Paperboy 2 retrospective: A game about nothing? | Super NES Works

Tengen scored a hit with its home rendition of Atari Games' arcade classic Paperboy, so naturally they wasted no time following up on it. But was this sequel really necessary? Did Tengen improve on a masterpiece, or merely spin their wheels? Find out by watching this video... next time you drop by my apartment unannounced to raid my pantry for cereal.

[@dbpooper7512]

I was a paperboy for a little while. It was standard procedure to walk, as the papers were pretty damn heavy for a little kid. And you had to get pretty far up people's driveway before you could toss the paper, otherwise the impact would be too loud and they'd call and bitch about you. One morning after I'd gotten pretty sick of the job I decided to try to do things the way the game depicts; throwing from a moving bike. Just getting moving was hard enough, and on my very first attempt to huck one I ended up going over the handlebars and spilling my papers all over the street. I called it quits shortly thereafter.

[@jmsebastianhasvideogametho6063]

I thought the intro was awesome enough, but to commit to the standup routine in the outtro. Just remember Jeremy, when you control the newspaper, you control...information!

[@jasongarrett768]

WHAT'S THE DEAL with underwhelming Atari releases right after Actraiser anyway? *Kramer bursts in with a Lynx sales flyer*

[@hybridvigga]

Atari didn't make act raiser what the hell are you on about fella ?

[@jasongarrett768]

Seinfeld

[@MrJWTH]

Jammill Khursheed ActRaiser was the last game covered meaning that this Atari game came out right after ActRaiser.

[@hybridvigga]

Ah, misunderstanding on my part there. I thought they meant Atari released Actraiser and then did underwhelming stuff, My bad.

[@KuraIthys]

I remember the Lynx. It was huge, ungainly and had terrible battery life. But as it turns out the hardware in it is amazing. In some ways it could outperform a SNES, especially at the mode 7 equivalent. It's also more or less the last project of the people that designed the Atari home computers, and the Amiga... Unfortunately, it simply didn't get any good games. Also big and power hungry simply never worked well in the handheld market, no matter how great the hardware is on it's own merits. (might've made a better home console than a portable one.)

[@ajpiskel]

haha that intro and outro were hilarious. Also, as the first time seeing Jeremy and not just hearing him on Retronauts or in YT videos, I have to say he looks pretty much how i imagined.

[@digamejh]

He also plays The Stranger from "The Big Lebowski" at the end of his "Fish Dude" Gameboy Works video. ;)

[@LordChozo]

Brilliant choice to couch this as a sort of Seinfeld episode, and well delivered (no pun intended) at the end too! I love creative left turns like this.

[@RabbitEarsCh]

I love the intro and outtro skits, and loved the intro for Ultraman too. These are great ways to add flavor to an episode, especially when the game itself doesn't have that much meat on it.

[@TheWorstThingEver]

I always thought Jeremy was just a disembodied voice.

[@Hausbrauen]

*Jerry

[@pentelegomenon1175]

@@Hausbrauen *Jerome

[@erikroggeveen9149]

That intro's gold, Jeremy! Gold!

[@CarozQH]

Every KZbin show should have Standup comedy routines

[@RemnantCult]

You went the extra effort just to cover an obscure version of an arcade game. Classic Parish.

[@Larry]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought the music sounded like the Seinfeld theme :D But there's a THIRD Paperboy too, Paperboy 64 which took the series into 3D. There's also a great VR game that pays homage to paperboy, Special Delivery.

[@facerip356]

There he is. Hello you.

[@NORMALLYRETRO]

Haven't visited Larry Bundy, Jr for years. You, sir, are a legend.

[@nekomarulupin]

Hello you

[@Aleryn27]

The introductions are really charming and goofy. Good on you for being brave enough to do something so silly.

[@BrianKapellusch]

Omg the seinfeldian closing credits skit was gold.

