From Halfbrick Studios comes a cave flying-style game with the power to keep you playing for many multiple hours. Jetpack Joyride takes the best from jump-and-run-style games and mixes in a host of achievements, missions, store upgrades, vehicles and more, crafting a game that looks phenomenal and will keep you doing "just one more joyride" dozens of times in a row.
Epically enough, things start out with the game's protagonist, Barry Steakfries, busting through the wall of a secret scientific research laboratory. If you watch the backstory video, you'll understand why, but who needs plot when your last name is Steakfries and you've got a jetpack made of machine guns? Tap and hold the screen to move Barry upwards and release to gently fall down. 
Controlling this up and down shifting is key to mastering the game's movement physics, and only when you get that down will you get anywhere. You fly from left to right down an endless corridor littered with zappy lasers, homing missiles, buzzing electricity fields, and scientists scattering on the ground below. Stay away from anything that looks dangerous and you'll get to see some fast-moving things of beauty down the corridors of the lab.
Here's where the game slaps some meat on the bone: missions. Each time you take a joyride you'll be assigned three missions you can complete, each with a star reward listed at the bottom. They range from the simple "fly this far" to "get this many coins" to the rather crazy, and there are dozens of them to discover. Complete a mission, get some stars, level Barry up, and you'll get coins. Add those coins to your loot and you get to visit the game's store where you can buy upgrades, power-ups, items, and other cool gadgets.
There's more to jetpack joyriding than bad things that kill you, of course. Pick up tokens during your flight and you can use them in the slot machine when you die, offering the chance for bonus distance, coins and more. Vehicles can be grabbed along the way by touching boxes floating in the air. You'll randomly get shoved into one of the game's many contraptions, ranging from a mobile teleporter to a bird that eats coins, a gravity suit, a motorcycle, and more. Vehicles give you a slightly different set of physics to deal with, but they also let you absorb a hit without dying, which is always a good thing!
Analysis: For such a simple, retro-ish game, Jetpack Joyride inspires pages upon pages of praise. Halfbrick hit a really sweet spot with this mixture of physics flying, power-ups, items, achievements, and general in-game awesomeness. Most games, especially casual ones, tend to focus on one hook that draws you in and another that keeps you interested in more. With Jetpack Joyride, the former is the game's "one button" simplicity, but the latter is far from a single element and includes things like achievements, a robust "stash" store, upgrades, and loads more.
In-app purchases are a part of Jetpack Joyride's arsenal, but honestly, they're completely optional and really don't add much to the experience. You can spend real money to buy in-game currency so you can get the Rainbow Jetpack and whatnot, but that takes the replay value out of the game, so it sort of defeats the purpose. One purchase you should strongly consider is the counterfeiting machine that doubles each coin you grab. Worth the tiny asking price, and it really enhances the game!.
One minor disappointment: jetpack upgrades (as well as clothing purchases) are only cosmetic and offer no difference in gameplay. Sure, the Rainbow Jetpack looks cool and spits out rainbows and the Laser Jetpack burns scientists who happen to run into its terrible beam, but the price for each 'pack is high, it seems like some non-visual bonuses would be in store as well.
Jetpack Joyride is a phenomenal mobile iOS game that mixes a little bit of the old with a generous helping of the new. It's got attitude, it's got style, and it's got enough content and challenge to keep you running back for more, hour upon hour of joyriding in that sweet little jetpack.
Walkthrough Guide
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Jetpack Joyride achievements
Spice of Life
Take a ride in every vehicle in the game.
You'll get this one naturally as you continue to play. Make sure you grab the rainbow vehicle icons whenever they pop up.
Not So Green/Veteran
Complete varying amounts of missions.
As it says, finish missions. Early missions are easy so Not So Green shouldn't be a problem but later missions can be a bit tougher. None of them are really insurmountable though - if you aim to finish one per run you should be okay.
Gold Digger
Collect 20 Coins While Dead.
This can be hard to intentionally time, but the idea is that you want to get hit by something right before a mass of coins. Another one you'll probably get naturally as you continue to play.
