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The first direct-to-download game from Rare, this game reaches back into the company’s long history to deliver the classic, hardcore game design that built the company. Jetpac Refuelled is a re-imagine version of the classic Rare shooter Jetpac, with all new visuals and multiplayer features to bring it into the new era!

Genre: Shooter

Publisher: Microsoft Game Studios

Developer: Rare

Online Play:

Local Play:

March 29, 2007 –
Pac-Man. Galaga. Dig Dug. All you retro-games on Xbox Live Arcade, listen up. This is how you bring a classic game to XBLA.

Jetpac Refueled features not only the original game, 1983’s Jetpac, but a vastly improved modern take on the concept. With updated graphics, weapons, enemies and level-design, Jetpac Refueled also includes a multiplayer mode (local and Xbox Live) in which two players battle at the same time. What a crazy idea.

And as a classic game, the price-tag is right: 400 Microsoft Points.

That’s not to say Jetpac is the greatest thing to hit Arcade since Geometry Wars. It’s just that the presentation is what we’ve always wanted from a classic game. Give us the same game we can play for free on a zillion sites around the world, and then give us more, and do it on the cheap.

Now that’s updated graphics.Here’s the story: Once upon a time, there was a guy with a rocket pack and a laser. He shoots aliens. He collects rocket parts. Repeat.

The gameplay is fast, fun, and addictive, if a bit one-dimensional. The game consists of gathering items (rocket parts and fuel), dodging/destroying aliens with your Quad Photon Laser Phasers, and delivering items (rocket parts and fuel). The levels start off simple — simple enemies that slowly move left to right and a few platforms scattered across the level. Quickly, around level 10, the challenge kicks in and you’ll be met with a variety of enemies, each with distinctive attack and moving patterns. By level 30 the screen you can get lost in the clouds of enemies like Geometry Wars. The challenge only gets tougher — there are 128 levels!

To get around, you use your Hydro jet pack, which gives your character a weighty feel as in Joust and Asteroids. You can upgrade your lasers by collecting power-ups that fall randomly throughout the map. At other times little treasures appear as well that give you a point boost. But here’s where we one into one of the games few problems. The first laser type shoots only horizontally — not too good for such a vertical-oriented game where enemies come at you from all directions. The second laser shoots horizontally and vertically — not bad. The third shoots in three directions and you have a bit of aiming control. Quite simply, you need this gun to succeed.

But these power-ups only drop after you’ve picked up the last item. Otherwise, the item will just sit there and no other upgrades will appear. You could use your EMP blast to clear the screen, but too often you’re stuck with a crappy gun and a screen-full of enemies. Yeah, this game is tough, but that’s what makes it fun.

Now that’s an updated background.Thankfully, the game saves every four levels, a great feature for these casual games, in contrast to those old coin-op titles that are designed to suck your quarters and force you to start over. The retro version, on the other hand, has only 16 levels that you must beat in one go, if you have a craving for the aforementioned quarter-sucking.

Multiplayer is a real treat. Instead of having a high-score shootout, in which two players take turns playing the same level, Rare came through with an unexpected treat. Two players build their own rocket on the same map, and then compete for the six required fuel pods to launch the rocket. The matches are timed and the player with the high score wins. Because there is such a large point bonus, the winners is almost always the player that launches more rockets in the time span. Where it gets really fun is that players can shoot fuel pods out of the other player’s possession and sneak it back to his own rocket. Multiplayer is available locally and via Xbox Live in the form of ranked and player matches. A leaderboard keeps track of it all.

In the end, Jetpac Refueled is a wonderful take on an average classic, the original Jetpac. It’s more than updated graphics — it’s a whole new game. It’s almost 10 times the game as the original, with a great multiplayer mode (and good old achievement points). Every classic game should get this treatment. And at only 400 points, it’s a steal.

IGN Ratings for Jetpac Refuelled (X360)

Rating Description

out of 10
click here for ratings guide

9.0
Presentation
Remastered with new modes and solid local and online multiplayer, all priced at a bargain.

7.0
Graphics
The retro version is nostalgically bad; Refueled is vibrant and colorful with nice effects and a great frame-rate.

7.0
Sound
The retro version is nostalgically bad; Refueled features a fun, addictive little tun and fun sound effects.

8.0
Gameplay
The gameplay is fast, fun and addictive, if a bit one dimensional. But isn’t that what XBLA is about?

8.5
Lasting Appeal
Great multiplayer mode and both retro and the 128 levels in Refueled offer a great challenge.

8.0
Impressive
OVERALL
(out of 10 / not an average)

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