J. J. Squawkers

J. J. Squawkers

Overview & History

Developed by Ape and published by Jaleco in 1993, J. J. Squawkers (known in Japan as *J.J. & Jeff*'s avian cousin, though structurally very different) is a wildly eccentric, colorful arcade platformer that flew largely under the radar during the height of the 2D arcade era. The storyline follows two mischievous crows, J.J. and Jack, who have had their peaceful forest home disrupted by an industrial corporate conglomerate cutting down trees to build a monstrous factory. Seeking avian vengeance, our feathered protagonists embark on a surreal crusade against an army of mechanized foes, angry construction machinery, and bizarre boss creatures. While it missed the widespread commercial success of contemporaneous giants, its gorgeous pixel art, memorable soundtrack, and chaotic cooperative gameplay have earned it a cherished cult following among retro arcade collectors.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

J. J. Squawkers plays as a fast-paced, single-screen or scrolling action-platformer heavily reminiscent of titles like Snow Bros. or Bubble Bobble, but with a distinct run-and-gun platforming flavor. Players traverse vertically and horizontally stacked stages filled with hostile wildlife, mechanical contraptions, and platform hazards. Instead of traditional firearms, our crow heroes attack by hurling glowing, explosive seeds or dropping heavy objects onto enemies to stun them before kicking them away. Collecting various power-ups modifies your projectile spread, grants temporary invincibility, or summons chaotic environmental hazards to clear the screen. The game features vibrant, cartoonish sprite animations, highly detailed industrial backgrounds that slowly degrade as you progress, and a chaotic simultaneous two-player cooperative mode that amplifies the frantic arcade energy.

Keyboard Controls

• Arrow Keys / D-Pad: Move
• Action Keys: Attack / Jump
• Enter: Start / Pause