Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

Well, this is another TSF-based tileset by Waz. I really wish Waz would begin making his tilesets in 1.23, as it is much more convinient and would likely fetch many more reviews than in 1.24. Still, this is a solid nature tileset and, although it has plenty of good competition, it is still worthy of making levels with. Unfortunately, the likelihood it will be used is diminished by the fact that it is TSF. Well, anyway, on to the review.

THEME: The theme is nature, although there are a few blocks that are sort of out of place. Perhaps it is some nature near Roswell, New Mexico. What I am referring to is a crashed space ship which can be used for eyecandy. This seems a bit out of place, but does not blend all that badly into the eyecandy of this level. There are some grey blocks used for supports, and of course there are the normal ground and nature tiles. It feels like a nature tileset, and is therefore well-done themewise.
Pros: It feels, tastes, and looks like a nature tileset.
Cons: The spaceship is way too cartoony.
Rating: 7.5

GRAPHICS: The graphics in this tileset really do look fantastic. The shading of everything, along with the tile quality, looks fantastic. Again, the only part in which graphics quality is compromised is definitely the space ship. It looks out of place and seems to have been put in at the last minute – it looks bad and is badly drawn. Still, this tileset features outstanding graphics quality.
Pros: Graphics are very, very well done.
Cons: The space ship not only looks out of place in the level, but it looks badly drawn. There are a few other graphics inconsistincies, but not too many.
Rating: 8.5

INVENTORY: There are a few things that are missing here. Spikes, hooks, and (eep) sucker tubes are all missing from the tileset. The rest of the stuff is here, but this area still needs work.
Pros: Most stuff is here.
Cons: A few things are missing, such as sucker tubes, hooks, spikes, and the like.
Rating: 7.2

ORIGINALITY: There is not much originality going on here. Plenty of other tilesets in this realm exist, and that is bad for the overall originality. There are some interesting parts of this tileset that do consititute some originality, but most of it is badly done. For instance, the spaceship is indeed original and not something you would often see in a nature-themed tileset. This could be attributed to one reason: it just does not fit, and besides, it looks pretty bad. Aside of a few minor blemishes, this tileset is good, but not original.

COMPETITION: There are plenty of nature tilesets out there that compete with this tileset, but there are plenty of nice things about this tileset that keep it in the running. Most of the tilesets in the nature area are probably inferior to this one, but there are still some great tilesets in this category that definitely beat this one (“Nature” by Disguise, for instance.) Still, it’s enjoyable and a good tileset.
(No pros given)
(No cons given)
(No rating given)

EASE OF USE: Tileset ease of use may look fairly easy at first, but it is not as easy as one would think from a quick glance at it. Namely, the tileset lacks some tiles that are more or less requirements in such tilesets. Still, if the tile that you need is there, this tileset is fairly easy-to-use.
Pros: The tileset layout is good, and most things are there.
Cons: A few tileset tiles that you would probably need are simply missing.
Rating: 7.2

MASKING: Yet again, the spaceship is badly masked. The vines and slopes also look a bit questionable, and the former seems to be automasked. Other than that, masking looks alright.
Pros: For the most part, masking is good.
Cons: Spaceship, vines, and slopes need some work.
Rating: 7.5

OVERALL: This is a great tileset, at least by appearance. However, once you get down into the technical parts of the tileset, there are a few problems. Graphics are great, but the other categories are mostly in the 7 range. This is by no means a bad tileset, but it just does not live up to its graphics, especially the spaceship, which should have been dropped completely. Good quality, but needs some work before it can live up to the quality of its graphics. And please, PLEASE, make 1.23 tilesets instead.
Pros: Looks fantastic.
Cons: Some of the “technical” aspects of the tileset need work. Spaceship. It’s TSF.
Rating: 7.7

EYECANDY
Eyecandy Look: A -
Usability: B+
Tiles Available: B+
Foreground: A -
Background: B+

TECHNICAL
Tiles Available: B+
Masking: B+
Tile Fitting: B+

OVERALL: B+

OVERALL RATING: 7.7

This is a nice tileset by Waz, although there are several things I don’t like about it. Well, it’s probably only one thing, and that’s just because it’s in TSF when it doesn’t have to be. I would consider using it if it was in 1.23 instead, but that’s just me. If you can’t do it yourself, I could be willing to help. In the long run, if you make tilesets in 1.23, it will get more people to use them in their levels. Just something to think about…

Anyway, my rating is a 7.7 only because it’s a good tileset (it’s better than the other ones you’ve made before), but doesn’t go too far with originality. But still, I like it so keep up the good work.[This review has been edited by BlurredD]

Ah! Something of good quality (I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m assuming) that is actually the author’s original work. About time.

