Comic Jumper

The following article may or may not be representative of the beliefs of the XBLAFans Editorial Staff. It has been republished with permission from GamePeople.co.uk: The destination for everyday artisan reviews. To read the article as originally published click here.

As a side-scrolling beat ’em up come shooter, Comic Jumper had my attention early. The overbearing presentation and loud bickering characters screamed at me to pay attention and marvel at the developers ‘funny’ self-referential nature.

But aside from a few humorous early moments, Comic Jumper failed spectacularly to endear itself to me. The appalling attitudes towards women and the irritating gameplay undermined any potential the concept had. Even the basic premise of parodying comic books fell flat as Twisted Pixel resorted to stone-age attitudes towards the medium.

I found so much wrong with this game that it was a struggle to put my thoughts in order. From the combat mechanics to the writing and characters there was little worthy of praise. Comic Jumper’s soul is about as bitter and relentlessly anti-female as anything I’ve had the displeasure to experience.

I must admit that I was initially intrigued by the concept. Playing as Captain Smileyhead you blast your way through the opening level only to find that your comic has been cancelled (done through a curious live-action sequence). To rectify the situation you must jump into other comics, guest-starring and raising your profile once again to reclaim your status as worthy comic book hero.

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If there is one thing in particular that Comic Jumper exceeds at, it is humor. This isn’t to say the rest of the game doesn’t shine, but nothing can quite match the witty banter of the colorful cast of characters Twisted Pixel has created. It seems the team behind the game has realized this, as they have unleashed the entire cast of personalities on twitter. You can follow the humorous happenings of the Comic Jumper universe here.

If you’re on the fence about picking up the game, make sure to check out our review. Not to mention, you could get lucky and win a copy of Comic Jumper for free.

Oh, Twisted Pixel also sent us over what might be the most annoying ringtone I have ever heard, which you can download below:

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So Comic Jumper is coming to Xbox Live Arcade this Wednesday the 6th. The game is absolutely hilarious. Our full review for Comic Jumper just went up today. We …
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Comic Jumper was developed by Twisted Pixel and published by Microsoft Game Studios for XBLA on October 6th, 2010. Retails for 1200 Microsoft Points ($15). The publisher provided a copy of the game for reviewing purposes.

Captain Smiley and his sidekick Star aren’t the greatest heroes ever created, and they damn well know it. After having their ongoing comic series canceled, the duo become guest stars for hire in other comics in order to make enough money and gain enough popularity to reclaim the spotlight that was lost to them. Comic Jumper has a lot to live up to with Twisted Pixels past two games being rather successful. They deliver an adventure that is a comedic and aesthetic hit, but has fundamental issues with pacing and level design, ultimately falling short of greatness.

Bringing their own brand of justice to each crossover, Smiley and Star will earn money by means of fan-set challenges and “righting” wrongs. Twisted Pixel themselves also play a large role in the game, even outside of creating the adventure. By destroying the fourth wall the development house provides the funding and technology to make comic jumping possible. In each new world Captain Smiley is confronted by a quirky rogue’s gallery consisting of a Duke Nukem stand-in, a feminist bondage-loving villainess, and a maniacal mini golfer. With the money earned, upgrades can be purchased at the home base to increase slide time, health, and damage.

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