The Games We Never Talk About: Kid Gloves II – The Journey Back

I have once again decided to bring back another old and forgotten game that never got the love it deserved back in the day, oh, and I have decided to turn this into an actual thing here at the blog now, the name of the series will be – The games we never talk about.. (But should?) 

Kid Gloves II: The Journey Back was originally titled Little Beau, but things took an unexpected turn when the original publisher, Digital Magic Software, went bankrupt just before the game’s planned release. Fortunately, Millennium Interactive stepped in and saved the project from oblivion.

While most of the game remained intact, one major change came with Millennium’s involvement—the title. Millennium had previously invested heavily in a game called Kid Gloves, and for reasons still unclear, they chose to rebrand Little Beau as a sequel to it. This branding decision is likely why Kid Gloves II rarely gets talked about today. There’s no visual or gameplay connection between the two titles, which only adds to the confusion.

Trivia: Ever heard the song Kid Gloves by the band Rush? (Hi, Stewart Gilray! 😄) It makes you wonder whether the original developer or perhaps even Millennium took inspiration from that track when naming the first game.

Kid Gloves II was released in 1992 for both the Amiga and Atari ST. A Commodore 64 version was originally planned, but after Millennium took over the project, it quietly vanished and was never mentioned again. Oddly enough, there’s still very little information about the C64 version online today, apart from this very article from AGTW, of course. I bring it up because I vividly remember the early previews in old magazines, which hyped it up as potentially one of the best platformers ever to hit the C64.

Those early previews and developer interviews definitely caught my attention, and I made a point of following both the game and its creators, Dave Semmens and Doug Townsley, closely.

When the game finally launched, it came with little to no media hype, and reviews at the time were lukewarm at best. Most fell into the “it’s okay” or “could’ve been better” category. Honestly, it felt like the reviewers barely gave it a chance—many of them probably didn’t even play past the first level.

Before you decide to skip ahead to the next article, there are a few more things about Kid Gloves II that are worth mentioning. Let’s start with some of the positive aspects. First off, the game’s structure is something I really enjoy. Yes, your mission is to rescue a damsel locked away in a castle, but the journey to get there is anything but boring. You’ll navigate through six massive levels (maybe a bit too massive at times?), each packed with secrets and surprises. To mix things up, there are also some fun mini-games hidden throughout, ensuring the platforming doesn’t get too repetitive.

The mini-games are actually some vending and arcade machines that you find on your way, some better hidden than others and they are actually pretty good fun, one of them is a rather decent horizontal shoot ’em up game and the other one a slot machine which got some pretty good prizes that will make your journey easier (if you get lucky that is).

One of the biggest issues with Kid Gloves II is its difficulty. If you don’t play it the right way, the game quickly becomes frustrating and unnecessarily tough. Figuring out how to obtain and use shields, upgrades, and power-ups takes time and can add to the challenge.

Your hero has a health bar, but it’s so small that you might die without even realising why. For instance, early on, if you jump too high and accidentally hit a spike with your head, you could end up dead before you even understand what went wrong.

Is it poor collision detection or just bad game mechanics? Probably a bit of both. However, once you get the hang of the game, these issues become less of a problem.

Unfortunately, Kid Gloves II does have its share of drawbacks, and one of the most frustrating is the in-game timer. It feels like it’s there just to annoy you, pushing you to rush through levels when you really shouldn’t. This forced sense of urgency only makes the game harder than it needs to be, leading to plenty of poorly timed jumps and mistakes.

Another issue is with your main weapon, which follows the typical “hold the button longer to charge up more power” mechanic. While it sounds fine in theory, it doesn’t work as smoothly as it should. In practice, it often feels more annoying than useful, especially in situations where precision is key.

I’ve decided to include a gameplay video, though it’s a bit of a rarity—sadly, there aren’t many out there, which speaks to the game’s lack of widespread recognition. However, the video showcases the first two levels, giving you a glimpse of the cute graphics and catchy soundtrack. The quality might not be perfect, but it still captures the essence of the game.

I’ve always had a soft spot for the visuals in Kid Gloves II—it strikes a nice balance between being familiar and unique. In my opinion, there weren’t enough games like this on the Amiga at the time. Most console owners had an abundance of these types of platformers, while Amiga players had to make do with fewer options. Fortunately, that changed over the next year with the release of gems like Addams Family, BC Kid, Alfred the Chicken, and Yo Joe, to name just a few.

 Very cute box, and it fits with the era it came out in, a mix of the 80s and early 90s really, but one has to wonder if the name did it any favours.

ELECTRONIC ARTS on a Millennium box?  Seems they had the distribution rights in some territories.

Pretty standard fare, but there is a lot of information in it compared to other platformer games of the same era.

Lovely stuff 🙂

 

Kid Gloves II: The Journey Back definitely had the potential to be a standout title, but unfortunately, it arrived a little too late and was held back by a few annoying flaws and some odd design choices. These elements made the game more challenging than it probably should have been, especially for the younger audience it was aimed at.

That said, once you get the hang of its quirky sound and style combo, along with its gameplay mechanics, it becomes a really enjoyable experience. The game is vast and varied, with level design that’s more akin to titles like Super Wonderboy in Monsterland than your typical platformer. As a result, it might not appeal to everyone, but for those who appreciate a bit of a challenge and a unique take on platforming, it’s well worth the time.

Where Are They Now?

So, what happened after Kid Gloves II? Let’s catch up with the key players behind the game.

Dave Semmens went on to contribute to several notable titles, most famously the Amiga port of The Lion King. He also made his mark during his time with Acclaim and Psygnosis, working on games like Colony Wars and Retro Force. Unfortunately, Dave is no longer working in the gaming industry today.

Doug Townsley, who worked alongside Dave on several projects both before and after Kid Gloves II, eventually joined Climax Studios. He’s been involved in a variety of projects over the years, including the recent Crackdown 3 released for Xbox One in 2019.

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