Jazz Jackrabbit 2 Online

Version 6.2 of JJ2+ is now available, revitalizing Race mode! Race was a big feature in version 5.0, but it was gradually overshadowed by mutators, including the aptly named “race.mut.” This update changes Race mode in two major ways:

First, we realized that players weren’t happy with Race games ending as soon as any one player finished all the laps. That made sense for JJ2’s other multiplayer gamemodes, but it’s not how other racing games work, and it wasn’t a good match for JDC events. In the new model, all players must finish, but they are ranked in the order they finished, like an inverse LRS. Players who’ve finished have their names drawn in orange and can freely spectate.

Second, there was a lack of information about the level and other players. Even with race.mut, it was easy to get lost and difficult to know if you were winning. 6.2 introduces a new system for level designers to define the layout of their race levels, using Text events as waypoints. All official Race levels have been retrofitted with these new waypoints and ship with JJ2+, to give you plenty of examples besides the documentation.

Waypoints have three major effects on gameplay. There’s an onscreen minimap, showing the track layout, your location, and other players’ locations. It’s now possible to estimate who’s in first place, second place, and so on, and the new HUD emphasizes this. And during the pregame for each level, the camera automatically scrolls through the track, giving you a preview of the level and helping to put all players on an even playing field.

Since the big 6.0 release and its 32-bit graphics feature, we’ve been focusing on changes that affect online multiplayer, not level design. (Although this is a bit of both.) We hope you’re all having fun making new 32-bit levels and tilesets, and we don’t want to confuse your process by introducing other level-editing changes too quickly. If you missed the last couple JJ2+ updates because they weren’t announced on J2O, 6.1 added purple text and emoji, and 6.1a reformed how the “passing” mode works in online team games with flags or gems, among other things.

You can download 6.2 in-game or in-browser

- Violet CLM

• 9h 34m ago
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Pokey the Penguin rocks!