Game: Crazy Jump
Genre: Action, Platformer, Puzzle
System: Steam
Developer|Publisher: Aoga Games
Age Rating: EU 3+ | US Everyone
Price: UK £1.69 | US $1.19 | EU € 0,99
Release Date: June 20th, 2021
Review code provided with many thanks to Aoga Games
Crazy Intro
Crazy Jump is a simple 2D platformer that has the feel of a mobile game from its main menu setup. But whether or not it actually exists there I don’t know. Searching for it brings up the usual suspects for jumping games as well as a plethora of Zombie apps (free apps that tend to clutter the store which no one really downloads). It’s kinda sad that the Switch is starting to get a bit like this too, little by little. Well, this game is not on the Switch (yet) but today I will review the PC version.
Spikes and Puzzles
You are presented with several levels to complete under a time limit where your goal is to reach the end and grab the carrot. Not entirely sure why a carrot, there isn’t any plot or purpose as to why you are going on this adventure. This is where in a review I would usually make up a plot myself but I’m honestly drawing a bit of a blank for this one. The game really looks like a developer’s first attempt at a platform game. It also goes for the typical mobile three-star rating if you complete the level quickly enough.
The difficulty of the game is moderate to hard. Take one hit and you restart back to the beginning of the level. The levels essentially range from avoiding lots of spike pits, to performing basic block moving puzzles. The latter I found more enjoyable and the former multiple retries and the gradual rising of the stress levels. If you get three stars across all levels you can play a boss level but I honestly didn’t have the patience or will to attempt this challenging feat.
Just a Blob
The graphics are as simple as they come. You play a little blob with eyes which I guess is kind of cute, but the platforms, environments and hazards are just standard solid colours. It’s all a bit plain lacking any personality or substance. There’s also a very random upbeat score that just plays in the background that feels like it’s just kinda tacked on.
The blob also has no death animation which feels out of place. Fall on a spike and your blob just disappear and you restart back at the start of the level. I guess programming a fun red explosion or something was not a consideration here.
Controls
Control-wise you use A and D to move left and right (I hope you are efficient with WASD) and you press the spacebar to jump. At this stage, there is no controller support. You can also shoot out a rope to help you move blocks and swing from blocks stuck to the ceiling.
You can adjust the length of the rope with W and S. Generally the controls are okay, but I often found I had to slam the spacebar to get the blob to jump as sometimes he preferred to ignore my command and just fall into a spike pit. It’s not exactly solid and for a game that has you be precise under a time limit, it’s not ideal.
Unusual Flaws
A weird flaw I found in the 3-star rating system. If you die and restart the level from the beginning your time meter is still going down from the first time you started the level. The only way to restart the timer is to literally go into the options and restart. So if you’re looking to get that mythical three-star rating on every level expect to restart manually a lot.
Conclusion – A Place to Start
Crazy Jump, just like its name, is a very basic platformer. While I had some fun with it I didn’t feel at all compelled to get all 3 stars on every level. PC is a good place for new developers to start to hone their craft but it’s unlikely Crazy Jump is going to turn heads. The graphics are too plain and the gameplay lacks anything unique.
If Crazy Jump was the only platformer you ever played in the 1980s you might think it’s pretty awesome but today it’s just another platformer in a sea of so many others. I guess it is pretty cheap though.
Final Verdict: I’m Not Sure
