Jazz chases his nemesis Devan Shell through time, in order to retrieve the ring with which he planned to wed Eva.
Gameplay
Just like its predecessor Jazz Jackrabbit, Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is a 2Dside-scroller that incorporates elements of shooting and platforming. The player must venture through a series of levels populated with enemies and environmental hazards that may hinder the player's progress. The goal is to reach the level's exit, usually indicated by an exit sign, whilst overcoming obstacles and hazards through the use of running and jumping as well as removing enemies and obstructions through the use of shooting and stomping. The player is given a selection of characters to choose from, namely, Jazz, Spaz, and in the subsequent expansions, Lori. Each character has certain traits that are exclusive to them. During the course of the game the player can encounter additional power-ups such as upgrades to their character's health, or the effects and damage of their weapon. Also scattered throughout levels are coins that the player can pick up and use as a currency for when the player encounters the merchant. If the player has collected enough coins throughout the level the merchant will teleport the player to a secret location in the level that is usually filled with power-ups and other goodies for the player to collect.
Multiplayer
Players can participate in multiplayer. The game's Splitscreen mode supports up to 4 players, whereas online can support up to 32. The game also has local TCP/IPX network support. Multiplayer features several game modes, mainly cooperative, deathmatch, capture the Flag.
Development
Jazz Jackrabbit 2 was produced by Epic MegaGames, now known as Epic Games, as the sequel to Jazz Jackrabbit. It was accidentally confirmed on August 24, 1994 by Arjan Brussee. It was released in 1998 for PCs running Windows, and later for Macintosh computers. Jazz Jackrabbit 2 has a bundled level editor called Jazz Creation Station, allowing players to create their own levels. The level editor was not included in the Mac versions or shareware editions.
Releases
There were several variants and releases of Jazz Jackrabbit 2. ; Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - Shareware Edition Released on April 10, 1998, this is a promotional shareware game. It featured three single-player levels and two multiplayer levels. It was released to promote the game. ; Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - Holiday Hare '98 This Christmas edition was released on November 6, 1998 for the PC in North America. Unlike the previous holiday editions, this game is commercial rather than shareware. It includes three single-player levels as well as a new boss and additional multiplayer levels. ; Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - The Secret Files This Easter edition was released on March 15, 1999 for the PC in Europe. This game introduces Jazz's sister Lori as another playable character. When Lori dies, her face is immolated and she falls over. It also adds an extra episode to the original Jazz Jackrabbit 2, called The Secret Files. This episode consists of three different zones, each one with three levels. New tiles are also added to The Secret Files, most of them from the first Jazz Jackrabbit. The LK Avalon release can be found in the GOG.com re-release. ; Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - The Secret Files Shareware Edition Released in 1999, this is a shareware game to promote The Secret Files. It is identical to the standard shareware version, but it includes the ability to play as Lori, as well as two new single-player levels in addition to the standard shareware version's levels. ; Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - The Christmas Chronicles This Christmas edition is an enhanced version of Holiday Hare '98, featuring Lori as a playable character. It was going to be released on November 25, 1999 for the PC, across Europe. However, the publisher, Project Two Interactive, went bankrupt before the release date. It was eventually released in Poland by LK Avalon. A limited European release followed shortly after. This version is based on the engine of The Secret Files and can be found in the GOG.com re-release.
Reception
Jazz Jackrabbit 2 received positive reviews. On MobyGames, the Windows version holds an aggregated metascore of 77 of 100. MacAddict's reviewer John Lee praised its fluent gameplay, but criticised the game for not adding anything new to the genre, which he considered "old fashioned". Trevor Covert described the gameplay as "addicting" and praised the graphics. Next Generation reviewed the PC version of the game, rating it one star out of five, and stated that "Frankly, this as the launch title for G.O.D. makes us slightly apprehensive about the company's chances. It may be easy to get product on shelf when you can call and say, 'We're the guys who did Quake,' but we think it will be a little harder when you're the 'Jazz Jackrabbit people.' An unimpressive first release." In the United States, Jazz Jackrabbit 2 sold 29,000 copies by October 2001. Despite good reviews, sales were insufficient and resulted some financial loss for Gathering of Developers. As a consequence, the would-be sequel Jazz Jackrabbit 3D was unable to find a publisher, prompting the developers to abandon the project which was less than 50% complete.