THEME: The theme is.. well, it’s a nature tileset. There are also a bunch of grey blocks for structures not supported by the ground ground, and of course a big crashed spaceship or something.
Pros: Feels like a nature tileset, though I’ll admit that’s not paticularly hard.
Cons: The spaceship just does not fit in. It is of much lower quality then the rest of the tileset as well.
Rating: 7.5

GRAPHICS: The tileset Looks great. Textures, shading, abstractness.. you get the idea.
Pros: Almost everything has great graphics.
Cons: I do not care for any of the destructable blocks, the brown tree could use a little work, and the spaceship should be thrown out entirely.
Rating: 8.7

INVENTORY: H/V poles, vines, signs, and various block types.
Pros: The more common stuff is there.
Cons: No hook, spikes (I suppose it does seem to be an exclusively multiplayer tileset, but still), sucker tubes…
Rating: 7.5

ORIGINALITY: No matter how hard they try, nature tilesets always seem to end up being not paticularly original. The ground feels like (though it isn’t) Easter Island, the layer 4 background Carrotus, a good deal of the tileset Forest, much of the foliage Oasis, etc. I suppose seeing as it makes no attempt to be original I shall make no attempt to rate this factor.

COMPETITION: Any nature tileset has tons of competition. This one looks great, but the fact is there are better ones out there, which are actually 1.23. Nature’s Ruins, for example.
(No pros given)
(No cons given)
(No rating given)

EASE OF USE: This tileset is fairly easy to use, though you may spend a few seconds now and then hunting for just the right tile. However, sometimes, the right tile will simply not be there. Several things are missing from this tileset, such as some cage-edges on slopes.
Pros: Most things are where you’d expect them.
Cons: Some tiles are hard to find or just don’t exist.
Rating: 7.2

MASKING: The masking is mostly good, sensible solid/unsolid stuff.
Pros: Mostly good.
Cons: The spaceship is masked badly, some of the vine-attached-to-wall tiles are left automasked, and the slopes are a bit too bumpy for my tastes.
Rating: 7.2

OVERALL: This is a great looking tileset which suffers from a slight lack of much to back up the graphics. There is really nothing new or exciting about this tileset, and there’s no textured background. This is most certainly a multiplayer tileset.
Pros: Looks great, decent masking, useful stuff included.
Cons: Not paticularly new, some masking problems, spaceship still looks horrible.
Rating: 8.2

Edit: Waz, ok, here is what I can tell you about the 1.23/1.24 thing.
1.24 is the TSF version of JJ2, costing money. 1.23 is the “normal” version. 1.24 can run anything 1.23 can, but not vice versa, so it’s best to make things 1.23 whenever possible (I.E. if the tileset is less then 1030 tiles, or if the level uses a 1.23 tileset). You, however, ONLY have TSF, so you can not compile your tilesets in 1.23, but it Is possible for you to send the normal file and the mask file to someone who does have 1.23 to compile it for you, which is what people would appreciate if you did.[This review has been edited by Violet CLM]

There goes my last minute effort to make the pack myself. All I had to make was the stupid little text file that goes with it. I did change a few levels in the pack, but it might not really matter. I think I’ll go bang myself in the head with a heavy object for wasting all that time which could have been better spent.

(and i wasted more time just writing this up. bleh.)

And in other news, I had no idea of how many classic levels to keep. Me personally, I would have had five or less since some of them seem to be getting overplayed, but go figure. Also, I didn’t pick/suggest every level in the pack. In the end, something about someone else’s opinion got in the way so I don’t know and enjoy the levels. And last (but not least), is Security Breach v2. Version 2? I see many disappointed players in the near future. Security Breach just isn’t as fun without the jail. BTW, it uses j1Battleships.j2t.

Well eh…..THIS ROCKS but just like violet clm said ùore stuf outside the hotel plz!

…
NOW you’re concerned about lag and stuff.

Weee, these are teh greatest levels ever. But if you’re so concerned about download lag, maybe you shouldn’t make big levels with lots of eyecandy. Just a thought…

Superjazz reviews. Important: No originality anymore. That’s weird thing and can’t be rated. And music choice away too.

