Status shinespark Jul 11, 2025
I've always had a real soft spot for Jumping Flash 1, so I thought I'd finally check out Robbit's second adventure for the letter J in the Grouvee Alphabet Challenge!
I've never played it so the nostalgia factor isn't there, of course. There's just no realistic way this iterative sequel could compare to my very first experience with 3D …
I've always had a real soft spot for Jumping Flash 1, so I thought I'd finally check out Robbit's second adventure for the letter J in the Grouvee Alphabet Challenge!
I've never played it so the nostalgia factor isn't there, of course. There's just no realistic way this iterative sequel could compare to my very first experience with 3D games, as a wide-eyed little kid in the demo kiosk of a decrepit Circuit City. Even so, Jumping Flash 2 is a better game than the first in every way that's measurable. It runs much more smoothly. It's got these delightfully absurd cutscenes between levels, where the original game's villain is forced to work together with Robbit to take down the even more heinous Captain Kabuki, a sort of punning, evil take on Katamari Damacy's King of All Cosmos. And crucially the level design is leagues better, with more novel locales besides the typical grass/desert/ice worlds, and a much clearer understanding of how to build playful spaces in 3D.
I reveled in JF2's gentle goofiness for most of its brief 3 hour running time, and the deviously tricky bonus stages were a consistent treat. But the real standout here is a level set in a moonlit theme park, complete with fireworks, concession stands, and rideable rollercoasters that you can use to zoom around in search of precious MuuMuus. That wonder I knew as a kid, at the endless possibility of our invented digital worlds, it's harder to access now that I'm ancient and weathered. Looking up at that bitcrushed night sky though, I felt it flicker.
All told it's just an incredibly simple and joyful little platformer, and definitely worth checking out if you need something to play for J!
