Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D
{{More footnotes needed|date=March 2019}}
{{Short description|1993 video game}}
{{Infobox video game
|title = Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D
|image = Jim Power - The Lost Dimension in 3-D Coverart.png
|caption = North American cover art
|developer = Loriciel
Piko Interactive (NES)
|publisher = {{Vgrelease|EU|Loriciel|NA|Electro Brain|WW|Piko Interactive}}
|designer =
|released = SNES
{{vgrelease|NA|December 1993|WW|2021}}MS-DOS
{{vgrelease|EU|1993|NA|1993}}Windows
{{vgrelease|WW|September 30, 2015{{cite web|url=http://store.steampowered.com/app/370270/|title=Jim Power -The Lost Dimension on Steam|website=store.steampowered.com}}
Mega Drive/Genesis
{{vgrelease|WW|2021}}NES
{{vgrelease|WW|2021}}Switch, PS4
{{vgrelease|WW|June 2, 2022}}}}
|genre = Platform
|modes = Single-player
|platforms = Super NES, MS-DOS, Windows, Mega Drive/Genesis, NES, Switch, PlayStation 4
}}
Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D is a platform game from French developer Loriciel and published by Electro Brain for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and MS-DOS in 1993. A Sega Genesis version was created,{{cite magazine|url=https://retrocdn.net/index.php?title=File:SegaMagazin_DE_04.pdf&page=11|title=Special: SEGA - Die Release-Liste|magazine={{ill|Sega Magazin|lt=Sega Magazin|de|SEGA Magazin}}|issue=4|publisher=Computec|date=March 1994|page=11|lang=de}}{{cite magazine|url=https://archive.org/stream/Sega-Visions-Issue-18#page/n102/mode/1up|title=Fast Takes: Genesis - Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D|magazine=Sega Visions|issue=18|publisher=IDG|date=April–May 1994|page=98}} but its release was cancelled despite being completed. In 2021, Piko Interactive recovered this version and crowdfunded a release, alongside a new Nintendo Entertainment System port.{{cite web |last1=Jarod |title=30 ans après sa sortie, Jim Power est de retour |url=https://www.gamekult.com/actualite/30-ans-apres-sa-sortie-jim-power-est-de-retour-3050849525.html |website=Gamekult |access-date=21 March 2023 |date=25 May 2022}} A version for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 was released on June 2, 2022.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2022/05/snes-platforming-shooter-jim-power-the-lost-dimension-returns-on-switch|title = SNES Platforming Shooter 'Jim Power: The Lost Dimension' Returns On Switch|date = May 26, 2022}}
Gameplay
The game has several contrasting modes of gameplay, including side-view platforming, top-view, and horizontal shoot 'em up. It follows Jim Power in Mutant Planet as a different title, but at the same time reinterpreting the original game by taking many basic elements and levels from it. The soundtrack was composed by Chris Hülsbeck of Turrican fame.
Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D is often considered by gaming fans to be one of the most difficult games ever made.{{cite web | title=Jim Power | publisher=digitpress.com | url=http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/jimpower_duo.htm | accessdate=2006-05-01}}{{Better source needed|date=March 2023}} Despite its name, it is an entirely 2D game, although the game uses many layers of parallax scrolling backgrounds moving in opposite directions to give a great sense of depth. Together with the 3D glasses that were packaged with the game, designed around the Pulfrich effect, this provided a unique "3D" experience for the time when polygonal 3D graphics were rudimentary and too expensive to implement. The 3D feeling could also be related to the overhead stages, showing rotating effects in the same vein as those depicted in similar games like Contra III: The Alien Wars.
Different Versions
A version of this game was also developed for the Mega Drive/Genesis under the name Jim Power: The Arcade Game. However, despite being in an almost complete state, this title was never published and remained unreleased until a ROM image was eventually leaked. This unpublished version features all levels and cannot be finished, although only a single music track (once again, arranged by Chris Hulsbeck) is present in the whole game and it uses placeholder sound effects from Mega Turrican. Jim Power: The Arcade Game is mostly the same game as Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D, albeit with some minor graphical differences derived from technical aspects. All the top-view stages were also replaced by additional shoot-'em-up levels, hence the rebranded title of this version depicting a further arcade experience rather than a "3D" one. In 2021, a fully finished version of the game was released by Piko Interactive. Retaining the same Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D title of its counterpart versions, it restores the ending, music tracks and sound effects which were missing in the known prototype version, together with some other minor game polishing.
A brand new NES version was also developed from scratch by Piko Interactive to go along the long lost Mega Drive/Genesis version and modern re-releases of previous versions of the game.{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Jim Power : The Lost Dimension (Homebrew) NES - Walkthrough|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0UmsSAACH0|accessdate=April 1, 2021|website=YouTube}}
Music
The music in Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D was directly influenced by the music from the video game series Ys, as can be noted when comparing Jim Power
Reception
{{expand section|date=January 2021}}
The game received average reviews. Nintendo Power scored it 3.125 out of 5, while the reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly scored it an average of 6 out of 10.{{cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Jim Power: Lost Dimension in 3D Reviews and Articles for Super Nintendo|url=https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588402-jim-power-lost-dimension-in-3d/articles.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151020023912/https://www.gamerankings.com/snes/588402-jim-power-lost-dimension-in-3d/articles.html|archive-date=October 20, 2015|accessdate=16 April 2019|website=GameRankings}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{refbegin}}
- {{cite web
| url = https://www.nintendo.com/doc/snes_games.pdf
| title = Super NES Games
| publisher = Nintendo of America
| accessdate = 2006-07-28
|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060718102649/http://www.nintendo.com/doc/snes_games.pdf |archivedate = July 18, 2006}}
{{refend}}
External links
- {{moby game|id=/jim-power-the-lost-dimension-in-3d|name=Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D}}
- {{moby game|id=/jim-power-in-mutant-planet|name=Jim Power: The Arcade Game}}
Category:Nintendo Entertainment System games
Category:Piko Interactive games
Category:Single-player video games
Category:Super Nintendo Entertainment System games
Category:Video games developed in France