<s>
is	O
a	O
1996	O
horizontally	O
scrolling	O
shooter	O
arcade	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Konami	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
direct	O
sequel	O
to	O
Salamander	B-Application
(	O
1986	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
third	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Salamander	B-Application
series	O
,	O
which	O
itself	O
is	O
a	O
spin-off	O
of	O
the	O
Gradius	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Up	O
to	O
two	O
players	O
control	O
two	O
starships	O
—	O
the	O
Vic	O
Viper	O
and	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Cobra	I-Application
—	O
as	O
they	O
must	O
destroy	O
the	O
alien	O
race	O
Doom	O
before	O
they	O
wipe	O
out	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
planet	O
Gradius	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Though	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
moderate	O
success	O
in	O
arcades	O
,	O
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
met	O
with	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
received	O
generally	O
negative	O
feedback	O
from	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Salamander	B-Application
for	O
its	O
poor	O
design	O
and	O
inferiority	O
to	O
its	O
predecessor	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
has	O
been	O
republished	O
through	O
Salamander	B-Application
Deluxe	O
Pack	O
Plus	O
(	O
1997	O
)	O
and	O
Salamander	B-Application
Portable	I-Application
(	O
2007	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
a	O
horizontal-scrolling	O
shooter	O
video	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
control	O
a	O
starship	O
through	O
six	O
scrolling	O
stages	O
in	O
an	O
attempt	O
to	O
destroy	O
the	O
hostile	O
alien	O
race	O
"	O
Doom	O
"	O
before	O
they	O
wipe	O
out	O
the	O
planet	O
Gradius	B-Application
and	O
the	O
remains	O
of	O
mankind	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
player	O
controls	O
the	O
blue	O
Vic	O
Viper	O
and	O
the	O
second	O
controls	O
the	O
red	O
Super	B-Application
Cobra	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
the	O
arcade	B-Application
sequel	O
to	O
Salamander	B-Application
(	O
1986	O
)	O
and	O
the	O
third	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Salamander	B-Application
series	O
,	O
itself	O
a	O
spin-off	O
of	O
Konami	O
's	O
larger	O
Gradius	B-Application
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
programmed	O
for	O
the	O
Konami	O
GX	O
Type	O
2	O
arcade	B-Application
system	O
board	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
also	O
used	O
for	O
similar	O
shooters	O
like	O
Twinbee	B-Device
Yahho	O
!	O
</s>
<s>
(	O
1995	O
)	O
and	O
Sexy	O
Parodius	B-Application
(	O
1996	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
features	O
a	O
noticeably	O
drastic	O
change	O
in	O
art	O
direction	O
from	O
Konami	O
's	O
other	O
shooters	O
,	O
with	O
darker	O
,	O
more	O
washed-out	O
color	O
choices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Super	B-Application
Cobra	I-Application
ship	O
is	O
named	O
after	O
an	O
older	O
1981	O
Konami	B-Application
arcade	I-Application
game	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
same	I-Application
name	I-Application
that	O
is	O
loosely	O
tied	O
to	O
the	O
Gradius	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Salamander	B-Application
2s	I-Application
soundtrack	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Naoki	O
Maeda	O
,	O
who	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
create	O
various	O
tracks	O
for	O
the	O
Dance	B-Application
Dance	I-Application
Revolution	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Maeda	O
wanted	O
the	O
music	O
to	O
feel	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
for	O
Salamander	B-Application
while	O
feeling	O
fresh	O
and	O
new	O
at	O
the	O
same	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sound	O
team	O
for	O
Tokimeki	B-Application
Memorial	I-Application
Taisen	I-Application
Puzzle-Dama	I-Application
(	O
1995	O
)	O
assisted	O
him	O
in	O
acquiring	O
the	O
necessary	O
sound	O
production	O
software	O
and	O
toolsets	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
re-released	O
by	O
King	O
Record	O
in	O
April	O
1996	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
albums	O
Konami	O
Shooting	O
Collection	O
(	O
2011	O
)	O
and	O
Music	O
from	O
Konami	O
Arcade	B-Application
Shooting	O
(	O
2020	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Konami	O
demonstrated	O
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
at	O
the	O
1995	O
Japan	O
Amusement	O
Machinery	O
Manufacturers	O
Association	O
(	O
JAMMA	O
)	O
tradeshow	O
in	O
Tokyo	O
as	O
a	O
way	O
to	O
receive	O
feedback	O
from	O
players	O
,	O
having	O
been	O
30%	O
completed	O
by	O
that	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1997	O
,	O
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
ported	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
and	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
through	O
the	O
collection	O
Salamander	B-Application
Deluxe	O
Pack	O
Plus	O
,	O
alongside	O
the	O
original	O
Salamander	B-Application
and	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
,	O
and	O
to	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
version	O
in	O
2007	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
Portable	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
Game	O
Machine	O
,	O
a	O
Japanese	O
arcade	B-Application
game	O
publication	O
,	O
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
achieved	O
a	O
moderate	O
level	O
of	O
success	O
in	O
arcades	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
criticized	O
by	O
fans	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Salamander	B-Application
for	O
its	O
inferiority	O
and	O
poor	O
design	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
staff	O
commented	O
on	O
the	O
detailed	O
visuals	O
and	O
fast-paced	O
gameplay	O
,	O
though	O
they	O
expressed	O
disappointment	O
at	O
the	O
lack	O
of	O
any	O
major	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
standard	O
Salamander	B-Application
and	O
Gradius	B-Application
mechanics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reception	O
towards	O
home	O
releases	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
more	O
positive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rich	O
Leadbetter	O
of	O
Sega	B-Device
Saturn	I-Device
Magazine	O
,	O
in	O
his	O
review	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
Deluxe	O
Pack	O
Plus	O
,	O
enjoyed	O
its	O
gameplay	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
useful	O
weapon	O
pickups	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
its	O
many	O
callbacks	O
to	O
the	O
original	O
Salamander	B-Application
and	O
Life	B-Application
Force	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameFan	O
writers	O
agreed	O
;	O
one	O
wrote	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
hearkens	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
glory	O
days	O
"	O
of	O
Konami	O
,	O
and	O
nicely	O
contrasted	O
from	O
the	O
developer	O
's	O
TwinBee	B-Device
and	O
Parodius	B-Application
releases	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retrospectively	O
in	O
2010	O
,	O
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101s	O
Kurt	O
Kalata	O
felt	O
that	O
Salamander	B-Application
2	I-Application
lacked	O
the	O
same	O
level	O
of	O
innovation	O
that	O
Konami	O
's	O
other	O
shooters	O
possessed	O
,	O
but	O
said	O
the	O
combination	O
of	O
hand-drawn	O
and	O
pre-rendered	O
sprites	O
gave	O
it	O
a	O
unique	O
look	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Retro	O
Gamer	O
writer	O
Mike	O
Bevan	O
enjoyed	O
its	O
tweaks	O
to	O
the	O
core	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Salamander	B-Application
,	O
as	O
it	O
made	O
the	O
game	O
feel	O
fresh	O
and	O
new	O
.	O
</s>
