Jersey Devil

"Jump, fight, die, do it all again... is that fun? Definately, in this game, yes!"

If you like the ''Tomb Raider'' and ''Mario'' kind of game, then you'll simply love this one. It has all that platform fans want in a game: challenge, lots of levels, lots of enemies, lots of secrets and big bosses. This was the first game I bought after I got my Playstation, and I don't regret it.

Gameplay: the controls are very simple. With a few buttons you can jump, fly, run, punch and do special moves for quick killing enemies. To avoid repetition, there are some things that the CPU does for you. Running to the edge of a platform will cause you to jump automatically, for example, without the need to keeping pushing the X button all the time. AS you can fly, it's really to fun the explore the big levels. There are a lot of moves and a few commands to do them, which is simple and great. 10/10

Story: well, I never expected to see a great story in a game like this one. And you shouldn't expect it also... Jersey Devil has a bone to pick with Dr. Knarf, creator of such things as ''Dennis the Pumpkin-Head'' and other assorted mutant vegetables. (Man, this guy gives the phrase ''playing with your food'' a whole new meaning.) Why Jersey Devil is hell-bent to break open a can of whup-ass on Dr. Knarf is unclear, but we'll just assume it's another confrontation of good and evil. 6/10

Graphics: full 3D enviroment, detailed well made characters and objects. The backrounds are always clear and beautiful. For a 1998 game, I think the graphics are great. 10/10

Sound: i don't care much about sounds in a game. Maybe that's because I usually play at night (too much work during the day) and people are sleeping, so I let the volume low. Anyway, the musics in Jersey Devil are quite good, but I can't say the same about the sound effects. Everytime you jump you can hear an irritant sound. After a time that you really annoy you. 6/10.

Play Time: there are lots of levels, and they are really big. As you progress through the game, levels start to get bigger and harder. You'll surely get stuck lots of times and have to start some levels all over again. It took me something around 40 hours to beat the game for the first time. If I had worried about finding all the secrets (there are lots of them), I think it would have took me something around 45 hours... But, of course, it depends on the player. I confess I suck in this kind of game, but if you are good in games such as ''Mario'' and ''Tomb Raider'', then you might take less than 30 hours to beat the game for the first time.

Challenge: high! You'll find yourself dying all the time and tempted to use cheats (I suggest you don't). You can only save the game between levels and some of them are really big. Jersey Devil requires precise controller movement. You'll find yourself constantly jumping over bottomless pits, or balancing precariously on narrow beams. The margin for error on your jumps is insanely small and beginners will find themselves stuck in a predictable rut: Jump, miss, fall, die. Repeat until ''Game Over'' appears on the screen.

Conclusion: if you like platform games, then buy Jersey Devil NOW! Don't even think about renting, because even if you do it for a week it won't be enough to beat the game. If you don't like the platform style, like me, then I think you should try another game (fortunately, the Playstation has more than a thousand of titles to choose).

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/22/02, Updated 12/22/02