Who- Rare and Microsoft Game Studios
What- Addictive, treasure-stealing, high-action, and twitchy extraterrestrial arcade game.
When- March 28th, 2007
Where- Xbox Live Arcade Exclusive
Huh? - Why are Rockets so fragile?

Right, I’m back on the Xbox 360, and for my first Xbox Live Arcade game, I’ll show you something that’s really out of this world with Rare’s first Arcade outing: Jetpac Refuelled. First I’d like to note that the only way you can get your mitts on it is if you have an Xbox 360, a Gold Live membership, and a connection to Live. From there you can demo it for yourself, and see how right I am. One of Rare’s original franchises is reborn, from the pixilated Jetman’s stellar treasure hunt of 1983 fame to Refuelled’s 128 levels of updated simple and captivating entertainment. Not to mention the Achievements, Multiplayer, spiffy graphics, etc. Will you really want to take Jetman to the Scab Nebula and beyond? Yes. Read on.

As for Jetpac, for a tiny fee of 5 dollars/3.5 pounds, you get so much to do, and enjoy. The game is actually in three parts, Retro, Refuelled, and Multiplayer. They all share the base idea that our hero, Jetman has crash landed on a distant and presumably hostile alien world. He has to rebuild his busted rocket ship and collect six fuel canisters so he can escape, but not before blasting alien attackers with his laser beam and taking a moment to collect some rare interplanetary goodies. Retro is the classic Ultimate game you’re known and loved, (or played for the first time in DK64 if you’re American) re-made for the Arcade version. It’s a near carbon copy of the classic, with a spiffy Ultimate-themed border. This version must seem archaic to newcommers, but Jetpac still has enough kick to keep you interested for some time. It’s the oldie that served as the basis for the new Jetpac game you see downloadable before you.

Refuelled is , other than the namesake of the game, the main course. This is a Jetpac game for a new generation, with super-buttery smooth controls and three options of control for you picky types. This has to be the slickest looking Arcade game in the marketplace, as all characters are lovingly animated, backgrounds are stunning and full of vibrant colors, and the effects of the Jetman’s lasers, jetpac and rocket taking off are all a treat for the eyes. The musician crafted some bouncy and upbeat tunes for Refuelled and they keep you in the tense “alien freaks are EVERYWHERE” frame of mind. If you enjoy the demo, keep in mind that there are 128 different levels for you to navigate. That’s plenty of alien swag to grab before you’re done. The largest changes to the Jetpac mechanics is that Refuelled has an oxygen bar, meaning that if Jetman lingers about for too long on a certain world, he’ll run out of air and it doesn’t work out too well for him… A new item, the EMP bomb, that clears the screen of all baddies for a moment can be very helpful in a tight spot. Your weapon can also be upgraded with different shooting patterns and laser widths so they cover a larger area. Trust me when I say you WILL be keeping your eyes open for these Laser Upgrades like a moonhawk. The challenge is here, friends. If you get hit by some space bugaboo, then it was your own fault. It’s a steep learning curve, and Refuelled keeps tossing new baddies into the mix as you advance though the game, but you’ll come to learn that the game is difficult yet fair. Once you get your space legs, you’ll want to re visit the galaxy in search of a Hi-Score for the Live leaderboards as I am. Just keep in mind once that happens, you’re hooked. There’s plenty of replay value in Jetpac Refuelled, you will be playing for lightyears.

Other neat features include a simple multi-player option where two Jetmen compete to build their own rocket and blast off before their counterpart does. It’s quite competitive, as you can make your foe drop rocket parts and fuel pods- Much to their displeasure. Note that multiplayer is both local and over Xbox Live. Again, Live’s Leaderboards will keep you coming back to thrash friend’s scores and have you blasting for the top positions. There’s a neat feature that delves into Rare’s Jetpac history as well as an unlockable theme and pair of gamer pictures for talented players. The Achievements are fun and fair with unlockable goals including: playing on level 44, completing all 16 levels in Retro mode, and becoming Infected with the elusive Jetpac virus. There is not one negative thing I can say about this game, as you get all of this for less than eating out for lunch. Save your car’s fuel, stay home, and download Jetpac Refuelled so you can collect treasures from the creatures in Uranus today!

Jetpac Refuelled earns my highest honor with a 5

+ Bouncy & fun soundtrack, easy controls, crisp visuals, addictive (in a good way) gameplay, Leaderboards for score-mongers, fun Achievements, new & old versions, 100+ levels, five bucks American (3.5 POUNDS for you Brits) for all this!
- Eh- Um…. I’ve got nothing…. Go buy Jetpac Refuelled!

But Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn Ya…

-”Mild Fantasy Violence.” If eating the ghosts in Pacman or shooting the space invaders from Space Invaders bothered you, then you shouldn’t play Jetpac. Weirdo.