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[Zack]

I've taken a ton of advice from everyone across various forums and communities and am proud to present version 1.1.0 for iOS (Android update coming soon, I'm running into a few problems).

As always, I'm looking to further improve/expand the game. Feedback is definitely welcome.

Get it for $0.99 on iOS!
Free, but outdated on Android.

Use your jetpack to maneuver through six levels across three gameplay modes in this fun, exciting, and fast-paced game where getting a high score and not dying is all that matters.

Suit up and start your clocks, because you begin each game with 00:30 seconds. Every oncoming gate you pass, you receive an added two seconds. However, five seconds are deducted for every one you miss. Basically, the better you do, the longer you play! Colliding with spikey objects or balls will result in an instant death.

Simple, right? Not when there are over 20 powerups and powerdowns flying at you which can alter gameplay immensely. For example, deadly lasers can fill the screen, gravity could become reverse, or time could even freeze.

With a dozen unlockable characters and over 50 achievements, jtpck will certainly induce sweaty thumbs.

FEATURES:
✓ Game Center
✓ Six unique environments
✓ 20 powerups/powerdowns
✓ 19 unlockable iconic characters
✓ Over 60 achievements
✓ Three game modes
✓ Highscore tables
✓ Day/night
✓ Fun, vibrant graphics
✓ Awesome soundtrack by Matt McFarland and Topki

WHAT'S NEW IN V1.1.0:
- FULL Game Center support
- 12 new characters
- Totally revamped day/night mechanic
- Unique environment backgrounds
- Customized character colors
- A new level featuring music by Topki
- A store to buy various new powerups/abilities with coins you've earned
- New obstacles and level-specific enemies
- Collectable gems
- Hats!
- Improved touch support/size of buttons
- Fixed a huge memory leak
- 10 new achievements
- Righty/lefty hand support
- Ability to skip the tutorial

[coAdjoint_Tom]

haha little jetpack guys are cute

[pepp]

Hey,I just installed your game (Galaxy Note 1).

Overall : I like it

Things I liked:
- the wrap game mechanic, nice and original
- graphics/style
- tutorial
- several locked characters/levels are useful to show progression

Things I would improve :
- the font is sometimes barely readable (in the tutorial)
- the ad banner was hidden at the beginning of the game and then appeared. But it never disappeared and was hiding score/time left indication (also, it only displays test ads)
- maybe music should not get auto-resumed when the game is restored (see http://android-developers.blogspot.com/2011/11/making-android-games-that-play-nice.html)
- online leaderboards maybe ?

[Gagege]

The graphics and sound are nice, but the gravity feels way too strong. The guy falls fast and jets up too slow. With a little more upward thrust it might be fun. If it's meant to be extremely unforgiving, good job I died in about 30 seconds and only made it through 1 gate. I, maybe, picked up like 3 measly coins.

[Zack]

@pepp

Well, this is awkward. I completely forgot I was testing out in-game Ads. Strange thing is, they are only starting to show up today. I guess it took a few days for the company to validate my account. A new version is being uploaded to the market as we speak.

I read the article, and I thank you. I never really thought about audio being that inconvienent in a situation like that. I'll definitely try to be more userfriendly with the music and sounds.


@Gagege

Funny thing is, I made the gravity stronger due to people complaining it was too light. I'll experiement and find a happy medium.

Thank you guys for the feedback!

[Slaktus]

I played jtpck for about half an hour earlier tonight, and I quite enjoyed it. I played it on a Nexus One, and I'm not entirely sure if the game ran at full speed. It felt smooth enough, and I didn't notice any framerate drop until I tried the ice level with the snow particles.

It's a competently made game and I did enjoy myself, but I think it has pacing, reward schedule and variation issues. First of all, it takes too long for the challenge to ramp up in arcade mode. I would play for several minutes before it was anything but a cakewalk. The power-downs would occasionally make the game dramatically harder for a while, but they felt unfair and like they were taking advantage of my curiosity and inexperience (whoa, that came out a bit creepy).

The power-downs have potential for making the game way more challenging, but then they should be presented more often, have more dramatic effects and last a little shorter so that they become brief sources of panic and then elation once you've survived the gauntlet.

I also found the coin collection underwhelming. I'd suggest having less space between coins so they form more obvious paths (see the first few Sonics, Super Mario Bros. 3 and on, Donkey Kong Country) that show the correct trajectory for hitting the next gate, and rewards the player for matching it. That might sound a bit like hand-holding, but the pleasure of successfully predicting how much thrust is necessary to collect all the coins and hit the next gate is what makes the game compulsive. Check out Whale Trail for inspiration.

Finally, there needs to be more gate configurations. I could only see two main gate patterns, and that was gates of apparently random size with apparently random Y position, and small gates lined up closely with slight, random Y offset. There were spike gates too, but they didn't feel like they had their own pattern but was a variation on the random-sized, randomly positioned gate pattern. I'm not saying you need a whole bunch of sophisticated gate patterns, becausethe game is already pretty fun and compulsive -- but you need to find around 3-5 varied, solid patterns that present slightly different challenges depending on the game's speed.

Look at Super Hexagon and how most of the gauntlets there are really functionally identical -- they create a sense of variation through different types and degrees of visual complexity. They're challenging partially because they look overwhelming rather than because they present different challenges. In a sense, the challenge is that you gotta be zen and recognize that all the challenges are really the same, and treat them like a single flow instead of worrying about their apparent differences and whether that might mean you're meant to apply a different technique that you haven't discovered yet.

Initially, the problem in Super Hexagon is a question of orienting yourself and picking the right direction to move in to reach the gap. Then, later, it becomes a question of not over-shooting the gap. Finally it becomes a question of having the reflexes of a hyperactive mungo on meth, practically a pure exercise in muscle memory.

Oh, and I'm gonna confuse you more about the gravity and jetpack thrust: I thought they were both a bit sluggish. The avatar can both rise and fall a bit faster to make the game more responsive and exhilarating. That said, my phone's performance could have impacted the feel of the game. I would also suggest making the jetpack particle effect a little more dramatic, with some orange and yellow particles close to the character that then fade to grey.

Keep up the good work.

[Zack]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I've taken a ton of advice from everyone across various forums and communities and am proud to present version 1.1.0 for iOS (Android update coming soon, I'm running into a few problems).

WHAT'S NEW IN V1.1.0:
- FULL Game Center support
- 12 new characters
- Totally revamped day/night mechanic
- Unique environment backgrounds
- Customized character colors
- A new level featuring music by Topki
- A store to buy various new powerups/abilities with coins you've earned
- New obstacles and level-specific enemies
- Collectable gems
- Hats!
- Improved touch support/size of buttons
- Fixed a huge memory leak
- 10 new achievements
- Righty/lefty hand support
- Ability to skip the tutorial

PROMO CODES:
LJXT4H7XAMMJ
KKW39EN9REXR
46NJAY9WRYP4
YYL3TH7JFLHJ
EEEH4KLL6FEN

If you use a code, or just want to be helpful, a rating would be appreciated!

As always, I'm looking to further improve/expand the game. Feedback is definitely welcome.

[solkar]

I redeemed one of the promo codes    (EEEH4KLL6FEN).
Be ready for some serious feedback!   

[solkar]

Wow, I've been off for while, huh? Sorry for that.

I miss some graphical aid in the descriptions of the power ups. I'm really lazy so I nice little icon could give me a hint about what is it.