Jazz Jackrabbit 2
           (ACTION)
                                      
                                      
   Jazz Jackrabbit 2 seems has everything in it that will make a game
   reviewer want to play it again and again. This game is sure set to receive
   more praise than it's predecessor and will certainly take the gaming
   world by storm. It is certainly the best side scroller we have seen in a
   long time.

   I would like to take my commentary one step further. Yes, for a
   platform game, this is stunning material. The designers have taken the
   side-scroller concept and injected it with a hyper-saturated solution
   of cutting-edge technology and creative talent, one that revitalizes
   the genre. This is not a swan song for 2D gaming; rather, it is a
   resounding declaration of life for a genre that has been waiting for
   Jazz to save the day. Without a doubt, Epic MegaGames has pulled
   something magical out of its hat.
                                      
   Now, that I've got your attention! You can pick your jaw up off the floor.
   How can a simple platform game compete with more epic, intellectual titles,
   including strategy, simulations, and role-playing games? How can it
   transcend the immersive and technological splendor of 3D games? The point
   is, it is not competing with anything, it is merely a shining
   representative of perfection in game design. Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is flawless
   in its execution of all components, including graphics, animation, design,
   control, and user involvement, which includes multiplayer games and
   home-brewed levels. If every title in each genre were this perfectly
   formed,we would have to forego every amenity in life to purchase all the
   great games.
                                      
   While the background story will not win any awards, this game is not
   for the bookish. Devan Shell, the nemesis from the original, is
   planning to travel back in time and erase Jazz from existence by doing
   away with his parents. Critical to this plot is the diamond engagement
   ring our hero gave Eva Earlong, because it's the final component
   needed for the time machine. Two hand-drawn cinematics bookend the
   game, allowing the narrative to set the stage for the action, then get
   the hell out of the way. It creates a wonderful backdrop that allows
   the designers to give their creative impulses free reign; the game
   contains an impressive number of environments and characters, and
   there are countless surprises throughout.
                                      
   This time though, Jazz enlists the aid  of his fetching brother Spaz,
   a clever addition to the cast of characters who, in my opinion,
   out-and-out steals the show. He is a bit off his rocker, something made
   evident by his side-splitting idle animations, and he has a wonderfully
   demented personality. Yet he is also faster, can jump farther than his
   sibling. Interestingly, the differences between the two characters are
   more than cosmetic. The levels have been designed so Jazz is unable to
   reach all the areas; replaying as Spaz will reveal additional secrets.
   Each character has been given a set of special moves.
                                      
   The levels -- I prefer to think of them as playgrounds -- have been
   crafted with a wonderful sense of detail. Unlike the original, the
   perspective is tilted, creating an effective illusion of depth that is
   complimented by eight levels of smooth-as-silk parallax scrolling.
   The layouts have been designed to allow you to bolt, dash, and leap from
   one end of the levels to the other with dizzying speed, generating a brisk
   gameplay that leaves Sonic the Sluggish Hedgehog in the dust. In addition,
   some terrific, gravity-defying physics have been coded into the game.

   Of course, the levels are populated with a wide assortment of enemies,
   weapons, and power-ups. There is a large selection of baddies, and an
   equal abundance of attack styles. For example, there is an evil
   mother-in-law sort who packs a wallop of a punch that sent me
   careening back and screaming in surprise, so anticipate more than the
   standard pin-prick from these creatures. There are a few bosses, each of
   which strikes a good, playable balance between the cunning vanguards of
   the Earthworm Jim series and the frustrating, nearly impossible-to-kill
   bosses of Claw.