About

Jetpack is a retro-styled arcade game based on Ultimate Play the Game's classic Jetpac (1983). You pilot a character with a jetpack through caverns collecting items and fuel, while fighting enemies and managing your altitude with bursts of thrust. The original game was a masterpiece of the ZX Spectrum era.

The controls have the characteristic floaty quality of real jetpack physics — thrust fires in bursts, gravity pulls constantly, and precision hovering requires constant small corrections. Navigating tight cave passages while picking up fuel canisters and dodging alien enemies requires a specific type of manual dexterity.

Jetpack sessions are short and intense — each screen is a 1–2 minute challenge. The retro aesthetic is genuine, not ironic, and the gameplay holds up remarkably well.

How to Play

• Hold the thrust button to fire the jetpack and rise; release to fall.
• Use left/right to navigate horizontally.
• Collect fuel canisters to keep your rocket powered.
• Shoot or avoid enemies that appear in the cavern.
• Complete objectives on each screen to progress.

Tips

• Thrust in short pulses to maintain a stable hover altitude.
• Plan your collection route before moving — backtracking wastes fuel.
• Enemies have predictable patrol patterns; learn them before committing to a path.

History

Jetpac was created by Tim and Chris Stamper (founders of Rare) for Ultimate Play the Game and published in 1983 for the ZX Spectrum. It was one of the first breakout hits of the Spectrum era, selling over 300,000 copies. The Stamper brothers founded Rare (then Ultimate) which went on to create Donkey Kong Country, GoldenEye 007, and many other landmark titles. Jetpac's legacy is as the launching point for one of gaming's most important studios.