DESIGN
Quite good. But could have a little more action.
7/10

EYECANDY
This is otherwise good but the foreground layer is badly placed. That looks poor.
6/10

GAMEPLAY
You said that this is big sp level. In fact this is not. This is quite short.
And not fun. Level is completed in 5 minutes or hardly even that.
3/10

DIFFICULTY
Way too easy because so short level.
5/10

INCLUDING
Well, this hasn’t very many files but you named the readme as same as level. Good!
7/10

PICKUP AND ENEMY PLACEMENT
Enemies are this time placed well, but a little lesser of items.
7/10

+ or – extra points.
+1 Good endboss in the level.
+1 Ok readme file

Overall: 6.1666667 Level rank: Averagelevel
Download recommendation: No need. Level is way too short. Waste of time.

Overall comments: So average level again. Put more time to your levels, so it looks a big level. But the level size is not the only way. You can also make more than one level, so then it doesn’t need to be so big. So, otherwise ok, but level size, remember!

Superjazz was here.

A whole load of levels, most of it bad or at least below average. I won’t take the time to rate evrything sepparatly, at least not now. Maybe some other time.

A few advices:
1-don’t upload TOO much levels at once, since most of us rate it all sepparatly. Don’t make it more than 15 next time. (15 is a LOT, but still reasonnable.)
2-Make sure the stuff is FINISHED. What’s the idea of uploading unfinished stuff? You won’t get good ratings like this.

I won’t rate this, since it would take hours to check evrything out.

I played only the tsf! becose the tsf ar better then 1.23, but its very good lvls

ello > :) < i hate some lvls but…. ther ar vry good a 9.5, oke??? ye!

cool episode and nice lvls>>>>:)<<<

YaY i like most of the levels.
and WHY did you have to put JAIL in it omg that lvl is …..

ab5ctf12 got tileset not found o.0

(Acronym edit. -Trafton)[This review has been edited by Trafton AT]

I’d take Toxic Waste out, it crashed last year’s server.

(Written after the re-upload was doanloaded)

Overall, I think this years pack is good. I have a few objections I’d like to share, though I’m not likely to be playing it.

It’s not so much that the levels I’m going to point out are bad, so I hope none of the authors think badly about it. :P I didn’t like the One where you jump from island to island and if you miss you fall to get warped. I also didn’t like Knighmare Castle due to it being so easy. It’s kind of like Stupid CTF, but no where near as fun (or as small). I also didn’t like JAIL being included. I like the level, and in the day I hosted it a ton, but I think it’s been a bit overplayed. :P

Other than those: Good picks.

Bloodbunny’s Lair, Happy Semiconductor CTF AND Diamondus Warzone got in here, so I refuse to review any of them.

What did I do? :)

Level 1: Officials VS Competitors (original name unknown)
Trafton’s copy of this level may have come from an OVC match, but I always have and probably always will identify it with Team Battle, a game mode it is ideal for. This level, using the Medivo tileset, has good (though nothing spectacular or new) eyecandy, great gameplay and design, and the standard music. I find I can not say anything bad about this level at all, in fact. Yay whoever made it (Mike?).

Level 2: e-Line Circuits
This is another of my favorite battle levels. I have been told it is grossly underplayed (I don’t join servers as a general rule, so I’m taking their word for it), and I can’t see why. The eyecandy is/was new, though just a little on the sparse side, and the rest of the factors are great. The multiple warp targets idea is used well IMHO. So far, this pack is turning out great.

Level 3: Mystic Forest Cave
Oh well. A lot of people like this, but I can not say I really care for it. Battles end up converging around the Toaster powerup, and the flow is horrible. Still, despite the fact that I do not like it, I suppose it’s a good level.

Level 4: Universal Warzone
Several of the levels in this pack seem to be levels I hosted as Newer Rabbitaria pregames, and I’m beginning to wonder if that’s how I helped. Anyway, this is a good level using a good tileset. The main problem with this level is, of course, the infamous bug where you get stuck if you hit a certain spring. Trafton/whoever was apparently able to do nothing (or didn’t bother to) about this, sadly, so it’s still there. Other then that, this is another great level.

Level 5: Toxic Waste (no, not THAT Toxic Waste, the OTHER Toxic Waste)
I can not say I really like this tileset all that much, but this level (as do seemingly all that use it) uses it pretty well. There is nothing revolutionary or amazing about anything in this level, it is just a solid battle level which takes few chances. The flow could use just a little work.

