I found the 2.5D levels to be the weakest of the three, as the camera angle often obscured important areas in the foreground.
There are three types of levels in Jett Rocket II, each representing a different dimension of platformer: 2D, 2.5D, and 3D. This is platforming comfort food in its purest form. None of the level designs do anything particularly novel or unexpected in comparison to other platformers, but the designs represent a very accurate cross-section of the genre’s appeal and defining characteristics. The simplistic (yet thoughtful) level design makes good use of the limited tools available to craft each of the three level types. The game pays homage to the design sensibilities of platformers of the past, and proudly flaunts its faux-Japanese flair. If you said Jett Rocket II was a remake of a never-localized Famicom platformer, I would likely believe you. Was developer Shin’en able to create a quality budget platformer for the still-burgeoning eShop? It is a game with a very specific set of goals, meant to appeal to its own niche and do so with a reasonable price tag. Jett Rocket II is a game that simply would not survive in a modern market under the old business model.
In generations past, we could only ever see big-budget retail releases and freeware PC games on the other end of the spectrum, with little to fill the gap (other than, arguably, portable games). Digital distribution has opened up a far wider spectrum of games to be commercially released.