There are tons of jumping games on the Play Store, with themes and characters ranging from tropical adventures to suburban mischief, it’s pretty easy to get confused as to which ones are really worth the download. If you’re new to this genre, Happy Jump is a great game to start your jumping adventure. It’s fun, colorful and definitely challenging enough.
The Jell-O That Could
You are a cute, red lump of Jell-O, and you need to jump up and collect coins along the way, while getting fruit to boost yourself up and avoiding bees that sting and cause you to fall. You can jump and propel yourself upward in three ways: by using the platforms, by jumping on coins, and by jumping on fruits. Each of these methods will steer your on your course, although with a bit of variation. Like any jumping game, you’ll need to tilt your device sideways to move left or right.
Three Ways To Jump
The platforms receive most of your first few steps upward, and these can either be solid or falling ones. Solid platforms stay even after you’ve stepped on it, but falling ones crumble and fall after stepping on it once. Now, you will notice that falling platforms have cracks on them, so this serves as your clue as well as a warning.
By the first batch of platforms, you’re most likely to see coins suspended in the air with certain patterns. Jumping on these will allow you to 1.) collect them 2.) bounce up. This method is tricky, because once you’ve collected a coin, it disappears and you’ll have to find other coins to bounce from. This is where your tilting “skills” come in. I personally find this hard, but I know lots of people who don’t have a problem maneuvering their phones like they’re driving their own car.
Fruits are my favorite method of going up. It’s fast and easy — just make sure to “land” on the fruit and watch with joy as your little Jell-O zooms up in a quick burst. Fruits also protect you from nasty bees while it’s in effect. The low down, however, is when the effect wears off and you’re caught unprepared to spring back to normal jumping mode. The key is to always be ready and watch for the closest jumping object you can hop to once you’re not in fruit-frenzy mode.
Boosting Your Jumps
Of course not all these methods are easy to master, and you may find yourself shaking your head in disgust as you helplessly watch your Jell-O go upside down as it falls into oblivion. Never fear! That’s what boosts are for.
Once you’ve collected a decent amount of coins, it’s time to use boosts. These are special abilities you can buy to “cheat” death in different ways. Boosts can be a head start to skip the first part of the game, an armor to protect yourself from bees, or an ability to double the value of coins you collect along the way. Whatever they are, these boosts gives you a better chance at survival and beating the highest score.
You can choose up to three boosts, and you can choose to reload them on the next round. Remember that boosts only work for one round, and will not be carried over succeeding rounds. You can choose the same boosters on the next round, but would have to pay for them again. If you don’t have enough coins, you are offered an option to change boosts into something that is more within your buying range. I made the noob mistake of keeping the “Reload Boosts?” box checked after each round, so before I knew it, all my coins were gone! Don’t make the same mistake and always check this option before starting the game.
Sweet Nothings
The game is a bit too simple, cartoonish and might even be silly for adults. However, to a child, this will look like the best looking game ever. If you can’t stand seeing a red blob bouncing up any longer, then head on over to the store and buy other equally tasty characters. There’s Vanilla Scoop, Pudding, Pink Cupcake and even a Zombie Jelly! Of course, these get pricier as the desert gets fancier, but it’s not entirely clear what makes each of them so special. If you play the game long enough, you might just find out. For me, I had the opportunity of buying Vanilla Scoop and Pudding, both were lovely jumpers who not only made me enjoy the game, but also look forward to desert after dinner.
More Yummy Treats!
If you have extra coins to spare, then you can accessorize your hero with a bow, different hats, and even a tiara. It doesn’t seem to make your hero jump any higher, but it sure makes the trip extra fun.
This game is ad-supported, so you’ll have to endure ads on the bottom of the screen. Although it doesn’t really require any in-app purchases, you can get 100 extra coins just by liking the developer’s Facebook page. You can 100 more by liking Noodlecake’s page, too.
The Cherry On Top
Happy Jump’s greatest feature is its kid-friendly graphics and responsive game play. I have my reservations when playing games that requires tilting the device, but this game worked better than I expected. That said, I think it makes sense to play this on phones rather than tablets. It’s also great if you want to play with one hand for some reason, just as long as you’re able to sit upright (not for lying around the bed or couch, sorry).
For something that’s free, Happy Jump is a solid jumping game in its genre. Although the design is eye candy, it does give you a healthy level of difficulty that both kids and adults can take on. Whether you’re into these kind of games, or just about to try one out, I guarantee a good dose of fun with Happy Jump.