Level 6: Chocolate Lamp
This level is HORRIBLE! Boring background (just a flashing color with some moving bubbles), single (for the most part) colored walls, incredibly sparse ammo placement, tons of chocolate.. you name it! The whole level looks like it was made by a hyperactive kid on a sugar rush in two days with an urge to add every powerup imaginable! The top half of the design is ok, I’ll admit, but the bottom half is either too cramped or too open, and plainly uninspired. As a saving grace, there are some nice sucker tube things, though the vertical ones on either side could have been done much better.

Level 7: Carrotus Squash
This is possibly the best example of an unoriginal, solid level I have ever seen. The author knew what he wanted (I think) to present with this level, and suceeded – normal Battle gameplay, but at its best. This is, simply, a great level all around. The eyecandy is nothing amazing, the gameplay is nothing new, the design is standard, but all put together they come out AOK.

Level 8: Shine-o-Rific Land
This is another example of a good, solid level that doesn’t rely on dazzling special effects to generate fun. My only real complaint about this is that the background is too plain.

Level 9: Sandstrand O’Hazes
I do not recall seeing this level before. Regardless, it’s an interesting level, but while like the last two it shows nothing new or exciting, it does not execute this well enough to make it super cool. I am not too fond of this, but it’s ok.

Level 10: Doomsday Darksdream
Now, THIS level I have seen before. I can not, however, think of too much that is interesting to say about it. Everything in it is done well, except for one or two spots where I think it’s a wee bit too cramped, and the background doesn’t work in 8-bit (not entirely the level maker’s fault). Still, this is another great level for this great (as of yet) pack.

Level 11: Green Beret
I never want to see this level again. Not that it’s very bad, in fact it’s good, but I am so incredibly sick of it!

Level 12: Hectic Housewars
One of the most recent levels of this pack (I’m not sure how many of the levels were actually Made in the previous year, but probably not too many), this is interesting but I think it’s grows a bit boring after extended play. The tileset use is, of course, good, and the design is good, but there’s just something wrong about this level I can’t put my finger on.

Level 13:
Never seen this one before! It uses Blade’s Oasis tileset, and I can only assume the level’s theme is an Oasis as well. This level is overall good, but I have one gripe with it, the background. It’s nice that Mike found tiles in the tileset that could be textured, but it really needs support from the other background layers to not look so incredibly dull, especially in conjuncture with the lack of color of the rest of the tileset. (The level needs more greenery) Apparently there’s a shield in this level, but I don’t know where.

Level 14: Forsaken
A good level by BlurredD, using one of the most complicated tilesets in existance (certainly harder then Metal Mania). For some reason I thought this was a Treasure Hunt level at first. Anyway, there is really little to say about this level, as it feels like any other Egypt level based inside the temple and not outside.

Level 15: Virtual Headache
Umm.. this level, using the Jungle tileset, was made by a variety of different people and comes out with multiple types of eyecandy, gameplay and design, if not music. It is actually kind of hard to review, and besides, I worked on it (though it’s hard to tell as almost everything I did was cut out by someone later on in the chain).

Level 16: Higher Fragging Rate
I’ve reviewed this one before, and I don’t feel like doing it again. Let it just be said that this level is a very vertically oriented piece of work with some nice strategy.

Level 17: 60,000 Feet Under
This is another good, solid level with nothing much all that interesting. My main gripe with it is the eyecandy, as it uses Dam Nation in such a way as it looks like the most boring tileset in existance, which it isn’t.

Level 18: Rockingham II
This, like Carrotus Squash (a better level, however), is a simple solid Carrotus level with nothing too amazing, just bringing normal tileset use/gameplay to its best. I am not quite sure if the two of them belong in the same pack, but oh well.

Level 19: Dark Fortress
VERY interesting choice to come after the last two levels, as it contrasts with both of them so incredibly. While 60,000 feet under and Rockingham II were solid normal levels with mostly standard tileset use, this is different. The author takes chances and usually suceeds, with fun gameplay, good design (a little too vertical, but oh well), and eyecandy which you can look at it without getting dizzy. There are also a lot of coins, several morphs (!), and some TNT (…) to round out this very interesting level.

Level 20: Spider Swamp
I find the only thing I can say about this is “I never knew Swamps had an owl”.

