Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

This is a fantastic idea. There're a lot of cool movement trajectories you can get by morphing during special moves alone, there're a few other cool things you can do with morphing (like changing your sprite to collide with an object you otherwise wouldn't). It's a great basis for a test level, and there's plenty of room to expand and improve on EvilMike's Evil Test.

Unfortunately, Switcheroo is rarely interested in morphing as an expressive movement tool. Instead, it usually has you do a single morphing special move that isn't integrated at all with the inputs before or after it, bordered by boring copter ear precision segments (sometimes with a token double jump thrown in). It teaches you each trick with an overly-explicit tutorial, and then instead of building on that trick in future levels, the same gameplay segment from the tutorial will just appear as an isolated component of a longer level. As a result, most of the levels come out lacking flow and sauce and I rarely felt like I was doing anything cool.

And when Switcheroo steps up the difficulty, it doesn't do so by making you do more complex morphing moves or, god forbid, by asking you to use them creatively (the big red arrows ensure there's no risk of that), it reduces the frequency of checkpoints and steps up the amount of precision, mostly in sections that don't even involve morphing. Which, again, I don't think should've existed in the first place. It's a case study in how easily you can ruin something by adding to it.

Level 23 is an exception, partially. It has a flowy, cool-looking sequence of morphing moves with enough input density to feel intense and challenging… preceded by an incredibly boring sequence that's none of that. It sucks all the momentum out of practicing the cool part when every attempt requires doing something boring first. This level would've been amazing if you just chopped off the beginning. And while nothing else in the level comes as close to delivering on the promise as level 23 does, I at least would've found the other levels much more enjoyable if you chopped out the parts that aren't about morphing from those, too.

Finally, there's the level's presentation. For some reason it's accepted practice to make test levels ugly as sin, and while this level's presentation is not as bad as most other test levels, it still looks Like That – the hazards are hideous blocky tiles (we have scripting now, you can make them any shape you want, why would you choose this???) and every level looks the same except for the color of the hazards and slight variation in how they're scribbled.

So this leaves my evaluation at the damning-with-faint-praise of "better than most JJ2 tests", with the addition that if this had a slightly better level design philosophy it'd be awesome.

I think this level deserves a higher rating. It does a lot of things better than most tests available. The design is great, even if at the core it is not a perfect first time experience.

What seems difficult for any test designer is to make the difficulty fair. This test also introduces a completely new mechanic, that does not feel like regular jj2 at all. You have to also keep in mind that as a creator you get to practise it a million times while making the test and mechanics, so by the end you need to judge the difficulty through the perspective of new players learning. Assessing that situation can be difficult, sometimes impossible to please everyone.

As a newcomer to this test while being fully experienced in jj2, be ready that this is a test where your jj2 knowledge and muscle memory will not give you much, and your first completion might take several hours, while your 5th completion can be in a matter of minutes. I will not lie that my first run was quite frustrating. But this also proves a point that while it is new, it is quite consistent and not the most precise thing ever, not in comparison to jj2 movement. It just takes a lot of practise. Your first attempt failing is your lack of experience.

However, if frustration hits new player experience, does that matter? Is this a fair difficulty spike? JJ2 basic movement is very difficult to learn in itself, especially when it comes to high precision for tests. There are still tests out there for vanilla movement that are way more fit for masochists than this test, but the fact that people maybe put thousands of hours in jj2 makes taking the next steps a bit lighter. Keep in mind that for a new jj2 player 99/100 tests are completely miserable. But if we assess the test after practising, you can bet that Switcheroo is not more difficult than the most difficult vanilla tests, and this shows with how reliably I can set records in Switcheoro while still getting stuck in jj2 movement tests after thousands of hours.

So it is not that Switcheroo is inherently bad, but it will feel unnatural at first. And not only that, it feels mostly the opposite to jj2. Many jj2 controls are normally quite floaty and have delays. Switcheroo has character switches on frame 1 inputs, this clashes a bit with what JJ2 is and might feels conflicting.

So I would say what does not feel perfect about Switcheroo core design is that what it asks you to improve better each level in big leaps. But I also understand the creator wants this concept to kind of have a beginner and an endgame in one level, while also not making it too long. To have an entirely new concept in a level means that the difficulty will ramp up, and for any tests these can be frustrating roadblocks to get stuck. Which is frustrating for any tests. I think this is also a design roadblock. There is just no way to introduce such a new and opposite mechanic, fit for one level, that is both beginner friendly and poses a challenge for endgame aswell. Maybe some kind of New game+ mechanic where it unlocks more difficult levels after finishing it feels more rewarding, but that is not how tests are inherently work either. There is no solution.

