So, does anyone here remember the cult-classic Jumpman – originally released on home computers back in 1983 – which starred a hero eternally running about in search of bombs to defuse? You would certainly be forgiven should your answer have been no, seeing as how the original Jumpman was released well before the majority of today’s mobile gamers were even alive. To make a long story short – for those who never once booted up a Commodore 64 – Jumpman left an indelible mark upon those who played it, leaving the game with an active fan community a whole three decades later.
One of Jumpman’s most respected parts is that it included a staggering 30 stages – each of which were unique – for players to test their mettle against, all during an age when similar titles contained only four-to-five endlessly looped levels. Even more impressive was that Jumpman’s challenges were always changing, constantly demanding new tricks and different strategies from players as they progressed forward. This was further complimented by rock-solid controls that made possible for actions well ahead of their time, such as players grabbing onto edges – and then pulling themselves back up – after any narrowly missed jump.
However – despite all of the praise that Jumpman previously received – there has not yet been a single follow-up produced, other than a pseudo-sequel that was little more than a slightly extended level set. To this end one enthusiast – going by the name of Davis Ray Sickmon, Jr. – reached out to the original creator, Randy Glover, in order to secure the rights needed to make an proper sequel. Now – with Glover’s fully sanctioned blessing behind him – Davis is aiming to make a continuation of the legacy that will be enjoyed for another thirty years, a game that he has entitled Jumpman Forever.
Not content with merely releasing a port of the original, Jumpman Forever aims to be an brand new sequel – using slightly updated graphics – that will feature all original levels and challenges for players to pit their skill against. Davis has promised that these new levels will feel like a combination of Portal’s puzzle-logic meeting Donkey Kong’s twitch based action, all while remaining true to the heart of the original. While Davis has already finished work on Jumpman Forever’s core engine, he’s finally hit a point where help is needed in order for him to finish the game without also staving in the process.
To that end a Kickstarter was recently launched in order to raise the additional $20,000 needed to expedite Jumpman Forever’s production towards its completion within a reasonable time-frame. Davis has – if funded – promised to deliver the first true Jumpman sequel to Ouya users this February, with enhanced PC and iOS versions already guaranteed to arrive six months later. If you too would like to enable a pixelated bomb disposal specialist to jump about forevermore, then don’t forget that you can currently secure you own copy by submitting a $2 donation before December 21st.