Level 21: Chemical Reactions 2
Ok, who made this (..oh, MidN), how did it get in here (I see, MidN made it), and why on earth is it Battle and not Treasure Hunt? This would make a GREAT treasure hunt level, but it seems to be Battle instead. Anyway, it feels amazingly like the official multiplayer levels, in that it’s rather linear and has several dead ends. The eyecandy is a lot more daring then in the official levels, but I’ve never been a fan of layer 4 walls in the background without at least a transparent black tile in front of them. While this is interesting, and probably the most different level in the pack, I still say it should be Treasure Hunt instead.

Level 22: Where Warriors Fall
WAHHHH MEMORIES!!!! I learned to fight in this level…. . did you know you can push Monolith all the way from the coin warp back to it again? Umm, anyway. This is a good, oldish level, but I find that it makes a pretty good last level. As with many of these levels, it’s a good solid play.

Overall, this is a great pack composed of some of the best levels around (and one or two others). My main complaint is that there are too many good, solid levels and not enough exciting ones like Dark Fortress.[This review has been edited by Violet CLM]

Eyecandy was horrible, all most as bad as my sister’s old levels.
There was a lot of originality, though. There were no copied ideas, and many new ones.
The levels weren’t very fun, but I can tell the author just uploaded these for fun.

I love the selection. It can’t be faulted – Carrotus Squash is in it, and Toxic Waste is in it. Good stuff. I’m sorta glad that ‘Bobbo Meets Royalty’ isn’t in it this time ;)

First level? Meh, not really. :P

EDIT: Hmmm Newspaz is right, they replaced it last year cause of that.[This review has been edited by defalcon]

Well, it’s that time again – Anniversary Bash is coming this weekend (the 12th and 13th). This pack features the battle levels for AB (CTF will be coming in a bit). AB is Anniversary Bash, an event that occurs once every year on the anniversary of the release of the shareware version of Jazz 2. Since I did not make the levels, please do not rate this, though feel free to review them). Here are a few shorts reviews of the various levels in this pack (I will post extended versions once I get enough time to):

1. Officials Vs. Competitors (ab5btl1.j2l)
This is a good and fairly unknown Medivo level. I like it, so I thought I would include it. My apologies to whoever made it, as I’m not sure.

2. e-Line Circuits by BlurredD (ab5btl2.j2l)
This level features a very creative and well-done layout and some neat-looking eyecandy. Also, I thought that BlurredD should have three levels in here.

3. Mystic Forest Cave by Spy (ab5btl3.j2l)
This is a really good Jungle level, and far underhosted in my opinion. The flow is nice, especially for a battle level, and it is a classic.

4. Universal Warground by CelL (ab5btl4.j2l)
What would AB5 be without an array of levels based on Disguise tilesets by CelL?

5. Toxic Waste by Shadow GpW (ab5btl5.j2l)
One of my favorite all-time Shadow levels, and definitely a great battle level. Plus it has a lot of cheese.

6. Chocolate Lamp by Violet CLM (ab5btl6.j2l)
This level is nice, as it is a break from a lot of dark-like space themed levels. It’s an enjoyable, fun level with enjoyable gameplay.

7. Carrotus Squash by martin aka partydude (ab5btl7.j2l)
Definitely a classic. You really can’t go wrong with Martin’s levels, even if it does use Carrotus.

8. Shine-O-Rific Land by EvilMike (ab5btl8.j2l)
This level uses JJ1: Diamondus and is a fun level, especially when there are quite a few people. Even though it is small, it balances that out with good weapon placement. An old favorite.

9. Tribal Temple CTF by Cell (ab5btl9.j2l)
Something about this level just makes me want to put it in the pack. I really don’t know what that is though. In any case, this is a worthy level, and one with no serious flaws.

10. Sandstrand O’Hazes by spy (ab5btl10.j2l)
This is a popular level, and while I am not a huge fan of it, something made me want to put it in the pack anyway. So I did.

11. Green Beret by Bluez (ab5btl11.j2l)
Like six hundred people asked me to put this in the pack, and I like it, so it’s in.

12. Hectic Housewars by Disguise (ab5btl12.j2l)
I wanted to include a Disguise level, and this one was his most recent, so I elected to put this in. It’s fun and definitely a unique level.

13. by EvilMike (ab5btl13.j2l)
I included this half because it’s a great level and half because I like to be yelled at for including a level featuring a shield.

