Eric Kinkead
 

Eric Kinkead of Game Titan (specifically, Project Manager and Art Director of JJA) has agreed to let me ask him some questions about Jazz Advance. Anyone want to contribute anything that they're curious about? I figure I'll wait a day for responses and then just ask stuff.

I'd like to know why they threatened to sue our behinds of.

But I don't think you'll ask him.

Ask why they made Jazz so ugly. ;)

I've got a couple of questions:

1. Do they have any more Jazz Jackrabbit games planned and if yes, what can we expect?
2. Who's decision was it to make Jazz so different from his previous games right down to the setting, and why? I kinda like the new look, I'm just curious :)
3. Why were some of the levels so short? I mean, the very last level (the one before Dark Shell) was so short it was anticlimatic. I know budgeted time had something to do with it, but maybe you could explain some things?
4. Is it true that nature settings aren't your forte (read that on GameSpot)? I've seen ripped tiles from Jazz Jackrabbit 2 here and there, enlighten us :)

That's all the questions I have so far, maybe I'll add some later. I'd also like to compliment for making a nice game, especially because of the bosses (love the Saurian General), be sure to pass them :)

- JelZe GoldRabbit =:3

How well did the game sell? Did Game Titan or anyone else actually turn a profit from the game?

Why actually did Game Titan decide to make Jazz Jackrabbit on GBA?

Would you want to see a JJ3 game made and why?

n00b's long question list.
How were the ideas for the characters created?
Was there ever an idea for more than just one playabe character in Single Player mode?
If you could, what would you change about the game?
I heard there will not be a sequel to Jazz Jackrabbit (on the GBA), is this true?
What would a sewuel to the game be about?
Would Dark and Devan team up to take down Jazz?
What is Margsly's personality(if he has one)?
In Jazz Jackrabbit 2, Jazz could do a super jump, this move is not present in Jazz Jackrabit GBA. Why were there no 'melee' moves(for lack of a better term) in Jazz Jackrabbit GBA, and were there plans for some?
How come the Puzzle solving aspect became less important in Jazz Jackrabbit GBA?
There are Death Match and CTF modes in Jazz Jackrabbit GBA. Did you plan to incorparete any other multiplayer modes?(A Treasure Hunt(JJ2) styled game where you tried to get the most money would be cool)
The game felt a bit short(I beat Very Hard in an hour or so), did you plan for more levels?
Was there ever an idea to have an episode slection screen like in JJ1 and JJ2?
How many designs did Jazz go through before you chose the final design(and if there were multiple desings do you have any concept art to show us what they looked like?)
How did you decide on the plotline?
Where there ever going to be any more Level NPCs other than the ones on the first level of Carrotopolis? Merchant Street seems boring without any, well, merchants.
What exactly was Jazz doing on the Chameleon Planet, and why was destorying the statue so important?

Sonyk's Question List like thing:

Exactly what right do they think they had in altering the whole story from JJ2-JJA? (You wouldn't have to ask it exactly like that)
Despite Dark Shell's very minor relationship to Devan, where exactly is Devan, boss of the reptiles?
Whatever happened to Lori?
Why was Jazz the only character?
If Jazz fought for the rabbits before, why does he now do so in a uniform?
How did Dark Shell get dinosaurs?

I really, really, really, want to know what they say for the first one.

1 why o why did they remove jazz's headband!
2 thank you for keeping spaz alive.
3 why did they alter devan and eva?
4 if they make a future jazz game, please revert it to jj2 style.

That's not Devan or Eva. That's Dark Shell and some rabbit held hostage.

Zoe Cottontail.
Dark is a spaceballs spoof relative to Devan.
1) He now works for RABT, which requires him to 'dress for protocol'. Before he was just doing it as a one(or two if you count spaz)man band, like an indie game deveopler of sorts.
2)Dark Shell hired the Saurians(AKA the dinosaurs) by paying them with money. The ones in his castle were probally leftovers(better trained I presume) from the assualt on Carrotoplis.

Fun Fact, Real Life Lizards are called Suarians due to some special tempreture condition or something(I forgot by the time I'm posting this). Also, lizard men from fantasies are called Saurians(evolving from the Land Dragon according to one source) Therefore, it's safe to assume, the Saurians might be related to the Lizards from JJ2.

Think I'll answer a few of your questions before actually asking him anything...


"Ask why they made Jazz so ugly."
R.A.B.T. requires its agents to "dress for protocol". (Lapin also has the red/blue outfit on.)

"Do they have any more Jazz Jackrabbit games planned and if yes, what can we expect?"
Eric has previously told me that they have no plans for another Jazz game. He also doubts that Epic does, a statement confirmed by Mark Rein.

"How well did the game sell? Did Game Titan or anyone else actually turn a profit from the game?"
Eric has previously implied that Jaleco's random publicities prevented anyone from making money, but I'll ask anyway.

"Would you want to see a JJ3 game made and why?"
Yes, he would.

"How many designs did Jazz go through before you chose the final design(and if there were multiple desings do you have any concept art to show us what they looked like?)"
Jazz was originally a different shade of green... beyond that, I don't know, interesting question.

