While keeping up
with video game news I heard of this phone application called Flappy Bird. It
was a free endless runner that got so popular that something made the creator
take it down from the store. I didn’t bother downloading it, partly because I
don’t play games on my phone too often, but also because I already had a
similar game that cost nothing, was easy to learn with plenty of challenge
available, and most importantly did it with style. It’s time to blast off with
my positive review of Halfbrick’s runner Jetpack
Joyride.
In Jetpack Joyride, you control Barry
Steakfries as he takes a machine gun jetpack as far as possible through a
laboratory, and you will have plenty of variety in going for the distance.
During the game, tapping the touchscreen or a button makes the jetpack climb
altitude, which you need to do in order to avoid hazards like rotating laser
beams, incoming missiles, and sequential laser beams. As a catchy beat play in
the background, Barry can collect coins used to purchase additional costumes, touch
icons that put him into crazy vehicles, and even hi-five scientists running
around the laboratory. The vehicles include a mechanical dragon that breaths
fire as it moves downward, a motorcycle, a flapping bird vehicle that opens its
beaks to collect coins nearby, and a crazy freaking teleporter. You can even
buy items to get a boost in the beginning of a run or give you extra distance
after a hazard grounds Barry. Gadgets can be purchased and equipped to make
catching coins easier, cause missiles to malfunction, and change runs in other
entertaining ways. Repeat runs get you enough coins to unlock most of the
content, but you can spend real money for coins or to permanently double the
amount of coins you collect in your runs. I did not purchase anything, but I
like how the game is designed to give players a chance to not grind for coins,
as if you wouldn’t want to do that.
The game
incentivizes multiple runs through its challenge system. Each time you run
through the laboratory, you can complete up to three challenges. Completing a
set amount of challenges raises your level and gives you a coin bonus, and it’s
fun to experiment to see how many close calls with a Zapper you can have within
one run. In addition to the challenges you can earn trophies – while they don’t
grant extra coins, I had fun messing around to get them. I earned a sense of
accomplishment by earning an achievement for not touching any scientists or
coins for a set distance and then went back to collecting coins and causing
mayhem as I was doing before. Tokens collected during runs let you play a slot
machine that can give you bonuses like more coins, double coins the next run,
and even a chance to keep going after you were taken down the first time. For a
free phone game, it’s a roaring good time.
If you want to
mess around with a game that you can play for a minute or two, I recommend you
try Jetpack Joyride. You can find it
on just every mobile platform imaginable, and it got ported to browsers and the
PlayStation Network (PS3/Vita). See how far you can get in the laboratory
before Barry gets hit and slides on his back or face first, and play again to
complete more challenges or beat distance records.
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