Review of Jazz Jackrabbit

Video games didn't always have rich plot-lines, photo-realistic graphics, epic cinematics and budgets to match... however, in recent years, with the constantly expanding computer power, we players have come to expect quite a lot of the media. That is not to say that good games did not exist before bullet-time and multiple camera angles were implemented; in fact, this very game is a mighty good example of that(and by all respects a classic video-game). The plot is about as simple as can be(without being insulting to the player's intelligence); a superhero has to rescue a damsel in distress from a villain(it just so happens that the hero(Jazz, whom you play as) and damsel(Eva Earlong) are rabbits... and the villain(Devan Shell) is a turtle). The very opening sequence, which in a tongue-in-cheek manner attributes the superpowers of the main character, Jazz Jackrabbit, to be a mix of those of Superman, Batman and... Wonder Woman(?!), lets us know that there is no pretense or seriousness within this game. The description of how to play even says, quite literally, that all you need to do in the game is run, shoot and pick up items. This game had exactly what games had to have back then: it was hip, fun, fast... and just something to enjoy. The music is funky-sounding, hip and rock-y... whichever fits the current level the most. The sound is appropriately cartoon-y, fitting in with the mood. The humor is the same(for example, Jazz pulls at least one Bugs Bunny move in a cinematic). Basically anyone can play this game... it has no violence or any material that is otherwise offensive, so children can play it with no problem, and it doesn't require anything other than quick fingers and good hand-to-eye coordination, which any action game requires, anyway. The story is easy enough to follow, too. The game-play is entertaining; it's fairly simple, but the game still challenges you(the four different difficulty settings help, as well). The graphics are quite good, and the dynamic camera and level of detail helps to ensure that it still holds up well... more than ten years after it was made. It's 2D, but there are elements of 3D. The animation is mostly very smooth and well-done. To get Eva back from the evil clutches of Devan, Jazz will have to travel to a number of planets where the terrorizing tortoise has left over his henchmen(among many others, turtles... which grow increasingly more threatening). Each chapter of the game(of which there are six main ones and three bonus ones) features 2-3 planets, each with 2 levels, followed by a boss fight level. The levels consist of Jazz running, jumping and shooting his way past the enemies, grabbing items for points, collecting ammo and power-ups. The points help give the game re-playability, together with finding every item and killing every enemy in each level. While the main projectile of your gun(named the LFG-2000, in a cute nod to Doom) is quite efficient on its own(and has an unlimited ammo supply), you can, as just hinted, pick up other kinds of ammo for it; these include one firing flames, one with dual missiles, grenades that bounce, and even dynamite. The power-ups include "rapid fire" upgrades, the standard invincibility, faster running and more. The boss enemies vary, but most are well-designed and cool (and reasonably challenging, as well) to fight. Each planet has its own theme, with matching music, enemies, and often even unique color scheme. This helps keep the game fresh. In addition to the power-ups and alternate ammo, you can also get rather interesting(and might I add, very unusual) things to aid you in your heroic quest; a bird with firepower(!) and a jet-board(yeah!). The first-mentioned flies with you and fires at enemies that you are facing... although the bird does fly away from you if you are hit by an enemy. The second... what can I say? It rocks. Flying around shooting enemies and finding hidden areas on the board is among the most enjoyable things to do in this game. One or more planets also contain water... and Jazz can swim. And my, that is exceedingly well-done. Much better programming than Commander Keen 4(and that's not an easy thing for me to say, as that is one of my favorite games, growing up), and just generally a really, really well-implemented feature. Both the board and the swimming are rather nicely done, and neither is overused. The main game is platform action-adventure, and the bonus levels are in 3D, with you collecting diamonds on a time limit... and if you reach the designated number of diamonds, you earn an extra life. The level design is really good, with plenty of stuff to collect, enemies to blast, and secrets to find. The game is hardly ever frustrating, nor is it boring. All in all, this is just a really good game. Good for hours of enjoyment. There are only a few negative things to be said about this production; the game does just slightly overstay its welcome, probably due to the three bonus episodes. In fact, the bonus episodes only just exactly add enough to the overall game to be worthwhile; the level design starts getting sloppy, and other areas that suffer in quality are the animations, design and number of new enemies... it would seem that the team used up all their creativity on the main chapters(which are by all means great). That is, however, basically the only downside to the game... and in spite of the bonus chapters being less than stellar, the game is still highly entertaining. Besides... how many video-games on that side of the new millennium can brag with working slow-motion and bonus levels in 3D? So load up your LFG, gear up... and go save Eva(and kick Devan's shell). I recommend this to any fan of platform games, the genres of action and adventure, any genuine kid or any adult who wishes to treat their inner child to something fun. 8/10