Jumping Flash!
Encyclopedia
is a video game released in 1995
for the Sony
PlayStation. It was developed by Exact Co., Ltd. and Ultra Co., Ltd. and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
. Jumping Flash! is a 3D
platform game
played from a first-person perspective.
Though Jumping Flash! was well-received and did spawn a few sequels, the game was quickly overshadowed by other 3D platformers of the changing game generation. In 2007, Jumping Flash! was re-released in the PlayStation Store as a downloadable game for the PlayStation Portable
and PlayStation 3
.
Aloha surrounds himself with creatures called MuuMuus, small, white, five-limbed creatures with palm trees on their heads. Many of the game's full motion video
s feature the MuuMuus in an izakaya
, humorously recounting their defeat at the hands of Robbit.
. The game is presented in a first-person
perspective, and the player can freely walk in three-dimensional space and rotate the camera in any direction.The user interface resembles that of viewing through Robbit's eyes. The top part of the screen shows the time remaining, the player's score, and Kumagoro, Robbit's sidekick who offers the player warnings and hints. The top left shows firework items, while the top right contains the radar, showing the location of various objects including enemies, power-up
s, Jet Pods, and enemy projectiles. The bottom is filled out with a health meter on the sides with the number of lives in the center of it.
The core of the gameplay is centered around the player's ability to make Robbit jump. Robbit can jump up to three times, once off of a surface and twice in mid-air, allowing him to reach extreme heights. Unlike other platform games which continue to face horizontally when the player jumps, Jumping Flash! tilts the camera downwards when a double-jump or triple-jump is performed to allow the player to see Robbit's shadow and easily plan a landing spot. Jumping-chains can be performed using enemies and some projectiles.
The player has the ability to shoot a low-powered beam where a target indictor is centered in the middle of the screen. In addition, the player can find and use special items for Robbit in the form of fireworks
to do massive damage to enemies, which include cherry bomb
s, rockets
, Roman candle
s, and twisters.
Other power-ups scattered across each world come in the form of picture frames representing carrots to extend Robbit's health, extra lives
, Time-Outs that stop the clock and freeze all the level's dynamics for a few seconds, hourglass
es that extend the player's time, and Power Pills that make Robbit invincible for a short amount of time. Coins worth points can also be picked up by destroying enemies. The enemies are often of animal-like creatures such as kiwis and penguins, but also robots and plants. Most have simple actions such as wandering around aimlessly, shooting or throwing projectiles out randomly. A few, however, have more intelligence such as the bomb-forming beetles or missile-shooting pigs.
Jumping Flash! is composed of 6 worlds with 3 levels each, totaling 18 main levels, of which there are 7 boss levels and an extra 6 bonus stages available. In the main levels, the objective of the first two levels of each world is to collect 4 Jet Pods with the letters "E", "X", "I", and "T" on them. After collecting them, landing on the "EXIT Pad" is all that remains in finishing the level. The third level in each world is a boss fight. The level designs vary, from Egypt
-style desert to a roller coaster
-filled theme park. While most of the levels are large outdoor excursions, two of the game's levels are enclosed within a narrow interior and are somewhat maze-like. The hidden bonus levels
feature various blocks with balloons in them; popping the balloons yields either coins or power-ups. A time attack
mode is available for any level the player has completed. Upon completing the 18 main levels, the levels can be played again with objects rearranged and a more difficult setup.
. Many of the tracks were included with tracks from Jumping Flash! 2, which Miratsu also composed, on the Jumping Flash! 2 Original Soundtrack. The soundtrack was published by Antinos Records in Japan in 1996
.
, a 4/5 from Next Generation Magazine
, and an 8.6/10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly
. The game was scored a 34 out of 40 by Famitsu
, ranking it among the magazine's top 120 game of all time in 2000. IGN
's original review gave Jumping Flash! a 7.5/10, stating that despite some the relatively small worlds and easy difficulty, it is "a great, genre-pushing game". Game Revolution
cited the same complaints, but calls the graphics "mind blowing" and the game itself "totally unique", giving it an A- score. Albert Kim of Entertainment Weekly
stated, "Perhaps the most euphoric sensation comes at the height of a turbocharged jump, when you can look below and see the world quietly slip away."
Despite its innovation and critical acclaim, other 3D platformers such as Super Mario 64
would go on to become a standard for the genre. In 2007, Matt Casamassina
of IGN described Jumping Flash! as the third most underrated video game of all time. Jumping Flash! did manage to produce a few sequels. Jumping Flash! 2
, also developed by Exact, was released worldwide on PlayStation a year later. Two loose sequels, Robbit Mon Dieu
on PlayStation and Pocket MuuMuu
compatible for the PocketStation
, were released exclusively in Japan by Sugar and Rockets
.
