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Jetpack Joyride is a side-scrolling action and endless runner video game created by Halfbrick studios and is available for most iOS devices. I have been playing this game for a week and I find it very addicting, just like Temple Run. In fact, Temple Run is themed after this game. In the game, Barry Steakfries is a salesman for Gramco, a company that has been selling gramophones since 1900. The sales for this company have been falling down continuously since 1911. As Barry walks in search for an interested customer, he comes to the doors of Legitimate Research, Inc., and attempts to ring the bell when he discovers some scientists cornered around a jetpack. He falls in love with the customer and decides to take the jetpack for a joyride. He breaks his way through the window, steals the jetpack, and eludes with it. The scientists attempt to stop him with various inventions such as electric zappers. As for the gameplay, the game makes use of a one-touch control to control the acceleration of the jetpack. Barry, the player character, has to travel as far as possible, collect as many coins as he can, and avoid the obstacles which can kill the player. The obstacles come in the form of missiles, stationary/revolving zapper, and high-intensity laser beams. This is where conflict comes in. Conflict emerges from the player trying to accomplish the goals of the game within its boundaries and rules. Boundaries limit the player’s actions and movements to a place in a scientific laboratory. On the way, rainbow-colored boxes with gears can be found. When touched, Barry is provided a special vehicle to traverse until it hits any obstacle. Vehicles that Barry can traverse include choppers, robotic machines, teleport suits, gravity suits (looks like Gravity Guy), and a plane shaped like a bird that jettisons dollar notes. Utilities for such vehicles, such as magnets and gold-plating, can be purchased in The Stash, which is the inventory of the game. The Stash includes jetpacks, clothing, gadgets, utilities, vehicle upgrades, and coin packs. The utilities and resources are quantifiable game objects that assist the player in accomplishing goals. They also have both scarcity and utility in the game system. As Barry travels, he can collect green colored Spin Tokens, which appear occasionally on the screen. Those Spin Tokens, after Barry dies, unlock a slot machine that gives the player various utilities and power-ups as prizes, ranging from a 750m head-start to a player revival to explosives, from small to big, that can propel Barry’s body through some distances after being attacked and killed. Also, the player can get a second chance at the game if he or she gets three hearts in a row on the slot machine. Lives are still limited resources in the game and low lives greatly dramatizes the effect of playing the game. If the player does not want to spin the slot machine, he or she can cash the token for 50 coins. As for missions, the player is provided with three objectives to be mastered while playing Jetpack Joyride. Each mission carries one to three stars, depending on the difficulty of the mission. When each of the missions is completed, stars are added to the player’s experience level and another mission starts. Once the number of stars needed for the experience level is achieved, the level increases and a coin reward, ranging from 100 to 1,000 coins, is awarded. Once the last skill level is reached, the player either can play the game without more missions, or trade Level 15 stars to start the game with brand new missions. I have been playing this game and I am on Level 6. This game was quite hard since and there were many obstacles and timing was critical to avoid these obstacles. I have always been wanting to hoard coins and achieve the highest distance possible.
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