Comic Jumper Review
Comic Jumper is an Xbox live Arcade game by Twisted Pixel.
The Game starts out as you take the role of Captain Smiley, a superhero with a smiley face for a head, and a sentient, star-shaped emblem on his chest, appropriately named Star . The game begins with a battle against the Smiley’s and Star’s arch nemesis, Brad, who’s one of those guys that likes tanning oil, and that the girls supposedly go gaga for. He sends his waves of robotic fans at you in a Contra-like sequence. It then is revealed that Captain Smiley and everyone else are self-aware that they are in a failing comic. Before you know it, Captain Smiley’s comics are canceled, and, with the aid of the comic jumper machine, you must save other heroes while guest starring in their comics and making the money you need to get back on your feet.
Like this but with Comics… and fun
From the self-aware characters to the failure of the main character, the story is very reminiscent of Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard. I can say that despite all the missteps Eat Lead took in humor; Comic Jumper has its feet firmly on the ground. I found myself laughing out loud at the quips Captain Smiley and Star said back and forth in a very comedic hate-hate relationship. The characters’ unpredictable reactions to the situations they find themselves in are also a great source of humor, such as Star’s odd affection for Brad.
In a very meta turn of events, Twisted Pixel is now also a comic company in this universe, having bought the rights to Captain Smiley’s failing comic series. They provide you with a building that serves as your headquarters while you get back on your feet. Here, you can access a bevy of unlockable content and even demos from Twisted Pixel’s previous games. In another example of Comic Jumper’s meta-humor, Star bad-mouths The Maw because it had extra DLC that should have been in the main game.
The unlockables in Comic Jumper are bountiful. First, you can upgrade Captain Smiley’s strength, health, and other attributes. Also, there is tons of stuff to unlock after this; from behind-the-scenes videos to comedic interviews, there is tons to enjoy. Additionally, if you own ‘Splosion Man, you’ll get more exclusive levels to play.
Running and gunning in a 2.5d perspective is what you will primarily be doing. It’s reminiscent of Contra and its ilk, but unlike Contra, there are no one hit deaths or lives, instead using checkpoints. In certain sections you will also be punching with specific buttons, or even while shooting by using the trigger button and being close to an enemy. The final element to the combat is the Twisted Pixel button, where by buying or earning this button, you can summon the fists of Twisted Pixel to take down anything that appears on screen, showing another added piece of love that the developer included in the game.
The game also features Space Harrier-like segments which require moving and shooting in a 3D perspective. These segments are highly enjoyable, and they hearken back to the Genesis era. Occasionally, though, they dragged on more than they needed to. Tighter pacing in these segments would have suited this game a lot more.
The boss battles are another thing I love about this game. The timing and movement is spot on. It’s really satisfying when you defeat a boss or jump ever so close out of his way. Its just one of those raw things about games that seem to get lost in shuffle nowadays.
The game allows you to adjust the difficulty to your liking. You can choose to not put your money towards the unlockables and instead beef up your character. The game early on tells you that auto-aim is available, which is something I chose not to do, and it added to the difficulty that makes the gameplay challenging and rewarding.
It is understandable why some people had a negative reaction towards Comic Jumper at PAX. The game is difficult, but you really feel like a badass when you beat a level. There is a level of repetition, both on purpose and to learn a skill. On top of completing levels, there are optional challenge levels separate from the main game, as well as mini challenges in levels that can be completed for extra cash. Money can also be earned by having better aiming with your guns and improving certain statistics, which adds a level of depth to the gameplay. This is perfect for perfectionists who will compete to be on top of the leaderboards.
I was very worried at first that this game would have the same problems that Eat Lead had, namely that it would favor comedy over gameplay. While I cannot say Comic Jumper is really changing the world of gameplay mechanics as Twisted Pixel did with, ‘Splosion Man, I can say that Comic Jumper is easily my favorite game in Twisted Pixel’s catalog. If you’re in for a laugh and some traditional gameplay Comic Jumper is definitely for you.
This review is based on a final version of the game given to me as a code from Twisted Pixel
Special Thanks to Crimson, Lucien_Lachance, Dr. Gumaer, and Locke for helping me work out the kinks in my review
