"Boy, was 1992 a different time for computer games. Epic MegaGames' Jill of the Jungle illustrates that as well as any other title from the era. Designed and programmed by Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, the game was meant to prove that console-style games of the original Nintendo era could work just as well on PCs. (Later, the onus of proof would often be in the reverse direction.)"
"Also, it had a female protagonist, which Sweeney saw as a notable differentiator at the time. That's pretty wild to think about in an era of Tomb Raider's Lara Croft, Horizon Forbidden West's Aloy, Life is Strange's Max Caulfield, Returnal's Selene Vassos, Control's Jesse Faden, The Last of Us' Ellie Williams, and a seemingly endless list of others-to say nothing of the fact"
"As wacky as it is to remember that the idea of a female character was seen as exceptional at any point (and with the acknowledgement that this game was nonetheless not the first to do that), it's still neat to see how forward-thinking Sweeney was in many respects-and not just in terms of cultural norms in gaming. Gameplay to stand the test of time"
Jill of the Jungle, released in 1992 by Epic MegaGames and designed by Tim Sweeney, demonstrated that console-style platforming could be successful on MS-DOS PCs. The game featured a female protagonist, which stood out as notable at the time and anticipated broader representation in later titles. Sweeney's design showed forward-thinking approaches beyond cultural norms. Many PC platformers of the 1980s and 1990s suffered from poor game feel compared with console counterparts. Commander Keen exemplified frustrating, floaty controls. Jill of the Jungle offered gameplay that endures more effectively than many contemporaneous DOS platformers.
Read at Ars Technica
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