It looks like the script was altered after all, if only slightly. I guess in order to keep the ESRB rating to E, they removed/altered all references to death/dying. One early example you can see is near the end of the first level of MMZ2, where Harpuia says "To live or perish" instead of "To live or die".
Also, damn MMZ2's hard mode is pretty challenging with 2x damage, a couple of attacks drain half life. And if you liked MMZ1's bomb disarm stage, I'm sure you'll love MMZ2's bomb disarm one heh