Author: [Dr]Dre@m
Year: 1998
Genre: Single Player
Filename: C_diam3d.j2l
Download: J2C, Mirror
This level is an old favourite of mine, and is probably one that most of you haven't played before. It's not perfect, and even has couple of serious flaws, but it also has a certain charm to it which I think is lacking in many other levels. Perhaps this is sentimentality speaking, but I think this level has a very unique style of design, and one that engages the player far more than most levels. And despite that, what it really all comes down to is the fact that Darn Mosquitoz is simply fun. That alone makes it worth playing.
The defining aspect of Darn Mosquitoz is the open-endedness. While there is a definitive path from beginning to end, there are so many branches along the way that the player must actually explore the level to complete it. There is a real sense of freedom and openness, and the whole thing feels more organic. On top of that, the level is loaded with secrets, making it more fun for those who enjoy exploring every nook and cranny.
On top of the non-linear design, Darn Mosquitoz has a number of other design features that make it unique. Water plays a large role in the level, and is not set at a static height like in most other levels. Certain places will cause the water to rise up or go down, determining which areas of a room you can access. TNT is used in an interesting way, since the level has it in a limited supply and there are several areas where it is required to progress further in the level. Finally, the background and foreground layers are lined up with the level in a way that shows a high attention to detail, an example of this being certain places where the parallaxing foreground obscures secret areas.
As I mentioned earlier, there are a few problems with this level. The first is that this level is very difficult, yet lacks a decent amount of checkpoints. Save often unless you want to be frustrated. Another problem is that the TNT, which is required to beat the level, is in a small and finite supply, so squandering it can render the level unbeatable. There is also one area with a fatal bug; a misplaced event that causes the level to stop scrolling. To avoid this, I suggest that you save the game when you see a text sign that says something along the lines of "You need perfect timing for this." The bug is a little ways after this area. Of lesser severity, there are also a few tile bugs in the level which, while ignorable, do tend to detract from the otherwise attractive use of the tileset.
When I first played this level, it served as an inspiration for me when making my own levels. I don't know why it had such an impact on me, but even today I still find it fun to play though. It's flaws do prevent it from having the same sort of professional quality as some of the more famous level packs out there, but where Darn Mosquitoz lacks in professionalism it makes up for in sheer fun. And sometimes, that's all that matters.
Good:
- Non-linear design
- A fun level to explore
- High difficulty level
- Unique tileset usage
- Lack of checkpoints makes saving necessary
- Fatal bug due to a misplaced "Limit X Scroll" event
- Can become unbeatable if TNT is wasted
3 comments:
It bothers me a little bit that an 11-year old who can't tell the difference between bees and mosquitos has the ability to create a level that plays so well (I was especially surprised at the difficulty). JCS layers, let alone all the rest of it like water and trigger scenery, were not the easiest things to figure out when I started, and I was 1 year older, so Darn Mosquitoz is very impressive.
Before I lose control and write my own review, I want to say that it's a pity that almost nothing, like with so many authors, seems to be known about [Dr]Dre@m and his other work. Shakespeare's sonnet 60 comes to mind: 'And yet to times in hope my verse shall stand, praising thy worth, despite his cruel hand'; while I'm sure most are still alive, the people behind the levels are nevertheless gone, with their creations the only things left for posterity.
It's kind of funny to think of the fact that the guy who made this level is now probably 20.
In any case, I'm pretty sure this is the only level that this guy made, or at least bothered to upload. It would probably be possible to track him down though, since I know at least one person who was affiliated with the [Dr] clan. Not that I really feel the need to bother doing that.
After reading your review again, I realized that there are some things I have to say: there's basically something missing from your review. When I started on this comment, I wasn't entirely certain what to write. Well, we'll just have to see where I head off to...
Behind the translucent veil of clever layer usage, well-hidden secrets, and creative event placement, there is a very artificial structure: the tiles above the spikes just happen to be collapsing, the TNT just happens to be behind the foreground layer, the dragon fly just happens to be placed where it will fly right into you should you attempt to jump and shoot it. This careful engineering is impressive at first. It may not even be noticeable because the tileset and event placement make Darn Mosquitoz appear to be a vibrant place, but at the very roots is emptiness. This is where I feel it would've been useful to review the level according to today's benchmarks, which I don't feel you've done. If it had been done, the level's true nature would've been made much clearer. It may seem obvious, but it's handy to identify just what kind of level this is.
You say that Darn Mosquitoz engages the player 'more than most levels', but Darn Mosquitoz is not unlike your average Epic level. It may be a little more advanced, with a few more tricks up its sleeve, but once again it's the player against the world; a world devoid of care, or heart, or soul; a world that serves no purpose but to be yet another big obstacle course. It's not enough to put in events, tiles, and scenery. If you do only that, enemies become just drones run by a simple AI, and the puzzles and secrets will remain lifeless. Are JJ2 levels lonely? Despite the happy music and cartoon graphics, I think this one is.
Darn Mosquitoz is JJ2 at its most primitive (though by no means crude): an arcade platform game. Therefore, while Darn Mosquitoz has its fun moments, I find myself unable to enjoy it above a certain plateau. On a more positive note, however, Darn Mosquitoz is not a bad level. I know that many people enjoy this kind of simple, arcade gameplay, and I called it primitive, but not crude, since the author has taken your run-of-the-mill, left-to-right, shoot-on-sight platform level and turned it into something quite refined, even by today's standards.
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