GOTD – Jumping Flash! 2
Jumping Flash! 2 – Action (PSX)
Sony CEI
As a PSX game, JF! 2 may seem relatively short and overly easy. If you try it out, though, you might find a rewarding experience that is, yes, sadly far too short.
The main portion of the game is an action/adventure exploration phase. You run around in large 3-d stages as a jumping robotic bunny (more on that later). You search through these stages for four Muu-muus (mushroom-looking aliens), and, upon finding all, you can exit the stage.
At the end of each set of stages (12 sets in total) is a boss who you must overcome to progress. Although most bosses are not especially difficult, some are pretty hard. Stages are largely platforming, but some stages involve searching a dungeon-like area.
Where this game shines, however, is not just in gameplay, but in attitude. This is one of the rare PSX games that doesn’t take itself seriously. One character (the villain from the first game), is Baron Aloha, a Hawaiian shirt-donning german mad scientist. The primary villain for this one is a spandex-wearing banana-person by the name of Captain Kabuki. You are Robin, a multi-dimensional space-bunny hero… thing who is a traditional silent protagonist. Baron Aloha is especially well-voiced.
In between each set of stages, there is a short movie detailing a bit more of the plot – whether it’s (in the early stages) Kabuki making bad rabbit puns or (in the later stages) Muu-muus debating the merits of root beer fizzies, it’s always entertaining. The music played during the credits is quite possibly the most awful Japanese rap I have ever heard, but at least it seems to be intentional.
In terms of length, there are a total of 22 “normal” stages and 14 “boss” stages. Normal stages will take you around 10 minutes, while bosses may take as much as 5. If you add all that up, there is a total of maybe 5 hours of gameplay.
Although the game is short, there is a good deal of entertainment value in the game, and since it is relatively cheap, I recommend tracking down a copy.