Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

Is this level pack creative? Sure!
Is this level pack good? Ehh…

Pros:
- Interesting boss ideas, albeit simple;
- You can tell that some amount of effort went into making it;
- Levels are visually distinct from one another and can look pretty nice at times.

Cons:
- The level layout is a bit flat, not great but not terrible;
- Lots of tile errors, inconsistent tile usage;
- The boss fights are repetitive and become tedious rather quickly;
- Not Lori-friendly, probably beatable as Lori if you're really good at it;
- If there are secrets, I couldn't find any;
- No checkpoints whatsoever.

While I can't really recommend this level pack, I have to appreciate the effort that went into creating it. These are three original, short to medium-sized levels that try to bring something new to the table, which is very commendable!

It's a neat little Halloween themed SP level! I really liked the custom ghost enemies and the atmosphere.

Don't even bother downloading this one, it's just a flat surface with enemy spam.

It’s a fine level if you like the kind of levels that Slaz makes. A bit claustrophobic and lacking in enemy variety though.

Fantastic looking tileset, it fits the JJ2 aesthetic almost perfectly.

Gorgeous visuals, plays very well, it even has a command to stop the color changing for those who might find it too distracting.
Amazing stuff.

I very much enjoyed the first and the third level; the second one, a little less.
Some custom music would’ve been nice but the vanilla track choices aren’t bad either.
You can tell this is a Slaz level from its gameplay gimmicks. Some are great, others not so much, but all of them are very creative nonetheless.

Download recommended!

It’s a rather simple and short level that could’ve been better with more pickups and more enemies. Albeit rather unremarkable, I can tell that Spyro really tried to make something nice. Can’t recommend it though, unfortunately.

Not amazing but not bad either.
Beating it with Lori is possible, too.

 “Jazz Jackrabbit 2,5 – The Big Rescue” is one of the best JJ2 single player level packs to come out in a while. With 7 lengthy levels and one boss level, it manages to implement lots of gameplay mechanics and set the story and tone for the future parts to come. Instead of covering each individual level in this review, here’s an overview of my thoughts on this pack.

• The visuals range from pleasant to gorgeous. The level creator clearly knows how to make a level look pretty.
• Good introductory level. It’s simple enough for someone new to the game to understand the game mechanics, yet still fun for more experienced players.
• Fitting music choices for each level.
• Little to no tile bugs.
• Diverse gameplay mechanics that don’t overstay their welcome.
• Sign text is both witty and informative.

• Instant death pits. They can be tolerable, but not in this level pack. 1-UPs are scarce and the pack is already pretty challenging as is. One slip of the finger and you might end up having to replay the entirety of a lengthy level.
• The gameplay can be a bit unfair at times, with unexpected collapsing scenery and obstacles that are too difficult to avoid.
• There’s no way to save your game. You’ll have to finish the entire episode in one sitting.
• Invincible ghost enemies in a claustrophobic area of the game. Ugh…
• The text has some typos here and there. The most obvious one would be “2,5” instead of “2.5”. This is just a trivial nitpick though.

• The README file says that this pack was made with 640×480 screen resolution in mind. I played it in 800×600 and I believe this resolution works just as well as the intended one.
• Sugar Rush and Fast Fire events were removed from these levels. I think this was a change for the better, but different people might disagree with me.
• This is a challenging level pack and you will most likely die a bunch of times. I recommend playing it on Easy difficulty if you’re not very confident in your skills.

Very pretty. It’s a solid conversion that looks easy to use. Can’t wait to see it used in a full-fledged level someday.

I had lots of fun playing this during AB23. Pretty visuals, original gameplay, fun with any number of players. Ribbit.

Perhaps by 2001 standards this was considered a great, innovative level. Comparing this level to modern levels with similar high ratings, I believe it aged like milk.

The first half of the level is just a narrow path with barely any space to jump. The only thing that makes this level stand out whatsoever is the layer trickery used to make it look like the player is piloting a submarine in the second half of the level. Enemy positions are spammed almost randomly. The visuals are mediocre, leaning towards bad.

Not worth downloading.

Not that bad, could’ve used more testing but the visuals are good.

Two medium-sized, jungle-themed, vanilla levels. They are nothing to write home about but aren’t bad either. There are some tile bugs here and there and the final boss makes no sense thematically. Other than that, they’re pretty nice.

Cooba’s review is exaggeratedly low. It’s a simple and visually appealing battle level, perhaps not ideal for competitive battles but I can see how it could be enjoyable for casual players looking for something fun and simple.

I’ve got no complaints about it. It does what it says it does, and it does it well. Definitely download this if you want other people over Discord to see your current JJ2 activity.

Is this what people refer to as a “lolcow”?

Short and funny level, it’s nice to play a silly level every now and then. Recommended if you want amusement rather than actual gameplay.

A medium-sized level with an interesting character swapping gimmick. The level tileset is a bit hard on the eyes and you might get a little lost at times but other than those two nitpicks, it’s a fun and clever level. Recommended!

It’s an okay level. The palettes used are pleasing to the eye and the gameplay can be fun at times, but it’s very obviously unpolished and not thoroughly tested. Overall, a short, vanilla-esque experience with some scripted elements.