[@GurdevSeepersaud]

I love that whenever you reference actors/popular figures, you still use your normal speaking voice LMAOOO. I kinda want a Seinfeld impression but I kinda also love the contrast lol

[@GAkers]

I have been listening to retronauts for almost 4 years and this video is the first time I have seen Jeremy's face.

[@dezm101]

great job. I remember paperboy fondly in the arcades. Played this when the SNES first came out and could rarely ever pass the 2nd day. I remember it being advertised often and also saw it in the Nintendo Power SNES Players Guide, it made me think of my pops and his tales of delivering news papers when he was young in the 70s

[@IanSane]

A friend of mine had this game and my brothers and I all joked that it used the Seinfeld theme for its music. Nice to see we weren't the only ones that noticed that.

[@Skeletroy]

That outro was gold.

[@JoeBushOnline]

The early SNES years would be little without that slap bass

[@Hausbrauen]

True. It was the golden era for synth slap bass everywhere.

[@WhoIsSirChasm]

I read the newspaper headline too quickly, and thought it said "PAPERGIRL DEAD!" Considering the ghosts present, it wouldn't have surprised me too much.

[@bradleysmith2043]

Excellent bit at the end! Captured the vibe and pacing perfectly!

[@meh6722]

Keep it up, Parish. You're doing a damn good job!

[@tmcensor]

I really miss these few older episodes that feel that extra bit of unique personalized flavor tied into the specific game or subject matter. I still absolutely adore the newer, more informative episodes. I just feel these older episodes had a looser, more entertaining than informative feel. Still, I've seen every episode of each works series at least twice and I'm not complaining! Keep it up, Jeremy!

[@beej_tunes]

How have I never seen this episode? This was so good! Sign me up for more stand-up

[@tangentofaj]

"White Funk" had my crying laughing, lol. Too real.

[@nekomarulupin]

Stand-up routine at the end, legit funny.

[@BeyondTheScanlines]

As a kid, I remember adverts being published for it - but that was for its other computer conversions, and I kind of always felt that it was a bit out of time even then. Certainly not enough of a time period for a mystical revival indeed. Couldn't help but chuckle at the intro and outro too :)

[@bjornh1527]

Wow, you took that concept and ran with it! Awesome way to use a reference!

[@Bant_Panorama]

8:28 ＷＨＩＴＥ ＦＵＮＫ Also the castle doctrine joke is legit funny.

[@robbowantsadonna]

Can we get a play-through of Paperboy 2 with the Seinfeld theme and incidental soundtrack dubbed in? Too much to ask? Anyhow, one of the best Works. Great job.

[@Poever]

That slap bass SNES music coupled with the Seinfeldian intro had me giggling like a Mankey 😂

[@discordinc]

Really digging the Seinfeld bit. Gotta love that slap bass

[@broadcastceremony2301]

Maybe your best work yet. Thanks Jeremy.

[@ubza1234]

That was thoroughly entertaining my friend, Thank you!

[@TrevorAWilliams]

One of your best videos - keep up the great work!

[@rabbileiahmoser5461]

Okay, but actually that was some really well-delivered standup. I laughed.

[@thechrononaut1]

I demand an explanation for why Bob didn't come flying in the door, sliding on the hardwood before rambling incoherently about his day's shenanigans. I demand it!

[@JeremyParish]

I was out of cereal.

[@Dracalis]

This is fantastic, haha. I really enjoyed Paperboy 2 -- more so than its original. You're right though; it's way harder. I still haven't even gotten past Easy Street without codes.

[@SocietyofSteve]

These stand up bits cracked me up. Bravo

[@chrisnizer1885]

"No soup for you! Come back...1 year! Maybe then you have different opinion on Paperboy-2."

[@jorymil]

Some really nice music here! The background electric piano really reminds me of Herbie Hancock's "Chameleon." So not "white funk," but funk/fusion.

[@SonGoku-hd6ro]

I've noticed your reviews have slowly gotten more creative and humorous, what with the whole stand up comedy skit. By 2020 I'm expecting these reviews to become full avant-garde nonsense when you have to review yet another Gameboy puzzle game or SNES shoot em up, haha.

