Bump 'n' Jump is a curious game. Released in arcades, and ported to the Atari 2600 (and other systems) in 1982, it's a racing game with a goofy gimmick: you have to bump into the other cars in the hopes that you can get them to crash against the edge of the track. It is, quite simply, beautifully violent.
In Japan, the game was called Burnin' Rubber, but I love the English title because, after all, the key mechanics of the game are indeed the bump, as well as the jump. While the major task ahead of you at all times is to cruelly bump any other cars off the road, the game will periodically alert you to an impending jump you'll need to make, usually over some lake that has formed on the track. The way this "jump" looks is very funny - your car's sprite expands into an enlarged version of itself that looks a lot like a child's scribble. At first, I didn't understand that this was a jump. I thought my car was just getting big. But it turns out that it wasn't big, it was just closer to me (break out that Father Ted sketch if you must). The childish nature of this design is pretty great, and once I'd realised that this was in fact the titular jump, landing those jumps become possible, and exhilarating.
Making it across the water feels incredible, and then, of course, you're back at it again - crushing your enemies through the simple, beautiful act of ramming. This is pure pleasure.
This is gaming.
Was it made by the same people as Beat 'em and Eat 'em?
ReplyDeleteThe Burnout games have thaught me that cars that bump and jump are, simply, the ideal way of Gaming
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