It’s nice to not have a whole lot expected of you, right?

Jumping Flash! is all but a launch year tech demo of the Playstation, and so really doesn’t expect a whole lot from the player. The enemies barely impede you at all, and health is incredibly fluid. The stages are open and scatter-shot, often inviting the player to break any seemingly-intended progression or route with a well-put triple jump or enemy bounce. The bosses are all pretty breezy to beat with the basic blaster, never mind when you bring along an assortment of the firework-themed special weapons.

Just go get the funny big carrots, enjoy the simple charm and nice music, and stop worrying about everything.

This game and its sequel are an early childhood staple for me. And the funny thing is, even at the time I recall it as a cool, breezy clear with some extra modes for good measure. Trips down memory lane can sometimes end in frustration as old forgotten gotchas and tedium comes back at you – this game, at least, is so wonderfully simple that there’s barely anything about it to even forget over the years.

I don’t expect much of Jumping Flash!, and it is kind enough to not expect too much of me either.