Jumpman Junior

The Good
Jumpman Junior is the sequel to Jumpman, and it is designed for 1-4 players, just like the previous game. The object of Jump Jr. is the same as the previous game: Jump all over a level in such a way that you can defuse the bombs and complete the level. Note that by "such a way", I mean take caution in most levels as defusing a bomb can cause part of a ladder or platform to disappear, so you need to analyze the level and work out the easiest way to finish it without getting stuck.

Jump Jr. remains close to the previous game as possible. You still have one or two white bullets that chase you when they come across your line. However, there are new enemies that you must face, including fire, hellstones, and moving walls. When you complete a level, bonus points of 25 points are given for each remaining Jumpmen that you have, and this bonus is increased after each level completed. Finally, you can adjust the speed of Jumpman before the start of the game by entering a number between 1 to 8, 1 being the fastest and 8 being the slowest. To get a good laugh, you can play the game at the fastest speed and see how quickly you die.

This game is slightly more difficult than its predecessor. As I said earlier, parts of a ladder or platform in some levels will disappear when you go and defuse a bomb. Furthermore, something in a level will change, which may make it impossible to reach a bomb and defuse it. For these reasons, you cannot just wander from left to right, dealing with every bomb that gets in your way. You need to defuse them in a specific order that you do not know about yet. It takes a bit of trial-and-error too see what order, so I suggest that you put on your thinking cap.

Both the graphics and sound are in line with the previous game. You still have that "ticking" sound when Jumpman walks his way from Point A to Point B. You still have that same old jumping sound, and that infamous "death march" theme when you are about to lose a life.

The Bad
Real puzzle solvers may be disappointed that Jump Jr. has only a dozen levels to complete. It has 12, compared to 30 in the previous game, and unlike Jumpman, you cannot select a difficulty level that allows you to play more levels, but the increase on difficulty makes up for it somehow.

The Bottom Line
You know, what Jumpman and Jump Jr. are missing is a level editor, where you can make and play your own custom levels if you have completed one of the games. If you have completed Jump Jr. already, are pissed off at the number of levels in the game, and have yet to play the first game, then I suggest that you do so.

Rating: ***