Bump N Jump, a simple game and simple fun to be had. Its an old-school game, with only one button used, for jumping. That's right you buggy can get some serious air. You press up on the Dpad to give it gas, and race to the end of the stage. All the cars you see are your enemies, from the strange robotic white boxy cars, to the green garbage trucks that dump wood debris on the road. You must bump the small cars out of your way, or use your jump to destroy any car you land on (great shocks!) and to propel yourself over the hazards like bridges and dead end roads.

This is not a true racing game, you are always going forward, and moving side to side to collect gas(or petrol, as it has a P on the can) or dodge oil slicks or trucks. The faster is not always the better, as some chain jumps are difficult to do at full speed. 

Graphics: 6
This plays similar to spy hunter, and and the cars are a bit more wild looking, but look a little worse.  The blue trucks you meet later I couldn't tell if its a cement mixer, it has a strange round shape.  Some don't look like cars at all. Your car does get a sensation of height from the jump, and its done well. Some stages have a marker at the end, the first is a tire for example, and another has a woman waving a checkered flag. These seem to be painted onto the road, they do not move and you can land on them for extra points. Also there is a flashing icon of a "!" but its not Metal Gear (unfortunately). This means the road is about to end and you will have to do a large jump to get to the next, or else you'll crash.


Sound: 5
Its the early days of NES music and its not exactly catchy. Each stage has a different song that plays until you finish, then a short victory melody plays. The sound effect for your car jumping up is done well, the low note rising higher then low again. The warning sound will come up a lot, and is a bit annoying - but this saves your life, it prepares you for the big obstacle ahead that will force you to jump over it.


Addictiveness: 8
This is one of those games thats very pick-up and play. You only have one button, and one goal, smash the bad guys out of your way until you stop. It makes this seemingly mindless concept a lot of fun to play. The levels introduce new challenges, so its not like you are just playing the same one or two levels over. I would say this is a good game to waste 20-30 minutes on, perfect for a short break where you just don't want to think too hard about playing.


Story: 6
Apparently your girlfriend is kidnapped by the owner of the biggest monster truck in the world. Her "HELP ME!" and the truck moving away is all you have to go on. While not much, this is still more than some games at the time. At least you know who is responsible (the dark purple truck) and if you meet it, you'll know what why you're racing.


Depth: 4
This game really has little to it. I mean, you don't even pick a direction to drive in! There are scant little secrets, like the 5000 point bonus for jumping at the last minute from disaster. But there are no secret cars, no optional routes. In short, you expect one new hazard per level, and that is about Bump N Jump  will give you.


Difficulty: 7
Beside the obvious, crashing into dead ends, or jumping literally off the road, there are a few notable hazards to watch for. The cars you can bump out of they way also bounce you back a bit too. Make sure you don't do this too close to the edge of the track. The trucks cannot be bumped, but killed when jumped upon. Never follow directly behind them, they will dump garbage on the road and it will crash you. One stage is like a construction yard, it has lots of sawhorses on the road to block you from just driving, forcing you to jump over. Other feature the chain-jump, going one big jump right into another. They have to be timed perfectly, and you can point your car where you want to land, make sure you use it well! A lack of continues means this is one you have to learn some memorization and have fast reflexes to beat.


Overall: 7.1
An above average, simple car combat game. The fast game play is pretty fun, and make up for the lackluster graphics.  Don't expect too much variety, and Bump N Jump won't disappoint you.