Jetpac Refuelled
Jetman's pac in action! (Sorry.) Rare's schedule of XBLA development kicks off with this full-fledged revamp of a classic space blaster from the Ultimate days of the early '80s. Overhauled sound and visuals, a brand new array of levels, online play, achievements... it's 1983 with a generous stylistic helping of 2007.
Jetpac Refuelled
After more than two decades in the dark (barring a cameo outing in 1999 as a Donkey Kong 64 minigame), March 2007 sees Jetman finally airlifting his much-missed franchise back into the limelight with Jetpac Refuelled.
It marks a milestone in Rare's history for another reason, as this is the first title to be developed exclusively for the Xbox LIVE Arcade download service. So, what do potential buyers on XBLA get for their hard-earned digital cash?
Quick history lesson: Jetpac was the very first release for Rare precursor Ultimate Play The Game way back in 1983, setting a benchmark for both the quality and the success of subsequent titles. Jetpac Refuelled takes that tried and tested laser-driven arcade gameplay and brings it right up to date, crowbarring in masses of new levels, enemies and weapon upgrades while polishing the visuals and soundtrack to a space-age shine.
Veteran twitch gamers and eager rookies are all well catered for, with over 100 stages challenging allcomers to build and refuel their rockets under heavy pressure from disgruntled locals. The ultimate point of all this? Same as it always was: to stay alive and get rich.
Online components include access to global high score Leaderboards and a good spread of Achievements, while the inclusion of simultaneous multiplayer action marks another first for the franchise. Two players can quickly and easily set up a head-to-head battle on a single Xbox 360 console or over Xbox LIVE.
So if you fancy giving your trigger finger a proper arcade workout for the first time in ages, here's your opportunity. The full game is available now on Xbox LIVE Arcade for a mere 400 Points, or you can grab the free Trial version first if you're still not sure. Jetpac Refuelled is much more than a simple nostalgia trip, though to show due reverence we've also included a recreation of the classic 1983 original under the heading of Retro mode... we did, however, stop short of making it take five minutes to load.
- Platforms: Xbox 360
- Genre: Arcade
- Developer: Rare
- Released: 2007-03-28
- Game Rating: US: E | EU: 3+
- Players 1-2
- HDTV 1080i
- Custom Soundtracks
- In-game Dolby Digital
- Xbox LIVE Aware
- Online Multiplayer 2
- Content Downloads
- Leaderboards
- Voice
Jetpac Refuelled Media
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Jetpac Refuelled XBLA
Jetpac Refuelled Screenshots
Story So Far
An Invitation to Join the Jet Set
Your revered employer, the Acme Interstellar Transport Company, is in the process of delivering shipments of its latest spaceship kits to solar systems throughout the galaxy.
Your role as chief test pilot dictates that you follow along behind, dutifully assembling each planet's quota of rocket parts before blasting off to your next destination.
Of course, it's not every day that you're offered a free ticket across the galaxy. Space travel is usually so expensive that you're determined to take full advantage of your leisure time on this trip. In fact, you decide on the spur of the moment, this is your big chance to strike it rich!
The plan is straightforward: use each stop as an opportunity to stack up on gems, gold and other precious elements to take home with you at the end of the trip.
Naturally, it won't turn out to be quite that simple. For one thing, the natives of your target planets don't react well to you plundering their natural resources. And you still need to do your job by constructing and fuelling rockets along the way, otherwise you're going nowhere fast.
Fortunately you've come prepared for these very circumstances, with a state-of-the-art Hydrovac Jetpac enabling you to lift any rocket section or fuel pod and carry it to the rocket base. Self-defence is made easier by the powerful Quad Photon Laser Phasers, giving you the capability to fend off any narrow-minded alien locals who object to your interstellar profiteering...
And so it begins. Jetpacs primed, lasers at the ready!
