Mr. Run and Jump from Graphite Lab and Atari is a neon-infused challenging minimalist 2D platformer on PS5. Check our Mr. Run and Jump review!
Mr. Run and Jump from Graphite Lab and Atari is a neon-infused challenging minimalist 2D platformer on PlayStation 5. The indie team at Graphite Lab previously worked on the procedurally generated 2D action game Hive Jump as well as the colorful puzzle platformer Kombinera, so I was definitely curious to check out what they were doing with Mr. Run and Jump on Sony’s console.
This is a game that has been inspired by the classics from Atari’s golden age, which you can tell from playing through the Mr. Run and Jump prologue. The prologue will take place on a stage that very much resembles a game from the Atari 2600 era in which your character, his dog Leap, the world around them, the hazards, and the enemies will be of a far chunkier nature than what you’re used to playing nowadays. After completing the prologue and moving through a colorful tear in space and time, your journey will begin. You’ll have to complete each set of levels as you battle against the void that is consuming everything.
The basics for this game will be taught to you by Mr. Watch and Learn. You’ll be controlling the titular character – which you can rename to Ms. Run and Jump or change to just Run and Jump – with the left analog stick or the D-Pad, jumping with the X button. You’ll learn that you can also wall jump to overcome some obstacles, as well as how the blue shards you can collect along the way are pieces of a Power Orb that shattered when everything transformed from old-school to modern.
To get through some narrow spaces, press the L1, R1, L2, or R2 buttons so that you can crouch, which will allow you to roll when moving. Soon after that tutorial section, you’ll run into your first transformed Skullkin. They are stubborn enemies that move around on a set pattern, which still means they’re dangerous! If you jump while rolling, you’ll be able to perform a longer jump with less height. This jump type will be crucial for completing some of the trickier platforming sections in the game. Oh, and if you jump while crouching in place, you’ll perform a super high jump that will allow you to land on platforms that would otherwise be out of your reach.
For some of the more challenging platforming sections, you’ll need to master rolling into a long jump to then execute another jump to safely land on a platform, so that you can then crouch and high jump, so that you can then perform a second jump to avoid an enemy before it gets too close for comfort… by pressing the L1, L2, R1, or R2 buttons to perform a dive that can put some distance between the two of you.
If you want to 100% Mr. Run and Jump, you’ll need to pay attention as you explore each level in the different colored realms. To 100% the game, you’ll have to collect the aforementioned blue shards so that by the time you complete a stage, you can complete the Shattered Orb. On top of that, there are several hidden Challenge Orbs in each level that will need to be collected after completing some difficult platforming areas. Complete a level, and you’ll until the option of also going for a Time Trial Orb for that level.
For this one, you’ll have to replay the level as you aim to beat the target time. Once unlocked, just jump and grab the spinning timer at the start of a level to see how good you really are! You’ll need to remember everything you’ve experienced before for that level so that you can start to find the best way of cutting some valuable seconds here and there. Complete a level and garb a Time Trial Orb, and you’ll be able to see how your total time stacks up against the target goal for a better Time Trial Orb.
Say you complete the first full level in a minute and a half… which is not a bad first attempt! This will reward you with a Silver Time Trial Orb, which is still a fine Time Trial Orb for your collection. The game will then let you know that if you would like to turn that Silver Time Trial Orb into a Gold Time Trial Orb, you’re going to have to complete the level in a minute and 15 seconds or less. And, you know, there’s also a Platinum Time Trial Orb to consider.
To make it easier for gamers of all skill levels to have a chance to see everything that the game has to offer, the team at Graphite Lab has added some player assistance items to consider. These items can appear after you respawn several times in an area since the game will know the player is having some issues completing that area. You could get checkpoint flags or even a mighty invincibility star, which can certainly make a difference. You can change how often these items spawn by switching between the default infrequently setting, changing it too frequently, or making it so that these items never spawn. Do know that if you grab one of these items, you won’t be able to collect blue shards to complete that level’s Shattered Orb.
Trophy hunters will be happy to learn that Mr. Run and Jump has a full trophy list with a Platinum trophy. The list is split into 18 Bronze trophies, 11 Silver trophies, and 4 Gold trophies, which means there’s a good variety of objectives for you to complete. These include things such as completing the prologue, completing all levels in each realm, collecting a Challenge Orb, a Shattered Orb, and a Time Trial Orb, achieving a Platinum Time Trial Orb, completing a level in each realm without dying, or completing the prologue with a score higher than 24,900, to name some examples.
Mr. Run and Jump is a neon-infused challenging minimalist 2D platformer that is a lot of fun to play on PlayStation 5. As you control the titular character, you’ll have to run, jump, double jump, wall jump, and dive your way to safety as you try to complete each level while collecting as many Challenge Orbs as possible, gabbing all blue shards to fix the Shattered Orb for that stage. As you battle against the void, you’ll need to give it your all to avoid the enemies and hazards on your path so that you can save the day. Mr. Run and Jump is out on PlayStation 5 with a $24.99 asking price.
Disclaimer
This Mr. Run and Jump review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by Atari.
