Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

Avant-garde

Small in size, big in fun factor. The various tilesets have been amalgamated together in a very cohesive way that has resulted in a well-realised cave environment. The carrot placement is inventive, especially with the radically differing spawn times. This level went over very well in JDC 30’s ODT #2; we’ll likely be using it again at some point.

While the excessive visuals do lead to problems such as fps drops and distraction, the gameplay is nonetheless solid despite a few minor flow issues. I enjoyed the design of the base areas and the carrot area very much, as they offered quite dynamic gameplay with a variety of tricks and tactics to deploy, and aren’t overly campy. Give it a try!

I like how these levels feel rather retro but with a modern twist in terms of visual design. All four have very solid layouts with some of Snz’ signature levelmaking flair. These will be a fantastic addition to your Battle rotation and are best enjoyed in a well populated server, so be sure to invite your friends!

Despite all of its flaws, I did enjoy this level. Despite the rather spartan visuals and simple gameplay, it was a decent attempt at bringing Castlevania style gameplay and atmosphere to JJ2, perhaps helped by the excellent music choices. I thought the ending was rather anti-climactic though; a final boss would’ve been nice.

While a bit uneven in terms of flow and aesthetics, there’s definitely an appeal to this level. It’s action-packed with plenty of pickups to facilitate large events, and I enjoy the vibe that the visuals in combination with the music choice gives. The Orbitus tileset has been used very creatively in some areas.

Despite its small size and relative simplicity, this is a solid CTF level with franatic yet tactical gameplay. The top part is fairly campy, but also quite open which leaves players open to long range Fireball shots. The real star of the show here is the theme and the eyecandy; FS masterfully uses the PK2 tileset to create a convincing environment.

I really enjoy the coin concept as it adds a layer of tactical depth not seen in many other levels. While visually the sprite layer is quite spartan, the atmosphere crafted with careful attention to colours and small motifs is nonetheless incredible. The layout is also well crafted and facilitates intelligent play as opposed to mindless ammo spam.

Quite an impressive level visually, although the amount of detail in the sprite layer background may be a bit overstimulating for some. The layout is well constructed and feels more like a collection of areas rather than random platforms or tunnels, with a good variety of open and more enclosed areas. Pickups are well distributed. D/L!

Poor drawing quality with no flexibility whatsoever and an assortment of ripped tiles. This is hideously overrated.

While this tileset is quite difficult to use and is somewhat limited due to the restrictions of the contest, the creativity and art style shines through. I strongly recommend this set for anyone looking for an interesting challenge. Despite its limitations, it’s also surprisingly flexible if you’re willing to put in the effort.

Rather cute theme even if the tileset is rather lacking in terms of versatility, especially when in comparison with Mystic Isle 2. The art style is decent overall but a bit inconsistent.

I’m not sure what you were thinking making this level so dark. As you can see from the screenshots, this level is so dark that it’s virtually unplayable with ambient lighting on; even worse, it has pits that are easy to fall in regardless.

Absolutely essential for modern JJ2 level design.

I agree that the level design is often rather laborious gameplaywise, and visually uneven (some colour mismatching, and that has to be the worst rain effect I’ve ever seen in JJ2). However, I enjoyed the variety of areas and the effort that went into visual storytelling, and I love the Arabius and Tibetius tilesets; alone they’re worth a download.

Don’t know how to solve the puzzle in level 4? There’s a guide for that (spoiler warning).

I’m really not a fan of the infinite ammo script in lieu of traditional ammo pickups, because there’s literally no reason not to fire seekers like a madman at every moment; IGS levels at least encourage smart ammo use to an extent. The regular version is pretty much unplayable for this reason unless you enjoy complete and utter chaos. The Street Fight version doesn’t have this issue of course, though the upper part looks very campy.

While the EC tends to look slightly contrived in places, most likely as a result of FS’ desire to use every tile in the set, it has a solid overall look and a strong atmosphere that lives up to the theme of the tileset. Gameplaywise it’s perhaps not as tight as ARF but is nonetheless well made and suitable for games of up to 16 players.

While technically competent, it’s a brief distraction at best. It can be finished in under 5 minutes and baring a couple of minor secrets, there’s not much exploration to be done. The level design is satisfactory for the most part and is rather reminiscent of the official levels, although it does not offer anything you haven’t seen before.

More frustrating than fun. I enjoy a good challenge but I found the majority of these levels too much of a slog to push through. There’s definitely some potential here though; don’t give up!