GBAtemp Recommends Revival # 038

[Another World]

Welcome to the 38th issue of the GBAtemp Recommends Revival Project! This project is a weekly feature where we share our favorite games and applications with you. The things we recommend may be "old school" titles, a Homebrew, a ROM hack, sleeper hits, an application, etc, but one thing's for certain, we think they are fantastic and deserve your attention!

This issue has been written by GBAtemp community member Hadrian!

GBAtemp Recommends!

Jazz Jackrabbit​

The PC platform isn't well known for its platformers, it's generally known to house some of the greatest FPS/RTS/RPG & simulation titles. However, in the early 90's with the rise of mascot platformers on consoles & computers like the Amiga, a fair number of developers tried their hand at making some. For me Commander Keen is the PC platforming mascot but there were some other notable titles that made the grade. Some were pretty much cookie cutter (Skunny) but there was one that rised amongst those.

Jazz Jackrabbit was developed by Epic Megagames who today are well known for their Unreal engine as well as Gears of War (a franchise I never took to), however back then rather than make shooters, Epic originally started out as a shareware developer and took it upon themselves to bring some quality console style games to the PC platform with the likes of the Jill of the Jungle series, Overkill, Epic Pinball & One Must Fall: 2097.

Jazz Jackrabbit was the usual mascot style character, full of so called "attitude" and was a different colour to what his species are in real life. Jazz is kind of a cross between Sonic, Bugs Bunny & Rambo. He runs around extremely colourful levels blasting the crap out of enemies and collecting floppy discs, carrots and other shiny objects. At the end of each world you get to fight against his arch nemesis Devan Shell who is some kind of nerd Tortoise who kidnapped the Princess Eva Earlong (totally original right?) and in each of Devan's appearances he is in some kind of robotic contraption (where do they get these ideas from!?). Every now and again you get to enter some "mode 7" bonus levels where you run around collecting these diamonds.

Its by the numbers platforming, nothing too special but it is a lot of fun and back in 1994 we didn't quite have anything like this on the PC. It looked great for the time, some good animations and as well as that the music is nice and cheery. It's also a good little challenge, more so than many mascot platformers out there and it is something I do recommend that gamers today should try.

There were some extra editions of this game, the Xmas Edition was an add-on that required the original game and made the original levels Xmassy and also had a new episode called "Holidaius" which had seven all new levels as two new bonus levels. There was Holiday Hare which was released on CD-ROM which not only included the Xmassy levels, had the original game as well.

Jazz also went on to feature in several other titles; 1998's Jazz Jackrabbit 2 (developed by Orange games who went on to be Guerilla Games who developed the Killzone series) where like with most platforming sequels you got to play as someone else, Jazz's brother...Spaz! That game built upon the original but the sprites were made smaller to allow for a faster gameplay style and also the title included splitscreen co-op mode as well as online modes. The game was a significant upgrade over the first title and still looks pretty good today. There was also Jazz Jackrabbit on the Gameboy Advance (developed by Titan Games) in 2002, though for some reason that parodied Star Wars and deviated from the original story though it was a pretty good game. Graphically pretty much everything was overhauled and Jazz and the characters took a more humanoid look. There was a Jazz Jackrabbit 3 for the PS2 but it was cancelled after Epic couldn't find a publisher. That was more of a 3D Metroid-y style adventure title. Jazz has also popped up in Epics fighter One Must Fall and most recently features in iOS Unreal dev kits, in a top down twin stick tutorial.

Of course being a DOS game you would need to use DOSBox to play it, however I do recommend you grab OpenJazz as it plays the game a lot better. OpenJazz is also available to download for Wii, PSP, PocketPC, Dreamcast, Mac, Pandora, GP32, GP2X & Caanoo and those can be downloaded from the link at the bottom, you would of course still need the original game files to play it:

Genre: Platforming
Type: Shareware
Release Date: 1994
Developed and Published by: Epic Megagames
Designed by: Cliff Bleszinsk and Arjan Brussee
System: PC

If you enjoyed this weeks edition of GBAtemp Recommends! please leave a comment in the thread. This helps us monitor feedback and ensures we keep posting these articles in the future.