Besides this core flaw, Purplejazz (the creator) did everything I think to make sure the test would be appealing regardless. There is definitely a lot of deliberate design here to ease the pain a bit. It looks visually cool, it has nice music, levels follow a clear pattern and even if you get stuck there is help tips so you know what to do. The switching is very difficult but always responsive, the new UI is very clear. During testing, Purplejazz recognized that he had a lot of practise and levels may be too hard, so basically levels were made to be easier just to fit to streamline the experience. The test does not go on endlessly with too many levels. This has less than 25 levels, so you can not stuck in a level 40 out of 50. Meaning you can still somewhat back out and not get too invested.

Personally, I also want to emphasize that whether tests are puzzles or just pure practise is a design choice, so I hope everyone recognizes this. Personally, I am more a fan of just practising levels than having to solve them first. I think this is very subjective so I was not going to rate on this anyway, but it is still worth mentioning it is a deliberate design choice.

In conclusion, I think the difficulty in this test spikes quite hard around midway through. Beating the first levels is not guarantee you can beat this whole test. You might get stuck halfway. Yes, this test is hard. Getting overwhelmed in difficult tests and having to give up is true for almost any test by nature. Yes, this can be quite discouraging, but difficulty ramp is a necessary evil to fit an entire concept into one level and to give replayability (because the last levels will remain a challenge). The creator obviously wanted to make a full experience out of this concept in a single level. Most of the challenges in this test are inherently spending a lot of time learning a complete new subset of physics. Most of the reason I am not giving this a 9 or higher is because maybe the idea itself is just a bit too much and not very fit for an accessible one level experience, but I can assure you that with these parameters set, almost nothing lacks in execution. I think the creator pushed it as far as he could. And there is obviously a great deal of deliberate and smart design decisions. Switcheroo is a level with own identity, for better or worse.

I think what I want a level like this to test me on, and what this actual level is testing me on, are pretty much in conflict.

The first few parts are perfectly reasonable, they make sure you understand how to change characters and know what the different characters do. In general you are only being asked to make it through one challenge at a time. If you manage to land on a solid bit of ground, midway through, to rest, you're just about done.

Later this goes out the window. You'll be asked to do two or three long series of movements in sequence, even though they have nothing to do with each other. There are signs that some of the parts may have been broken in half during development—sometimes two parts share the same area and the same warp color—but it's nowhere near enough. Individually the challenges are mostly manageable, but in practice, the level is asking you do multiple challenges perfectly in a row before it lets you progress.

Worse, many of the challenges are much more precise than they need to be. I expected to be tested on whether I can change characters mid-move. That's mostly reasonable! But the passages between warps are so narrow that often it doesn't matter if you get the character keys right, you'll still get warped for other reasons. I would morph to Spaz and do a double jump, but because I morphed one tick too early, I'd hit a warp above me and need to restart. I would morph to Jazz to copter-ear onto a platform, but because I was moving slightly too fast at the end, I'd overshoot the platform and hit a warp behind the platform. These are challenges completely orthogonal to the question of whether I can morph to the right characters.

The level also seems to have no real conception that some things it asks you to do have extremely flexible timing, and others require you to hit an incredibly precise series of keys over maybe a seventh of a second.
For things like that, it does not feel like a matter of skill when I succeed, it feels completely random. The level could choose to reward me for managing to kick as Lori, then morph to Spaz in midair, then morph to Jazz in midair, at all… but instead I have to press these buttons at exactly the right moments, with absolutely no way to know when those moments might be, because the intended path is surrounded by warps.

I gave up at part 17 in two separate playthroughs. I just do not know what it wants me to do—how I'm supposed to fly off those horizontal springs without being affected by gravity. And it's very demoralizing trying to even experiment with those springs, because you need to manage so many very precise, completely unrelated movements just to get there. Maybe if they were at the start, sure, but they're not.

The production quality of this level feels good! It's a familiar tileset but given some nice degree of detail, the warps are nice to look at without being unclear or distracting, there's nice use of negative space in some of the bigger warp areas, the spacey background colors are pretty. It's great to have the F7 clues, and even without pressing F7, there are a number of blocks that hint you to what you're supposed to do next. But half the level is testing if you can figure out how to morph between characters, and half of it is funneling you through unnecessarily precise warp passages, with limited checkpointing. Maybe that's PurpleJazz's deliberate intent with the level. But it's not what I wanted as a player.

