I remember getting a demo of this game as a child and losing my mind. Now that I've owned it and played it I still think it is a really solid experience. This is the closest 90's PC comes to rivaling Nintendo or Sega and I actually prefer this to many of their platformers. Compared to the original I feel like the level design is much more innovative and willing to try new things. There are some levels which feel sort of similar but there are enough excellent ones to balance it out. Also improved from the original is that the camera is much more zoomed out so you can actually see what's coming most of the time. Like the first this is chalked full of secrets and still to this day I can't find enough coins in some levels to get to the bonus loot. It works well as a two player split screen and the multiplayer games are pretty fun as well. My favorite levels have to be Colonius, Psychadelia, Jungle, Beach, and Medivo but there are some other great ones. I also love the variety of weapons in this one and how they interact differently and can be powered up to better versions. Great job Epic Games!
I loved playing episode 1 as "shareware" as a kid and would drool over the screenshots of the following episodes. Out of those episodes I would say half are quite excellent in design and half are fine. I would almost never play with the default speed setting though and usually turn off turbo as it is just too fast to actually play the game. First episode is amazing and is easily the best out there level design-wise. Afterwards it can all feel kind of samey and while it was enjoyable it was a bit of a dissapointment compared to how I though it would be as a child (which isn't really the games' fault I guess). Enemies vary a bit but after the first episode start to feel samey and the level design also can feel pretty samey in parts. It tries to be Sonic but it can't quite reach those levels of design nor is it viable to just run at things as you have to pause to shoot them down. Still, it's a lot of fun and the secret levels have to be my favorite in all of gaming (if you can find them). The 3d running bonus levels don't hold up as well nowadays but are fine. Great game but Jazz 2 definitely improves on the formula in many ways.
I remember being too young to want to play this one as "shareware" as a child as the zombies in particular die a bit too gory for my tastes at the time. This is further confusing as the protagonist and pets make it seem like it is a game meant for kids but now that I'm an adult I think that is what gives this game it's own sort of charm. This is a really solid sidescroller with very large levels that are full of secrets. It is Apogee at it's best. The first two episodes are in my opinion pretty much perfect. Each locale feels fresh and unique and all the enemies never feel repetetive. They also feel fair. Episode 3 however starts out fine but very quickly becomes extremely frustrating and difficult (namely the swamp levels). I don't know how anyone beat the third episode without using a cheat code. That being said, the whole series contains some of my favorite levels ever made for a 2d platformer (right up there with SMB 3). I particularly love the haunted house levels in episode 1 (especially the giant couch one), the castle levels in episode 2, the pumpkin patch (episode 3), and bones cave (I think in episode 3). Definitely worth checking out especially for the price!
Loved playing the first "shareware" episode as a kid and later purchased it from apogee (3d realms) and still play it frequently today. Once you get used to the zoomed in screen this game is well worth your time. It plays very similarly to Super Mario or even Sonic but unlike those games you really have to proceed with caution. The level design of the first episode is up there with the best and while it isn't easy feels mostly fair with the exception of a few jumping sections in certain levels such as 4 and 6. I really appreciate how each new level feels unique in theme and hazards (besides 1 and 2). The next two episodes however take this blind jumping to an almost extreme level of difficulty. There is a particularly memorable level (7) in episode 2 where you are not only blind jumping but you are blind jumping onto to sides of small icy platforms right over a death pit with some of them containing those dang blue shooty plants. Basically if you don't have the reflexes of the cat on that one you are SOL. There is also less variety in the last two episodes as far as settings and enemies but that's to be expected with how these shareware version games worked at the time. Definitely worth picking up but expect to get your butt handed to you in episodes 2 and 3.
