Jim Power: Lost Dimension in 3D

"A great side scroller like Turrican!"

Back in 1993, when I was in 7th grade, I heard about a game called 'Jim Power in the Lost Dimension'. I thought it was the dumbest name for a game I'd ever heard this side of Banjo Kazooie, but in fact, the game is pretty solid.

Years passed, and all I'd ever heard about it was that it was impossibly hard...and it truly is. If you want difficult, come to the Lost Dimension and claim it. You can be hit only once and you die. One hit. At least Ghouls n Ghosts gives you two hits, and a chance to get your armor back...not here! And to make matters worse, when you continue (of which you only have 3) you start at the very beginning of the stage. Not so bad? Well the stages are ludicrously long, every time you think you're done the level opens up into a new area and you continue. Good luck getting far in Jimmy Power.

The full name of the game is Jim Power in the Lost Dimension in 3D . What makes it 3D? I'm guessing the way they use the objects in your path. You run in traditional 2D fashion, like Mario, but things that look like they block your path are actually ''in front'' of you, or on top, thus not really in your way, while others are ''behind'' you. At least that's my assumption...Graphics are very detailed for the time, and lots of parallax scrolling is used, furthering the ''3D'' effect.

Sound is awesome. The music is composed excellently, sounds a lot like the Super Turrican style. It's fairly deep music with a great base line...I love it! As for the sound effects, they're of standard fair, nothing really blew me away, but nothing was so bad I was offended.

I didn't quite catch a storyline, but then again, in 1993 who played 16-bit side scrollers for the story? I assume Jim was walking in Regular Dimension when suddenly he was whisked away into the Lost one, grabbed a laser and started to kill all objects in his path until he returned home. Wee!

Overall, if you can stomach the intense difficulty you'll enjoy JPITLDI3D, at least until you have to continue...Honestly though, the only thing that holds it down is the impossibility of the stages. With one hit you can't get life back, or gain more life, unless you get armor or something later on, which no one has probably done, save those who use emulators or the game genie. If you see it, pick it up...if for no other reason than it's pretty rare. But play it, and enjoy the music.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 08/12/02, Updated 08/12/02