allyourblood: First off, I love when folks take the time to make more "substantial" posts like you did!
Second, I'm not disagreeing with you, since I think everything you pointed out was valid. I'm just offering a different interpretation. For real
I just don't understand why the game provides you with such a speedy character if you're constantly having to "brake" your way through the levels.
Yes, I think this constant sliding/braking turns-off a bunch of folks once the platforming requires precision. But, in the game's defense, it doesn't play too differently than the speed-run/jump found in, say Adventure Island AND the venerable Super Mario Bros. I play SMB on "permanent-speed", so I have to constantly "over-correct" during tricky parts (or when I forget what I am supposed to do and run blindly ahead. So, for me, this has always been an element of how I personally platform games (I acknowledge that this doesn't apply to everyone).
That said, I agree that the sliding/braking is a bit much (like an "ice" level with extra slippery physics).
Avoiding falling objects and jumping on or kicking airborne enemies is a pain; to that end, I don't care for the randomness of which items you can jump on and which you cannot: rolling boulders are fair game, but stationary ones do a ton of damage?
Ah, you can't argue with video game logic. I'll tell you this, though: I love jumping on enemies/objects in JJ & Jeff! It adds so much extra fun, especially because the designers incorporated serial bouncing..."chaining"...oh, I wish the game exploited this mechanic more it's so satisfying to pull off a "chain" of stationary bounces (rats) or bounce across the screen (wave of flies).
Also, what is with some games (like JJ&J & New Adventure Island) that sap your health for no reason? That one really gets under my skin. It's bad enough you're dealing with dodging enemies that appear out of nowhere and getting hit by your coworker/friend/sidekick (with no rhyme or reason), but just standing around to catch your breath incurs a penalty? Bizarre. Just gimme a dang timer and be done with it.
LIFE/TIMER BAR: I love this Wonderboyboy 1 convention (perpetually depleting life bar) SO MUCH MORE than a simple timer: grabbing fruit allows you to ADD to the timer and build up a reservoir of life bars (time), thereby putting you under constant pressure to MOVE.
NO REST FOR THE WEARY!
Constantly moving, ravenous for fruit... It is one of the best things about WB1/Adventure Island/JJ & Jeff. INGENIOUS! But, yes, it can be frustrating
Anyway, I love that I must continually collect fruit (I like when a game allows you to build up a "reserve"...beyond the visible bar on the screen, such as Wonderboy III: Monster Lair, but it's not a deal-breaker if a game lacks a "buffer" of life/time).
Traditional "timers" only become "fun" when the time is about to expire and you have to "beat the clock"...Wondeboy1 puts you in a permanent "beat the clock" mode, under the guise of a "life bar". BRILLIANT!
This prevents folks from exploiting a traditional timer (you can exploit a traditional timer by purposefully taking your sweet time to
slowly explore/practice a new/challenging level. The game allows you to "waste" your time on tasks. JJ & Jeff doesn't allow you to do that; you don't have the luxury of slowly plodding through a stage and kicking every tree stump and trash can lackadaisically.
NO REST FOR THE WEARY!
