I wrote a piece a few weeks ago about Tyrian, one of my favorite scrolling space shooters of the 90′s. I thought I’d follow that up with a bit about my all time favorite platformer – Jazz Jackrabbit. Created by Cliff Bleszinski (an old Unreal mapmaker now famous for leading the Gears of War projects) and Arjan Brussee, Jazz Jackrabbit is what you’d get if you took Super Mario Brothers, Mega Man, Sonic the Hedgehog and Contra and blended them all together. It was released in 1994 by Epic MegaGames (now known as Epic Games.)

A sequel was released in 1998 and a third game was planned but later canceled. (A horrible semi-complete version leaked online. I’m honestly glad it was canceled based on the few minutes I spent trying to play that god-awful mess.) Several special editions and bonus packs were released for Jazz Jackrabbit 2, however, including a holiday themed pack that included several extra levels, bosses, and multiplayer options. I was never a big fan of the second game but I’ve probably played through the original a few dozen times.

Below is a gameplay video from the first game. If you’re interested in trying it out, you can grab a full copy here. (It requires DosBox to run.)