Jetpack Joyride
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Portabliss: Jetpack Joyride (iOS)
Did you know that you can download handheld games now? That's amazingly convenient! The only inconvenient part of it is finding the right games to buy -- and that's where we come in, with our Portabliss column. In each installment, we'll tell you about a downloadable game on the iPhone, iPad, Android device, DSi, 3DS, PSP, etc. Today: Jetpack Joyride. The free NES games in Nintendo's 3DS Ambassador Program arrived at an awkward time, because the standout of that group for me, Balloon Fight, is now getting overshadowed by the many jetpacks of Barry Steakfries. Like Halfbrick's Monster Dash before it (and Balloon Fight's "Balloon Trip" mode long before that), Jetpack Joyride takes the autorunning genre defined on iOS by Canabalt and adds a few kinks. Unlike Monster Dash, however, Jetpack Joyride is deep, with a mess of power-ups, vehicles, and mechanical and aesthetic additions. I was repeatedly taken aback by how fleshed out Halfbrick has made its latest iOS game, and repeatedly charmed by the studio's presentation. Nods to past Halfbrick titles abound (beyond the main character's return from previous iOS games), and the inclusion of an entire vehicle poking fun at the iPhone's most popular franchise lends an extra layer of levity to the already cheeky proceedings.%Gallery-131935%
Daily iPhone App: Jetpack Joyride
After a few conventions' worth of teasing and a last-minute name change, Halfbrick Studios' latest, Jetpack Joyride, is available as a universal app for iPhone and iPad. I'm ready to call it one of the best iOS games of the year. Of course, I'm a big Halfbrick fan, and I think the running title Monster Dash is their best game until this one (though Fruit Ninja obviously racks up some points for them as well), so this game ends up being particularly up my alley. But it's really a terrific game -- extremely well polished, with great mechanics, tons and tons of replayability, and pretty much everything you'd want in a pick-up-and-play iPhone title. The idea is that you're Halfbrick's main man Barry Steakfries yet again, this time strapping on a Machine Gun Jetpack to try and escape through a lab, and you need to get as far as possible without blowing yourself up. On the way you can collect powerups, spin tokens, and coins, and each of those tweaks the gameplay. Powerups are all vehicles, which change the game's controls for a bit and provide you with an extra shield in case of explosion. Spin tokens add chances at a post-game slot machine, with available bonuses for both the current game and your next go, and coins can be spent in the in-app store (and purchased via in-app purchase, though you never really need them) on extra skins, vehicle add-ons, and other custom items. Jetpack Joyride just oozes style and expertise -- there are also missions that you can accomplish while playing to earn stars, which implement a nicely-paced progression system (complete, I'm told, though I haven't gotten there yet, with a prestige system to boot). And of course there's integrated Game Center, so you can compete with friends and the world on best distance and other stats. Jetpack Joyride is easily on the short list for best iOS games of the year, and might even top it, depending on what else comes out. At just US 99 cents, it's one of the best gaming deals anywhere right now. Get it, without reservation.
Jetpack Joyride launch trailer blasts off
Jetpack Joyride, the game formerly known as Machine Gun Jetpack, serves up a heap of Barry Steakfries for the universal app's September 1 launch. That's today!
Jetpack Joyride dev diary is on a mission
The point of Jetpack Joyride isn't simply to get protagonist Barry Steakfries as far away from the lab as possible. No, in fact, it's all about self-improvement -- what good is a video game if it doesn't help you grow as a person?
Machine Gun Jetpack becomes Jetpack Joyride, launches next week
We've got good news and some vaguely upsetting news. First, the good news: Machine Gun Jetpack will finally touch down for $0.99 next week, on September 1, as a universal release on iOS (i.e. it works across iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad). The vaguely upsetting news? Developer Halfbrick has renamed Machine Gun Jetpack, presumably because the title was just too awesome. The game will now officially be known by the much more fanciful title, Jetpack Joyride. Halfbrick released a video explaining that the name was changed to reflect that the game now includes "so much more than just the machine gun jetpack." Unofficially, of course, it will always be Machine Gun Jetpack in our hearts.
Machine Gun Jetpack now Jetpack Joyride, out September 1
Halfbrick Studios has sent out a notice that they've made a name change on their upcoming iOS title. Machine Gun Jetpack (which we've been watching pretty closely here at TUAW) is now called Jetpack Joyride. Apparently the game itself hasn't changed, but the name is different -- so you know what to look for in the App Store. And fortunately, the wait on this one grows ever shorter: The title is set to be released on iOS just a scant week and a half from now on September 1. I've been really impressed by Machine Gun -- sorry, Jetpack Joyride -- every time I've seen it, so this will definitely be one to watch for.
