Games
Because every game is better with rockets strapped to your back.
There's no game that jetpacks can't improve. Fact. Everyone from Mario to Master Chief has taken one for a spin at one time or another, and as the weird and wonderful Goat Simulator receives over 100,000 downloads in just six days after launching on iOS and Android devices, we think it's time to document the best games ever to feature those fabulous flying machines, starting off with the mammal of the moment…
Goat Simulator
Brilliant in its simplicity, Goat Simulator from Coffee Stain Studios lets you control your four-legged beast with the goal of doing as much damage to the world he inhabits as possible, preferably by licking it. This is where the jetpack comes in. You can find it on the fifth floor of a construction building in the south-west part of town, next to a crane. The experience of flying with it is extremely realistic, with one Reddit user commenting: "The game does a good job of reminding you that a goat has neither the finesse or brainpower to properly pilot a jetpack". Genius.
Tribes: Ascend
What should every shooter have? Yep, jetpacks and skis. A staple in previous Tribes games, peak Jetpack was reached in 2012's Tribe Ascend, a free-to-play multiplayer title which was universally acclaimed on release. Boost yourself to the top of monster hills and then ski down them at top speed using bursts of jetpack power. You can even use the pack to evade explosives. Be warned: too many successive bursts will leave you heavily fatigued, but it still beats using your lame old leg muscles.
Jetpack Joyride
Released in 2011 for iPhone and now available on most platforms, this game is a simple side-scrolling runner; press the screen and our hero, disgruntled gramophone company worker Barry, rises on the jetpack he's nabbed from scientists, firing off ammo to kill any baddies below as he goes. Let go and the jetpack, of which there are numerous models to try, will cut out and Barry will fall. One critic called it the most addictive game since Fruit Ninja…there goes another relationship, then.
Pilotwings
Regularly making it into "100 Best Game of All Time" lists, versions of Pilotwings have been released on the Nintendo 64, Wii, 3DS and Wii U, but it's the SNES launch-title version, produced by the legendary Shigeru Miyamoto and released in the US in 1991, that has our hearts. The friendly flight simulator challenges you to earn pilot licenses through lessons in light plane flying, hang gliding, skydiving and the tricky rocket belt. It's just as addictive and as satisfying now as it was all those years ago.
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Guys, give it up already. There is no jetpack under Mount Chiliad. If you want to fly around in your own personal machine in the state of San Andreas, you'll need to dig out your PS2 instead. A prototype created by the US military, GTA San Andreas' jetpack costs $60,000,000 (worth every cent) and is available for only the best of players. Or you can just cheat to get it anytime, it's your call. Once strapped in, you can fire certain one-handed weapons – Pistol, TEC 9, Micro Uzi, and Sawnoff Shotgun – before thrusting away to another part of town. The only downside is it makes you a big hovering target, but fix the problem by cheating yourself some invincibility – we won't tell anyone.
Titanfall
One of the biggest releases of 2014, the groundbreaking epic that is Titanfall – set in the deepest reaches of explored space – puts the jetpack at the centre of its gameplay, utilising a small but powerful version to allow players to double jump, scale structures and jump walls. In fact, you can clear whole maps without ever touching the ground. The jetpack is taken away when you're inside a Titan, however; you wouldn't want to give one of those things a headache.
Halo: Reach
Developed by Bungie in 2010, the legendary Xbox first-person shooter is set in the year 2552, where, of course, jetpacks exist (Frankly, if proper jetpacks aren't around in 500 years, then humanity might as well not bother). The game grossed $200m on its launch day, setting a record for the franchise, with Master Chief's jetpack – which helps him obliterate enemies while hovering hawk-like above them – receiving lavish praise. Fun fact: the game was launched in London with an actual Spartan jetpacking into Trafalgar Square. If Bungie wants to help Destiny succeed, we reckon it's only right to launch a limited edition bundle complete with operation jetpack so we can all join in the fun.
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Set in the Cold War-era Soviet Union, 2004's MGS 3 sees special forces operative Naked Snake do battle with many troublesome characters, including a rather grumpy chap called The Fury: a pyromaniac and former Soviet cosmonaut who wears a flame-resistant space suit in conjunction with a powerful flamethrower and a jetpack, powered by liquid rocket fuel. Spoiler alert: Snake defeats him, which is clearly not realistic because how can you defeat someone wearing a jetpack? You can't.
LittleBigPlanet
Aside from jetpacks, other things that instantly put a game up a notch include Scuba gear and grappling hooks. LittleBigPlanet features all three. Originally the jetpacks had tethers, allowing you to explore your own created scenes only up to a point, but a tetherless option is now available. The jetpacks have no real purpose, they're just for Sackboy to use how he wishes. In 'The Canyons' level of Story Mode, he even learns to use explosives via the Jetpack – the ultimate combo.
Super Mario Sunshine
Mario headed to the GameCube in 2002 to the tropical Isle Delfino, where he is promptly ordered to clean up the mess caused by lookalike baddie, Shadow Mario as some form of Mushroom Kingdom community service. He does this using a device called a FLUDD (Flash Liquidizer Ultra Dousing Device), effectively a jetpack powered by water. The Hover nozzle provides a gentle floating pressure washer, the Rocket nozzle shoots Mario high into the air and the Turbo nozzle moves him at high speeds. Never has washing up been more fun.
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