14. Forsaken by BlurredD (ab5btl13.j2l)
What can I say? A BlurredD level using Agama’s Egypt. I love Agama tilesets and this level definitely makes great use of Egypt.

15. Virtual Headache by Project Forward (ab5btl15.j2l)
Perhaps one of the best collaberation levels of all time. A great use of Jungle, and tons of fun to play.

16. Higer Fragging Rate by FireSworD (ab5btl16.j2l)
A great FS level. I had to include one level using 7th Lava Fall, and this definitely was the best this year. Nice gameplay, good weapon placement, and all-around a fun level.

17. 60,000 Feet Under by BlurredD (ab5btl17.j2l)
It’s always a good idea to have plenty of default tileset-based levels in AB packs for obvious reasons, and this is one. Well done with good item placement and gameplay. And it’s by BlurredD, so why not.

18. Rockingham II by Merlyn (ab5btl18.j2l)
It may be a Carrotus level, but it’s amazingly well-done. I feel bad for including two entire Carrotus levels, but well…this is just too good to resist.

19. The Dark Fortress by CelL (ab5btl19.j2l)
A fun and definitely unique Castle level. Plus it’s by CelL.

20. Spider Swamp by defalcon (ab5btl20.j2l)
A fantastic level using the famous Agama tileset. This was apparently a first level, and a great one at that. Fun to play, and even more fun to just sit back and look at.

21. Chemical Reactionz II by MidN aka Chimaera (ab5btl21.j2l)
By (in my opinion) the most underrated levelmaker of all time, this is a great Labrat level. I had to put something by MidN in here, and this is a great level, not to mention fun to play.

Special thanks to Bobby aka Dizzy, FireSworD, and Violet CLM for help along the way. Also thanks to the AB5 organizers and hosts. I hope you enjoy this pack. See you at AB5!

EDIT: Various longer reviews.

16. Higher Fragging Rate
“Higher Fragging Rate” was intended to bring some strategy into the fairly strategy-deprived world of battle levels. This is a step in the right direction, but there are a few more steps before battle is truly a strategy-heavy mode. The level may be gameplay-centric, but it is not short on gameplay. It has an elevator-ish background with a foreground that is sort of industrial (it uses 7th Lava Fall by Dethman, which usually ends up either looking like a city or some sort of factory, this time it is a factory.) Weapon placement is good, but not amazing. The flow is good, but there are some places where it is hard to move around. It did, at times, remind me a lot of battle1, with a lot less ammo. It’s definitely worth a download and the eight point two I’m giving it. Great job, FireSworD.

17. Rockingham II by Merlyn
I had the pleasure of playing this excellent battle level online and must say that while I am a CTF lover, this is one of those few levels that actually makes me consider playing more battle levels (not that I’m un-lazy enough to get around to doing so.) If you thought that there was no room for battle levels in Carrotus to get anymore (or any less, for that matter) innovative, you may want to rethink your assumpitons, let alone your entire world view. Most battle levels fall into a fairly narrow margin of creativity. A lot of them are fashioned off of the gameplay of Battle1, and these days the sight of one that truly attempts to put some strategy into the realm of battle is a rare commodity. While it does not go as far as to revolutionize the entire gameplay as a whole or introduce some psychadelic funky eyecandy set, it does what it does best: be a really, really, really good and solid Carrotus battle level.

When you first start playing the level, it is hard not to compare it to Every Other Carrotus Level Ever Made. After all, Carrotus levels have been stereotyped more than Michael Jackson has had pretend skin diseases. This level is not predictable in any way, shape, or form. That’s why it is so strikingly different from other Carrotus levels out there (I am not saying the tileset can not be used with interesting gameplay, it’s just that levels using Carrotus often are similar in gameplay – solid but uninspired, much like the tileset). Gameplay is always very good. Weapon placement is one of the two areas, however, that were not perfect and could have been improved if it was thought about enough. While most powerups were fairly well-placed, certain areas had an overkill of powerups that seemed a little too out in the open. While I can’t say that this effected gameplay that much, it still was just one of thost things that annoys me without actually mattering that whole too much. However, WCS (Weapon Clumping Syndrome) is annoying beyond belief, and this level has a very minor case of it. A few weapons moved around here and there would be nice. The second area that could use some minor improvement was eyecandy. Generally, the level looked solid and had sufficient eyecandy to keep you interested, but in many cases there were small overlookings in the scenery. A few tile errors here and there did not exactly help how the level looked, but unless you were specifically looking for them, it probably won’t bother you too much. Since I informally beta-tested it, I must say that I am disappointed that the author did not fixed either of the two mentioned tile bugs after we pointed them out, but nonetheless that doesn’t detract a huge amount from the overall feel of the level. Flow was excellent for a battle level. Flow isn’t as important in battle levels as it is in Capture the Flag, but that doesn’t mean I like to see levels just ignore it, and this one certainally pays due attention to this often overlooked aspect of the battle genre. Another interesting thing which may fall under the “pros” column or the “cons” column depending on personal preference is the use of coins and a bonus coin warp in this level. You don’t see this often in battle levels, since the “roast as fast as you can” additude of battle levels does not exactly lend itself to hunting for various coins to get a powerup which you will probably lose after being killed a minute later. Still, while few people were able to get this powerup, the coin price seemed fair, and its inclusion certainally did spice up the level a bit.