[@jonothanthrace1530]

Jeremy has the kind of voice where I see him talking and assume it's someone unrelated being dubbed.

[@JeremyParish]

I don't know what that means?

[@jonothanthrace1530]

What I mean is, you have a very voiceover-ish delivery that my brain can't quite reconcile with human physiology.

[@DSMTheEditor]

These papers.....are making me thirsty!

[@briteboy6131]

That intro was golden!

[@XISMZERO]

dat bass n' flute. Loved this game during its time.

[@MrKenichi22]

Great Video and nice to see you too. Plus I love the Seinfeld flavor stand up

[@briannorthFW]

Love the Seinfeld bit, pure genius!!

[@PlasticCogLiquid]

I loved that game, the music is great too. I wish I could hear it with the sound module the composer was using, like in it's original form.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

I had a paper route too, though I got an apartment complex to deliver to, not homes!

[@dounutknut]

Amazing intro and outro!

[@FezTheSpaceBiker]

Tengen was actually the home subsidiary created by Atari Games since they couldn't publish their games under the Atari branding for home consoles, the name "Tengen" is a deliberate reference to the game Go much like Atari

[@MynameisHukos]

At first, I thought Jeremy was going to try and rickroll me until it segued into a Seinfeld joke.

[@susanfit47]

Paperboy 2 came exclusively to consoles in the 90's. The original Paperboy, or course hails from Atari Games.

[@taipion64]

OMG I want a whole series of Seinfeld based standup on retro games.

[@thatguy4632]

Awesome video! Bravo!

[@weclock]

This was rad, thank you

[@Doommaster1994]

Hi, Jeremy. As an update as to who exactly made the game, it was confirmed by the game's composer Rich Shemaria that Paperboy 2 was developed by Eastridge Technology, and programmed by Nick Eastridge. The same goes for the NES and Game Boy versions. I also suspect the Amiga/DOS versions as well since they share the same music and graphics.

[@christopherearl8948]

His head wasn't under the hood; he was under the car and was crushed.

[@JeremyParish]

Car abuse happens both ways. But what a thing to nitpick.

[@waah919]

Oh man this was great Parish. I'm really glad that you've reached the point in your videos where you can just go for broke and not care. It makes your videos that much better.

[@SEGAClownboss]

What kind of an America is it where a free man can install cannons in his stone fortress?

[@JeremyParish]

That's the NRA's next milestone.

[@angelriverasantana7755]

I find it funny how different both the SNES and Genesis releases are. Like, the Genesis feels more like a true sequel in spirit, style, music and gameplay. Even giving the Paperboy voice samples like the arcade

[@slightlyevolved]

K. Can we just admit that the standup outro jokes were actually funny?

[@begemottt]

God bless you, Jeremy. You're doin' god's work.

[@BrakODatWak]

This is the most unexpectedly wonderful framing device

[@johnnyk1189]

I had this on the NES, with significantly worse graphics. It was a fun concept, especially with all the little extras, but man was it frustrating.

[@MrMegaManFan]

Great new video Jeremy but I dispute Jr. Pac-Man being "a crappy spinoff." I loved it as a kid and I bought the Atari homebrew version you showed - an awesome conversion.

[@JeremyParish]

It seems like a very good conversion of a fundamentally bad game.

[@duelofthemates]

Huge fan of Paperboy 2! We need a comeback!

[@landeny65]

I’m shocked you were able to make a video this long about a paperboy game lmao

[@schtive81]

This is one of the first games that I owned for my Super Nintendo beyond the obvious Super Mario World that was packaged with the system. My dad bought it for me as a birthday president, because it was a discount price SNES game. To be honest, I think he played it more than I did. The game was OK for what it was, I guess. But I honestly think the Sega Genesis version is a better game overall.

[@pferreira1983]

Most of the time Mega Drive versions normally are. 👍

[@lordvetinari1477]

These episodes are making me thirsty!

[@adamsargent4935]

Hahahaha this is great. Keep em coming Jeremy!

