Jetpac
1983
- shooter
- platform
- action
- science fiction
- single player
- multiplayer
The story
The 'Acme Interstellar Transport Company' is delivering spaceship kits to various planets in the solar system throughout the Galaxy; and as chief test pilot, all you have to do is assemble the Rockets, and thrust on to your next destination. As you don't often get the chance of a free trip across the Galaxy, this is a great opportunity to get rich! Stop off on several planets on your journey, collect the odd sack of precious gems, elements or gold, and take them back with you. Sounds simple doesn't it! But before you make yourself the richest person in the whole Universe, remember to refuel your Spaceship - with 6 fuel pods - every time you land on a planet. Any other goodies you collect are yours to keep. Upon landing, you will find yourself equipped with the very latest Hydrovac Jet Pac, which can automatically air lift almost any rocket stage, fuel pod or valuables that you care to land upon, and release them over the rocket ship base. Don't forget your mega-powerful, Quad Photon Laser Phasers can blast any nasty, mean aliens who might object to your visit.
What it’s like
Chunky, blocky sprites drift across a flat black void, each planet screen a single fixed frame of primary colours and bright, flickering pixels against starfield dark. The sound is bleepy and sparse: the rattle of a thruster, a bright chirp for each shot, a low synthetic thud on landing, with long stretches of quiet between them. It moves in short, twitchy bursts. You hover, dodge, catch a falling fuel pod, and the screen wraps around at the edges so the world never really ends. Its vibe is retro arcade giddiness, playful and mildly frantic, the kind of thing that suits a quick session on a lazy afternoon or a few runs before bed. Violence is cartoonish and bloodless: aliens are blasted into harmless pixel bursts, with no gore, no fear, and no cruelty beyond the sting of losing a life. It asks for reflexes and a patient eye for fuel, and it rewards chasing a higher score. It suits players who love early home-computer games, enjoy simple controls with a learnable rhythm, and want a light, colourful challenge with nothing dark in it.
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