Jump King is a 2019 platform game developed by Nexile. Jump King was released on Steam for Microsoft Windows on May 3, 2019. It was released for PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One on June 9, 2020.[1] In the game, players must ascend a vertical map and avoid falling down by making careful jumps.[3] Multiple free expansions for the game have been released since its launch.[4]
| Jump King | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Nexile |
| Publisher(s) | Nexile, Ukiyo Publishing[1] |
| Engine | MonoGame[2] |
| Platform(s) | |
| Release | Microsoft Windows May 3, 2019 Switch, PS4, Xbox One June 9, 2020 |
| Genre(s) | Platform |
The game received viral attention due to its difficulty and has been featured in Twitch live streams.[5][6]
Gameplay
editThe player controls a king who can move by either jumping or walking, and must reach the top of an extremely tall tower to beat the game. Jumps can be charged, which affects how far the player moves each time they perform a jump. Missing a jump can be punishing as falls can cause the player to lose a significant portion of their progress, and there are no checkpoints. The game encourages players to experiment and features multiple routes to reach the top of the tower and beat the game.[1] Additionally, at the top of the tower, there is a "smoking hot babe", teased through dialogue at the beginning of the game.
In addition to the main game, there are two additional maps titled "New Babe+" and "Ghost of the Babe".
The game's soundtrack has a total of 33 different songs, which belong to different areas. As the player progresses further up the map, these songs accompany the location they are currently in.
The game's difficulty and style of gameplay has been compared to Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy.[7][8][9]
Plot
editThere is a "smoking hot babe" at the top, and Jump King wants to reach her. To reach her, he must jump up a series of platforms.
Reception
editThe game received mostly positive attention. Oliver Roderick of Switch Player noted the game's intentional difficulty, but described it as "truly solid".[10] Similarly, Andrew Shaw of The Digital Fix praised the game's difficulty, soundtrack, and "beautifully pared-down but still vibrant and evocative 16-bit art style and equally retro sound effects."[11] Other reviewers were critical of the game's difficulty, with Paul Collett of Finger Guns feeling that the game's challenge was "left to chance and [not] to player skill" despite the game not having any luck elements.[12]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "'Comically vicious vertical platformer' Jump King coming to PS4, Xbox One, and Switch in 2020". Gematsu. February 26, 2020.
- ^ "Jump King tactics platformer and Linux | Linux Game News • Jump King tactics platformer and Linux". linuxgamenews.com.
- ^ Shaun Prescott (May 6, 2019). "Five new Steam games you probably missed (May 6, 2019)". PC Gamer – via www.pcgamer.com.
- ^ "Jump King Returns To Twitch With New DLC To Make Streamers Suicidal". TheGamer. 14 December 2019. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "Jump King Becomes Latest Viral Hit With Twitch Streamers". Game Rant. December 29, 2019.
- ^ "xQc rages at "broken" Jump King as 4 hour run ends in disaster". Dexerto. August 10, 2021.
- ^ "This New Genre Is A Train Wreck In Slow Motion". TheGamer. 17 June 2019.
- ^ "Jump King Review". July 31, 2020.
- ^ Shaun Prescott (July 9, 2019). "Check out this speedrun of fiendishly tough platformer Jump King". PC Gamer – via www.pcgamer.com.
- ^ "Jump King Review". Switch Player. 16 June 2020.
- ^ "Jump King". www.thedigitalfix.com. Archived from the original on 2020-06-28. Retrieved 2022-03-12.
- ^ Collett, Paul (8 June 2020). "Jump King Review – Jump Up, Jump Up and Fall Down". Finger Guns.