J is for Jazz Jackrabbit

Developer: Epic Games
Notable Releases: Jazz Jackrabbit, Jazz Jackrabbit 2

Original 2D platform games weren't typically associated with PC gaming. Sure, we'd had a few PC-exclusive classics, like the Commander Keen series developed by id Software, but by and large, platform games are typically more at home on video game consoles. Jazz Jackrabbit was one of the few games to buck that trend.

The first game in the series was released in 1994, and it drew inspiration from other platform games, in particular, Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man. Its story was also loosely-based on the Aesop's fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. Players controlled the titular character, Jazz, an anthropomorphic rabbit on a mission to rescue his heartthrob, princess Eva Earlong, from his nemesis, Devan Shell.

Jazz Jackrabbit 2 was released in 1998, and it introduced a second playable character named Spaz. This time around the duo were on a mission to retrieve princess Eva's wedding ring, of all things. Both games were moderately successful, even though neither added much to the platform game genre.

The third game in the series was cancelled during development. It was meant to mark the series' transition to 3D, an increasingly unavoidable trend with platform games at the time. The last game released was a reboot developed by Game Titan for the Game Boy Advance in 2002.