What you have here is an example of a Carrotus level at its best. While it may not echo every other Carrotus level ever created, it achieves the hard-to-garner goal of being new and lemony-fresh without being so revolutionary puritist players who refuse to play anything more revolutionary than Chemical Warfare won’t play it. It bridges the large gap between classic and innovative, and bridges it quite well. While it may have a few quirks, the amazing level of concentration, ability, and knowledge of how gameplay structure works in a new JCSer is about as common as unpoisoned water in Death Valley. Even if you aren’t a fan of battle and aren’t amazed by this rating, it is definitely worth a download just to see the great skill of a new level designed. I seriously recommend you download this pack, and I think that a 8.2 rating, while it may not seem extraordinary, is still quite high. This may be the highest rating I’ve ever given someone’s first officially released level, and I really hope to see future releases from this level’s author. Rockingham II is really that good.

21. Spider Swamp by defalcon
This is a very nice battle level using Agama’s excellent Swamps tileset. When I saw someone using Swamps, I was in dobut, since it’s a somewhat hard set to use. But neither graphically or play-wise does this level fail. The level excels especially in ammo placement, which is near perfect. It also flows very well. The only problem is that the level is very small. It takes a long time to make a large but very good level using this tileset, so I won’t knock this level that much for it. However, this level would not be suitable for multiperson duels or the Battle Server (though I would have no complaints if the Battle Server accepted it.) All in all, and excellent level, definitely worth a look. A big download recommendation.

I hope you enjoy these levels. See you at AB5!

- Trafton[This review has been edited by Trafton AT]

I like how you’re saying that you don’t know of any bugs and you want to change that.
STORY: From attempting to read the end text (which needs some @ symbols), I’m guessing the story is as follows; Bubba has a playground with diamonds but you don’t like him having diamonds so you kill him.
Pros/Cons: There are some times when Pros and Cons are completely useless. Let’s just say I don’t care about the story and leave it at that.
Rating: N/A

TILESET/TILESET USE: The author uses, as I’m sure you know, the Dam Nation tileset. Layer 4 is used pretty well, with no apparent tile bugs (other then a few masking troubles), but I can not say the same for the other layers. There are some boney skeleton things hovering strangely in the foreground, and transparent lava doesn’t look right in the background. There is little that is inventive or interesting to speak of here.
Pros: Layers 4 and 8 fit together.
Cons: Poor other layers, nothing interesting, the bridges look weird.
Rating: 3.7

WEAPON/ITEM/ENEMY PLACEMENT: I suppose this was ok. Nothing bad stuck in mind, but nothing good did either.
Pros: N/A
Cons: N/A
Rating: 5.0

ORIGINALITY: Well, there are giant red gems in the walls around the playground.
Pros: Some originality.
Cons: Not much.
Rating: 3.2

DIFFICULTY: This level is rather easy, to tell the truth. What with the blaster powerup and the lack of any serious threat from enemies or the level, Bubba is the hardest part and he’s not dangerous at all.
Pros: N/A
Cons: N/A
Rating: 4.0

REPLAY VALUE/FUN FACTOR: This level is kind of fun to play, but I find it unlikely that I would play it again unless I come across it while randomly selecting levels while bored. It is just not paticularly interesting.
Pros: Not bad to play.
Cons: Not paticularly interesting.
Rating: 4.0

OVERALL (not an average): This level is.. ok. However, it suffers from worse-then-average eyecandy and nothing interesting to speak of.
Pros: Some good,
Cons: some bad. Eyecandy needs work.
Rating: 4.5