[@KTJohnsonkidThunder]

Entertaining episode. Paperboy 2's best thing was indeed the Seinfeld style music.

[@RurouniZel]

Dat Seinfeld parody! XD God I miss the 90s.

[@NORMALLYRETRO]

Intro is +1 funny.

[@full_proof]

Brilliant intro. ONLY 90s KIDS WILL GET THIS.

[@Nuclearlandlord]

Love that knockoff Seinfield Theme! Beautiful!

[@gregor1O1]

One small correction here: Atari Games WAS in fact Tengen. Atari Games themselves were not allowed to publish games for consoles or home computer using the Atari brand name (only for arcades) after 1984 and so created a subsidiary named Tengen in 1987 similar to what Konami did with Ultra. It was simply a workaround, not a different company at all. Same headquarters, same people running the show. Just a different name for arcade releases versus consoles and computers. Love your content. Keep it up! :)

[@Skawo]

Newspapers? What newfangled tosh! Back in my day we used Newsparchment and Newspapyrus~!

[@rwiseart2269]

Skawo *Newsans. I regret saying that.

[@chrisnizer1885]

Great review. I never played Paperboy-2 but it looks like a fun game. You can't beat the original version with it's bike handlebar controller. It just screams "play me!" Thanks for the review.

[@noeenoah]

Omg that intro 🙏🏼.

[@caseymiles7486]

I played this game at the time, and I own it today... only now do I realize that it isn't named Super Paperboy.

[@WilliamStoneContentZone]

Nice video

[@thatboyscotty]

Brilliant!

[@jamesmoss3424]

I recently got paperboy 2 on the game boy and I like it and I will play the SNES version. 😀👍🎮

[@theSato]

lmao that opening bit. also, that reference at the end of the description hank you for continuing to do these series, they're like extreme comfort food for me, helps to relax when I'm feeling anxious or troubled.

[@njdevs1987]

Ahh Paperboy 2. For whatever reason I got an SNES that first year along with a copy of Madden football. For whatever reason for my March birthday I decided to get PaperBoy 2 as my third game. I had fun with it. Also I thought the girl rider was just a kid with a helmet. I was 5 at the time.

[@user-a5Bw9de]

Paperboy 2 somehow felt even more archaic than playing Etrian Odyssey much later as a Wizardry-clone. I bet execution and presentation had to do with it more than anything else.

[@Darmalarm777]

This is too good.

[@MadGearBand]

I love this game but everything you said is 100% true

[@Jayce_Alexander]

6:01 Don't you hate it when you're outside sunbathing and the neighbors start firing artillery out of their windows? Visually Paperboy 2 on SNES really looks more like an early Genesis game. One of those early EA PC ports with the flat graphics.

[@knuthalvorsen1196]

Steve Hofstetter has really let himself go.

[@Hausbrauen]

Nah, Jeremy's hot breh. And whether you're harmlessly joking or not, *nobody* should be compared to Hofstetter on principal.

[@Frumptastical]

The Castle Doctrine joke slayed me.

[@midget35]

Jeremy - we once had an argument in the comments. We couldn't agree at all, and I figured I had to get my revenge on you. So... um.. I became a Patreon supporter XD... It's great to see how your videos have developed. Awesome stuff :)

[@JeremyParish]

Diabolical!

[@defunctchannel942]

Oh man, you actually have Seinfeld’s delivery down! only downside was we didn’t get the awesome music during the “next time” segment. still this was hilarious. thanks for making it Jeremy!

[@RevolverLink]

Oh, that sweet, sweet... white funk.

[@JeremyParish]

Even white people deserve to get down sometimes

[@ladambell]

Genuinely not used to seeing Jeremy in a resolution this crisp. Feels wrong.

[@PenisGabber]

I love this so much

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Nice intro!

[@justsignmeup911]

Love your explanation of what a paperboy is. I like playing Paperboy for a few minutes but trying to beat it is frustrating -- a true arcade game.