The entire experience is controlled with a single button – tap or hold X to send Barry airborne. But like all the best action/arcade experiences, these simple controls hide a lot of depth as players learn to perfectly feather their jetpack to stay alive as long as possible. Jetpack Joyride is a genuine joy to play, but it works best for quick bursts of fun. PS3-only gamers will tire of the one-note gameplay long before gamers on-the-go.
Even if players don’t set a new personal best, the coins earned ensure that no run is ever a complete waste. They can be spent on upgrades that make missiles easier to dodge or coins easier to collect, as well as cosmetic shenanigans like rainbow jetpacks and a tuxedo for Mr. Steakfries.
A mission system also gives each round some additional structure and motivation. Players always have three current missions to work towards, pulled from a much larger pool of tasks. They range from the simple (play three games) to the tricky (reach 500 meters without collecting any coins) to the downright weird (rub your head on the ceiling for 2000 meters). As missions are completed players earn new titles for Barry. After reaching the final rank, the cycle can be started again via a Call of Duty-style prestige system. These are in-game rewards only – no Trophy support is included.Unfortunately, two major elements that made Jetpack Joyride such a smash hit on mobile were excised for this PlayStation port. The title is completely free on mobile, monetized by players that want to buy coins to unlock extras faster. But the PS Mini iteration runs $3.99. Additionally, the PS Mini features no online leaderboards. This makes Jetpack Joyride a high score game without any actual online competition. Disappointing. Finally, although Jetpack Joyride runs at HD resolution on iPad, since this is a title made to run on PSP, gamers playing on their PS Vita or PS3 are still forced to deal with fuzzy, PSP-resolution visuals.