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Community Discussion: Blog by Anthony Burch | A followup to my JUMP! reviewDestructoid
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At the time of writing the review, I hadn't completed the game and thus didn't give it a score. The Dtoid tips line got an angy email from some guy who hilariously ended with "email me back if you want my full review," basically saying that I sucked as a gamer and reviewer because I couldn't beat it.

I'm not going to argue that specific point so much as I'm going to say that I have since beaten JUMP!, and consider it just as bad as I did the first go-around.

The problem with JUMP! isn't that it's overly hard -- it's that it assumes being "retro" when it comes to difficulty is a reasonable substitute for legitimately interesting level design. You'll die not because the game is throwing a bunch of really interesting, really difficult shit at you (a la, let's say, N+), but because the platforming challenges are so not-demanding that you'll more or less just sleepwalk through most of the boring parts, and occasionally die just because you weren't paying all that much attention. I think I addressed this in the original review through constantly blabbing about "uninspired platforming" whenever possible.

When I finally hunkered down and tried to keep my attention as fixed on the game as possible, I beat it with a half-dozen lives left over; I also didn't feel any better than I had when I lost all my lives on the second-to-last level. Yeah, I'd put enough effort into the game to beat it in one sitting, but I wasn't really given anything in return.

The game wants it both ways: it wants you to get that retro feeling of accomplishment and triumphing over punishing-but-fair level design, but it also wants to make the game easy (and therefore, in many cases, boring) enough so that an average person can make it all the way through.

So, yeah, I still don't think it's very good.



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I swear it wasn't me Anthony. :p

Anyways, I REALLY enjoyed our discourse over Demon's Souls, and thanks for this follow-up blog.
I beat it this morning, I was saddened to figure out there was only 30 levels.
and the challenge levels are just the same but you have to get all treasure in each level again.

All in all it was a great way to spend 240 points. 11/10
Honestly Anthony, don't sweat it. I don't want a review from a freakish anomaly with the infinite patience to complete any game, no matter how painful the pursuit may be. I want a review from an honest guy who gives genuine, thoughtful feedback.

So next time, get someone like that to review it! ;)
What CaptainBus said!
Fair enough comments, I personally like it but think Pixel Man has it beaten in the retro stakes. Look that one up on Xbox Indie Games if you get the chance.
Sounds like the use of retro-magic is enough to get some people to enjoy the game. I think Anthony's original review did plenty to let you know that was a a major selling point for the game.

I'm hoping that eventually all the games in this experimental series will be released on one disk. Maybe they'll all be more fun in that context.
TOO BAD YOU SUCK AT DEMON SOULZ LALALALOLOLOLOLOL

*ahem*

Good follow-up
i was looking at this and the adorable graphics nearly won me over -- it's a good thing i have all of my MS-bucks budgeted towards the new GTA 'spansion this month.
Looks like a more pixelly Spelunky.
Where's the number score?! I demand a number!! My life is incomplete without a number!!! If I kill myself it's your fault, Anthony!!!!
Yep. I bet it still does suck.

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