Mr. Run and Jump Review: I just felt like running and jumping!

The start of Mr. Run and Jump pays homage to the classic Atari era of games. Mr. Run and Jump was originally made for the Atari 2600 in 2021 by John Mikula, a developer at Graphite Lab, thus the throwback with the introductory stage of the game.

Leap, the dog, has run off and we need to get him back. After completing the introductory level of the game you get sucked into a wormhole and brought into the Realms of Color, where our journey takes place. Find out what we thought of Mr. Run and Jump in our video review. Each level in the game has power orbs as well as power orb pieces for you to collect. These collectibles will put all your running and jumping skills to the test as Mr. Run and Jump has tough jumps and platforming in its various levels. You will have to learn how to master the art of wall jumps, long jumps, and high jumps quickly because the game is brutal if you don’t. Mr. Run and Jump reminded me of another tough platformer, VVVVVV, for the Nintendo 3DS with it’s graphics and retro charm.

One issue I had with Mr. Run and Jump is that the controls weren’t nearly as tight as they needed to be. The game is centered around tough jumps and platforming but Mr. Run and Jump doesn’t reflect that all the time. If you’re asking me to perform precision jumps and platforming, the controls need to keep up with the action. There were times where it felt like my character was sliding after making a tough jump, similar to ice mechanics in a Super Mario game. You shouldn’t have to worry about sliding into an enemy or spikes after making a tough jump.

Mr. Run and Jump is a fun, but frustrating game that does a good job in replicating the feel of classic Atari gameplay. The music set the tone for each Realm of Color stage very well. Some of the levels even have the enemies moving to the beat of the music too! However, the loose controls really hinder Mr. Run and Jump as a precision platforming game. Certain parts of levels felt like less like a challenge and more like a chore because of the controls and non-intentional ice physics.

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This review was based on a pre-release PC review code provided by the publisher. Mr. Run and Jump released on July 25, 2023 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch, and Atari VCS

Steve Tyminski

Contributing Editor

Steve is from the great state of New Jersey.  He went to college for History and has experience working in photography and video work. He’s grown up on Nintendo and loves sports, fighting, and role-playing games. He’s also big into video game soundtracks.