Meet Jazz Jackrabbit, a green bunny with a red bandana, a massive gun and, most importantly of all, an overload of attitude ! Eva, Jazz' beloved blue bunny girlfriend has been kidnapped by Devan Shell and his army of turtle terrorists and Jazz is having none of it. A journey starts that takes our furry protagonist to dozens of diverse planets, each with their own themes, like jungles, factories and castles. At first glance this game does have some clear similarities to other platformers of its era. After a few minutes, however, it becomes clear the developers really thought about what elements they had to borrow from their competitors to make something unique. It's one of those titles that blends elements from other games into something that not only works well, but also feels like a totally unique and valid experience in its own right. The best way to describe this game is as a blend between SEGA's console-based Sonic the Hedgehog series and the PC-based platformers of the time like Duke Nukem. The fast-paced running gameplay and cool-yet-furry protagonist are reminiscent of Sonic. The 80's action hero-esque focus on weapons and shooting enemies, on the other hand, resembles Apogee's DOS classics like Duke Nukem, Bio Menace and Alien Carnage. Its this blend of gameplay styles that makes the game so engaging to this day. Add in an amazing soundtrack, colourful VGA graphics and a whole host of bizarre and creative enemies and you have one of the best DOS-era platformers. This version is easily the best, most complete version of the game, finally bringing all of the original episodes and the various expansions together in a single release. This includes not only the original six episodes, but also three episodes exclusive to the CD-ROM version and the two rather quirky 'Holiday Hare' episodes released for the Christmas seasons of 1994 and 1995. There's a lot whole lot of levels and a whole lot of attitude in this long-overdue GoG release. Get it !
This game being on GoG is long overdue, but it's finally here and it's got all the Jazz you need. Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is a good game in it's own right. It has impressive graphics, large and varied worlds full of secrets, tight controls and a wacky sense of humour that gives it its own kind of attitude. You can play through the single-player campaign alone or experience the game with a friend. The game has several episodes with diverse levels, ranging from psychedelic 60s-style forests to beaches and from medieval castles to infernal caverns. You can replay the game with different characters, each with their own special moves. Some hidden rooms are only accessible with certain characters. This adds replay value to an already decently sized campaign. But what really makes this GoG release the best one ever is that it's simply brimming with extra content. If you still want more there's multiplayer maps to dig you teeth in with multiple modes such as deathmatch, capture the flag and race. Add in the expansion packs Secret Files and Christmas Chronicles and what you have is a massive package of single- and multiplayer fun. For the first time both the additional episodes come in a single bundle together with the original game. A level editor is included so you can create even more stages to keep this package last for years. What really impressed me, however, is that this release includes the fan-made Jazz Jacrabbit 2+ mod. It's highly recommended to install this update as it gives you access to even more multiplayer modes and a plethora of bugfixes and small features than enhance online multiplayer in many ways. The fact that Epic Games recognized the effort put in by its fans by adding the latest version of this mod is a testimony to both the game's fans and its continued longevity. Jazz 2 is easier to obtain than ever and ready to be experienced by a new generation of players. This is one big, bad bundle of bunnies that newcomers and fans alike won't want to miss!
Don't be fooled by Rayman's gorgeous, bright and colourful graphics. It looks kid-friendly, but even seasoned gamers will find plenty of challenge. This game doesn't cut you any slack. There's always some unexpected hazard around the corner. Think you've finally made it through a stage? Think again! Some deadly, spiky object might appear out of nowhere, killing you at the last moment. Lives aren't too easy to come by either. You'll have some continues, but extra lives are essential. Though the learning curve is steep, you'll sometimes have access to diverging pathways. Can't quite beat one level yet? Just try another. There are six worlds. First you need to find all the cages in the first five worlds to unlock the final world where the last boss lurks. You start in a jungle world with swamps and vines, then there's a musical world in the sky, a mountain full of deadly spikes, a painting world and a cave. The final world is a castle made of cake. Beating certain levels grants you new powers. These allow you not only to proceed to new levels, but also open up sections of previously beaten ones. Especially in the first few levels, you're gonna have to do some backtracking to collect all the hidden cages in them. Rayman can run like the wind, hover by using his hair as a helicopter and punch with his fists. He's quite a versatile little fella for a character with no arms, legs or neck. Each level has gorgeous visuals and music. Even after twenty years, Rayman's presentation holds up tremendously well. An issue with this particular version is that it doesn't have all of the tracks playing in-game due to size constraints on the original CD-ROM. A shame as the soundtrack is really great. It does boast an easy to use level editor and a set of fan-made levels though. If the rgular game isn't challenging enough for you, this will keep you playing for a while longer. Highly recommended if you like tough old-skool platformers.