1995 in video gaming
-Events:*May 11 – Introduction of trade magazine GameWeek *May 11-16 — The 1st annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is held in Los Angeles, California...
for the Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
PlayStation. It was developed by Exact Co., Ltd. and Ultra Co., Ltd. and published by Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
. Jumping Flash! is a 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
played from a first-person perspective.
Though Jumping Flash! was well-received and did spawn a few sequels, the game was quickly overshadowed by other 3D platformers of the changing game generation. In 2007, Jumping Flash! was re-released in the PlayStation Store as a downloadable game for the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
.
Plot
An evil and demented astrophysicist named Baron Aloha has removed giant pieces of land from the Crater Planet, using his gigantic land-lifting machines, to turn into his own private resorts. Aloha has also removed and hidden away the Jet Pods that propel each world. As the residents of Crater Planet call for help, the Universal City Hall sends one of their agents, a robotic bunny named Robbit, to find the Jet Pods, stop Aloha, and save Crater Planet from emptiness.Aloha surrounds himself with creatures called MuuMuus, small, white, five-limbed creatures with palm trees on their heads. Many of the game's full motion video
Full motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
s feature the MuuMuus in an izakaya
Izakaya
An is a type of Japanese drinking establishment which also serves food to accompany the drinks. They are popular, casual places for after-work drinking.-Name:...
, humorously recounting their defeat at the hands of Robbit.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Jumping Flash! is noted as being nearly identical to Geograph Seal, an earlier game by the same developer released in 1994 for the Sharp X68000Sharp X68000
The Sharp X68000, often referred to as the X68k, is a home computer released only in Japan by the Sharp Corporation. The first model was released in 1987, with a 10 MHz Motorola 68000 CPU, 1 MB of RAM and no hard drive; the last model was released in 1993 with a 25 MHz Motorola 68030...
. The game is presented in a first-person
First-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
perspective, and the player can freely walk in three-dimensional space and rotate the camera in any direction.The user interface resembles that of viewing through Robbit's eyes. The top part of the screen shows the time remaining, the player's score, and Kumagoro, Robbit's sidekick who offers the player warnings and hints. The top left shows firework items, while the top right contains the radar, showing the location of various objects including enemies, power-up
Power-up
In computer and video games, power-ups are objects that instantly benefit or add extra abilities to the game character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a benefit and can be used at a time chosen by the player...
s, Jet Pods, and enemy projectiles. The bottom is filled out with a health meter on the sides with the number of lives in the center of it.
The player has the ability to shoot a low-powered beam where a target indictor is centered in the middle of the screen. In addition, the player can find and use special items for Robbit in the form of fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
to do massive damage to enemies, which include cherry bomb
Cherry bomb
Cherry Bombs are approximately spherical shaped exploding fireworks, ranging in size from three-quarters-inch to one-and-one-half-inch in diameter...
s, rockets
Bottle rocket
A bottle rocket is a very small skyrocket. A typical bottle rocket consists of a rocket engine attached to a stabilizing stick. The user can place the stick in an empty bottle , and ignite the rocket engine; the mouth of the bottle guides the stick, stabilizing the rocket in its first moments of...
, Roman candle
Roman candle
Roman candle is a traditional type of firework, that ejects one or more stars or exploding shells.Roman candles come in a variety of sizes, from small 6 mm diameter for consumers, and up to 8 cm diameter in professional fireworks displays.Roman candles are banned in some countries due...
s, and twisters.
Other power-ups scattered across each world come in the form of picture frames representing carrots to extend Robbit's health, extra lives
1-up
1-up , pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra life, to complete the game. In certain games, it is possible to receive multiple extra lives at once...
, Time-Outs that stop the clock and freeze all the level's dynamics for a few seconds, hourglass
Hourglass
An hourglass measures the passage of a few minutes or an hour of time. It has two connected vertical glass bulbs allowing a regulated trickle of material from the top to the bottom. Once the top bulb is empty, it can be inverted to begin timing again. The name hourglass comes from historically...
es that extend the player's time, and Power Pills that make Robbit invincible for a short amount of time. Coins worth points can also be picked up by destroying enemies. The enemies are often of animal-like creatures such as kiwis and penguins, but also robots and plants. Most have simple actions such as wandering around aimlessly, shooting or throwing projectiles out randomly. A few, however, have more intelligence such as the bomb-forming beetles or missile-shooting pigs.
