This game, while really good for a DOS game, is not as good as the sequel. The level design is a mixed bag, ranging from amazing to unbelievably frustrating. The soundtrack is roughly as good as the sequel, actually possibly a bit better as a whole for what it's worth. The bosses are generally speaking far worse than even the worst bosses from the sequel. Game also controls pretty nicely, with a simple, remappable control scheme and very solid physics. Anyways, on to a pro/con list for those who may want one: Pros: +Some incredibly creative levels (especially Orbitus, Lagunicus, and Dreempipes IMO) +Stellar soundtrack +Game has a decently large amount of content for a '90s platformer +Good play control +Nice graphics Neutral: ~General quality is oddly inconsistent, some songs are way better than others, some stages are way better than others, etc. Cons: -Some levels are kinda pretty bad IMO (especially Stonar 2) -Low viewing space (a.k.a. screen crunch) makes game unintentionally harder. Mind you, this is due to DOS limitations, so I can't blame the devs on this one. However, this almost entirely renders the good play control positive pointless, so it's nonetheless something of a deal-breaker -Horrible bosses All in all, I'd say the game gets about a 4/5. If it didn't have the screen crunch (and Stonar 2 got banished to another dimension which is itself banished to another universe, IMO Stonar 2 is the worst level across both Jazz 1 and 2, including TSF), it'd probably be closer to a 4.4/5 or so, though it's hard to be sure. My recommendation for whether or not the game is for you: If you like video games, play the sequel. The sequel is the easier game anyways, it's a better starting point as a result, especially if you don't play many platformers. If you like the sequel a lot, play this one. If you don't, probably best to skip this one.
When I saw that Jazz Jackrabbit 2 was finally on GOG, I figured I had no more excuse to hold off on playing the game, and man, I'm glad I chose to buy it! Let's start with the positives: The soundtrack. The graphics. The sound effects. The general aesthetics of the game just plain rock. The soundtrack is of special note, however, as it's still absolutely phenomenal. I can only imagine what people who played the game at launch must've thought of it. The level design is also pretty solid, and it throws new ideas at you often enough to keep things interesting. Don't go in expecting a hard game: With the exception of a few levels on hard mode, this is pretty easy for a run-and-gun. This isn't a flaw, and I personally don't mind at all, but I thought I'd point it out for people who may care. Not that you should care anyways, because if you find the base game too easy, you can always turn to the game's incredible level editor. It takes a bit of getting used to, but its feature set is robust enough that it's worth learning. You can even load the official levels of the game in it! Also, the game controls really well, making for a rather satisfying mix of run-and-gun and high-speed action. I haven't messed with multiplayer much, but it's pretty solid from what I've played of it. It's definitely rare to see competitive run-and-gun platformers like this. It also has co-op. Now for the negatives I've encountered: The game's a bit buggy. The levels from The Secret Files are mediocre at best. Hosting an online game requires messing with port forwarding, which admittedly is due to when the game was made. The bosses are usually mediocre, though Flashback's end boss was HILARIOUS. However, despite those small flaws, the game's amazing. I'd give it a 4.7/5 or so if possible, but since it's not, that rounds up to a perfect 5. It probably deserves it anyways. :) I recommend it primarily for fans of platformers, especially of the run-and-gun variety and/or the high-speed variety.
