Anyone remember Jumpman?

[DaBargainHunta]

Anyone remember this underrated and seemingly forgotten classic for PC? I downloaded it somewhere, but for whatever reason, my version doesn't have sound. :(

[Saabmeister]

I used to play Jumpman Jr. all the time on my C64. Me thinks I'll load it up tomorrow again.

[cracked8ball]

Jumpman Jr was the first video game I ever played. I'm happy that it will be included in the upcoming C64 tv joystick.

[ec_gamer]

Jumpman was one of the first games I bought for my C64, great game. :)

[Lady Jaye]

I have Jumpman Jr. for the Colecovision...

[Nature Boy]

I was/still am an Atari 8-bit Jumpman (and Junior!) fan.

It might be underrated on the PC but it's not on the Atari or C64. Methinks most top 10/50/100 lists would include one or the other (or both) (including mine).

[gwaine]

Played it on my PC Jr that I got for X-Mas 1983...got that and King's Quest...I was in heaven. :)

[Flack]

Remember it? Hell, I was playing it *last night* -- and no, I'm not kidding!

Check out Jumpman: Under Construction (http://members.iinet.net.au/~cleathley/jumpman/). Chris Leathley has been working on a complete VGA remake of the original Jumpman. Beta 3 is available for download from his site -- it even comes with a level editor!!! That website also has a great history of the game.

[Jorpho]

One of the most ingeneous platformers ever devised, that one. Definitely in my Top 10 list.

See http://www.classicgaming.com/jlounge/ .

[Castelak]

Played it on my PC Jr that I got for X-Mas 1983...got that and King's Quest...I was in heaven. :)

DUDE! Me too...! We still got the PC Jr. in storage along with King's Quest and tons of 5.25 floppy disks of games!

[allsport11]

Remember it? Hell, I was playing it *last night* -- and no, I'm not kidding!.

Was playing it last night myself. One of the most fun games ever created. One of the C64's best. :)

[Raedon]

I always sucked at Jumpman and Jr. But I loved a clone of the game on the C64 called Ultimate Wizard.

[Sanriostar]

Geez, I still play Jumpman too! One of my greatest (sorta) collecting trumps I ever did was to get ahold of Jumpman Lives! registered version back in '94 or 95 when it was almost released! I had to go through some rather um.. 2600ish, should we say... connections to get it too....

And I ain't talkin' Atari...

[Nature Boy]

it even comes with a level editor!!!

After reading that I'm wondering why they didn't think of doing something like that back when it was first released. Didn't Mr. Robot and Boulder Dash partially enjoy such massive popularity because (a) they were great (like Jumpman) and (b) they had a level editor?

[Flack]

it even comes with a level editor!!!

After reading that I'm wondering why they didn't think of doing something like that back when it was first released. Didn't Mr. Robot and Boulder Dash partially enjoy such massive popularity because (a) they were great (like Jumpman) and (b) they had a level editor?

Hm I've never played Mr. Robot but I remember creating levels in Boulder Dash for my system.

Ultimate Wizard, which Raedon mentioned, had a level editor. It's another game worth checking out if you liked Jumpman. For that matter, Lode Runner, one of the most ingenious games of all time, also had a level editor. I guess a lot of games had level editors back when levels were simpler!

[Jorpho]

Well, at least we still have the likes of N these days.

(N is probably what Jumpman is like in hell. :) )

[ubikuberalles]

it even comes with a level editor!!!

After reading that I'm wondering why they didn't think of doing something like that back when it was first released. Didn't Mr. Robot and Boulder Dash partially enjoy such massive popularity because (a) they were great (like Jumpman) and (b) they had a level editor?

I just read an interview from the "Jumpman Lounge" site and it was mentioned that each level had custom code associated written. So, a level editor wouldn't work in the original version because you would have had to write your own custom code.

[alexkidd2000]

Best Coleco Vision game of them all! One of the only games with tons of levels, I never managed to get past the level where everything is invisible.

[goatdan]

If you loved Jumpman Jr, make sure to check out Back to the Future 2 and 3 for the NES. The mini-games in it to get parts were just like Jumpman levels. I played it first and Jumpman secondly, and it made Jumpman a lot easier (but no less fun :) ).

[Nature Boy]

Hm I've never played Mr. Robot...

If you have an Atari 8-bit emulator check it out. It reminds me mostly of Miner 2049er (a single screen platform game where you have to remove the dots below each platform to finish the screen). It has a lot more screens than Miner though (from what I remember anyway), and it has the aformentioned level editor.

You know, this has me thinking. With the proliferation of emulators out there, why hasn't anybody suggested a "Boulder Dash" competition (or something like it). You could have a *lot* of fun playing around with dozens of new Boulder Dash/Mr. Robot/whatever levels...

[Keir]

Hm I've never played Mr. Robot...

