Friday Oldies: Jazz Jackrabbit, the platform icon of Epic Games

Epic Games is currently one of the videogame companies most successful. In addition to being the developers of the most used graphics engine, the Unreal Engine, the phenomenon of Fortnite Battle Royale, the free-to-play title that has conquered millions of players around the world, has broken out for about a year. Today, however, we are not here to talk about this title, but we will take a leap of about twenty-five years back, even before Unreal Tournament and Gears of War to tell you about one of the first titles of the software house: Jazz Jackrabbit.

Create an icon platform: Jazz Jackrabbit

The 90s saw the release of many platforms, on the different competing consoles. All video game makers tried to create un'icona platform that could match the success of Nintendo's Mario or SEGA's Sonic the Hedgedog, in some cases succeeding, in others failing miserably.

In those years Epic Games, at the time Epic MegaGames, a company born very recently, had already made more than 20 games for MS-DOS. In 1994 Epic tried to create his own platform icon, Jazz Jackrabbit. A green rabbit with a bandana and blaster pistol which ran in various 2D side view levels killing enemies, mostly turtles. It was one of the first titles to introduce side-scrolling on PC, until now the prerogative of console games. Arjan Brussee, who was in charge of programming, and Cliff Bleszinski, the designer, followed. The game was released that year for Ms-DOS on both Floppy and CD media.

A millennial conflict

The game is set in a science fiction world based on the story "The Hare and the Tortoise". The conflict between these two races has continued for thousands of years, extending throughout the universe. The protagonist of the game, the rabbit Jazz lives on the planet Carrotus. A turtle malviage, galactic conqueror, named Devan Shell also threatens the world of Jazz. Fortunately, Carrotus' military might is strong enough to repel the attack. To get revenge on her, the turtle kidnaps Princess Eva Earlong and takes her to her secret base. The king sends Jazz to save her and this is how our adventure begins. The green rabbit will travel to various planets in search of Eve facing turtles and monsters of all kinds.

An episodic game

Today we are used to seeing the concept of "episodic game", for example with Life is Strange, as a new method of popularizing games. However, it is a practice that has already been used since the 90s, obviously not via the internet. The original game was composed for six episodes, each episode consisted of 3 pairs of levels, each pair set on a different planet. The episodes were sold in pairs of three on two floppy disks that could be purchased separately or in a single pack with all six.

All this in April 1994, when the game was released. In November of the same year it came out the CD version which in addition to encompassing all six episodes, it also had i “Lost Episodes” three other episodes that continued the adventures of the green rabbit. Then there were the shareware versions (free-to-play), in all three: the Shareware Edition which only included the first episode and then the two Holiday editions which included the Christmas levels.

Inspirations from other platformers

Jazz Jackrabbit takes its cue from different platformers, such as the aforementioned Sonic the Hedgedog as Jazz runs and rolls up or jumps on giant springs just like the blue porcupine, or at the less known Zool for MS-DOS, with the only difference that it is not possible to kill enemies by jumping on it. The shooter aspect is taken from the Mega-Man while the game's story itself is inspired by that of Super Mario in which we have to save the princess from a turtle. In short, Jazz Jackrabbit takes inspiration from many platformers by combining them to the fullest creating a captivating title, excellent from the point of view of game design, fun but also challenging, all without leading to banal plagiarism.

And the innovations

On the contrary, the game introduced a lot of new features that were later taken up by other titles. First of all it is one of the first platformers, if not the first, that he chooses to eliminate the concept of "abysses", that is, the possibility of falling into the void and losing one's life. At most here, in the event of a fall we only waste time, precious since we have a time limit to complete each level, or we are forced to give up a bonus area or we can open the way to an alternative route.

The damage system remains classic, featuring a lifebar and lives for a maximum of 10. The lifebar will resist a different number of damage based on the selected difficulty (easy, medium, difficult, turbo) It is possible to recover energy by collecting carrots and lives by passing over the Jazz masks. We can get immunity with different types of shields, some last for a time limit of about 20 seconds, others based on the damage we will suffer (a bit like Aku's masks in Crash Bandicoot). In case of death we are not forced to start over from the beginning of the level but from the last checkpoint.

A state-of-the-art weapon system for the time

Another new feature of this game is the weapon system, which can be changed at any time with the appropriate weapon selection button. In addition to the main weapon, the blaster, we have the toaster that fires fiery bullets, the missile launcher, capable of hitting multiple enemies at the same time, my favorite, the launcher that fires bouncing bullets and the TNT, to detonate enemies. Rate of fire can be increased by picking up the gun throughout the levels. It is possible, in some areas, to count on help of a parrot with a gun and in some bonus levels even control it directly.

The bonus boss fight

At the end of the episodes or occasionally in the secret bonuses there are bossfights, some of them, especially in the last episodes and in the higher difficulties will be really difficult. If over the levels we collect the blue diamond we will have access to a bonus level in 3D perspective in which we will run a timed race and we will be able to get extra points.

The excellent soundtrack

A note of merit also for the music of the game, composed by Robert A. Allen and Alexander Brandon are a small masterpiece in the world of 8-bit music. Even today those of Jazz Jackrabbit remain among my favorite OSTs.

Jazz Jackrabbit was highly regarded by critics and even won the Arcade Game of the Year award in 1994 in PC Format magazine. The success led to the release of a sequel in 1998.

Jazz Jackrabbit 2, the adventures continue

Jack Jazzrabbit 2 re-proposes the mechanics of its predecessor with upgraded graphics, a new playable character, the brother Spaz, and the cooperative and competitive multiplayer mode both locally and online. In this chapter Jazz continues to fight the evil Devan Shell to recover the engagement ring with which he will marry Eva.

The two characters are equipped with new moves, it is possible. for example. killing enemies and destroying obstacles by spinning them if we use Jazz or by doing a karate move by controlling Sweep.

Unlike the first chapter Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is made up of only 4 episodes, all gathered in a single pack. On the other hand, however, the levels are longer and more varied. This chapter has also been successful quite a success at the time. A level creation tool was released along with the game still 20 years later to create levels to play online. Also for this game there are several shareware versions available including one with unprecedented levels introducing the new character of Lori.

Jazz Jackrabbit 3D, the chapter never released

A third chapter was in the works by Epic Games, Jazz Jackrabbit 3 (or 3D). The project was well advanced but was canceled for lack of a publisher. The game was a third person shooter made in Unreal Engine and unlike the previous chapters it was organized in sections and not in levels, a bit like it happens in Super Metroid. In the third chapter we were supposed to travel through time to save Jazz and Eva's children from their archenemy Devan Shell. It is indeed possible to play this third chapter: the alpha of the game was leaked online and some sections of the full game can be played, unfortunately only as Jazz and not with Spaz and Lori, originally planned. A pity that this game has never been completed.

The bad reboot for GBA

In 2002 a Gameboy Advance reboot was released called “Jazz Jackrabbit”. The title was produced by Game Titan licensed by Epic Games and the quality was not minimally comparable to that of the first chapters. He immediately fell into oblivion, as well as the brand that has never been talked about again.

A saga recommended to everyone.

The Jazz Jackrabbit saga should be played by all platform and retro game lovers. It offers a rich, varied, fun and sometimes even frustrating gameplay, especially the first chapter. The two chapters they will not be on par with milestones like Mario, Sonic or Mega Man, but it should still be part of your gaming portfolio. Personally I dream of the brand being brought back to life, perhaps with a remake. Given what happened with Duck Tales or Wonderboy, this possibility cannot be ruled out.