Collectables
 | Rocket Section |
Every few levels, you'll need to construct a new rocket to replace your old one from three kit pieces dropped onto the planet. | |
 | Fuel Pod |
Whether or not you've just built a new rocket, refuelling has to take place before you can lift off. Six fuel pods should do it. | |
 | Laser Upgrade |
Grab one of these to cycle your weapon through three different configurations, each with four attainable power levels. | |
 | EMP |
A real lifesaver in a tight spot. Keep these in reserve for those times when your personal space is under serious threat. | |
 | Isotope |
High levels of radioactivity have never been so desirable. Swipe as many of these as possible to boost your score and wealth. | |
 | Gold Idol |
A solid gold souvenir of times gone by. Needless to say, it'll be worth a bob or two when you get back to Earth. Don't miss out. | |
 | Rocket Section (Retro) |
In Retro mode the rocket construction principle remains the same – you'll need to put together a new one every few levels. | |
 | Fuel Pod (Retro) |
The Retro mode version of the Fuel Pod, in authentic 1983 graphical style. Rockets will still require six fuel drops before launch. | |
 | Gemstone (Retro) |
These shimmering jewels seem far more commonplace on other worlds than they are on Earth. Exploit the exchange rate! | |
 | Mineral (Retro) |
Some kind of green alien ore is our best guess as to what this artifact really is. Thankfully its value is much more apparent. | |
 | Plutonium (Retro) |
Ordinarily you might not want to pick this up, but it'll prove to be a great contributor to your quest for personal riches. | |
 | Isotope (Retro) |
Even in the old days they were making a grab for these things. Health and safety seem so overrated when there's loot to be had. | |
 | Gold Bar (Retro) |
Not as refined as Refuelled mode's Gold Idol, but still hardly a pick-up to be sniffed at. Grab it and stash it for future spending. |
Wallpaper
 | Jetpac Refuelled Design 1 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (415k) | 1024 x 768 (283k) | 800 x 600 (194k) | |
 | Jetpac Refuelled Design 2 |
Available in the following resolutions: 1280 x 1024 (274k) | 1024 x 768 (201k) | 800 x 600 (146k) |
Achievements
The full list of Xbox 360 Achievements available in Jetpac Refuelled.
Alpha Launch (10G)
Launch from level one in single player Refuelled
Squid Port Pacifist (10G)
Complete level three in single player Refuelled without using lasers or EMPs
Power Hungry (10G)
Upgrade your laser to full capacity in single player Refuelled
Score More (10G)
Score 250,000 points in single player Refuelled
Survival (20G)
Starting from level one, reach level ten without dying in single player Refuelled
Retro Cyclist (20G)
Complete all 16 levels in Retro
Robo Rocket (20G)
Build Robo Rocket in single player Refuelled
Half Mill Man (20G)
Score 500,000 points playing multi player Refuelled over Xbox Live
Millionaire Man (30G)
Score 1,000,000 points in single player Refuelled
Been through your Milky Way (20G)
Play level 44 in single player Refuelled
You can stop now! (30G)
Complete all 128 levels in single player Refuelled
Infection (0G)
Play with another infected player on Xbox LIVE
Critics' Quotes
"With this Live Arcade release, you get not only the original Jetpac, complete with primitive graphics and sound, but also a revamped version with completely new graphics, sound and levels. It's a bit like the treatment Bizarre Creations gave the seminal Geometry Wars Evolved. Not a bad deal for 400 Microsoft Points." – Games Radar
"It's a small price to pay for a taste of how some of the earliest games played--and how they can be reworked to look and play better on today's hardware." – TeamXbox
"All retro heads will appreciate the fact that no-one's messed with the formula, but improved it in ways that make it an enormous amount of fun 24 years on." – Eurogamer
"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." – IGN
"Both versions of the game are fun in that simple, arcade game way that makes them hard to put down once you get going... it's cheap enough to make a good impulse purchase for anyone who enjoys the classic arcade games also available on Xbox Live Arcade." – GameSpot
"After playing Jetpac Refuelled for an extended period of time, I want nothing more out of XBLA than to see Rare create fresh new games for it." – TalkXbox
Top Quote
"The enemy count has been bumped up a few notches thanks to the slight power increase between the ZX Spectrum and Xbox 360." – CVG
