The second Dizzy adventure game is themed around Treasure Island. In this one you start on an island with hidden treasure everywhere, and must solve puzzles including giving several pieces of this treasure to a shopkeeper to obtain a boat which you can use to leave.
In the first game you had three lives, and could collect extra throughout the game. You also could only hold a single item at a time. This is reversed here, you only have a single life throughout the game but can hold three items at a time. This means there is significantly less backtracking, but it also means it is extremely hard. A single false move in the game and you start from the beginning. In particular a large section of the game world is under water, and to survive down there you need a snorkel to be in your inventory. You cannot select which item to drop like in the sequels though, the three items just cycle through. This means it’s quite easy to drop the snorkel and drown.
A significant part of the original game was destroying hazards and enemies to make your journey safer. That is entirely gone here, the hazards stay throughout the game and you just have to get good at avoiding them.
There is a secondary quest in this game to collect thirty coins. After you have solved all the puzzles and made your way off of the island, you encounter a twin of the shopkeeper who demands some tax. The coins are hidden all over the game world, and most are fun objects to find. Some, however, especially in the tree-top huts, are just hidden behind random scenery. A couple are even hidden behind parts of trees. It’s likely just an attempt to lengthen the playtime, but it’s pretty poor design I think.
I remember this being the game that everyone loved when I was a kid, in fact many people said it was their favourite in the series if not their favourite game. I definitely enjoyed it then, and still did this time, but I think the next one was my favourite. I prefer the original as well to be honest. The atmosphere felt a little darker and weirder in that game.