- Jump King brings brutal platforming to mobile
- Take on an enormous tower as the titular king
- There’s no going back from each jump, so get precise with a charge-jump system
There was a time, not long ago, when the point of many platformers was nothing less than consuming all your quarters. That brutal difficulty soon translated to consoles, but over the years, for better or worse, it’s ebbed somewhat, but there’s always a place for more, as Jump King aptly demonstrates.
Much like the classic of the genre Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Jump King’s story and concept are simplicity itself. Playing as the titular Jump King, your one and only motivation is the ‘babe’ at the top of the tower, which you ascend, doing so via very precise jumps that you charge and release.
Just be careful, because each jump is an autosave, and there are no second chances. Fortunately, while you can purchase extra lives, Jump King also offers an ad-supported model, so you can play for free and (if you’re either very good or very lucky) avoid dying in the process.
Might as well jump
Somewhat hokey premise aside, Jump King is a surprisingly gorgeous-looking release. And the brutal difficulty is, at the same time, not necessarily based on cheap shots or mechanics. As long as you’re precise and careful, you have a very good chance of getting the satisfaction of beating Jump King at its own game.
As noted by Will in his review, Jump King has found an excellent platform on mobile. You’re unlikely to fall victim to any rage-induced headaches and can take on this deceptively difficult puzzle platformer in short doses, meaning you can experience its mix of dark fantasy art and wacky concept with a clear head.
But if you’re still not feeling a platformer despite all that, there are still plenty of other options. Why not go ahead and dig into our list of the top five new mobile games to try this week and see what else is on offer?
