The Goonies II features two modes of play: platform and first-person. Most of the game is played as the former as the player works through a non-linear map. The player moves Mikey to new areas of the map by ladders or doors that may act as warp zones. Several different types of zones are found in the game, each with distinct enemies, graphics and music. The Fratelli family will frequently appear to pursue Mikey; with the exception of Pipsqueak who vanishes when hit, they can be stunned briefly with attacks but cannot be defeated. When the player exits the platform screen by entering a door, the game shifts to a first-person mode. Using a command menu similar to Shadowgate, the player explores the area by navigating through rooms, searching for hidden items and interacting with non-player characters. The items the player finds may be useful in the platform screens or within the rooms themselves. The player will find the six Goonies and eventually Annie in cells in this mode. Each rescued Goonie increases Mikey's health, and all six must be rescued before Annie can be freed. There are a number of weapons the player can use, and the player can equip both a primary and secondary weapon. Mikey can use three primary weapons: the yo-yo, a short-range weapon with limited power; the slingshot, a ranged, ammunition-based weapon; and the boomerang, a slower ranged weapon with unlimited use. The bomb and molotov cocktail are the two secondary weapons the player can use, and the player can increase Mikey's carrying capacity by finding additional cases of them. These are explosive weapons that have a small blast radius and can damage Mikey if he is in range; the bomb can also reveal hidden doors. There are also two performance boosting shoes in the game; the spring shoes increase Mikey's jumping ability and are required to reach certain areas of the map, and the hyper shoes increase Mikey's speed and make some areas more easily accessible. The player must find and use a diving suit in order to reach underwater areas of the hideout; this item limits Mikey to using a harpoon gun and bombs as his weapons. What the player has to do in order to obtain certain vital items is sometimes obscure. For example, the candle is obtained when Mikey hits a specific old woman five times in a row for no apparent reason.
Reception
The game was received with mildly positive reviews. It is listed as 16th on Gamasutra's list of 20 open world games. There, it is described as considerably less difficult than prequel The Goonies though it still "basically requires a strategy guide to finish". Gameplay progression is based partially upon implicit clues, such as the strategic absence of things, making a player think that the occasional discovery is "the most awesome thing in the world". Famitsu rated the game 26/40.
