Agent Z 2, by Ellams Software $8
Reviewed May 2002

Before Max Payne, there was Agent Z, the fast moving secret agent whose missions are retrieving stolen intelligence. Agent Z 2, the sequel to the popular action game, brings back Agent Z for another 20 brand new missions. Agent Z owners can upgrade to this new version for free. But if you've never heard of this secret agent, you're probably asking, "just who is this guy"?

Agent Z always arrives on the scene in his fast sports car. As soon as he is given a mission which usually is to retrieve number of microfilms, CD-ROM, floppy disks or important dairies, he'll race into the building which has many doors, ladders, elevators and bad agents with guns. In order to find all the important items, Agent Z has a scanner, which will tell him which room has the next item by flashing red on the door. Now Agent Z has to make his way to that door while avoiding falling off of the edges of the floor or getting shot by the bad agents. The doors that are not flashing might also be worth checking out, cause you might just find some cool weapons that'll make it easier for you to kill the bad guys. Once Agent Z finishes retrieving items, he has to make his way up to the roof where a helicopter is waiting to pick him up.

There are 20 brand new missions in Agent Z 2. For each 3 missions Agent Z accomplishes, there will be a bomb disposal bonus mission. In the bomb disposal missions, Agent Z needs to find and disarm the bombs planted in his HQ in a given time. If he successfully completes the mission, his health will recover; if he fails or dies the bonus mission is over. The health indication is a little different in Agent Z 2 with a health meter starting at 100; every time you get shot or fall you loose health points vs. in the first game you loose a life.

Agent Z 2 can run both in color and grayscale. The color version looks very sharp with some really cute sound effects. Game play gets harder as the with each new level. You can start at the last mission you failed which is nice. The controls are very smooth and quick. You can use both d-pad and stylus. It also supports the GamePad.

If you complete all 20 levels in Agent Z 2, the nice folks at Ellams Software will give you Agent Z for free. So it's really a low price for 2 games.

Playing Hints and Tips
1) Utilize your movement to dodge bullets. You can duck by pressing the down key; or jump over the evil agent and shoot him in the back; you can go in a door to time your move.
2) If there a two or more evil agents surround the elevator when you need to use it, jump on the top of the elevator. You won't be able to control it, but you are likely not to get shot in that position.
3) Evil agents are somewhat dumb. They will shoot at each other if you provoke them. So if you see two or more evil agents on the same floor, just tease them by moving close, but not in the line of fire. You will see them killing each other while trying to shoot you.

Ratings (scale of 1 to 5):

Graphics		Cartoon-ish graphics and animation. Very sharp with its own style.
Sound		Very cute sound effects. I got people interested in this game because they heard the sound when I was playing.
Fun Meter		Good game design with smooth control. It's easy to pick up and continue with your last level, but challenging at the same time. It'll take you a while to complete the game. Each time you accomplish a mission the game gets a bit harder.
Addictivity		There are many Agent Z addicts out there, and you could easily be one of them. While waiting for Max Payne to come to the handheld nearest you, this is a good game to get addicted to.