Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

Wow, dude, finally you’ve released your own level! Or, better to say, you’ve remade the level that was recently uploaded by Auto1lija. Whatever, let’s review it.

What I liked

- Frankly speaking, I don’t often play multi-tileset levels made with MLLE. It’s a good example of MLLE usage.

- There are a lot of useful hints all over the level and the story about stolen summer helps to feel the atmosphere of RPG.

- Eyecandy and layout are better than in the original level by Auto1lija, but they still can be improved.

What I disliked

- Some sound issues. Looks like each part of the level is supposed to have its own music. “Easter Carrotus” part, however, doesn’t.

- I appreciate an effort you’ve taken to create your custom graphics but it doesn’t look good within the textures made by Nick Stadler. Pixel drawing isn’t that easy. The same discrepancy goes for the corridors made of dull tetris-like blocks. They look awful in Carrotus. If you want to see an example of the great usage of textures from different tilesets check out these links:
https://www.jazz2online.com/downloads/6616/rage-of-aquarius/
https://www.jazz2online.com/downloads/6862/scorpio-key/
This one isn’t so sophisticated and thus is even closer to your intentions. Unedited tiles from two tilesets are used here:
https://www.jazz2online.com/downloads/7456/damn-exit/

- Poisonous clouds are a pretty original idea. Looks like the final area with those clouds is supposed to be the most difficult part of a level, but considering the fact that the clouds hurt you only if you stand on the ground you can easily cross this area by jumping. There are too many gem rings and ammo power-ups and their quantity depreciates their value.

Conclusion

So, you’ve taken elbm.j2l by Auto1lija and tried to make it better. Well, it’s way better now. You’ve fixed BG layers, eyecandy and other issues. But eyecandy still can be improved: you could have used 1st and 2nd layers and the placement of easter eggs doesn’t look natural.

I feel like you tried to make a cool nonclassical thing with an unusual stuff like multiple tilesets in one level. But you forgot the basic features that any good level must have. Level must look pleasant and be fun to play. Maybe more secret places with ammo and power-ups including those that are available for coins and mechanics like wind, falling rocks, water, ect. can improve your level.

Maybe you should make a small, unscripted but tidy level with good eyecandy and weapon/enemy placement? You can use original levels as references.

This is not a great level, but it has something of an early 2000s aesthetic, which I found enjoyable nonetheless. With that I mean that it feels like a level where the author was learning as they went, throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what sticks, with things like a “candy pool” that are mostly useless but add a little flavour, or unashamedly giving you all powerups just before the final boss fight.

Those are not necessarily good choices – the boss fight is really easy with full ammo, for example, but it hits that sweet spot for me. I realize that my preferences are particular in that regard though, and from a more objective point of view the level just isn’t that good. Most enemies can be avoided by jumping over them, some obstacles (e.g. the red clouds) can similarly be avoided by simply letting yourself fall down, and there’s a scarcity of ammo in the first part of the level that is only made up just before the boss. The level looks okay but could have used a few more background layers and more varied platform shapes.

So in that sense it’s a rather mediocre level, and if you don’t have a fondness for lo-fi, retro-style levels I wouldn’t necessarily recommend playing this. But it’s clear that the author had some ideas and wasn’t afraid to experiment with them, which is great and bodes well for future levels.

Should… should this even be allowed in the contest?!? It starts out with what essentially amounts to plagiarism of another stage (which, mind you, it’s supposed to be a remake of that stage, so I think it’s fine for this stage to EXIST, but I question whether something like this should be allowed in a contest), and also seemingly has nothing to do with summer outside a few references to it within the stage itself.

That being said… there were a few decent challenge ideas here and there. Nice variety. Tileset usage ranges from good to terrible, and I say that as somebody who has made stages on both sides of that spectrum myself. Some areas are nicely detailed with tons of tiles, whereas others… pretty much just use one tile everywhere and call it a day.

On the other hand, some of the challenges, such as, hilariously enough, the stage’s final non-boss challenge, as well as one early on with bees, are pretty easy to basically just ignore. The stage also doesn’t feel like a particularly cohesive experience. Oh, and the “purple ice hurts you” thing is a bit annoying should you fall into the areas with them, since you’ll have to slowly wait as your health bar lowers because they don’t just flat-out kill you instantly.

I know I’m not particularly elaborating on this one much, but there really isn’t much to say about this one, it’s pretty much just an average stage with some okay ideas and nothing more.

Overall? Meh. I have no idea whether or not to recommend a download, so I’ll tell you this: Do you think a stage with a few passable ideas, a few clever ideas, and some bad execution of those ideas sounds like a stage you’d enjoy? If so, maybe give it a download. Otherwise… shrugs