Let's Hop To It
Jumping Flash! Review
Genre: Platformer
Number of Players: 1
Developer: Exact/Ultra
Publisher: Sony Computer Entertainment
Release Date: November 2, 1995 (US), April 28, 1995 (JP), September 29, 1995 (PAL)
Platform: PlayStation
Also Available On: PS Store, PS Plus Premium
As I sat down to write this review, my mind drifted back to the early 90s when 2D sprites were the pinnacle of what was thought to be possible for platformers or games with platforming elements. I still remember being in the 3rd and 4th grade, walking the halls on the way to my next class while pondering the possibility of what it would be like to play a Mario or Metroid game in a 3D first-person environment.
But I just couldn't wrap my head around the logistics of jumping from one place to another in a fully 360-degree open space. I figured, “How would I see where I was landing? I’d be constantly taking a leap of faith. Humbug! It’ll never work.” Okay, I didn’t actually say “humbug”, but you get the idea.
I continued to doubt the feasibility of a true 3D platformer until 1995, when I went on an ordinary trip to our local Sears department store (or possibly Montgomery Ward). I encountered an extraordinary demo kiosk in the electronics section I frequented while mom and dad shopped. Some kind of grey rectangular game system called a “PlayStation.”
As I approached the screen to see the selection of games to sample, I selected Jumping Flash! since the name seemed so odd. Within seconds of playing and smashing enemies on impact, I thought, “They’ve done it. They’ve actually done it!” I may have even jumped up and clicked my heels. Hard to tell in all the excitement. 1995 was quite a year to be alive.
At the time, Sony was the new kid on the block in the next generation of console wars. Sure, the Super NES and Genesis dominated homes in the 16-bit era. But now, Sony threw their hat into the ring with the PlayStation console, touting a 32-bit experience that ultimately supplanted previous attempts to lead the new console generation. About one month after the PlayStation’s US launch, developers Exact and Ultra (aka MuuMuu) released Jumping Flash!—a game with roots traced back to Exact’s previous 3D action platformer Geograph Seal on the Sharp X68000 home computer.
The story pits you against the greedy villain, Baron Aloha, who has excavated chunks of the Earth and taken them into space to use as a private retreat for himself. In response, the Universal City Hall deploys a robotic rabbit they call Robbit (get it?) to save the day. Robbit must find four Jet Pods spread throughout each miniature world to safely bring them back to Earth.
Jumping Flash! is a hybrid platformer and first-person shooter (FPS). Although you're armed with a beam cannon and infinite ammo, your best weapon is the ability to triple jump. The higher you jump, the more damage you'll do to enemies when you pounce on them. Stomping on foes from high altitudes is a big part of the game and pretty fun too.
Particularly impressive is the forethought designed into the jumping mechanic. Similar to Geograph Seal, when descending from a certain height—be it from a jump or walking off the edge of a platform—the camera pans downward, facing the ground. This allows you to see precisely where you will land, eliminating the panic-inducing guesswork.
Additionally, Robbit can acquire special weapons and other items dropped by defeated enemies or found around the area. You'll use quirky weapons such as exploding cherry bombs, powerful roman candle lasers, and heat-seeking rockets to give you some additional firepower. Other special items allow you to stop time, increase your health, or grant you invincibility with a psychedelic display to go along with it.
I would also like to point out that the invincibility icon is literally an image of a pill. When I played this in my adolescence, the drug reference went over my head. It’s a prime example of how PlayStation games were aimed at an older audience, even if subtly so as not to compromise the otherwise kid-friendly content in this game.
The enemies that populate each stage are just as interesting as the game itself. You'll see creatures like frogs wearing top hats, dung beetles that use bombs for "dung", red hippo-like animals that shoot missiles at you, and a host of other unusual (yet cutesy) creations. The bosses are also quite diverse. All of them are colossal and may take a bit of strategy before being able to bring them down, especially in later stages. You'll be going up against interesting beings such as a fire-breathing dragon, large clown body parts that pop out of teacups (which admittedly was a little creepy for me), and even a shape-shifting creature comprised of small cubes.
The game initially is light in difficulty, but can also get tough in certain levels. Much of the challenge comes from searching for the jet pods that must be collected in each area. This is especially true in the extra mode, after you complete the game once. The Jet Pods are hidden in different locations from the first time you ran through the game. The time limit is also reduced, only giving you about half of the time that was originally allotted.
You'll also take more damage, which means that certain enemies may pose more of a problem for you than before, especially in areas with tight spaces. The same goes for the boss battles. Even so, the higher difficulty isn't impossible. Seasoned players can beat this game within an hour or two.
Robbit controls nicely for the most part. If you need to aim up or down while shooting, you can use the shoulder buttons in conjunction with the directional pad to get a fix on enemies. Unfortunately, such aiming feels a hair too slow to be useful in most situations.
Likewise, turning while on the ground feels just as slow, but you can usually compensate for the slowness by jumping, then turning in mid-air since you can move significantly faster that way than on foot. Despite the minor shortcomings, the controls are still solid and responsive.
The fact that this was one of the earliest PlayStation games doesn't stop Jumping Flash! from still looking good nearly 30 years later. There are six worlds to explore, broken into three sub-sections to complete before moving on to the next world. Each location has fun details with bright colors, hidden passages, and floating blimps and other objects that can be used as platforms to get around. Some areas give the illusion of going on forever without any real boundaries, short of running out of platforms to jump on. It gives you the feeling that you are truly free to explore as much of the area as possible.
Also of note is the solid frame rate maintained throughout the game. The only time things slow down a bit is when you've got a lot of moving objects in your view. But moments like that are kept to a minimum and don't detract from the game's better qualities. Although Jumping Flash! may not be able to hold a candle to today's 4K resolution standards, it still represents the older 32-bit era in a fine manner.
The music is crystal clear and a bit catchy at times—one of my favorites being the Celtic cadence of the song in World 1 (Jump in the Grasslands!). Worlds 4 (Slippery Ice Land) and 5 (Chinatown) are additional examples of the game utilizing the true CD-quality sound capabilities of the PlayStation. I’m also a sucker for the fanfare (Stage Clear) that plays after completing a stage. The crowd cheering near the end is a clever way to work in a reminder that people, though unseen, are depending on (and rooting for) you. The sound effects are on par with the music as well. The noise of wind rushing around you while exploring at high altitude is a nice touch.
Looking back, it's a shame that the Jumping Flash! series didn't have a longer time in the limelight. It did spawn two sequels on the PlayStation, but the last one (Robbit Mon Dieu) was never released outside of Japan. But that's okay, because for what it's worth, Jumping Flash! was one of the best games to showcase the PlayStation as a significant step up from 16-bit consoles that competitors like the Atari Jaguar wished it could be. It also stands as an impressive 3D platformer that predated Super Mario 64.
Playing Jumping Flash! is a reminder that the platformers can work in 3D when done right. So if you've never played this game before, or maybe you're just looking for a good memory of years past, try to track down a copy, or enjoy it as part of the PlayStation Classic Catalog on the PS Store (also included in PS Plus Premium subscriptions, as of this writing). It is a delightfully quirky title worth adding to your collection.
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