Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

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.

Not a Single Player level.

[FYI this has now been corrected ~ PurpleJazz]

Atrocious.

Honestly, pretty good level. These reviews don’t do it justice. A bit claustrophobic at times and the witch section doesn’t specify that you have to break some crates, not kill the witch, but other than that it’s a short and sweet level.

It’s grand! It’s flashy! It’s not fun!

The fact that this level pack is rated 9.5 / 10 completely baffles me. It’s obvious that Blackraptor put a ton of effort into making the visuals but the gameplay itself is incredibly tedious. There is a lot of enemy spam to artificially increase the difficulty and length. Some levels’ visuals are overbearing and straight up confusing. Darn, I wanted this to be a quick review but guess I’ll do a short review of each level instead (secret levels not included).

- “City Centre” is just enemy spam. Tiles are often placed just to confuse you and make you question whether something is a solid object or it’s part of the background. Yes, yes, I get it, it’s supposed to feel ethereal, it’s a “dreamscape” after all. It did not matter to me, the level felt confusing and annoying.

- “Pride” is frustrating. Akin to Queen of Board, you’ll have to check for hidden walls non-stop until you find a trigger crate or something that will let you progress with the level. This is not about skill, it’s about how much patience you have to bump and shoot every object in hopes to get further in the level. The visuals are great though, can’t complain.

- “Quiessence” is a weird one. I’d say I like it if it weren’t for the One Way wall at the start of the level. I still don’t know how to consistently get past that wall, I just bumped into it until magic happened and I got over it. The level theme is interesting, music doesn’t fit (just my opinion here).

- “Phantasmagoria”… yeah, I hate this one. It’s an eyesore full of enemy spam, death pits and whatnot. Goes on for way too long and made my retinas burn.

- “HellFire” and “Crystal Mountain” are rather tame compared to the previous levels. They’re… okay. Visuals are fine, level design is pretty good. They share some of the issues I have with the previous levels but they’re less prominent here.

I have a feeling that I’m treading on thin ice by writing this review, because I’m tainting the rating of a “classic” level pack. Again, this is my opinion: I didn’t have fun while playing this. I get the pack’s theme but I dislike the execution. Judging by its size and visuals, it’s obvious that a TON of effort was put into making this level pack. It just didn’t click with me for the reasons I mentioned above. Oh well.

Pretty solid SP level. There are a few eyecandy issues but the level layout is good.

Tip: Use MLLE instead of JCS, it’s a better level making tool :)

It’s a good conversion, it’s just that the recolored snow “grass” doesn’t look… right.

This will be Carrotus graphics in 2014!

This level looks gorgeous.
It’s a bit claustrophobic and there are too many pick-ups but, overall, it plays nicely.