Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

Good! I can test j2b files now!!

It’s a very pretty level, and plays well. The one ‘gimmick’ (if you can call it that) is the big clock tower at the centre of the level: there’s some ammo behind it and you can ‘hide’ in it. This is a little unintuitive to me, somehow it seems to make more sense for it to be solid as it usually it is in other levels. But that’s a bit of a nitpick, and easy enough to get used to. I like how there’s a lot of ammo and a few powerups too, which should enable fast-paced games in a level this small, though there are also three carrots which could be quite powerful/annoying in the hands of a defensive player. Then again, there’s not really anywhere to hide in a level of this size.

It’s funny how much of a difference the music makes – I initially played this with music off and thought it had a very nice tranquil nighttime kind of athmosphere. Then I enabled music and that went completely out of the window as the funky guitar kicked in. It’s still a nice track though, and fits the graphics too, in a different way.

All in all, a good-looking and well-made level!

A very Purple-Jazzed up level that encourages a lot of mooning about.

I give 9 because I like the tile set, the level design and the soundtrack.
And I like the fact that there is a giant Moon in the background.

When you’re new to the multiplayer level-making scene, figuring out what to design can be a challenge. I feel like this is their best level out of the three (as of this review). So, without ado let’s go;

• Has an understanding of how layers work
• The CTF bases work
• It has ammo, some powerups and carrots
• Most of it looks functional
• A little sense of risk/reward and control (for example, the gun9 placement)

And what could be improved is..a lot.

The first impression I got was..very confusing eyecandy. It uses a lot of layer 3 and traditionally layer 4 tiles as visuals. I think it’s trying to look pretty, though it either comes off as intrusive or misleading. It also covers one of the important pieces of key ammo, gun 9. Covering key areas with layer 3 is something to be very careful with, generally left only to secrets or adding a small touch of atmosphere. Some levelmakers will tint the colour of non-functioning sprite layer scenery to show it’s not interact-able (with either scripting, or the classic translucent tile trick), or other, intended tiles filling the space. Or they at least add parallax to those kind of tiles, which gives a sense of depth (can still be kind of confusing, but much-less so).

The second impression I got is the levelmaker struggles to find where the one-way event is, which explains how they are often lacking where they should be – for example the branch above the left of the red base, or the edges of the hut platforms. You can copy and paste events, and adding one ways is more appreciated than not having them at all.

My third impression is that it’s practically unplayable without Spaz. Yes I get it, most players use him, though a lot of it can be so easily fixed in a way that would improve flow for everyone. For example, the branches area near red base can be climbed to the top with him, without having to go all the way around, you can doublejump to the blue-base from below with the green spring and jump to there from the right conveniently. It’s considered good courtesy to keep levels functional for all characters.

And then…the base balance. From what I’ve checked the creator has also made, they seem to really dislike red team. Blue base is given a lot more defense and a strong powerup nearby. Even if they are less close to the full carrot, they could way more easily fend it off. Red also more closely gets the ice powerup – one of the weakest, if not the weakest powerup in the entire game. Remember that by default, players do not get hurt, can break out manually and the powerup does no extra damage.

There’s more flaws I could point out, though I believe I’ve written enough for a beginner.

If I have to be super honest though, I actually don’t recommend newbies make multiplayer levels until they have played online for a reasonable amount of time. This gives a baseline understanding of what makes a multiplayer level fun, and is extremely hard to understand by explanation alone. I see a world of difference in improvement when levelmakers make multiplayer levels where they haven’t played online at all, vs when they have – especially for several months.

Don’t let this review put you off from levelmaking though, new blood is always welcome when you’re willing to learn and put in some effort! With some more experience, I think you have potential.

I’d recommend using Multi layer level editor, which allows you to find events easily now by sticking in key letters/words – very handy for JCS newbies and saving time on placing new events. You can also set smart tiling with it, saving much long-term time constructing base layouts.

You can add a bottomless pit by placing a MCE event in the complete bottom right corner of any level.

This is a test alright. It ticks all the boxes: Top Secret 3, ill-fitting music, test where you have to rocket climb, test where you have to jump just the right height, invisible maze, et cetera. You know, the hits. It’s not particularly offensive, but it’s also nothing we’ve not seen a thousand times, which raises the question: why would we want to see it a thousand and one times?

If you really must make another test, at least try to be a bit original: don’t just re-make the same test that everyone else has already made, but come up with something new, a new kind of puzzle or challenge. This level has none of that.

Awesome

This is great!

Castle with yellow looks nice!

Good but seems unfinished
Jungle Paradise Day looks good for me

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It’s like the 1st episode but bigger and more difficult

Awesome eyecandy

Ahmed: You can read more about level groups here: https://www.jazz2online.com/wiki/Category:%20Level%20Groups

You don’t join one by claiming it out, but you’ll have to develop yourself as a level maker and when you feel ready, apply for joining by a tryout, typically. :)

cooba : So how I be a part of XLM ? Rysice : Ok I edited it! Sorry about that! :/

Its unplayble – I can’t capture flag because wrong placed ctf base event

Unless I missed something you are not currently a member of XLM. Please reupload this with the filenames changed.

This sole program kept content creation in jj2 alive. Fills the gap to make jj2+ and content creation streamlined. Everything that is here is already top notch, i hope to see future updates that make tileset/palette editing even easier. Nevertheless this deserves a 10.0 already.

This is an invaluable library for scripters and the demo weapons are well-made too; they are easy and fun to play with, and now also easy to add to your own levels.