that you just run into, no pressing E or X or anything else. Right click jumps and spacebar zooms in with your weapon, which left me zoomed in at the edge of a platform more times than I want to admit. I understand that all these controls are just abstractions, and that spacebar isn’t more “jumpy” than any other key on my keyboard. I’ve just been spoiled by control conventions that keep everything easy to learn. It makes MDK2, for better or worse, feel like a throwback to an earlier age of gaming.

Is a throwback worth the fifteen bucks Beamdog is asking for it? I think so. Like a classic car, the heart of this game is as good today as it was a decade ago. For your cash you get ten levels of slapstick, circle-strafing, puzzle-solving nostalgia. The chuckling sense of humor alone is worth five bucks of the price to me. Admittedly, there’s not much replay value, and you have to download yet another digital distribution system. Even so, if what you want is a good game for one afternoon, MDK2 HD is definitely the classic car for you.

On the other hand, if you can’t do without cupholders or air conditioning, then the game is just going to annoy you. The old fashioned controls and bullet-sponge enemies will seem dated and boring. The lack of options in the options menu and occasional technical issues will overshadow the fun times to be had if you can get past them. Still, if Beamdog ever puts it on sale for five or even ten dollars, I say jump on it.