Jetpac

16Kb is all you will need

I'm sure everyone knows that Jet Pac was originally released in 1983 for the ZX Spectrum by uber-gaming legends, Ultimate Play The Game. It's one of the most iconic 8-bit games from the era and still plays brilliantly today. Our remake/conversion was developed by Pete J. Whitby in 1992 for Budgie UK. Heck, he also designed all the graphics and sound effects, very impressive. Talent like this never ceases to impress me.

Interesting tidbit? I owned Jetpac on both cassette and cartridge (ZX Spectrum). I also had a huge Speccy collection that dated back to 1981 plus others like an Interface II (I'm such a geek). Sadly, I sold the lot when we got our first house/mortgage! :(

Right, what's the story? Well, our Jet Man is a lucky fella working as a space pilot for Acme Interstellar Transport Company. They're sending him to fifty planets to assemble (and playtest) their technological creations. Sadly, his luck ran out as each planet was bombarded by hostiles ranging from fiery comets to fluffy aliens.

I thought I'd never see Jet Pac on the ST yet here is a screenshot to make us all very happy...

There are so many different baddies to blast and many new ones too...

Planets, aliens, and lasers!!

Playability is impressively legit from the start. The controls are tight, responsive, and instantly familiar - albeit a tad quicker than I remember. Jet Man's movements are exactly as you would expect but he oddly cannot wrap around the screen. However, he compensates for that lost ability with a new one - shield power-ups.

That's right, the fuel pods aren't the only thing dropping in from the skies. Collect one of the bubbles and you're protected from harm. It doesn't last long but that grace period is good enough during the heat of battle.

Those space nasties use differing attack patterns that help keep the arcade action very engaging. Many are new and some require several shots whereas others are invulnerable. Also, watch out for deadly platforms that can zap Jet Man into an early grave. Heck, there is even an end level - this is something missing from the original. If only I had better gaming skills to witness that for myself? Yeah, I know. Not gonna happen!

Let's view another screenshot and this time I've beaten the hoard and escaped in my rocket...

Jet Man is one lucky dude who gets to play with all the cool new rockets!

Aesthetics

Visually, there wasn't much to the original but it wasn't needed and the same applies here. The Atari ST remake follows the same format albeit with smooth-moving sprites and extra colours. The only thing I didn't like was the new background, which I felt wasn't needed. I wonder if there can be a way to remove it?

The audio is good but not great. You can play with either the sound effects or chip music by Mad Max. Personally, I would recommend you leave that exceptional music playing because the sound effects are bland. Actually, it's humorously disappointing to hear the Atari ST out-bleeped by the inferior ZX Spectrum sound effects.

Okay, it's time for one last screenshot and this one represents the action nicely...

Zip Zap (geddit?) the aliens the best you can!! And refuel that rocket!

The CryptO'pinion?

Jetpac is Jetpac and this game will always be magnificent no matter the year. Admittedly, our remake wasn't going to beat the original but, I feel, Pete has done enough to capture the authenticity whilst also successfully implementing new ideas that work well and set it apart from being a mere clone.

What's not to love about frantically rushing about the screen, zapping a relentless alien hoard whilst gathering fuel pods? I loved playing it and enjoyed the new features. The boring sound effects aside, this is an utterly excellent game that I highly recommend. Let me know in the comments below what you think.

+ Waste no time and get it downloaded for floppies and hard drive.

+ Play the original game on your Atari ST using an emulator:
     > Artemis is a unique (albeit colourless) emulator that works only on 8MHz Atari ST/e computers. Recommended for those wanting to experience something different.
     > Speccy is another emulator with full support for colour and supports faster Atari computers. What a class emulator this is!!