Maximo vs. Army of Zin

Into Liquid Sky

A perfect mix of platforming and action.

PSX Nation

Delivers fast-paced combat, platform leaping action, and a decent story to boot. With all this fun, and a forty dollar price tag, you simply can't go wrong.

Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)

Full of unique touches, with a depth that demands that you come back for more. Addictive, compulsive and, above all, bags of fun. [Playstation 2 Max]

Gaming Age

The game may feel a bit too much like the last. But the fights are fair, the combat is fun, and the classic platform gameplay is executed to a sharp perfection.

GameReviewer

The graphics do an outstanding job at setting the game's comic, horror atmosphere. Everything from the trees in the background to the disturbingly horrific Army of Zin has been lovingly designed and animated.

TotalPlayStation

An absolutely fantastic game, and stands as one of the best ways to enjoy old-school flavor in a decidedly next-generation effort.

GamePro

A fantastic platformer with a long and challenging adventure that also packs a healthy amount of replay value. However, it is highly recommended that you check out the first game before tackling the Zin.

Gamer's Pulse

A new combination counter and streamlined abilities system make playing the game easier and more rewarding. Dramatically reducing the penalties for death, as well as the roots causes behind it, make playing Maximo vs. Army of Zin a less frustrating and more pleasant experience.

Deeko

The control is quite good and very reminiscent of the original Maximo (though you can no longer crouch and you can use the right thumbstick to control the camera), the graphics are fantastic and the soundtrack is good.

Adrenaline Vault

The gameplay is flawless and the presentation is both beautiful and full of character. Army of Zin is neither the most innovative title on the market nor is it the most awe-inspiring, but it accomplishes the difficult task of translating the form and spirit of a classic into a worthy modern successor.

PSM Magazine

Blending the best of old-school action gameplay and new-school presentation, Maximo vs. Army of Zin is an excellent refinement and worthy sequel to the original. [Feb 2004, p.26]

3DAvenue

The graphics of the game are quite impressive with a great draw distance and not much popup to speak off.

IGN

The slightly new structure is subtle but effective in making the game a little less harsh, a little less unforgiving. And perhaps, most importantly, you're sure to feel that old-school sense of satisfaction for having beaten each level and every boss.

netjak

For the hardcore gamer. There's quite a lot of quality and thought put behind it, and the best part is that the game's ending leads to very exciting idea of what must be in the third edition of the game.

GameZone

The gameplay is a marvelous mixture of the industry's most prominent eras: the late 80s (8-bit consoles) and the late 90s (32-bit consoles).

Stuff

If you pumped more than a week’s worth of quarters into the old "Ghouls n’ Ghosts" machine, you ought to add it to the collection.

GameSpy

The plotline is simple, the characters are instantly likeable, but more importantly, from start to finish, the action never lets up.

TotalGames.net

As a sequel it doesn't falter in the same way other Capcom releases have, and we're talking "Devil May Cry" here. It seems that the developers were particularly happy with the original Maximo, or perhaps they had just designed themselves into a corner with nowhere to add anything too jaw dropping.

Siliconera

The game offers a little more than the standard platformer like a good combo system and a sense of urgency.

1UP

Every robot smashed feels satisfying, and it captures the feeling of being "in the zone" while wading knee-deep in enemies better than any other Stylish Hard Action game has yet -- all while being challenging, but still possible.

GameSpot

If you can grit your teeth and get past the daunting frustration factor, you'll find in Army of Zin a surprisingly deep and involved hack-and-slash platformer with a quirky, endearing style and a lot of heart.

GameBiz

There’s no escaping that Capcom’s main powerhouse in Maximo vs. Army of Zin is its outstanding gameplay, like all good platformer’s its fantastic.

Game Informer

Fans of frequent save points will be frustrated, but devotees of the old hack n' slash will be satisfied tenfold. [Feb 2004, p.96]

Game Over Online

It’s simply held back from greatness because of its lack of replay value.

