Hey everyone! Welcome to the special episode of RetrOS, as a Christmas present to you guys, We turn the clocks back to the year 1998 with some classic PC platforming action. Is this game an all-time classic? Or should this game be lost, forever in the pages of gaming history.
Let's find out!
Fortnite Creators, Epic Games' Jazz Jackrabbit series was to PC gaming like Mario was to Nintendo. The first entry of the series was released exclusively for the PC in 1994.
FUN FACT: did you know that the original Jazz jackrabbit contained in-game advertising for the Gravis Gamepad? The peripheral itself had a small hole in the centre of its directional pad. This allowed a small metal peg to be screwed in to make a makeshift analogue stick. After all, platformers are always best to be played with a controller.
This game takes place at the events of the original game of the series. Our protagonist, Jazz rescued Princess Eva Earlong, but, he made one minor oversight. The series antagonist Devon Shell steals an emerald that was originally to be used in Eva's wedding ring (D'oh!). Unfortunately, that emerald was supposed to be powering a time machine, allowing Devon to rewrite history!
So, Jazz, his brother, Spaz, and sister Lori embark on an adventure through time to stop Devon, locate the emerald, and marry Jaz's sweetheart in the same for the reception!
The accessibility scores are as follows –
Visibility 10
In multiplayer (more on that in a minute! The colours of each character can be fully customised. That way, a player with a visual impairment can customise whichever colour scheme is suitable for their impairments. In the single-player element of the game, there are no colour-coded elements that can cause an issue for a colourblind player.
Audibility 10
There is no spoken dialogue in this game, back in the day, imagination had to fill in the blanks! So, a player with a hearing impairment tribute to play this game with no issues.
Mobility 11
When using a keyboard, you can rebind the keys to suit your impairments. However, if you use the JJ2+ mod, which is available in the GOG version, there is controller support right out of the box. Better still, the button layouts can be fully customised when you are playing with a controller.
Just remember to set your Xbox One or PS4 controller as your preferred controller on the Windows Control Panel, and you're good to go!
Gameplay 10
In short, this game is criminally underrated. The sheer amount of content you will be getting when you buy the game from GOG, this game is excellent value for money.
If you have family over, you can play this game split-screen co-op, or deathmatch with up to 4 players for some family fun. You can also play online through JJ2 Online. As I have previously stated, there are three characters to pick from. Jazz, Spaz, or Lori Each character has their own special abilities. For example, Spaz is the only character of the three that can double jump, plus, he can use a kung fu style kick, which propels him forward, taking out any enemy is stupid enough to be in his way.
As with all platformers, the game rewards you for taking your time. For example, there are secret areas which are only accessible when you collect a certain amount of coins, hidden in the level. There are also sections in certain levels in which you have to break an object, find a key, or switch to progress.
The multiplayer elements, albeit online, or split screen add additional lifespan to a reasonably long game. Due to the game's age, it doesn't require a lot of firepower in your PC to run this.
In summary, Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is a perfect blend of traditional platformers, which were prevalent in the 90s: mixed in with run and gun mechanics, with an arsenal of wacky weapons to boot.
These include flamethrowers, homing missiles and timebombs to name a few. The sheer variety of wacky levels ranging from mediaeval castles, Hippie Havens, and colonial-era settlements will be stuck to this game for hours on hours on end!
So, if you are a platform enthusiast, and are looking for a cheap, low-spec 2-D platformer to play with family, or by yourself, this game is recommended.
OVERALL SCORE 102.5%
See you guys in the next review, and Merry Christmas!
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