(also, a word of caution: set HornFrequency in plus.ini to 0 before playing this level, or you will go mad.)

An amazing redux of "Scrapyard" deserves an amazing rating.

8/10

I really like this, and I appreciate the interesting use of blue and green. The layout is solid, simple and reminds of Scrapyard (as mentioned in the description). Overall this is nice and I recommend trying it out.

A new PurpleJazz's map made using one of Szadi's high quality tilesets. The map extends horizontally offering plenty of space for running and jumping, and has a very simple, almost mirrored layout. The lower half is underwater where you can hide (but not for a long) and skip the middle-upper part of the map, offering you multiple paths to take. I've found this map increasingly fun to play, as I almost consider it a playground for experimenting with different weapons, such as hiding underwater under the flag base and throwing a petrol bomb, or simply spamming the roller from the top parts. I really like the horror atmosphere and the lore surrounding this place, which really enhances it. There's nothing to say about the eyecandy and the visuals, they're truly excellent. I highly recommend this.

8.5/10

When I played this level multiple times, I liked the atmosphere of it. Good work

I like that episode. 10/10 hype definitely.

In the ending level, someone forgot to insert the text, in which would be written that after the defeat of Ice Serpent, the cause of the very cold winter has finally put an end, and Christmas was saved once again thanks to the heroism of Jackrabbits.

That was my idea.

What an amazing pack this is! I especially enjoyed Transantarctic Mountains. The complete atmosphere of that stage is such a treat! The northern lights… the soothing background music… the calmness of the floating bubbles, wow. I can't help but to play just that level over and over again. The title doesn't really feel right though, as I don't have the feeling it's a proper mountain stage.

The other stages are great fun playing as well. Shivering Stronghold is a true masterpiece and you really need to take your time for this experience. The Queen battle was unbelievable… to me the ice serpent fell a little short with that. If that one had been left out I probably wouldn't have missed it. Now it felt a bit anticlimactic.

Still: great pack and really recommended to download. I really hope for a Holiday Hare '25… I'll definitely join the project if it comes alive!

This is among the best custom content I've had the privilege of playing, all the contributions from everyone involved in making this have so much quality put into them that I've thoroughly enjoyed the experience from start to finish. Clearly a lot of effort has been spent testing this episode and giving it a high amount of cohesion even though the levels have different authors (and sometimes multiple authors) who imprinted their own personal styles and design philosophies and also which import lots of custom content into them. The many scripted bosses in particular have been a standout and really showcase how fun boss fights could be with some ingenuity and care put into their craft. I also appreciate that the episode provided a good challenge but never felt like the difficulty curve was unfair or that the levels asked too much of me even though I haven't played in ages.

I highly recommend Holiday Hare 24, regardless if you are someone new who is checking out custom content for the first time, have played this game for years, or are returning after a long hiatus to relive some cherished memories and fun times. I think there is something for everyone found here, and it's a great celebration of the holiday spirit of this community.

Really awesome!!! I'm gonna play it some more around Christmas.

Now this is a duel level that manages to pay tribute to the clear source of influence while being also very original on its own in terms of layout and visuals. It is everything but a remake of the original. I would dare to say that this is even the ultimate battle duel level for me or at least very close to it. Despite its small size, there is potential for slightly bigger games here as well, although a crowded JDC event could quickly start to feel overcrowded.

To elaborate, Titan Armory is a duel level that enables insanely fast gameplay in battle duels, where every room and corner of the level has its risks and benefits. The level flow may take time to get used to, but once fully learned it should be possible to move around the level at ease, although a couple of spots feature a quirkier flow that are always challenging to all players.

So is there any space to hide in and think for a moment or play defensively? Not really. I counted that there are a total of 2 spots that are only slightly more covered from open fire, but even those are still not completely risk-free. In other words, this is a level where offense is the best defense and I really mean it. Is that a good thing? In my opinion that is a great thing, considering how campy battle duels can often get in other levels, but I understand that not everyone may think the same way.

Relatively fast respawn times of pickups mean that it is difficult to maintain full control of the level, but players with a strong offense will be hard to counter here regardless. Basically the faster you maneuver in the level, the harder you are to kill, but it also requires that your maneuvers are meaningful. Basically you need to be on a constant move and think of counter-moves at the same time to survive and eventually out-maneuver your opponent.