We are always looking for community members who wish to get more involved. If you would like to write a GBAtemp Recommends! article, let us know.

OpenJazz Download

Official GBAtemp Recommends! Mini-Page & History

 

[shakirmoledina]

WOW! what a game this was. part 2 was even better with faster levels more ammo types and an excellent multiplayer that is running till today with acceptable number of people. Really a fantastic game!

 

[Foxi4]

I agree, the sequel was simply amazing. Finished it more times than I could count and the editor was loads of fun. Still gotta play the first one.

 

[Hadrian]

First game review I've written in years, I've started many only to delete them straight away but I've got more on the way. I hope it wasn't too wordy, it was twice as long originally so I had to trim the crap.

 

[Foxi4]

I liked the review - you're not pushing your own opinion and instead simply describe the game, which is a good thing. At the beginning it seemed like you couldn't focus on the point and went away from the subject matter, but other than that, it's quite a solid piece of writing. What makes it relevant today is that you draw the backstory behind the companies involved both back then and nowadays - it's always interesting to learn that the people involved in the title "got somewhere" in the end rather than vanished.

 

[Acetonide]

Hm.... I guess I'll have to take a look at Jazz Jackrabbit 2 again since I never did manage to run in that and it ended up as a generic run 'n' gun for me.. Also as far as I know Jazz Jackrabbit 3 wasn't for the PS2 and was for PC. I recall finding the leaked alpha and trying it out in fact..

More importantly (or rather, less important but more important to me) you didn't mention that Epic MegaGames also did Tyrian.

 

[Hadrian]

Hm.... I guess I'll have to take a look at Jazz Jackrabbit 2 again since I never did manage to run in that and it ended up as a generic run 'n' gun for me.. Also as far as I know Jazz Jackrabbit 3 wasn't for the PS2 and was for PC. I recall finding the leaked alpha and trying it out in fact..

More importantly (or rather, less important but more important to me) you didn't mention that Epic MegaGames also did Tyrian.

1. Yes it was intended for PS2 and the developer World Tree games also considered an Xbox version if it would help to get it distributed.
2. I didn't mention many other popular titles that they published, do I really need to mention every title Epic have published? I mentioned a few and moved on and besides Tyrian is a game best saved for its own review.

 

[Daemauroa]

wow, I wasn't evem born yet in 1994. sure this is old.

 

[Bladexdsl]

never got to play this cos back than couldn't find it anywhere
i had epic pinball though man that was sweet

 

[orcid]

I enjoyed Jill of the Jungle. Jill was my favourite DOS-platformer. Back in the days Jill, Jazz and Keen had no chance againt the platformers on the consoles.The kids with consoles played Super Mario World and Sonic at this time and the DOS-platformers looked like crap compared to these games.
But of course the DOS games were fun, too.
I think that they became only so popular and the main reason why so many people played the games was that there was no problem to copy the games. The DOS floppy discs circulated at school. That was our internet.

 

[Hadrian]

I think that they became only so popular and the main reason why so many people played the games was that there was no problem to copy the games. The DOS floppy discs circulated at school. That was our internet.

I was the go to guy in my school, had all the latest Amiga & PC games though I did get suspended at school when I got caught selling copies of Wacky Wheels.

Good days

 

[Aeter]

I think that they became only so popular and the main reason why so many people played the games was that there was no problem to copy the games. The DOS floppy discs circulated at school. That was our internet.

I was the go to guy in my school, had all the latest Amiga & PC games though I did get suspended at school when I got caught selling copies of Wacky Wheels.

Good days

I love(d) Wacky Wheels, beats Mario Kart any day!

Those crazy hedgehogs, ahahaha.

EDIT:
And JazzJack 2 can be found here: http://www.abandonia.com/en/games/26379/Jazz+Jackrabbit+2+-+The+Secret+Files.html
I believe it works out of the box.

 

[Bladexdsl]

I did get suspended at school when I got caught selling copies of Wacky Wheels.
Good days

at least you didn't get suspended selling porn

 

[Another World]

i've been playing both of these games on my psp. the psp engine port isn't complete, there are some issues, but the games are still enjoyable. this was a great recommendation of a game that not many seem to know about.

-another world