Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D
Encyclopedia
Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D is a platform game
designed by French developer Loriciel and published by Electro Brain
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
and PC MS-DOS
in 1993. The game features 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 Hulsbeck
of Turrican
fame.
Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D is often considered by gaming aficionados to be one of the most difficult games ever made. 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 than those depicted in similar games like Contra III: The Alien Wars
.
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 This unpublished version features all levels and can be finished, although only a single music track (once again, arranged by Chris Hulsbeck) is present in the whole game. 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.
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
designed by French developer Loriciel and published by Electro Brain
Electro Brain
Electro Brain was a gaming company. They brought over Star Soldier: Vanishing Earth for the Nintendo 64, as well as developed and published games like Go! Go! Tank, Super Cars for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Jim Power: Lost Dimension in 3D for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and PC MS-DOS
DOS
DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is an acronym for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions 95, 98, and Millennium Edition.Related...
in 1993. The game features several contrasting modes of gameplay, including side-view platforming, top-view, and horizontal shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up
Shoot 'em up is a subgenre of shooter video games. In a shoot 'em up, the player controls a lone character, often in a spacecraft or aircraft, shooting large numbers of enemies while dodging their attacks. The genre in turn encompasses various types or subgenres and critics differ on exactly what...
. It follows Jim Power in Mutant Planet
Jim Power in Mutant Planet
Jim Power in Mutant Planet is a platform game designed by Digital Concept and published by Loriciel for the Amiga, Atari ST and Amstrad CPC in 1992. The game features several contrasting modes of gameplay, including side-view platforming, top-view, and horizontal shoot 'em up...
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 Hulsbeck
Chris Hülsbeck
Chris Hülsbeck is a video game music composer from Germany.He has written soundtracks for more than 70 titles, the latest being Star Wars: Rebel Strike for Nintendo GameCube. Many of his scores for the Commodore 64 are regarded as classics among enthusiasts today, most notably The Great Giana...
of Turrican
Turrican
Turrican is a 1989 video game programmed and designed by Manfred Trenz. It was first developed for the Commodore 64 by Rainbow Arts, but was ported to other systems later. In addition to concept design and character creation, Trenz personally programmed Turrican on the Commodore 64...
fame.
Jim Power: The Lost Dimension in 3-D is often considered by gaming aficionados to be one of the most difficult games ever made. Despite its name, it is an entirely 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
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
Pulfrich effect
The Pulfrich effect is a psychophysical percept wherein lateral motion of an object in the field of view is interpreted by the visual cortex as having a depth component, due to a relative difference in signal timings between the two eyes.-Overview:...
, 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 than those depicted in similar games like Contra III: The Alien Wars
Contra III: The Alien Wars
Contra III: The Alien Wars, released in Japan as and in the PAL region as Super Probotector: Alien Rebels, is a run and gun game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System produced by Konami...
.
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 can be finished, although only a single music track (once again, arranged by Chris Hulsbeck) is present in the whole game. 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.