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Updated: Sep 18th, 2007 |
When Baron Aloha completes his goal of conquering all six worlds so that they may be remade as his private retreat, the only recourse is to have Commandeer Robbit launch an assault on his weird, random forces.
The premise of Jumping Flash! is awesome: The player is a giant robotic rabbit that can triple jump while using roman candles, acorn bombs, roman candles, and his own weight to destroy any number of strange enemies, which include frogs, animated cannons, unnamable colorful things. The goal? Collect Jetros (metal carrots) to win. I really don't know how anyone can not like that.
Each level is timed, with each containing a special icon that warps the player to a bonus stage, which consists of tons of balloons and randomly placed blocks. The game is broken up into six worlds, each with two levels and one boss. Upon completion, the game opens up an extra option that allows an alternate version of the game to be replayed. There is also a time attack mode. No two player support, unfortunately.
Jumping Flash! was released way back in 1995. The graphics may seem to be an eyesore, but back when they first appeared, they were mind-blowing. In the days when anything and everything 3D was the future, JF felt like a giant leap forward (oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make such a horrible pun). What made the game so interesting, aside from the concept, was that the camera would shift downwards to show the perspective of the world changing: one jump would make objects look smaller, a double jump even smaller, etc. Since most levels had random objects all over the place, it was entirely possible to double jump off a floating structure and see the level below disappear entirely, only to have it rush back forward as rabbit's jets wore off and it fell to the earth. In a time when Descent was making people nauseous with its 360 degrees of freedom, seeing this was amazing and, potentially, equally dangerous to one's stomach.
What really makes the game stand out is just how imaginative it is. Whenever a player imagines a dream realized into a videogame, Sonic Team's Nights immediately comes to the minds of those who played it; for fans of Jumping Flash!, they have a game to point to when someone asks if they've ever seen a strange hallucination come to life when staring at rabbit after partaking in some illegal activities. Aside from a power-up pill that makes the screen quickly flash through every color of the rainbow, including sped up music and hub effects, the levels are just so strange that they instantly become memorable and somewhat hypnotic.
I would love to have sat in on the developer meeting for this: One guy, so obsessed with the idea of being a robotic rabbit that he was prepared to accept anything, just railing off 'okays' to any and every idea:
"We need something to jump off of - GO!"
"Books stacked up like a house?"
"DONE."
"A giant floating pan with an egg frying in it?"
"DONE."
- "And the heat hurts the rabbit if it lands on it?"
"BRILLIANT."
"Two floating whales next to a rainbow escalator that doesn't really go anywhere?"
"DONE."
"A giant spiral tower of ice surrounded by houses and small trees on floating platforms all around it?"
"DONE."
"A giant trampoline!"
"What? That's just… I don't know… not… okay! I got it! Add in some yellow and pink, make it like an octagon ball and it could just work.
DONE."
With levels having themes of ancient Egypt, Antarctica, a floating carnival, a space station that consists mainly of beams, and with random stuff thrown in (trains going around, giant Ferris wheels, pyramids, mini castles, etc.) there is so much to play off of that it's as much fun just exploring the levels as it is using the holiday-inspired arsenal to destroy enemies that I can't even describe. The ability to kill foes by bouncing on them also means that the player can bounce from enemy to object, completing a level without even touching the ground.
What's particularly fascinating is just how much a level can be skipped by those who become accustomed to jumping and gliding. For those who get comfortable with the distance and height they can get off a particular height with a specific jump, a level can be completed in a few minutes just by skipping most of the obstacles. This is one of those things when in most games I would think "it would be cool if I could do that; I mean, it just makes sense" but here you can. If a Jetro is halfway across a map with enemies and obstacles in-between, simply hop into the ledge set behind and above and triple jump off to glide to a mid point and do the same again to reach it. The levels are just giant playgrounds, leaving the player to fight, explore the scenery and objects, or to do their best to come up with the shortest route to get the best time possible.
I don't like calling any old thing that is slightly different from the norm creative, but Jumping Flash! is so committed to the whole concept that I can't help but call it so. It's a lighthearted game that can bring out the kid in anyone, and the now-ancient 3D graphics kind of ooze into the background as the rhythm of the jumps takes precedence. The game speaks of a time when the PlayStation was the underdog, and Sony tossed anything and everything at gamers to woo them away from Sega and Nintendo. This was one of the first titles I played, and it definitely set a strong impression. I still play it and its sequel to this day, and whip it out for anyone that's willing to try it out once I explain the concept. Now, if Sony would only release a new one, I would be completely satisfied with this current generation.
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Additional Shots: CG Opening - Checkered platforms - Floating desert - Egypt - Space platform - Dragon boss - Stage Exit
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