Jetpack Jo’s World Tour is an Android game that channels other arcade classics to deliver a compelling and challenging gameplay style. This is a game that offers users a number of ways to play, there’s the classic Arcade Mode where players can simply play and submit their high scores and compare them all over the web. The other, more enticing game mode is the competition to with £10,000 when playing the game online, all players need to do is to complete the 10 levels in succession to be entered into the draw. While the main gameplay focuses around needed to pilot Jo high above the obstacles, there are power-ups and other mechanics that come into play, but you’ll have to read on to find out more about those.
To get started, all players need to do is download Jetpack Jo’s World Tour from the Play Store, and open up the game.
One thing I liked about Jetpack Jo’s World Tour right away is that everything is put together to a high-standard and there’s a whole lot of polish at work here. Little things, like the description of each and every game mode and choice on the main menu go a long way in my book.
The Arcade mode is a good place to start, as there’s no pressure concerning the competition or anything like that and it’s a nice way to get to grips with the controls and so on.
The controls and overall gameplay style here reminds me a lot of Flappy Bird to be honest, but that’s not always a bad thing, after all just because one game made a mechanic famous that doesn’t mean it can’t ever be used again. Does Angry Birds have a monopoly on catapults for instance? There are other mechanics at play here though, such as the shrink rays and the trails and such.
The Shrink Ray does exactly what you think it does, as you can see in the shot above it simply makes Jo a little smaller, which makes it much easier to weave in-between buildings and such. There are more of these Upgrades however, and just as with the other game modes, these are neatly explained the first time you approach them via the main menu.
There are a variety of different upgrades available, including upgrades to the jetpack and cosmetic upgrades as well.
While these upgrades do each cost in-app purchase, the silver or gold upgrades on the jetpack will remove ads. I have to say, I was a little disappointed to see that there was no way of earning the upgrades in-game, but considering most games that use that mechanic end up giving out very little in-game currency, the result is often the same.
Now that you’ve upgraded things and got familiar with the game it’s time to take a look at the competition mode, the rules are simple and yet again, explained to players before they take flight.
To gain an entry into the prize draw, players need to collect a gold dollar at the end of each level, like this one:
There’s a little congratulatory statement when this happens as well, encouraging players to keep on trying.
With the changing levels, things get a little more difficult, as well as more colorful, too. Here’s a quick peek at the Brazil level, for instance.
I had a lot of fun with Jetpack Jo’s World Tour, it’s a game that’s been put together with a high level of polish and every little detail has been thought of. It might be a little too familiar to Flappy Bird for some, but I liked the overall pacing here and I was a lot more successful at this than Flappy Bird itself. The competition is definitely an interesting addition, and even though the draw closes in January 2016, everything seems legitimate and it all checks out. Plus, I didn’t think it was too difficult to gain an entry overall. Needing to pay for all of the upgrades was not so good, but considering there’s a big prize draw on offer, it’s not too bad.
Ratings
- Speed (4/5) – Jetpack Jo’s World Tour runs nice and smoothly, and there are no issues with the overall pacing that I came across, either.
- Features (4/5) – Despite the fact that it does feel similar to other games, there is enough added here to make it feel a little different, and it has good pacing and the chance to win £10,000!
- Theme (4/5) – Colorful, detailed and high-resolution, this is a game that looks good and has a good array of sound effects. They certainly did not skimp in the looks department.
- Overall (4/5) – For a game that is built on another’s mechanic, Jetpack Jo’s World Tour is a hell of a lot of fun, the pacing is good, the power-ups and upgrades are worth taking a look at and there’s the chance to win a hell of a lot of cash as well.
Pros
- Simple controls means that players of all ages will be able to play the game, even those not eligible to win the prize money.
- Upgrades offer a variety of different changes and power-ups that help to keep the game nice and fresh.
- Good-looking level designs with 10 different backdrops that each represent a piece of major cities and countries around the world.
- Offers players the opportunity to win £10,000, until January 2016, which is something no other game can promise.
Cons
- No way to earn in-game currency and purchase upgrades without real money.
- Competition feels like it would be easier for those that spend real money on purchasing the upgrades.
All-in-all, Jetpack Jo’s World Tour is a game that has a lot going for it, not least due to the massive prize money on offer. The gameplay is approachable and slick, with a fun arcade style to it, and there’s no telling how good players can get if they really put their mind to it, especially if they want that £10,000 prize money. A well-polished and good-looking game, this is worth playing even without the incentive of cold, hard cash.