This game needs to come out. NOW!!! I want to play more of it.
Pat and I checked this game out at GDC, and it was one of our favorites of the show. Gabe and I played an updated build of this game here at E3, and it’s one of our favorites of the show. Coincidence? No silly, it’s just that AWESOME.
While I suppose I could compare the gameplay of Machine Gun Jetpack to games like Cannabalt, where you constantly move in one direction and must dodge obstacles, I feel like doing so cheapens the description. Cannabalt is a fantastic game, but an over-abundance of clones that sprung up after it’s initial success have left a bad taste in my mouth for the genre. So yes, in MGJP you are constantly moving forward while dodging things, but you do so with such style, it’s hard to describe in mere words.
That said, I would highly suggest watching the video below to get a feel for the game. You use one finger to fly up or drop down as you’re dodging lasers, electricity, missiles, and other obstacles. Along the way you pick up all sorts of awesome vehicles power ups, such as a mech suit, a “hog” motorcycle, and a familiar bird machine that poops out money. You are constantly trying to collect as many coins as possible, which in turn allows you to buy vanity items for Barry (the main character), new jetpacks, upgrades to vehicle powerups, and several other items. The more you play, and the more you collect, the more you level up Barry, which in turn provides you with higher score multipliers.
I think my favorite part of MGJP is the token system, which offers you bonuses, items, and even extra lives when you die in the game. You collect tokens that randomly appear as you’re playing, then use them in a slot machine upon your death. Sometimes you get an extra life, other times you gain bonuses for your next playthrough, and oftentimes you just fail. This is a pretty sweet feature, as there’s always hope that you’ll still be in the game, even after you’ve miserably scraped your face across the floor at 100MPH. If you can’t tell, I’m really looking forward to this games release. The developers said we can expect it in about 6-8 weeks, after some finishing touches. It will be out for iOS devices at that time, and I’m sure the glowing reviews will follow soon after!
