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Preamble: This isn't a review. It doesn't contain critical analysis, just the subjective opinions of one person. The intent is to remember the games I've come across in my life and share the nostalgia, nothing more. And some of those games I didn't play in great depth.
This is one of the classic games of my childhood - one of the first that I really wanted to obtain the full version of once I'd tasted the shareware version. I think this game was a nice step on the path to PC games matching the standards set by the consoles of the era.
Jazz Jackrabbit![[image loading]](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xZ-7JtmjDr0/TuUpBXoOWtI/AAAAAAAAArI/GxltfNLwm_w/s1600/Jazz-cover.jpg)
Game: Jazz Jackrabbit
Developer: Epic Games
Platform: PC
Release Year: 1994
Jazz Jackrabbit was a game I played in the hayday of shareware.
Basic Plot
You play the role of Jazz Jackrabbit, a fast running rabbit with a gun. The story is an extension of the infamous The Tortoise and the Hare. The main antagonist is Devan Shell, a tortoise who conquers planets. Jazz's homeworld of Carrotus proved too strong to conquer, so in retaliation Devan Shell kidnaps the princess Eva Earlong. It's up to Jazz to defeat Devan and rescue the princess.
In writing that it sounds very much like the plot of Super Mario Brothers with the gameplay of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Gameplay
It's pretty obvious that this game is a lot like Sonic the Hedgehog. It's a fast paced platform game. The difference is that Jazz can't jump on enemies to defeat the, instead he has a gun. By default he has a blaster with unlimited ammunition but he can collect various other forms of ammunition to help him throughout the game:- Blaster - unlimited ammo basic projectile.
- Fireball - large radius fire shot.
- RPG - bi-missile projectile.
- Bouncing Grenades
- TNT
(Those arne't the official names but how I remember them). The game also featured bonus levels (like Sonic the Hedgehog) and secret levels.
Positives
As with other Epic games, Jazz had some of the best music out there. It's interesting that its competitor Sonic the Hedgehog also had excellent music, although the styles were quite different.
The fast pace of the game was enjoyable, and it used the trusted formula of Sonic the Hedgehog so it was bound to be aesthetically enjoyable. For the time it was great graphics.
As I mentioned at the start of the post, Jazz Jackrabbit took the PC gaming genre and brought it up to the standards being set by the consoles of the time (Sega Genesis/Megadrive, SNES).
Negatives
It was pretty unoriginal. The story and characters were pretty cliche and uninteresting, although I *really* enjoyed playing it at the time.
Memorable Moments
Although Jazz looks tougher than sonic because he has a gun, it kind of makes him more fragile because he can't jump on enemies (he gets hurt).
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Oh man, I never played this, but I loved Jazz Jackrabbit 2. I had such a hard time getting past the caterpillars (with afros) that blew smoke and made you dizzy and screwed with the colors on screen. I also didn't appreciate how hilariously awesome that was at the age that I played the game.
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This game is awesome, one of the first games I showed off my pc sound blasters, this and aladdin. They were kinda big thoses days when people in class had mostly pc speakers...the "multimedia" thing was just taking off here.
Massive fan of the soundtrack, cheesy early 90's electronic stuff,but very cool.
+ Show Spoiler +
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Canada11583 Posts
Haha, this game was awesome. I wasn't very good though and just played it on my cousin's computer. I must have been easily amused because I loved it when you stopped moving and he'd get impatient and start eating carrots and stuff.
Edit
Oh yeah, and I thought him losing his balance on the edge of cliffs was terribly funny. But I guess I was 8 when the game out.
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On September 18 2012 10:11 JazzJackrabbit wrote:
Ummm HI!!!!!
:D
WHOA WHOA WHOA! You just blew my mind!!!
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Haha I'll bet. But yeah, this is obviously one of my favourite games of all time and I agree with pretty much everything you said. In a lot of ways it's a ripoff of Sonic (and I love Sonic) but that doesn't mean it's not awesome. I've actually been meaning to write a series of blogs about old school PC games I used to play for years now but I'm so lazy when it comes to that stuff....maybe one day.
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I remember this game. Coincidentally i played it at my cousings house too! Good times indeed.
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God this brings me back. Jazz 2 was killer too, 2 player action :D
Too bad Jazz 3d never saw the light of day.
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I used to play Jazz Jackrabbit 2 LAN multiplayer during lunch time when I was in elementary school, it was freaking awesome.
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I didn't know you could play LAN in the sequel! I may have to seriously dig it up and try and play it! I wonder if DOS Box supports simulated LAN?
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Probably one of my favorite games ever at the time... haha this is an awesome thread
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Really enjoyed playing this, never finished it though, I believe. I was confused at the time, I didn't know much English so the menus and the saves (were there saves?) dazzled me. I think I played the sequel now that I try to recall.
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ALLEYCAT BLUES51101 Posts
haha hell yeah, I only had the demo version of the first game but I loved it.
But I do own JazzJackrabbit 2 and secret files, and my favorite levels were the "jazz back in time" arc where you play the levels from the first game.:p
oh god I miss jazz....I should play the game again for old times sakes.
another fun game..earthworm Jim
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This is old school really liked the game when I played it first time . Thanks for the review op .
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I recall playing the shit out of the demo, I recall it even had some levels which weren't in the official game (The Christmas levels?) It was years and years ago though so not sure if I recall correctly. I... actually still remember buying the game, with my dad. I must've been about 6-7 years old. We had to go through several stores to actually find it.
Didn't like 2 as much, but 2 was still pretty enjoyable. Your post is an excellent reminder I should install this game again. (And thanks for posting some of the music Darto, brings back memories)
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Epic music... played this game a lot 
Oh, and also, this game was so much faster than something I ever played before, it was unbelievable. I think we got a new PC around that time as well , or upgraded our 486 or something
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+1 for the only one who ever ran faster than Sonic.
Great game, one of the better PC platformers of my youth, right after Commander Keen.
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I played first only a little but i grinded 2nd for a long time :p Great games.
I think people also underestimate Duke Nukem 1 and 2 both were top notch platform games.
Please make a Raptor:Call of Shadows blog next so i can rave about its glory ^^
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On September 18 2012 18:17 bgx wrote:
I played first only a little but i grinded 2nd for a long time :p Great games.
I think people also underestimate Duke Nukem 1 and 2 both were top notch platform games.
Please make a Raptor:Call of Shadows blog next so i can rave about its glory ^^
I have an upcoming blog for Raptor: Call of the Shadows but not for a while... but it is coming! Maybe I'll break my rule and just do it tomorrow 
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Aotearoa39261 Posts
JJR and Raptor defined my childhood, along with myst and subsequently SC1.
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Haha on my first computer I had shareware JJR and Electroman (robocop clone) Both games were so awesome.
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Oldschool as fuck and fun as hell. I played this game till my eyes were bleeding. Oh the nostalgia.
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Haven't played the first one, but JJR2 was one of my absolute favourite games. Thank you for inducing some nostalgia.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sR-hIc0nmjY/TuUpGglB8HI/AAAAAAAAArQ/zOeJobCBFOA/s320/jazzjack2.gif)
![[image loading]](http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XhG7bG4ubV0/TuUpKQFfSrI/AAAAAAAAArY/eUUeLlYX-Os/s320/resizeimagereal.php.png)