If you have an Atari 8-bit emulator check it out. It reminds me mostly of Miner 2049er (a single screen platform game where you have to remove the dots below each platform to finish the screen). It has a lot more screens than Miner though (from what I remember anyway), and it has the aformentioned level editor.

I had never heard of Mr. Robot either, and I'm a huge Jumpman/Wizard fan. Apparantly there's a C64 version (http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D1738) as well. I'll have to try it out!

I also bought BttF 2&3 just because I heard the minigames were like Jumpman. That game is so bad I couldn’t even play it long enough to get to one of the minigames. :beaten:

[rbudrick]

I never played Jumpman, so I sometimes forget it is a game....when I hear "Jumpman," I usually think of Mario's original name on the old Donkey Kong arcade cabs. Does anyone know why those call him Jumpman? I mean, wasn't he always Mario to the original designers? At what point did they change the cabs to reflect this?

-Rob

[Flack]

Hm I've never played Mr. Robot...

If you have an Atari 8-bit emulator check it out. It reminds me mostly of Miner 2049er (a single screen platform game where you have to remove the dots below each platform to finish the screen). It has a lot more screens than Miner though (from what I remember anyway), and it has the aformentioned level editor.

I had never heard of Mr. Robot either, and I'm a huge Jumpman/Wizard fan. Apparantly there's a C64 version (http://www.lemon64.com/?mainurl=http%3A//www.lemon64.com/games/details.php%3FID%3D1738) as well. I'll have to try it out!

I also bought BttF 2&3 just because I heard the minigames were like Jumpman. That game is so bad I couldn’t even play it long enough to get to one of the minigames. :beaten:

I didn't realize that was a Mr. Robot link until I saw it in the quote ... ah well, here's a link to the game. LINK (http://c64.kset.org/64games.shtml).

[goatdan]

I also bought BttF 2&3 just because I heard the minigames were like Jumpman. That game is so bad I couldn’t even play it long enough to get to one of the minigames. :beaten:

Maybe it's just from me having played it "back in the day" for hours upon hours trying to beat it, but I really loved that game. I'd try it again :)

It is perhaps one of the best NES examples of a game that should've been a game with some sort of save on it.

[Flack]

I never played Jumpman, so I sometimes forget it is a game....when I hear "Jumpman," I usually think of Mario's original name on the old Donkey Kong arcade cabs. Does anyone know why those call him Jumpman? I mean, wasn't he always Mario to the original designers? At what point did they change the cabs to reflect this?

He didn't get named "Mario" until Donkey Kong Jr. Donkey Kong was originally written to star Popeye (!), but Nintendo lost the license early in development, and the character we now know as Mario was simply dubbed Jumpman.

[Big Player]

Programmer Manuel Rotschkar is working on a 2600 version of Jumpman. He is only in the begining stages right now, trying to get the playfields adapted to the 2600.

http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=61155

[rbudrick]

He didn't get named "Mario" until Donkey Kong Jr. Donkey Kong was originally written to star Popeye (!), but Nintendo lost the license early in development, and the character we now know as Mario was simply dubbed Jumpman.

I didn't know about the Popeye part. Hmm.

What I guess I'm wondering is since Mario was modeled loosely on thier old landlord, why didn't they just call him Mario from the start?

-Rob

[Nature Boy]

Programmer Manuel Rotschkar is working on a 2600 version of Jumpman. He is only in the begining stages right now, trying to get the playfields adapted to the 2600.

http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=61155

I'd love to see him pull this off. I'd even pony up the dough to buy a cart if he ever gets that far :)

[Keir]

Programmer Manuel Rotschkar is working on a 2600 version of Jumpman. He is only in the begining stages right now, trying to get the playfields adapted to the 2600.

http://www.atariage.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=61155

I'd love to see him pull this off. I'd even pony up the dough to buy a cart if he ever gets that far :)
I trust Manuel not only to finish it, but to do a great job as well. :)

He also has Randy Glover's blessing, so actual carts for sale could very well become reality.

[drdrew1469]

He didn't get named "Mario" until Donkey Kong Jr. Donkey Kong was originally written to star Popeye (!), but Nintendo lost the license early in development, and the character we now know as Mario was simply dubbed Jumpman.

I didn't know about the Popeye part. Hmm.

What I guess I'm wondering is since Mario was modeled loosely on thier old landlord, why didn't they just call him Mario from the start?

-Rob

The result was a game entitled Donkey Kong, starring "Jumpman." Later on, someone at Nintendo noticed Jumpman beared a striking resemblance to Mario Segali, the Italian landlord of Nintendo's office in New York. That was all it took to change Jumpman's name to "Mario."

clipped from TMK

[Jorpho]

Jumpman was also the name of the little guy on some old models of Nike shoes, apparently.