Jinx

Written by Tom Clare in PSOne Game Reviews, Wednesday 23 January, 2008

Released: 2003
Developer: Hammerhead
Publisher: Sony
Genre: 3D Platformer
Platform: PSOne

Jinx, though almost unheard of even in gaming circles, remains one of the biggest surprises of the PlayStation generation, due mainly to the unlikely climate to which it was conceived. Not known for supporting old hardware once more powerful consoles have taken their place, Sony's announcement that they were releasing a 3D platformer for the PSOne in early 2003, fully two years after most companies had moved on to PS2 development, came as a great surprise. It was in essence, the Japanese giant's parting-gift to the PSOne, and an exclusive one at that.

Jinx is intriguing, as little is as it initially seems. The first unusual point is the involvement of Hammerhead - those responsible for the mighty PSOne conversion of Quake II - as this bright, breezy and colourful platformer is about as far from the classic FPS' grizzly facades as you could imagine. Then there is the lead character, whom many note bares more than a passing resemblance to the barmy Fargus from the Pandemonium! series, though he remains the property of a different developer altogether. Play it for a few minutes though, and it has more in common with Spyro and though it never threatens to usurp the purple dragons platform crown, Jinx has a number of its own merits revealed through extended play, that even Insomniac's classic does not possess.

The story is a simple tale of a King, Queen and their court being put under a spell and kidnapped by pirates, leaving only the court jester Jinx to battle for their safe return. His journey involves the completion of six worlds consisting of three levels each, and though it's fair to say that it isn't the most original of gaming concepts, Jinx's design is vastly underrated, with areas that are distinctive in their appearance and offer a variety of challenges.

Mamoo City is where things kick off, and whilst it is very much in the vain of the earlier 3D platformers of its generation (such as Gex and Spyro), it proves to be an ideal opener with some nice sections designed to aid the player in learning the controls (though fortunately not with formulaic training routines) and also capturing a simple, effective atmosphere of a magical Kingdom. By the time you reach the worlds of Pyramidicia and Aquaquatica (desert and water respectively), the game really starts to stretch its legs, with a mixture of block-pushing; switch-flicking; ledge-jumping and swimming abilities mixing together very nicely - Jinx certainly manages the whole "kids Tomb Raider" thing as well as Croc ever did. Elsewhere, the spooky Schloss' Kreep sections often see you having to plan your route as certain doors have to be opened in order, and there's even the odd puzzle including a mad dash to a soon-to-close hatch and floor-puzzles with sensor pads. It's also refreshing to see an emphasis on platforming elements - the Spyro's of the day focussed a little more on exploration and observation than joypad dexterity whilst Crash Bandicoot relied a fair bit on its combative elements, but Jinx seems to have taken its inspiration from the right sources and makes for a challenging but balanced game because of its obstacles.

Another area in which it deceives is in its difficulty - it's easy enough to get into and it has the feel of an uncomplicated game, though there are some genuinely tough sections and getting the hundred stars required for an extra life requires a fair bit of effort in the early stages. Add to this the fact that you can only hold a maximum of nine lives, and you'll quickly find that carelessness can put you in real problems. It has its share of heart-in-mouth jumps to negotiate, as well as retracting ledges, spike-pads and lava pits. Some bits are just a little too precarious for comfort however due to some iffy manoeuvring; on the flat, Jinx feels okay, though judging some of the more marginal jumps can frustrate as the jester has a tendency to slip off the edge if he lands close to a precipice. Nevertheless, you have to commend the game as there is relatively little let-up in the action and there is more variety than you might initially expect - the motivation to progress and see what the game has to offer next remains strong, and that's a compliment for any platformer.

Jinx has a range of items at his disposal, ranging from cherry bombs and anvils for dispatching single enemies, to devastating tornados designed to wipe out several in one go. Best of the lot though is the egg-timer which is a supremely useful tool as it slows time around your character - not only do the enemies move slower, but so do the platform mechanisms - most notably the retracting ledges and descending ceilings. These devices are all the more welcome as they disguise the fact that Jinx's basic combat leaves a lot to be desired - his puny staff attack is extremely short range and highlights some particularly unflattering collision detection troubles, and if it wasn't for the secondary bounce attack making life a little easier, the fight system could have been a real problem.

In both the visual and the audio departments, Jinx takes a heavy dose of inspiration from the Spyro games - which is no bad thing of course. The environments are colourful, detailed and pleasantly chunky, and though the 360 degree camera feels like it has a mind of its own at times (making some jumps more troublesome than they should be), the nifty first-person perspective assigned to the R2 button allows the player to pour over their surroundings in detail. And there is plenty of detail to those surroundings - from large statues; tombs; waterfalls and castle exteriors to nice little touches such as flitting butterflies and magical explosions of colour, the developers have gone to great lengths to convey a convincing fantasy feel. Another unexpected bonus is the music, which is really, really good - catchy and well-composed, the subtle stylistic changes for that come with each new area (becoming a little spookier for the Schloss' Kreep levels) are really effective and, in every instance, seem to fit the action to a tee. However, there are areas where Jinx's presentation comes up a little short - the animation of the NPC's is really quite bad, with basic, disproportionate face-designs that look like children's drawings and the enemy designs aren't much better. FMV's are also conspicuous by their absence and there is no spoken dialogue either, which could have added some charm to proceedings.

Whilst experienced players shouldn't have too much trouble making their way through the game, the incentive to return and backtrack is enhanced a fair bit as each level has its own secondary challenge. In each area, you'll find an individual you can speak with - among the more memorable are Chambermaid Jordan and Captain Gaybeard - and these figures will set you some tasks that generally involve retrieving items as varying as lost treasure; roses; pumpkins and oxygen tanks. Occasionally, you'll have to capture animals/escaped prisoners in Jinx's capture balls, and sometimes finding the character is the challenge in itself as they hide themselves away. Not only do these detours add fresh impetus to explore the levels more thoroughly, but some of the more far-reaching ones require you to travel to several different worlds. The rewards are useful too; Truth Gems open up a trio of simple but enjoyable bonus stages whilst to complete the game fully you must acquire all of the Queen's crown jewel pieces.

It doesn't set the world alight in any single department, but Jinx has enough quality parts to make it a relevant title, especially for kids. It does have its difficult moments, but things never escalate to the levels of throw-your-pad frustration that Crash Bandicoot can induce, even with some tricky platform sections. It won't keep you captivated for weeks in the way Spyro: Year of the Dragon does and with higher production values, some of the minor control and presentation issues could undoubtedly have been improved, but it isn't something you'll have polished off in an evening either.

Jinx was never likely to achieve 'classic' status - budget constraints, format and time of release collectively saw to that - but the lack of bells and whistles doesn't spoil what is still an enjoyable, well-designed and well-rounded platforming homage that fans of the genre will enjoy - provided they don't expect anything wildly original.

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