Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

Ok, I have downloaded and looked at the tileset, might as well review it. I will keep in mind it’s a test tileset, so I’ll consider it unfinished for now. If you want to make a level, don’t use this set. Just a warning beforehand.

Graphics
Well, it certainly is different from what I’m used to see. If I have to make an equation; it’s like a page in a sketchbook, or an etching you see in an art museum. That’s the vibe I get. It really is different, out of this world if you will. The colors really support that; I’d say it’s grey scale, but it looks like beige scale at best. Overall, I get the feeling Jazz is stuck in an artsy sketch world, which is definitely different, weird, but also appealing, because it’s never been done before.

Blocks
Even though the hand-drawn blocks look like art exercises in shading, it really looks cool. Shading on the computer is one thing, shading by hand and importing them to JCS is another. Of the three pairs of big blocks, no block is like the other. On the bottom you’ll find patterns of rooftops, realistic brick walls and ceramic tiles. The best thing is, they look good when put next to eachother, because the individual pieces are so smal and the colors obscure the minor oddities. There’s a smaller version of the bricks and one of the big blocks for the background. Overall, very nicely done so far.

Extras
This is a test tileset, so it’s not surprising you won’t find anything like vines and poles. Still, it would have been nice to see at least a preview of them

Eye Candy
I only have to say this: the eye candy is huge. Here we an open back hand, a torch and the Eiffel Tower on a very, very, VERY hot summer day; it’s slightly bent over. They may have been random, but that only adds to the weirdness of this set. They have that “artsy” feel to them too, which makes them fit in anyway.

Mask
Everything is automasked here, as everything is still blocky (even with the sketchyness), except for the three pieces of eye candy mentioned above. You can stand on both the hand and the torch with no problem. The Eiffel Tower deserves a special mention as you can actually climb it! The mask is actually two parts, from the groudn to the first beam, and the second beam. You can’t climb to the top, but such ideas are always appreciated :)

Final Verdict
This tileset is all about looks at the moment, as it has no poles, vines ect. Still, it’s just a test so it’s forgivable. It’s definitely worth checking out for those who want to see something completely different (other than Monty Python). I’m expecting to see a new version with all the extras :)

- JelZe GoldRabbit =:3

Hmm… interesting. It’s not the first hand-drawn tileset I’ve seen, but it still has a very interesting style. It indeed does look like a strange world of art, and that is a good enough theme to build on. I would say, were you to continue this, try for a lot more eyecandy- some things for the background layers, perhaps. Maybe hills or something. Also, I would say it would be very atmospheric if you were to mess with the palette so that Jazz and all the events were the same colors as the tileset, though I am no great expert of palettes. Also I would say to make better edges for the brick texture and such. It would also be cool if you could put a few gaps in the background, perhaps, with sky or small scenes or something in it- just for variety.

This must be the first hand drawn tileset ever. Another thing someone could do is make a Photographic tileset. (Parts of photos ripped)