Jump Bug is an arcade game released in 1981 by Rock-Ola Manufacturing Corp. under license from Hoei Corp. It is the earliest known side-scrolling platformer.
In the game, the player controls a bouncing Volkswagen Beetle. By moving up and down, the player can adjust the jump height and falling speed of a car. In addition, the car can shoot.
Jump Bug contains examples of:
- Amphibious Automobile: The car can function normally both on land and in the water.
- Attract Mode: The game's attract mode shows the game's instructions, scenes, and a short gameplay footage of a player dying quickly.
- Dem Bones: One of the enemies is a human skeleton that frequently detaches its skull to throw at the player.
- Directionally Solid Platforms: Clouds can be jumped through from below.
- Everything Trying to Kill You: Aliens, fish, birds, jellyfish, jokers and skeletons all want a piece of the car.
- Flame Spewer Obstacle: Some volcanoes shoot out flames that needs to be avoided.
- Flaming Skulls: Inside a pyramid, collected treasures cause flaming skulls to appear in their place.
- Mook Maker: Skeleton blocks frequently spawn fast-moving bats.
- Public Domain Soundtrack: "1812 Overture" by Tchaikovsky plays after the player completes the pyramid level, and after a loop is completed.
- Roof Hopping: The car can do this in city-themed courses.
- Scoring Points: The goal of the game is to get as high a score as possible.
- Solid Clouds: The car can bounce on the clouds. Clouds with the number or question mark next to them will give points when jumped on.
- Stock Money Bag: Car-sized money bags are found all over the place. They're worth the amount of points marked. Money bags with ? symbol are worth more.
- Treasure Is Bigger in Fiction: Collectable diamonds in this game are car-sized.
- Water-Geyser Volley: Inside a pyramid, standing on one part of the floor will create a water geyser, shooting the car out of the pyramid.
- Weaponized Offspring: In the underwater section, jellyfish send smaller jellyfish after the player.