The tubes that surround the level are the key to victory in most cases, as they not only give you quick access to higher ground and counter-play, but you also gain quick vision of around 30-50% of the level to better locate your enemy. Didn't spot your enemy while at the tube? Then they're most likely on the other side!

RF weapon enables fast turns in movement by its recoil (and RF climb maneuvers in a few spots), which further boost the gameplay speed here. The downside of the flow here is that it heavily favors Spaz, while players using Jazz/Lori will fall behind in terms of maneuver.

The level's visuals are also a great upgrade compared to the influencer, Triton Armory, as MLLE has enabled us to further mix tilesets and increase the depth of level backgrounds. That part has also been executed really well here, as there are no spots that feel too empty eyecandy-wise and yet nothing is too distractive.

So by that I conclude that this was clearly my favorite battle level of the year 2024 and one of my all-time favorites from PJ (but I have many of those xP). While one may think that a small battle level cannot be better than a large one with lots of different features and varying visuals, I tend to think of the level as a whole, and in this case the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Download and playing highly recommended!

PurpleJazz strikes again, but this time with more than just a pinch of salt (a shoreful of it)! xP

Puns aside, I think this one is yet another solid CTF level by PJ. It features a theme that is well executed and original to some degree, although I have to admit that there are two other levels that this level reminds me of in terms of layout traits and visuals; Vanilla Shores and Sand Castle. Perhaps those two were a source of inspiration/influence here? Just guessing.

I suppose the level isn't exactly duel-compatible due to its fairly large size, especially within the horizontal dimension. Judging by the looks of it, 3v3 games should work just fine here, although I haven't got to try that yet. It was definitely a fun level to play in JDC events though. Some spots around the upper parts of the level seem like they have some camping potential in them, but nothing that would be impossible to counter.

Overall I think the gameplay in the level flows well, with a balanced amount of open and closed areas. Even around the more closed areas there is sufficient space between different platforms, so the level does not feel too cramped or awkward to move in anywhere. Though I have to admit that since there are a lot of similar looking platforms throughout the level, there is some potential in getting disoriented flow-wise. But not that it would be a severe issue.

Otherwise, the level features neat visuals that make especially the background unique. I think the weapon choices are also well-thought and support a balanced gameplay, together with the reverse bouncers and boomerangs as the custom extras here. I am very much looking forward to play more games in here overall! Good job PJ!

I missed this one when it came out. It's obviously much more visually detailed than A Titan, Ornery, with a more novel color palette and just more of everything everywhere. The stark contrast on the background mountains evoke DOS gaming or, yes, with help from the buildings, Batman: The Animated Series. The tubes are a lovely, reasonably subtle use of chromakey. Despite the different tilesets being blended together, nothing ever feels out of place, and there's just enough brightness contrast that it's easy to tell what's solid despite the panoply of decorations. Everything flows perfectly and is, as minmay noted, dangerous… my only worry is that it might be slightly too dangerous and there's not enough room to breathe or hide. That said, it's exciting/fascinating to see a level whose layout is fundamentally just a series of floating little platforms and yet still feels so deliberate.

A superbly designed duel level. Every location feels both dangerous and useful, and the tubes mean you're constantly gaining and losing the high ground. And while it's not quite as pretty as Moonrise, there's still solid visual interest here.

This level is a lot of fun. It is a medium-sized CTF level with a very old-school feel to it. The flow is very tight, and the level is easy to navigate. There are a lot of vines, but the way they are used helps speed you up when flying from base to base. The level is very fast paced, and despite its medium size, it feels a bit small because you're able to fly through so fast. There remain plenty of areas to explore. I really like that about the level. The eyecandy is great. Several different tilesets are put to use, making each area in the level a unique one. Visuals are not repetitive. The background uses a reflection that makes the most realistic ice I've seen in a level. Weapons are mostly new, but have familiar feels to them and are easy to get used to pretty quickly. If I had to be super picky, I'd say the only downside is the number of one way areas. It's not like they're overused, though. Overall great level. Highly recommended.

The crashing in this level when using Boomerang Gun was due to a conflict with a specific mutator enabled in Zeal Duels servers. In normal circumstances this shouldn't be an issue.

We tried to playtest this level while we were playing CTF over the weekend. Unfortunately, players started to crash, seemingly because they used the boomerang weapon. So we weren't able to playtest the level because of the crashes.

Absolutely amazing.

It’s a pretty solid level the layout is nice, the visuals are impressive I like how you used the textured background for lava and maybe you could add a little more of ammo but overall it’s really nice.

8.7/10 D.R