Driving can be frustrating. Wouldn't it be great if you could just jump right over all that traffic? Wouldn't it be even better if you could jump over some of the cars, but crash right on top of others, without damaging your own car, and get some sort of reward in the process?
And if that isn't enough, wouldn't it be awesome if you drove your car with a joystick instead of a wheel and pedals, accompanied by a jaunty little tune, on a road that never seemed to end?!
Gameplay: Until you get up to 100 mph, Bump 'N' Jump is a typical racing game: Just do your best to finish the level without crashing.
The good news is, you can't go off the road. The bad news is, that's because impenetrable barriers will destroy your vehicle on contact. And while you can use this to your advantage, bumping other cars into it to maximize your points, they can also bump you into it to maximize the quarters you drop into the machine.
Once you pass 100 mph, the real fun begins, because you can tap a button and launch your car over the other vehicles—and the water hazards that regularly appear on this poorly designed highway. After you jump, you can land on and destroy other vehicles for points, but if you make it to the end of the level without crushing or crashing any other vehicles, you'll get a huge 50,000-point bonus.
Could be mistaken for: Burnin' Rubber, a freeway in Los Angeles during an earthquake
Kids today might not like it because: It's hard to feel cool while playing a character named "Jumpin' John."
Kids today might like it because: It isn't every day they get to shout, "Yeah! I jumped you, bitch!" in the arcades.
Enduring contribution to gaming history: Bump 'N' Jump was originally released on the DECO Cassette conversion system, which let arcade owners swap out cassette tapes to put different games into existing cabinets.
Wil Wheaton jumped you, bitch!