Tileset conversion, by 
Ok, it seems the newer folks have never even seen the original Jazz Jackrabbit from 1994. Back then the graphics were far more… primitive than they are now, think of… Super Mario Advance :P This tileset is a conversion, so the graphics were already made. Labratkid merely ported them to JCS, so it needs to be approached from a different angle than, o say, a whole new level. This review will first focus on the regular 2005 version, then explain the differences between that and the evening version.
Conversion Completeness
Violet will probably disagree, but I don’t see anything missing, and I do mean nothing is missing. Aside from the expected stuff like brick and stone platfroms, windows and whatnot, there are some other things in JJ1 nicely reproduced. Advertisement of the Gravis Gamepad? Got it. “Enjoy Epic”? you betcha. The missles you could ride? They’re back, as animated sprites. Platforms moving at insane speeds? What do you think? City Background, transport tubes, Epic Pinball and One Must Fall, this set’s got it all. Sorry, couldn’t resist. :P
Added extras
In this era of J2O, people expect a conversion not only to be complete, but to have some extras as well. JJ2 has more features than JJ1 and it would be a shame not to use them. Check off time!
- Vines: check, with all three kinds of background tiles.
- Poles: same story
- Hooks: none
- destructable blocks: only two, the * and ! kind.
- Sucker Tubes: see previous sections
- Conveyor Belts: none. In an urban world like Industrius he could have easily put some in.
- 3D Background: it’s there but… why is it blue? I suspect palette issues have something to do with it, but it would have been if it was pink like in JJ1, call me a purist if you will. At least it works in 8-bit.
- Text signs: based on the JJ1 ones.
- Trigger blocks: only the outlined ones.
- Inivisible tiles: check.
- Rain and Lightning: check.
- Sun and Moon: technically it should be in the previous section, but Industrius had neither in JJ1, that’s why it’s here. Check.
- Credits: Check.
Masking
Perfectly smooth, nothing jagged. It’s always interesting to see those hidden mask messages. Of course, it’s all nonsense. Keen fans can rejoice, there’s a message written in SGA (Standard Galactic Alphabet). If only I could decipher it…
Evening version
The evening version is a simple palette edit, but it’s… not all the way perfect. Everything now has a more orange/rusty tint, and I do mean everything. Labratkid has edited the standard game colors too, so they have the same effect. Intentional or not, i’ll consider it a “happy accident” and will hold nothing against it. I do wish there’s more variaty of shades or colors, I have a feeling a coupel of shades have two entries in the palette.
Example level(not counted to rating)
Just a smal battle level, its biggest goal is showing how to use the set. Those who have played Unreal Tournament may feel right at home, not only because of the music, but the overall setting. There are two mini-arenas next to the main one, an interesting idea. It’s only a tad heavy on the pickups in some areas. Not the best level, but it serves it’s purpose.
Final Verdict
A perfect conversion, but the added stuff isn’t quite perfect. More could have been done. That aside, it’s a recommended for those JJ1 tileset lovers :P
[edit: Thank you Cooba, I now see they are invisible slope tiles. Next time, instead of posting a comment, drop me a PM, ok? I’m not amused at the way you just pointed out mistakes in my review]
- JelZe GoldRabbit =:3
