taxalot
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taxalotParticipantA word of warning for all of us playing on KeeperFX or intending to, the game is MUCH MUCH harder than the original version. This is because KeeperFX greatly enhances the AI, and said AI becoming much more agressive on maps that haven’t been changed or were designed for a weaker AI.
As a result, the strategy that is to play defensively and gain time to enhance your creatures before attacking the enemy is also dangerous, for the enemy will actively seek you out and attack you even if you are not ready.
Newcomers to the game have therefore a choice, play a better port with much harder difficulty, or play the intended original.
taxalotParticipantIt’s going to be difficult to find words about how great of a content creator Ross is. His entire “Ross Game Dungeon” series is onpoint and entertaining, Freeman’s Mind is much more entertaining than the premise appears to be, and even his other videos are especially interesting. He has, for example, made a great case about game as a service and the possible illegality of servers being pulled offline without any alternative.
Great catch if he can come there !
taxalotParticipantIt is fairly difficult to know what to think of this game.
I remember that I used to like it very much. That was back when all I had was the shareware version ; but even at the time, I had access to a SNES and I remember thinking that while Jazz great for the PC, this was just not it compared to console competitors.
Now that time has passed, I find myself coming back to a similar opinion.
Jazz is great for what counted as PC Platforming back then, but most of us have by now exposed, even with emulation, to “proper” console games. I use the word “proper” deliberately, because it really feels we have here a game that does everything to copy them but fails to do so. For one particular reason.
Obviously, the one game this game is doing all it can to plagiarize legally is Sonic The Hedeghog. And it could have gotten away with being Epic’s answer to it if it had a comparable level of quality. But let’s analyse it for a moment. Speed ? It’s there. Graphic ? Less inpsired than Sonic but altogether not too bad. Features ? We have an optional sidekick, a flying rocket, and for the rest, the entirety of Sonic’s bonus (invincibility, temporary invulnerability..) are there. Even the Bonus levels are straight copied from Sonic CD with pseudo Mode 7 effects.
Except it’s not as good. The answer lies in design.
The bonus levels are pointlessly easy and are just in exercise control. Fact is, the entire game is, and it feels like the developers failed to understand that it’s no good having a game focusing on speed if said speed is a hinderance and a problem in the game. The game wants you to go fast, but at the same time, the entirety of the level design wants you to slow down. Because as soon as an obstacle or enemy appears it might be too late. The tortoise tank will shoot. You will see it but won’t be able to slow down. You will the see spring, but too late, it will bounce you up and make you redo an entire section of the level, just because. I’m sure the level designer is happy because he has outsmarted you, but are you happy ? Are you ? Are you happy when there’s just an empty corridor to run through and at the end of it, there’s spikes you couldn’t see before crashing into them ?
This is making me curious about the fan communities of the game, that are somehow still building levels for this. Surely they have learnt a bit about the game and modern sensibilities and have come up with better levels than the general unfairness this game feels like.
But I will not check, for there, let’s say it, I don’t like Jazz Jackrabbit.
I appreciate what is trying to be, I came back to it more than once, but when I know there is so much better out there on other platforms, it’s hard to come back to.
It was, though, an excellent product to show off the Gravis Gamepad. I seem to have different memories of this product than some of you, because boy did I love that device. But my memories might be a bit fuzzy, and I’m sure the reason I loved it was it was the first functional PC joystick that worked that I owned. Yes, I said joystick, because even though it was a gamepad, it was trying to live, at least for me, in a world full of joysticks that simply became quickly unusuable because of drift, dead zones, and driver issues. The gravis gamepad worked. Jazz Jackrabbit showed it worked. I was thankful for this.
But that’s about it.
taxalotParticipantI hear it’s one of those “play it with a walkthrough or else! ” game.
taxalotParticipantThis has been on my “to play” list for a while, glad DGC is tackling it because it would be the perfect opportunity. But does anyone know how long is the game ?
edit : howlongtobeat says around 32 hours, but is that thing even accurate for Dos games ?
taxalotParticipantMight I recommend Wings of Glory ? This is fairly accessible and the WW1 setting is fairly original.
The Jane’s series, mainly US NAVY Fighters and ATF are also extremely interesting by the variety of planes they allow you to fly, and especially the homemade mission crafter which allows you to do anything, like a mission where you must prevent the enemy planes to bomb a cow.
taxalotParticipantI have been playing it a tiny bit yesterday. Made it out the prison and recovered the Tunic.
It’s funny, but I’m not sure this game aged well at all. Having to do redo the “escape from prison” scene countlesses time because of minor timing issues, even when you made it as far as your own home doesn’t constitute my idea of fun.
Still, I will keep on playing because I seem to remember from my days of playing this as a kid that it DOES improve as you play, with the game becoming more open ended and you being able to explore more freely.
I failed to finish the game back then, let’s see how far I go this time.
taxalotParticipantLogged on this morning to suggest ZZT, but also very glad to see that someone beat me to it 🙂
So I shall add my voice to the bunch, and suggest we get around to play ZZT at some point. It is both of historical interest, as it is developped by Tim Sweeney the now head honcho of Epic Games, but also by the fact that the game still have a vivid community, despite or thanks to how minimalist it is. It is fascinating to see how people are pushing the engine and coming with super weird stuff.
What more, it’s also super accessible ! A lot of the mods are just one click away on https://museumofzzt.com/ , and also archive.org https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_zzt . Most adventures are fairly short, but Museum of ZZT actually support saving games online !
taxalotParticipantI’d be happy to join !
taxalotParticipanthttps://3drealms.com/catalog/3d-realms-arcade-collection_55/ aahh forget it, it’s unavailable now 🙁
I wonder why. Is this because of the issue over the Duke Nukem licensing ?
taxalotParticipantIt’s also included in the 3DRealms Collection that is sold on the 3D Realms website, alongside plenty of other fantastic Apogee games.
taxalotParticipantNo offense taken !
I’ll try sending a voice mail if I can think of something.
taxalotParticipantI’m also interested too ! DOTT is a game I know pretty well and it’s been a while !
taxalotParticipantI do remember this one for looking quite graphically impressive at the time, but also for the absolutely superb manual it came with.
