Jazz Jackrabbit (PC, 1994)
Graphics-7 Sound-8 Control-7 Challenge-6
Level Design-6 Frustration-8 Fun-6 Originality-4
Overall Score-6
+
Fast paced
Hover Board
Slow mo-mode
Nice cutscenes
Ranking system (items and kills)
Difficulty options
Choose your own path (six episodes w/ three worlds each and a boss)
Evenly placed checkpoints
Bird mascot (shoots from slightly behind and above Jazz)
Hidden items (breakable walls, hidden paths)
Alternate hidden bonus level (collect generic items as the bird, similar to DKC)
Two secret levels
Some OK bosses
+/-
Heavy focus on collecting generic items (unneeded ammo and points items)
Save/load to the beginning of each level
Can't shoot up/down or diagonally
Rips off Sonic (2 especially) with the exact same mechanics and even some background tiles (travel pipes, speed shoes, bouncers, shield and invicibility power ups (looks almost the same), springs, grass and lava tiles etc.)
-
Most bosses are extremely hard to dodge but safe spots make the fights easy and boring (episode 3 is especially pathetic)
Delay on up/down look
Plenty of blind jumps
Since Jazz has the speed of Sonic but not the spin and somersault attacks you can't get the same flow in this game (you also have a regular health bar system instead of the rings so you need to be even more careful here)
The tractor beams sometimes pull you into enemies
Unfocused level design (very open and large levels, power ups at end of levels, some power ups seem placed randomly)
Cheap hits (enemies shooting from off screen)
Tedious third world in episode 2 (bouncers everywhere + spike floors)
Hit detection on spikes is off (don't move and you don't get hit, time your jump right and you don't get hit)
Samey weapons
Boring bonus levels (90 degree turns ruin the flow of them, roll move is useless and is triggered randomly (wtf?), control is somewhat floaty)
Some distracting backgrounds (heavily saturated colors)
Some things lack the expected sound effects (weapons, hit effects, boss explosion)
Level Design-6 Frustration-8 Fun-6 Originality-4
Overall Score-6
+
Fast paced
Hover Board
Slow mo-mode
Nice cutscenes
Ranking system (items and kills)
Difficulty options
Choose your own path (six episodes w/ three worlds each and a boss)
Evenly placed checkpoints
Bird mascot (shoots from slightly behind and above Jazz)
Hidden items (breakable walls, hidden paths)
Alternate hidden bonus level (collect generic items as the bird, similar to DKC)
Two secret levels
Some OK bosses
+/-
Heavy focus on collecting generic items (unneeded ammo and points items)
Save/load to the beginning of each level
Can't shoot up/down or diagonally
Rips off Sonic (2 especially) with the exact same mechanics and even some background tiles (travel pipes, speed shoes, bouncers, shield and invicibility power ups (looks almost the same), springs, grass and lava tiles etc.)
-
Most bosses are extremely hard to dodge but safe spots make the fights easy and boring (episode 3 is especially pathetic)
Delay on up/down look
Plenty of blind jumps
Since Jazz has the speed of Sonic but not the spin and somersault attacks you can't get the same flow in this game (you also have a regular health bar system instead of the rings so you need to be even more careful here)
The tractor beams sometimes pull you into enemies
Unfocused level design (very open and large levels, power ups at end of levels, some power ups seem placed randomly)
Cheap hits (enemies shooting from off screen)
Tedious third world in episode 2 (bouncers everywhere + spike floors)
Hit detection on spikes is off (don't move and you don't get hit, time your jump right and you don't get hit)
Samey weapons
Boring bonus levels (90 degree turns ruin the flow of them, roll move is useless and is triggered randomly (wtf?), control is somewhat floaty)
Some distracting backgrounds (heavily saturated colors)
Some things lack the expected sound effects (weapons, hit effects, boss explosion)