Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Town & Country Surf Designs II: Thrilla’s Surfari blends fast-paced platforming with surfing and underwater action to create an experience that keeps you on your toes from start to finish. You guide Thrilla Gorilla on a skateboard across intricate levels, ducking under low-hanging obstacles and leaping across gaps while dodging hazards both large and small. The controls are straightforward—left, right, jump, and attack—but mastering the timing of jumps and projectile throws quickly becomes a satisfying challenge.

Midway through many stages, gameplay shifts to surfing, though the core mechanics remain identical: maintain momentum, avoid dangers, and defeat smaller foes with coconuts or spears. These transitions keep the action feeling fresh and prevent the formula from growing stale. In addition, Thrilla occasionally dives into underwater stages riding a shark, where you’ll hurl spears at enemies while avoiding pufferfish and other aquatic threats. The rhythmic ebb and flow of land, sea, and skate segments form an engaging cycle that’s rare to find in other platformers of its era.

Boss encounters break up the standard levels, pitting Thrilla against formidable guardians of each world. These showdowns require pattern recognition, precise jumping, and well-timed attacks; you’ll quickly learn to conserve ammo and health for these climactic battles. Between stages, a shell game mini-game offers a chance to win extra lives, adding lighthearted variety and rewarding careful observation. Combined with health-restoring bananas and other power-ups scattered throughout the stages, these mechanics offer layers of strategy—do you push forward aggressively or conserve resources for later?

Difficulty ramps up sensibly as you progress through the seven worlds, each with its own hazards and enemies. The first and third worlds contain four stages each, while the rest feature five, providing a well-paced learning curve. While some players may find the later levels punishingly tough, the built-in continues and shell-game opportunities help alleviate frustration, striking a balance between challenge and accessibility.

Graphics

As a Nintendo Entertainment System title, Thrilla’s Surfari makes the most of hardware limitations, presenting colorful, cartoon-style pixel art. Thrilla Gorilla is rendered with charming detail—his muscular frame, expressive eyes, and signature surfboard all pop against vibrant backdrops. Each world sports a distinct palette: lush greens and browns in jungles, deep blues beneath the waves, fiery reds around volcanoes, and regal purples and greys in castle stages.

Enemy designs are equally imaginative and varied, ranging from spear-throwing pygmies and lunging lions in Africa to flying fish and oversized crabs underwater. Animations may be limited to a few frames, but key motions—Thrilla’s skateboard flips, shark’s tail swishes, boss roars—are smooth enough to convey action clearly. Background details such as swaying palm trees, rolling hills, and volcanic smoke add atmosphere without distracting from the foreground gameplay.

The HUD is clean and unobtrusive: your health meter, remaining lives, and coconut count are always visible but never overcrowd the screen. During the shell game, graphical cues help you track your selection, and the simple yet effective reveal animation builds anticipation well. Overall, the visuals strike a balance between playful cartoon aesthetics and readability, ensuring you always know what’s happening even in the busiest moments.

Story

Thrilla’s Surfari spins a humorous, pulp-inspired tale that feels right at home on the NES. The villain is Wazula, an immortally cursed Kahuna who must regain his powers by kidnapping Barbi Bikini, Thrilla Gorilla’s beloved. When Barbi is whisked away to the heart of Africa, Thrilla sets off on a rescue mission, skateboard in hand and spears at the ready. While the narrative is simple, it provides just enough context and motivation for each daring stage.

Story beats are delivered through brief cutscenes and title cards before each world, setting the scene from sandy beaches to savanna plains, sunken shipwrecks to erupting volcanoes. The comical premise—gorilla surfer versus an evil sand priest—helps the game maintain a lighthearted tone. Even in boss battles, the stakes feel playful: you’re rescuing your girlfriend and thwarting Wazula’s dark rituals rather than saving the entire world, which is part of the charm.

Though dialogue is minimal, character personalities shine through in brief exchanges and animations. Thrilla’s confident stance, Wazula’s sinister chuckle, and Barbi’s brief appearances all add color to the journey without bogging down the action. Fans of late-’80s platformers will appreciate the economical storytelling, where every frame and line of text serves the adventure.

Overall Experience

Town & Country Surf Designs II: Thrilla’s Surfari stands out as a unique hybrid of platforming, surfing, and underwater combat, offering more variety than many of its contemporaries. Its clever stage design, varied enemies, and mini-games deliver a satisfying mix of challenge and fun. Even after clearing the game once, the urge to improve your shell-game luck, perfect boss strategies, and master tricky jumps keeps you coming back for more.

While the difficulty curve can spike in later worlds, the generous checkpointing system and opportunity to earn extra lives through the shell game alleviate some of the frustration. Players who relish precise platforming will find the timing-based obstacles and boss patterns a rewarding test of skill. Casual gamers may need a bit of perseverance, but the game’s consistent pacing and varied environments ensure each stage feels fresh.

Thrilla’s Surfari may wear its NES-era roots on its sleeve, but its colorful presentation, quirky premise, and tight mechanics still shine today. Whether you’re a retro enthusiast or new to the 8-bit scene, this title provides a breezy yet challenging adventure that stands apart from typical ninja or plumber-style platformers. Strap on your board, sharpen your spears, and prepare for a wild ride across land, sea, and skull-crushing boss arenas—Thrilla Gorilla’s rescue mission is one you won’t forget.

Retro Replay Score

6.8/10