Hey,
it's me again. Yeah, Matt. You know, the non-classic gamer writing for a
classic gaming site. See, I write a lot of reviews, but very few are ever
for the truly "classic consoles." Actually, I've only written
one: River Raid for the 2600. However, I recently snatched an
Intellivision II at a garage sale for $3 and had to test it before it's
insertion on the website known as "E-Bay." Anyway, in the
process of testing, I found myself playing a certain game for well over an
hour....and two...and three...
Bump & Jump is a rarity for the old-school consoles. It's quite an innovative title and not a simple rehash of something else that came before it. Yeah, it does borrow a few minor things, but the overall game is entirely original. Your in command of a car who is basically out to murder other people by ramming them off of the road or into the water (Be careful kids, this one might have been rated "T" if it was released today). Of course, these drivers don't take this too lightly and will likewise do the same if your not careful (Nope, make that "M"). In all, 9 different cars will challenge you during the course of the game, each of them with specific characteristics that either make easier or harder to take out. Of course, 2 players can take turns trying to beat out each others high scores.
Points are awarded for ramming your opponents off of the road, jumping on top of them, and landing on platforms located on the water. All of your acts during the stages (which are comprised of the four seasons) will be tallied at the end and bonuses will be added up. A few more ways to nab some points would be greatly appreciated, but the simplicity of it all is strangely satisfying. Oh, and that odd disc-shaped thing that they call a controller...works perfect for this game.
Though the graphics are unpretentious, each of the cars can easily be identified. Quite a few cars can fill the screen at once without any slowdown or flicker present anywhere. Hitting top speed really makes the game fly by adding a little bit of nausea to the proceedings. To keep this speed going the entire game, the backgrounds are quite un-elaborate and just change colors as the game goes on. Oh, and while the sound effects won't win any awards, that damn theme song will be in your head for days.
Yes, I kept that Intellivision II and it now has a nice place to stay right below the 7800 I've had since I was 5. Bump & Jump is just one of those you wish you would've had back when you were a kid because you know it could be mastered with time. As it stands, I never really got what all of you "got" out of these games. Now I do.