Jumping Flash! is composed of 6 worlds with 3 levels each, totaling 18 main levels, of which there are 7 boss levels and an extra 6 bonus stages available. In the main levels, the objective of the first two levels of each world is to collect 4 Jet Pods with the letters "E", "X", "I", and "T" on them. After collecting them, landing on the "EXIT Pad" is all that remains in finishing the level. The third level in each world is a boss fight. The level designs vary, from Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
-style desert to a roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
-filled theme park. While most of the levels are large outdoor excursions, two of the game's levels are enclosed within a narrow interior and are somewhat maze-like. The hidden bonus levels
Bonus stage
A bonus stage is a special level within a video game designed to reward the player or players, and typically allows the player to collect extra points or power-ups. Often a bonus stage will have no enemies or hazards, or may contain them but the player character is invulnerable to attack from them...
feature various blocks with balloons in them; popping the balloons yields either coins or power-ups. A time attack
Time attack
A time attack is another term for time trial. The term is commonly used in Japan for individual time trial events for motor vehicles that involves a vehicle running around the circuit in lieu of a qualifying lap and the term is widely adopted outside the country for tuner event and...
mode is available for any level the player has completed. Upon completing the 18 main levels, the levels can be played again with objects rearranged and a more difficult setup.
Music
The music for Jumping Flash! was composed by the late Takeo MiratsuTakeo Miratsu
was a Japanese music composer for video games and anime. He was a member of Twin Amadeus, who composed songs for the Beatmania IIDX series of music video games...
. Many of the tracks were included with tracks from Jumping Flash! 2, which Miratsu also composed, on the Jumping Flash! 2 Original Soundtrack. The soundtrack was published by Antinos Records in Japan in 1996
1996 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1996.-January:* January – At the trial of two American teenagers, Nicholaus McDonald and Brian Bassett, for the murder of Bassett's parents and young brother, defense lawyers attempt to lay the blame for the murders on the fact...
.
Reception and legacy
Jumping Flash! received positive review scores after its release, including a 4.1/5 from GameProGamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
, a 4/5 from Next Generation Magazine
Next Generation Magazine
Next Generation Magazine was a video game magazine that was made by Imagine Media publishing company . It was affiliated to and shared editorial with the UK's Edge magazine. Next Generation ran from January 1995 until January 2002. It was published by Jonathan Simpson-Bint and edited by Neil West...
, and an 8.6/10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
. The game was scored a 34 out of 40 by Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
, ranking it among the magazine's top 120 game of all time in 2000. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's original review gave Jumping Flash! a 7.5/10, stating that despite some the relatively small worlds and easy difficulty, it is "a great, genre-pushing game". Game Revolution
Game Revolution
Game Revolution or GR is a gaming website created in 1996. Based in Berkeley, California, the site includes reviews, previews, a gaming download area, cheats, and a merchandise store, as well as webcomics, screenshots, and videos...
cited the same complaints, but calls the graphics "mind blowing" and the game itself "totally unique", giving it an A- score. Albert Kim of Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
stated, "Perhaps the most euphoric sensation comes at the height of a turbocharged jump, when you can look below and see the world quietly slip away."
Despite its innovation and critical acclaim, other 3D platformers such as Super Mario 64
Super Mario 64
is a platform game, published by Nintendo and developed by its EAD division, for the Nintendo 64. Along with Pilotwings 64, it was one of the launch titles for the console. It was released in Japan on June 23, 1996, and later in North America, Europe, and Australia. Super Mario 64 has sold over...
would go on to become a standard for the genre. In 2007, Matt Casamassina
Matt Casamassina
Matt Casamassina is a video game journalist who worked for IGN until April 23, 2010. In his time at the site, he was the author of many reviews and previews of Nintendo games. He resides in Los Angeles, California, is married and has two daughters, Zoe and Fiona Jade, and a son named Rocco Archer...
of IGN described Jumping Flash! as the third most underrated video game of all time. Jumping Flash! did manage to produce a few sequels. Jumping Flash! 2
Jumping Flash! 2
Jumping Flash! 2 is a platform game released in 1996 for the PlayStation. It is the direct sequel to Jumping Flash!, which was released the previous year.-Story:...
, also developed by Exact, was released worldwide on PlayStation a year later. Two loose sequels, Robbit Mon Dieu
Robbit Mon Dieu
, sometimes referred to as Jumping Flash! 3, is a 3D platform game for the Sony PlayStation. It was developed by Sugar and Rockets and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released exclusively in Japan in 1999. It is the third game in the Jumping Flash! series...
on PlayStation and Pocket MuuMuu
Pocket MuuMuu
is a 3D action game for the Sony PlayStation. It was developed by Sugar and Rockets and published by Sony Computer Entertainment and released exclusively in Japan in 1999. It is a spin-off game in the Jumping Flash! series. The game requires use of the Sony PocketStation peripheral....
compatible for the PocketStation
PocketStation
The is a peripheral by Sony Computer Entertainment for the PlayStation home video game console. Categorized by Sony as a miniature personal digital assistant, the device features a monochrome liquid crystal display , infrared communication capability, a real-time clock, built-in flash memory, and...
, were released exclusively in Japan by Sugar and Rockets
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
.
External links
- Jumping Flash! at the PlayStation Store
- Jumping Flash! credits at Tok2.com