Village Voice

It always helps to have a sense of humor when collapsing paradoxes, and this Maximo does not miss.

Official U.S. Playstation Magazine

Of all of Zin's improvements the most marked is the fun factor. A big part of this has to do with the toned-down difficulty - instead of being next to impossible, Zin is merely really freaking tough. [Feb 2004, p.100]

Eurogamer

For fans of the first game, Maximo Vs. Army of Zin is a must-have, and if you like platform games with a slant towards combat then this is also an ideal purchase.

GMR Magazine

What really distinguishes this charmer is its finely honed sense of pacing: While the first game's notorious difficulty level is fully intact, the levels, objectives, and boss battles are mixed and matched to near perfection.

Times Online

It has pace, style and replayability; and if it is not quite as inventive as "Ratchet & Clank," what is?

NTSC-uk

Endlessly entertaining. [JPN Import]

Total Video Games

An excellent sequel that manages to improve upon the original in virtually ever way. Gameplay is certainly paramount and in this area Maximo creates a maddeningly addictive experience, which you’ll find hard to drop if you’re brave enough to take on the challenge.

Maxim Online

It ain’t groundbreaking, but who cares?

Edge Magazine

The sequel may have sacrificed a little of Maximo's knife-edge aura, but there's so much new here that it would be rude not to call Army of Zin even better. This is a sequel that stands up, and often glitters, on its own terms. [Dec 2003, p.96]

Cheat Code Central

The combat system is much more refined and satisfying than previous efforts.

GamerFeed

Loaded with new little gameplay quirks that enhance the formula and a great new array of neat level designs and enemies to beat, it's a sequel that's to be appreciated.

G4 TV

A challenging, yet rewarding experience that encourages players to explore every nook and cranny. New jacks might want to step back, but seasoned pros will find plenty of challenge.

Yahoo! Games

Even more surprisingly, the enemies evidently know that you know you're supposed to save certain persons and -- right buggers that they are -- actually go out of their way to bring harm to your would-be charges!

Gamezilla!

A fun game to play, a great reminder of what made "Ghosts ‘N Goblins" such a blast at arcades – but it’s repetition can’t help but place it firmly in the realm of rental.

GameCritics

Put simply—the concept stays a little too comfortably within the basics of run, jump and slash. After seeing the credits roll, I was left with the feeling that Maximo vs Army of Zin is like a raw gemstone—precious and valued, but only a rough approximation of the full potential waiting within.

Game Revolution

A relatively short game that can easily be passed in a single weekend. Normally this is a bad thing, but it may be due in part to the fact that it isn't as frustrating as "Ghosts to Glory," with a lot less annoying platformer bits. You won't be tearing your hair out from missed platformer jumps, so feel free to toss that bottle of Rogaine you had from since the last game.

Boomtown

If all you want is a well-executed platform action game, with no innovations, you can have a really good time with Maximo vs. The Army of Zin, but otherwise steer clear. You’ve seen it all before.

Computer and Video Games

The action is reassuringly samey from start to end, and your path is set in stone. Yet, the overall experience is highly polished and big on drama.

Loaded Inc

There simply will not be enough variety in this package to keep many players interested. For others, the difficulty level will prove frustrating.

Electronic Gaming Monthly

The game does keep up the original's compelling pace, with enemies swarming you nearly every step of the way. I never got bored - I just never got all that excited, either. [Feb 2004, p.112]

games(TM)

A no-nonsense, honest-to-goodness platformer. It knows what it wants to do and presents things in a way that looks good and works well. But despite being sturdily put together and instantly enjoyable, it's hard not to think that it loses the impact it once held in the face of the latest batch of fresh and technologically impressive titles in the genre. [Feb 2004, p.106]

eToychest

Ultimately, a sizeable portion of the game feels more like a 3D "Double Dragon" or "Final Fight" than it does "Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins." It’s solid gameplay in that vein, but it’s a misstep for this particular franchise.