Jardine is on the attack! The Ancient Kingdom faces annihilation! Bodies, piling to the sky! Take control of the four Jewel Masters in a last-ditch effort to end the chaos and restore harmony. Today's look is at another Sega Genesis side-scroller that has left me with mixed feelings. I like the concept, the execution is nearly there, but the game feels small and tightly wound. I'm not going to pretend like I've never enjoyed a svelte 15–20-minute action-platformer or shootemup, but Jewel Master needed to be a little meatier.
First off, let's talk the number of stages. There are five in all, and they're divided up into sections. Either you're running from left to right blasting whatever gets in your face, or you're running from left to right to left to right with bits of hopping or falling mixed in here and there. Occasional mini-bosses and the generally short length of everything keeps the monotony from setting in. What's here is fundamentally sound, but I wanted more. This is the type of game that's dying for adventure elements. Something players will notice is that there are multiple hallways that don't lead anywhere, empty rooms, and other incomplete areas. I get the sense that there were some ambitions had to be cut short, as the development team was forced to meet some comically short deadline (like oh so many other Mega Drive games).
The bits and pieces of something that might've been great still remain. Hidden familiars that boost the master's maximum health provide a reason to explore. Equipping wind rings to utilize traversal powers like a speed boost and a double jump is a really neat idea, with a lot of potential. However, most of Jewel Master's time isn't spent creatively. The ring combinations allow for some neat spells, like an ice dagger bouncing off of walls and a fire serpent slithering across the ground. The likelihood that they'll see any real usage is very low. Wind + Ice solves every predicament up until the second phase of the fourth boss, where it's then replaced by the Blade (Wind + Earth & Ice + Fire). A few dedicated players have managed to clear the game without the ultimate weapon. It's an impressive accomplishment, especially since it requires dealing with an absolute tank of a final boss. However, that doesn't make up for the bulk of a short quest being spent with the dependable yet unexciting Wind + Ice.
Jewel Master gets all of its "replay-value" from being a tough little game, particularly on any difficulty setting above easy. The damage enemies are capable of dealing can vary wildly. Getting nibbled on by bats might take 1 or 2 hits to see a change in one's life meter. A fireball could swallow a block and a half. Whatever the case, you'll have to assume that the Masters are as squishy as any Belmont, but without the stack of lives and unlimited continues those vampire hunters always seem to benefit from. I also can't help but get annoyed when I have to replay an entire stage after using a continue. Some slight changes to Jewel Master could've resulted in six or seven stages instead of only five. However, pushing players back further when they come up short is how "replay-value" is created, so it has to be five stages.
I don't want to continue harping on a game that has made short and punishing a part of its identity, but that's just how I am when I see potential go unrealized. There's some interesting stuff here but... eh... well whatever. It's already time for me to move on to something else. Give it a try anyway. You might connect with it better than I could.
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