Jazz Jackrabbit 2

Side-scrollers were part of the classic gaming era, when video games were all about fun and entertainment, rather than realism and demanding graphics. Hence, helping a rabbit defeat an evil turtle was an acceptable plot and no one questioned or second guessed the storyline in any way, being far too distracted by scripted enemies and stressful platforming sections.

Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is the sequel to the immensely popular first part and it revolves around the same witty rabbit by the name of Jazz, who finds himself in trouble yet again. This time, the evil turtle by the name of Devan Shell steals his wedding ring and flees through time in a different dimension. Naturally, Jazz follows him and begins a quest to retrieve what was stolen from him.

In order to help him along the way, Spaz joins the adventure and offers his support to Jazz, which in turn allows you to switch characters for specific levels. In order to make the gameplay more different, the two characters have certain special abilities that makes them better at various tasks. While Jazz is able to jump a bit higher, Spaz is much better at leaping horizontally, thanks to his double jump ability.

Just like in the first game, the levels are filled with enemies, traps and various other obstacles that you must overcome in order to reach the end of the stage. Naturally, there are some pretty tough platforming challenges as well, which require good coordination and a bit of patience. Depending on what character you choose to play as, these challenges can turn out to be much easier, or much harder.

Visually, the graphics impress through the large palette of colors, smooth animations and the detailed game world. Just like before, the main characters wield a pistol that can be used to fend off the enemies, although it is also possible to upgrade it along the way and make your job easier. The levels are crawling with hidden bonuses and power-ups, all of which make the experience more enjoyable.

In the end, Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is a game worth playing, especially if you happen to reminiscence about the long-lost era of side-scrollers. The large number of levels and the increasing difficulty level should keep you playing for quite a long time, as long as you are still able to survive the vicious enemies.