"herefore, it's safe to assume, the Saurians might be related to the Lizards from JJ2."
Unlikely... the JJ2 lizards are almost identical to the JJ1 lizards (except for color scheme), but the Saurians are huge things with different body shape and lots of armor.

I got just one question:
Why did you decide to not follow up JJ2 with a sequel and instead just make up a totally new storyline, set after JJ2 but has nto actually much to do with it?

Oh, sorry, should have specified. The questions have been sent now. There was something similar in there anyway.

I wanted to ask him to story-tell the defeat of Dark Shell from past (the one that is just barely mentioned in game).

Erm, I wanted an answer from him. And still why isn't answered.

Status update... I sent all the questions a while ago, plus a few more I came up with. Eric responded with the same stuff he's said before in interviews and whatnot - we're cool for continuing Jazz, we get to decide everything, if you complain about it you're being unpatriotic, a bunch of europeans obsessed with JJ2 ruined the game sales, etc. He did not really answer any of the questions I was interested in. That was a while ago, and he didn't respond to my prod, so I'm assuming we're going to get anything out of him.

Bah. Oh well could we see his answers anyhow? Might give a laugh or two(obsessed europeans messing up sales is always comedy), and if it doesn't it's still something to pass the time.

Ok, here's the response I missed before because I didn't notice I wasn't logged in. No, most of the fun questions (who IS Zoe Cottontail?) don't get answered, but there is some interesting stuff talked about here.

...am I the only one who's suddenly feeling really, really bad?

Uhm, where are all the questions and answers?
I guess you're not the only one feeling bad, Faw :(

I didn't even know about Jazz advance until now, then I saw some screens, I wish I hadn't.

Jazz is supposed to look good......... (I hope my seeing his new image doesn't ruin my 'special' jazz jackrabbit dreams)

Also, I assume you have to reload your weapon in the advance version, the flash hider on the muzzle indicates his weapon is now bullet based and a magazine is visable. Unlike his old weapon, this one would not be able to support infinate ammunition. If it does seem to support infinate ammunition can someone please explain.

No, his blaster is infinite(Hey, people can't explain other things about the Jazz universe either), everything else takes ammo(he switches out guns and such)
Awww, reading what Eric said makes me sad, now knowing that they had planned, if they had told us the plans earlier, maybe, just maybe, there would have been less flaming and more Jazz games today.
Oh, and Marine the game(oddly enough) looks much better on the GBA(at least to me)

Omg, this IS sad. Hey, time to kill some flamers. Now, line up you flamers!

...uh-huuuh?

=( This is bad :(

Maybe we wouldn't have "flamed" him if Jazz wasn't suddenly wearing light blue tights and no bandana. Come on, you wouldn't shave Mario's moustache off either, would you?

And oh, most people not visiting this site don't know his old look? Well, they do. Ask any serious dutch gamer about Jazz Jackrabbit and I'm pretty sure (s)he knows.

Sad and all, but my question is, why did they have to make such a chronologic mess? Why couldn't they put the storyline between JJ2 and JJ3? Because that's more like Star Wars? The point is, one thing that does suck in SW episodes 1-3 is that we all know how this will end anyway. And besides, if we're talking about stoking the flames, why I have never seen any JJGBA commercials or merchandising? Maybe there was just too little players to NOTICE the new Jazz game. I'm pretty sure players completely new to Jazz would be less sceptic than so-called veterans.

I think that answers a part of Jazz's question. And JJGBA wasn't meant to stoke the flames(at least by itself) they were going to release a slew of Jazz titles(one every 6 months according to Eric)

'And it was to tie into the storylines of our JJGBA title and humorously explain what he had to go through in his rocky transition into adulthood (something many of us face)...'

Since when did Jazz grow up? :) I thought he was more of less an adult what with the marriages, turtle-killings and gun-shooting. :)

I wasn't particularly interested in GBA until JJA came out and then I couldn't play it and didn't want to buy a hand-held console JUST for one game. I've never seen all the attacks and flames Eric described so I wonder...why would anyone want to do such a thing when clearly Titan Games are the only known game company in the whole world that is working on something remotely to do with Jazz? I'm sure ppl have discussed the 'mistake' of expressing opinions too strongly about JJA although I can't help feeling that we have put off Titan Games from making more Jazz titles. :(

I think you're doing something wrong as a game developer if you're influenced by the "flames" of a 50-people big community.

Maybe it's because their forums are really inactive and we changed that. :p

What a moron.

Indeed. What a moron.

[EDIT] I haven't heard of a Jazz Jackrabbit for the GBA before I went to this place. So it's not like it's our fault.

[EDIT2] I just found this on their MB.

vivIsel
" I don't think GT would actually shut down J2O like that, would they *cough*?"

The NEW Spaz
"Well, I think they would. Their email says so. And if I may believe this Eric guy. He's serious.

They could have also just told us that they can't handle it when we give our opinion about what they did to the game we love. And have loved for several years.

I actually think they should have hired someone to tell them what's apropiate in a Jazz game, and what isn't however. This is just an opinion though. :P"

Who's a moron, NS? :p

Nah :P Eric Kinkhead ;p

No, not 50. Maybe 500. :o

Name 500 :p