Alpha Charlie Echo/Class Act/Road Trip/Marathon
Go a certain distance under various conditions.
You'll get all of these naturally through continued play, except for possibly Road Trip and Class Act.
For Class Act you'll need to be wearing the Top Hat, Classy Suit and Traditional Jetpack.
Road Trip requires that you be riding the motorcycle. The motorcycle can be difficult to control since it's got limited vertical movement, so be careful when you get it if you're after Road Trip.
Big Spender
Spend over 50,000 coins.
Make the coins by grabbing them, finishing missions or using the slot reels. Then spend them. That's it.
James Who?
Buy two jetpacks.
Same as Big Spender. Most of the early jetpacks are fairly inexpensive so this shouldn't be an issue.
For Science
Knock over 1000 scientists.
Stay on the bottom of the screen while hovering slightly. Use the minigun jetpack. Your bullets will knock down the scientists and you'll eventually get this.
Fuzzy Locks
Get fried 99 times.
Just die a lot. You might want to make more progress trying not to get this achievement, really.
Fallout
Win 3 Atom Blasts.
Load up on spin tokens as you play, use them in the post-death slot machine and pray.
Good Work, Muscat/Good Work, Woody/Good Work, Sierra
Open and close the main menu slider 10 times/Run into the bottom obstacle 3 times in a row/Stare at the main shop screen for 2 minutes.
Self-expanitory.
High Roller
Lose the final spin 100 times total.
Use those spin tokens instead of cashing them in. Also good for making progress toward Fallout.
Pretty Woman
Buy a matching set of clothing.
The cheapest set is the Fragger Helmet and Fatigues, costing 7,000 coins.
Tee Hee Two
Collect exactly 69 coins.
Speaks for itself. Since the coins always come in big clumps, it's hard to grab an exact number. Just keep trying.
Blinged Out
Buy a golden vehicle upgrade.
These are all 10,000 each and don't do anything but look cool. Pick your favorite.
Toastie
Get toasted by a missile 3 times in a row.
See Fuzzy Locks, only aim to get hit by missiles instead of beams.
Romeo Alpha Delta
Fly over 5kms.
This only tracks time you spend airborne, so fly a lot.
Hippy
Take a trip in the rainbow jetpack and don't collect any coins.
Buy the rainbow jetpack and die on the first obstacle. Don't get any coins. Easy enough.
Bullseye
Get a score of exactly 200m.
Difficult, since it's hard to aim for this precisely. Try dying on purpose when you're around the right distance.
Foam Party
Fly a total of 10kms with the bubble gun jetpack.
Buy the bubble gun jetpack and use it exclusively once you've got the other achivements that require specific jetpacks. You'll eventually get this.
Crazy Freaking Skills
Get a best distance of over 800m in the CFT.
The CFT is the Crazy Freaking Teleporter. It may take a few tries before you get good with it - it's one of the more awkward vehicles. Once you've got the hang of it this shouldn't be hard to get.
Angry Wings
Get the Profit Bird twice in one game.
You can't really choose what vehicles you get, so grab the vehicle icons and pray.
A Man, My Son
Finish all the missions and start again.
Finish all the missions. Not much to say about them, they're all pretty clear about what you have to do and tend to come down to player skill.
Class Act
Fly over 1km sporting the top hat, classy suit and traditional jetpack.
Buy the three items listed and use them. 1km isn't too hard to get.
Germaphobe
Fly 2km without touching any coins, scientists and tokens.
My vote for the most difficult achievement in this game. It's very difficult to avoid touching ANYTHING for this long and given the randomness of the game it's hard to offer advice.
My biggest tip: stay toward the top of the screen. You really, really don't want to get close and then accidentally touch the scientist-infested floor.
Happy Snap
Save an action shot to your camera roll.
Press the home and sleep buttons on your device at the same time while playing. Bet you didn't know about this!
I also bet you didn't know you could do this at any time, regardless of if you're playing a game or what.
Thanks to corygalliher for this guide!
Posted by: Mike
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January 13, 2012 11:06 AM