Jumpman (C64/MSDOS)

Jumpman, published by Epyx in 1983, belongs to the platform games made before the genre settled into its familiar shape. The premise reads instantly: a small figure runs across platforms, climbs ladders and ropes, and must collect every bomb planted across the screen. Once they are gone the screen is cleared and the next one begins.

The strength lies in how much variety it wrings from that economical base. Each screen introduces its own hazard or rule that alters how you move, so you never learn one routine and repeat it. Falling from height is fatal, typical of early platformers, and it keeps the tension high without needing an enemy at every step.

The Commodore 64 gave its authors smooth movement and simple but distinct graphics. Jumpman controls with a short, precise jump, which means a mistake always belongs to the player rather than the game. That is one reason the title is still cited among the classics of the eight-bit era.

This is a game of short sessions that becomes hard to put down, because each screen takes about a minute and immediately invites another attempt. Author names, screen counts and sales figures are left out here. It is also worth noting that Jumpman shipped in versions for several machines of the period, which was standard practice for a successful 1983 release: publishers converted a hit onto every computer with a large enough installed base, and the individual versions differed in speed and colour. On OldGame.cz you can launch Jumpman directly in your browser with no installation, which for a title this old is the simplest way to find out whether its brand of difficulty suits you.