Jazz Jackrabbit 2

Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is a modern port of console classic that actually came out for the PC. It's a side scrolling game, which was rare on the PC platform when it was first released. The original game was ported to Apple's Macintosh platform before making its way onto a number of other consoles.

This version runs on modern hardware, which should prove to be great news for anyone who has a hard time getting the original title running. Besides the large green rabbit of a player character that was inspired by a comic book from the late 1970s, the best thing about this game has to be the tight and intuitive control scheme.

Generally, PC-based side scrolling games don't have the best controls. That makes them somewhat difficult to play, especially if you only have a keyboard to control them with. Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is refined enough that you shouldn't have too much difficulty if you map your character's movement to the WASD keys.

After a while, your character should be able to pick up more than enough speed to simply blast through levels. This makes it easier to earn a so-called Sugar Rush, which makes you temporarily invincible to enemy fire.

If you've ever played the original game on some long lost MS-DOS computer, then you already know how frantic the gameplay can be. Since this version is accelerated for modern computers running much more powerful hardware than they had back in 1994, you'll soon find that the gameplay is that much quicker.

While it can take a little getting used to, chances are that you'll soon love having your reflexes tested to their limit as you blast through the countless levels that the title provides. Unfortunately, many of the game's most well hidden secrets are going to be hard to find on the first playthrough. Some gamers have even opined that it's hard to find them except by accidentally running into them.

Then again, that's also part of the appeal of some of these retro game titles, which didn't have the elaborate hints systems and tutorials that modern gamers often take for granted.

One other area that's noticeably retro is the graphics engine, which is endearingly dated. You'll love the look of the pixelated artwork, which is something that today's modern developers consider something of a lost art. Many of the sprites are individually rendered in a way that wouldn't have been possible if this game were released on a traditional console.

That gives it a rather unique look that, at the time, was seen as extremely advanced compared to most other similar games. Jaded modern gamers might not care for it as much, but remembering the proper historical context of the game is important. When it was originally released, this was a landmark title that brought something new to the PC scene as a whole.

You'll find that it's every bit as playable today, largely because of its expansive size. The game itself includes more than enough content to keep you entertained for quite sometime. It even has a pretty funny story to boot, which is even funnier when you put it into context of the developer's history.