C&VG


Jumping Jack Son

Author: Paul Rand
Publisher: Infogrames
Machine: Atari ST

 
Published in Computer & Video Games #102

Jumping Jack Son

Jumping Jack Son is a fat little blob descended from the legendary Jumping Jack Flash, whose quest in life is to cut put the grooviness back into a word full of dull classical music. The only thing that will free the spirit of rock 'n roll is Elvis' first single, which is hidden somewhere amongst a psychedelic maze of platforms, and Jack's musical lineage makes him the blob for the job.

To pass between the sixteen different mazes, Jack has to collect hidden records then put then all on turntables to complete a tune. To reveal the discs, he has to pass over groups of tiles which change colour as he steps on them. A record appears when Jack has turned a group of four tiles the same colour, then when it's placed on the turntable of the corresponding colour, another part of the tune plays.

It would be simple if that was all there was to it, but while Jack's doing this he's being chased by a gang of musical baddies in the shape of trumpets, drums and other classical instruments which can be dodged or blocked by dropping one of your three cassettes. You can also pick up bonus items like hamburgers, bottles of Coke, musical notes and jukeboxes which allow Jackson to carry more than one record at a time.

Atari ST

Jumping Jack Son

Jumping Jack Son is a great game, with very jolly graphics (especially the fat, bouncy hero), great sampled turns and sound effects, and a very addictive game underneath.

It starts off very easy, with just a couple of turntables to fill and no enemies to avoid, but after just a couple of levels things really start to move. The baddies are a bit thick, hopping around almost willy-nilly, totally unconcerned with where you may be.

But there's no room for carelessness when there are more than one of them on the screen, or if you're down a tile-wide path, you've run out of cassettes and there's a deadly trumpet bouncing your way.

As well as the normal sixteen normal levels, there are a couple of bonus stages in there too, which are frustrating to begin with, but after a while they serve as a worthwhile break from the main game. All in all, what we have here is a jolly arcade puzzle game which should go down well with anybody.

Paul Rand

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