The Doodler Must Be One of the Friends

QubicGames has been on a cold streak lately, releasing subpar games like Pirates: All Aboard!, Mad Carnage, and Astro Bears Party. Their newest Switch game, Jumping Joe & Friends, is a $4.99 knockoff of Doodlejump. Although it isn’t fun for more than ten minutes, this is the best game Qubic has released in while.

You play as Joe, this square blob guy thing, and the objective is to jump as high as you can before you eventually die; this is a vertical endless runner.  Unlike the auto-bouncing found in Doodlejump, Joe only jumps per the player’s command.  The bigger difference, however, is all gameplay is contained with two buttons: L and R (or A and B if you prefer).  The L button jumps left.  The R button jumps right.  It is important to note that Joe always jumps at the same height and auto-clings to the next corresponding platform.  Other than jumping into an enemy or environmental hazard, the player will die if they jump left when they should have jumped right, for example. The ground also fills with lava so the player must always keep jumping upward, laying the pressure on thick.  It is a simple game that would feel more at home on iPhone for $0.99 since each round will only take a minute or two before game over.

Giving gameplay some much needed flavor, there are power-ups to collect, like a super rocket jump or a magnet to easily grab currency.  This money is used to purchase new cosmetic options for the goofy cast of blobby characters but won’t unlock anything special. The game also keeps track of the highest score to provide some incentive to try and do better next time.  The included multiplayer mode is a decent distraction for a few rounds but won’t hold attention for long.

Jumping Joe & Friends is a simple low cost download that anyone can pick up and play. Best played in short bursts, there is some fun to be had with this Switch eShop download but only if you have gotten the best score in Doodlejump and still crave more.

Not As Good As: Jetpack Joyride
Kind Of Reminds Me Of: Squidbillies
Also Try: almost any Mario Party mini game

By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz