Jazz Jackrabbit
Jazz Jackrabbit was the title character of a series of platform games. He first appeared in 1994 in a PC game produced by Epic MegaGames.
Description
Jazz Jackrabbit is a 3'1", 90 lb anthropomorphic green rabbit. Strictly speaking, his name implies that he is a hare, but it makes little difference to the character. He comes from the planet Carrotus, and is usually referred to as Jazz.
Games
Jazz Jackrabbit has officially appeared in seven games:
- Jazz Jackrabbit was released in 1994 for the PC. An extended version was released in later that year. This game sees Jazz visiting a number of worlds in order to rescue Eva Earlong and save Carrotus from the villainous Devan Shell, a megalomaniac turtle. It plays on the Tortoise/Hare enmity introduced in Aesop's The Tortoise and the Hare, but is set 3000 years later. At the time, the game's vibrant graphics and speedy gameplay were something of a novelty on the PC. Jazz Jackrabbit was very popular and was named Arcade Game of the Year by PC Format.
- Jazz Jackrabbit 2 was released in 1998 for the PC, and later for the Macintosh. This time Jazz must chase Devan Shell through time, in order to retrieve the ring with which he plans to wed Eva. We are introduced to Jazz's brother Spaz, a new playable character. The game also features multiplayer options, including the ability to play over a LAN or the internet. The game even came with a level editor, and new levels are produced by fans to this day.
- Jazz Jackrabbit 2: Holiday Hare '98 was released in 1998 for the PC, but only in North America. Unlike its yuletide predecessors, this game was released commercially.
- Jazz Jackrabbit 2: The Secret Files was released in 1999 for the PC, but only in Europe. This game introduced Jazz's sister Lori, another playable character.
- Jazz Jackrabbit 2: The Christmas Chronicles was to be released in 1999 for the PC, across Europe. The publisher, Project 2, went bankrupt. It was eventually released in Poland in 2000. It is an enhanced version of Holiday Hare '98, with the addition of Lori.
- Jazz Jackrabbit Advance was released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance. This game is not generally accepted by fans as canon. It pits Jazz against Dark Shell, a cross between Devan Shell and Darth Vader. Jazz is also determined to win the affections of Zoe Cottontail, with Eva's fate going unexplained.
Jazz Jackrabbit has also appeared in a number of fan-made games and the unfinished Jazz Jackrabbit 3D.
External Links
- An official site (outdated)
- Jazz 2 Online, the hub of the Jazz Jackrabbit community
- Haze's Hideout, a concise unofficial site