......

Who is she?

You begin this game, falling from a cliff, in a nameless jungle, on a purposeless quest. The first few minutes you'll fumble with the controls, learning to jump and adjusting to the movements. The soundscape will envelop you, the bright, clean, colorful graphics will delight your eyes, and moving by default to the right, you'll travel through 16 levels, filled with enemies, bonuses, hazards, rudimentary puzzles, and, depending on your tastes, fun.

Intending to be an introduction to the trilogy, there is very little story or background given to Jill or her jungle. The focus of the game is entirely on the gameplay itself, simply the enjoyment and challenge of completing each level and reaching the end. In the second and third 'episodes,' there is a little more story given, with actual goals to accomplish, i.e. escaping the underground and saving the prince. Of course, the lack of an expansive plot and background seems to be kind of an intentional tongue in cheek humor, evidenced by some rather comical or abrupt descriptions and remarks throughout the game.

There is something to be said for the titular heroine being, well, female, when relatively few games at the time (and even now) feature a female main character. Without delving into feminist theory, from personal observation, the opportunity to play a female role in such a game is a positive and pleasantely alternative experience, both for girls and boys alike. Jill's sex appeal is apparent, but not glaring- actually it is a healthy and relatively normal representation of the female figure. As such, it is easily ignored by children, with attention in the game focused primarily on her actions and environment.