Jumping Flash! 2 Review

On the surface, Jumping Flash! 2 looks like nothing more than a cutesey game aimed at younger kids. While it is that, it's also a whole lot more. And though players would hardly expect it, this game is truly innovative and contains an outstanding interface that provides a very exciting, challenging adventure for kids and older gamers alike.

Taking on the role of Robbit, players have powers mere mortals can only dream of. As the name of the game implies, Robbit loves to jump. In fact, Robbit can jump miles into the air, leap from building to building, and soar through the heavens. And the game is so well-designed that it actually induces the feeling of falling on the way down. Acrophobes beware: this game will send you back into therapy.

Not only are the basic controls excellent, but the designs of the individual levels are also masterful works in their own right. Each world has its own quirky look, from Crayola-like levels to ancient China. And each level extends high into the sky. There are some very cool and strange twists that are sure to dazzle, like whales swimming through the sky...after all, anything goes in video game land.

There is one minor problem with this game: As the worlds get larger, it gets harder and harder to find the Muu Muus and rescue them. While this may be considered challenging, in reality it leads to unnecessary frustration, especially since it's usually hard enough to reach the Muu Muus as it is. After enough tries, though, it's not too difficult to memorize the levels and hunt down the Muu Muus with Robbit's close-range radar.

By emphasizing strategy and control over violence, with minimal shooting (and odd, bug-like characters who don't explode in blood when they die), Jumping Flash! 2 is a perfect game for the younger audience. It's also a great challenge for the experienced gamer with a stomach of steel and a taste for heights.