A Look At The Jim Power In Mutant Planet CD32 Release
Jim Power has to be one of the best Amiga games that got that status far too late (nearly 20+ years after launch)
Jim’s Back, Now With Extras…
Did you know there was a re-release of the classic game Jim Power (My Amiga 500 review here) earlier this year?
Many people missed it due to the long delay between ordering and delivery. The project, a Kickstarter initiative, dates back to 2014, with the actual development starting in 2019 and the product releasing roughly two years later.
The project encompassed multiple versions of Jim Power, including the never-released SEGA MEGA-DRIVE version and a newly developed NES version. Other versions included the SNES, DOS, and the previously Japan-only Turbografx CD version.
Nothing Beats The Paula Chip?…
Having tried all the versions except the NES one, I still believe the Amiga version is the best. It boasts clean visuals and Chris Huelsbeck’s fantastic music through the Paula chip. Although other versions have more colours and parallax layers, some suffer from poor scrolling or just don’t look right.
I Want To Love It…
The new Amiga version, exclusive to the Amiga CD32, includes several enhancements:
- Full Intro and more content from the Turbografx CD version.
- Full CDDA music tracks from the Turbografx CD version.
- CD32 pad and 2-button pad/stick support, with jumping mapped to the secondary button.
- The game comes in an NES-sized cardboard box and a CD jewel case.
Size Does Matter…
However, the CD32 front box art is disappointing, with a poor colour scheme and annoying design compared to the original Jean-Claude Van Damme-inspired art from the Amiga 500 release. The green colour on the backside is also off-putting. The jewel case has a different backside design, which is better due to the reduced green.
A Mishap At The Printers…
The CD quality is good, but the manual feels incomplete and rushed, making it seem like they didn’t prioritize the Amiga CD32 version from the start.
An update from the Kickstarter comments clarified that while the creators cared about the product, the printer/production used old assets, affecting all versions.
They also forgot their promises about the cardboard box design, leading to the final product’s issues. Despite their efforts to fix these problems, the result is still less than ideal.
Where DiD Van-Damme Go?…
The original Jim Power box came in two formats, a B5 box and a larger A4 box.
The A4 box is now highly sought after, while I got the B5 box at launch, even after having a pirated version for six months.
This new Amiga CD32 version is available from PIKO Interactive and it costs $60.00 + postage (which varies from region to region).
If you are interested in the other versions then have a look at the website.
If you are interested in checking out the Kickstarter and how It progressed (and is still very active btw) then look here: The Jim Power Kickstarter.
The updates and comments section is well worth a read by the way.
Will Jim Reach New Heights?…
Jim Power is a fantastic game, but the CD32 version feels incomplete and isn’t worth the $60.00 price. It’s best suited for collectors, especially since the box size is unique and won’t fit well with other Amiga releases. I’d recommend avoiding this version unless you’re a huge fan or a collector, and instead, consider the floppy versions, which cost about the same.
Yes, I must agree. But at least the game is really good and you made me look at it differently than i did back in the day, so thank you for that!