Jazz Jackrabbit 2 - Gameplay

Gameplay

Just like its predecessor, Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is a 2D side-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 players's progress. The player's 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, eventually in the subsequent expansions, Lori. Each character has certain traits that are exclusive to each other. For an example, Jazz can launch himself vertically higher than others, Spaz can double-jump, and Lori can dash across the screen whilst eliminating almost any enemy or obstacle in her path. Each Character is equipped with a gun that can fire an inexhaustible supply of projectiles in a straight manner. During the course of the game, however, the player can encounter additional ammunition that can provide the player with greater fire-power and range but with limiting ammo. These ammo types can result in different effects from flamethrowing to firing ice-shards that freezes almost any enemy or object on contact.

In addition to ammo, players will usually come across certain items and power-ups to aid the player. Some of these may include a 1UP that gives the player an extra life. A massive variety of food that, when enough is collected, gives the player a short period of invincibility in the form of a "sugar rush". A variety of diamonds that, when enough is collected, gives the player an extra life. A Carrot that boosts the player's health. And a bird in a cage that, once it is liberated by the player, will follow the player around and will automatically fire at any nearby enemy.

Players could also participate in multiplayer. The game's Splitscreen mode could support up to 4 players, where as the Online mode could support up to 32. The game also has a local TCP/IPX network support. In Multiplayer there are five game types that players could participate in, namely, Cooperative (where players could work together in the game's single player campaign), Battle (which is basically Deathmatch), Race (in which the first to complete all laps wins the race), Treasure Hunt (in which the first to collect 100 diamonds and find the exit wins the match), and Capture the Flag.