Welcome to JetpackHQ
Hi, I’m Adam Pedersen. I created the PC game Jetpack when I was 19, way back in 1993. A new version of Jetpack has been a long time coming, but I’m determined to get it done in 2008. JetpackHQ.com will eventually become a Jetpack portal, for sharing mission packs and add-ons. For now, it will just host this blog chronicling the development of the new Jetpack.
Why a blog?
- I thought it would be cool to interactively chronicle the creation of a video game. I plan to post alpha & beta versions of the new Jetpack as they are created - not downloads, but embedded in the blog. That’s right, the new Jetpack is going to be created in Flash. No groaning - Flash has gotten a lot better since Adobe took over. And there will be a standalone exe version too.
- This seems like a fun way to communicate with Jetpack fans, hear your ideas, and get the game well tested before release. Also the encouragement of Jetpack fans will keep me motivated and on task.
- Like the first Jetpack, this is being done on a shoestring budget. Hopefully the blog will encourage donations of art, sounds, & music!
Back in 1993 I ran a BBS (look it up kids), and I remember not thinking much of it when someone mentioned some new “world wide web” thing that was supposed to be a big deal. That’s where I’m coming from: old school. Not punchcards old school, but at least 5 1/4 floppy disks old school. I got into programming in the late 80’s, back when games were fun, and new gameplay ideas were being tried by everyone, not just the freelancers. That’s my focus: fun gameplay. That means realistic physics, a highly interactive world, and lots of room to be creative.
About Jetpack
If you’re new to Jetpack, it is a classic platform style game inspired by Lode Runner, Jumpman, Pitfall, Bruce Lee, and various other games from my misspent youth on the Commodore 64. The original Jetpack ran on an 8086 5mhz. It has been downloaded over a million times since my site www.adeptsoftware.com went online in 1997.
Jetpack 2 was supposed to be released back in 1995. Then 1999. Then 2000. Things came up - more on that later. It’s 2008, and it’s time to get busy. Check this blog every few days for the latest project updates!
Adam Pedersen
February 12th, 2008 at 6:06 pm
yay! finally, jetpack 2. i just happened to check up on adeptsoftware for the first time in a month at least and look what i find! this is gonna be great! is the final jetpack 2 going to be for download or will it be flash, too?
February 12th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
…also i dont know if this is on topic really and i dont rememebr if you made god of thunder…but if you did, will there ever be a GOT 2?!
February 13th, 2008 at 10:51 am
Yes it will be downloadable also. I’m not sure what I want to call it yet though. Jetpack 2 seems odd coming 15 years later. Maybe just reuse the name Jetpack?
I just did level design on GOT, and I’m pretty sure there will never be a GOT2.
February 13th, 2008 at 6:51 pm
sweet deal! they had the old jetpack on some of the computers in my high school and i remember having the codes for it and racking up mad-high scores all day every day. you’ll have to hook me up with codes for the new hotness!
February 15th, 2008 at 10:16 pm
Wow, a sequel/remake/whatever to my favorite DOS game of all time! I can’t wait! I’ll be sure to tell all my friends about this.
February 16th, 2008 at 4:16 am
I’ve waited this for a long time and now it is going to happen ! Jetpack is a great game with a great idea and now there will be a new version. You can be sure that i’m going to play that! Btw have you any idea when iti is going to be released ?
February 17th, 2008 at 2:55 am
holy, s#!t, i’ve been waiting since 2000, i just s#!t a brick.
THANK YOU
February 20th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Heh. Today (was) my birthday, too. Thanks for the present, and can’t wait to see the finished product.
March 6th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
This timing is like Starcraft 2 with the delays and the project finally being completed many years after the original game
March 14th, 2008 at 11:48 pm
That’s nice!
I loved the first game.
I made a donation about 1 year ago and i remember reading about a hypothetical sequel and finally it will come up !
(sorry for my english, it’s not my native language).
April 8th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Awesome news, it’s about time! Jetpack was a part of my child-hood. I hope Jetpack 2 can be a part of my adult-hood.
April 8th, 2008 at 8:09 am
Awesome news Adam!
My brother Ben was always a huge fan of the original jetpack (as was I) and he made scores of fantastic levels and played the somewhat compact game all the time.
He now works writing code for OPERA in Norway (although recently returning to Sydney, but still working for the company from here).
I used to laugh at my brother’s obsession and would often play jokes on him. One involved seeing lava on a level which he had never seen.. it got him so excited. And it became a long-running joke between us.
If you could involve lava in the new jetpack (hopefully in the dripping form) .. you would make 2 brothers in Sydney incredibly happy.
we all have dreams…
abraham
April 15th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
Adam! FINALLY! I’ve been a fan of the original Jetpack as long as I can remember. I used to have a demo on a floppy disk that had directions how to purchase the full version. Anyways, from time to time I’ve googled Jetpack 2 and checked out adeptsoftware.com to see if there were any updates. THIS IS GREAT NEWS! I can’t wait to see how the game turns out! Good luck and I look forward to watching the progress!
-Ryan
April 16th, 2008 at 8:33 am
Hey, nice to see that finally something is going to happen! Good luck!
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:27 pm
Jeez, I was so young when I played this game…I’m only 17 now and I still hold the game in high regard right alongside some of my other favourite DOS games like Jet Set Willy and Heartlight. The level editor was awesome, me and my brother had so much fun making crazy levels for each other and trying to beat them.
Thanks Adam!
May 11th, 2008 at 2:28 pm
WOW this is such exciting news. I was born in 1991 and spent just about all of my childhood playing this game (along with Llamatron and Dangerous Dave). Ever since my tiny five-year old fingers could stretch between the Alt and Ctrl keys, I’ve been playing Jetpack. I made hundreds of levels, some of them fiendishly difficult and ridiculously intricate. Thanks - your game represents my childhood.
P.S. I have never been able to, and still can’t, do “It’s All Greek To Me” (I can’t get to the fuel). It seems impossible but I suppose I must be missing something…
May 13th, 2008 at 9:11 pm
That’s awesome Abi - I don’t remember how to do that but it might be in the hintbook: http://www.adeptsoftware.com/jetpack/jet_hintbook.pdf
May 22nd, 2008 at 12:16 am
I’m pretty much the same as Abi. I was one when this game came out and I had “The Encyclopedia of Games: 1000 Games” and it had the demo and i played it a million million times. The level i remember the most was when me and my bro could never figure out the mission impossible one. (I was 5 or 6) and when a lucky fuel spawned it was awesome. I remember making levels on it and losing them because I couldn’t save them in the demo. (I made a really sweet Indiana Jones level). I love the Christmas Edition and especially the Garden one with the pink boxes and the marbles rolling around on the bottom. I remember beating the chambers one for the first time and it was so hard! Yeah, I also remember when I was stupid, and I didn’t know how to place the door in the editor, and when i figured it out finally i was ecstatic. I even remember what I had for dinner that night. This game owns any other DOS game in the world. The only one that came remotely close was Lemmings, but Jetpack still won the gold. Rock on dude!!!
May 29th, 2008 at 10:18 am
WOOOOW…. Thankyou for the great news… I loved this game … used to play it all of my childhood
Do you have any idea when it will be out? can’t wait
June 1st, 2008 at 8:38 pm
Hey, just to let everyone know, if you have XP, sound won’t work with jetpack and at adeptsoftware.com they say to use VDMSound, but I haven’t gotten that to work. Another program, DOSBox, works really well and you can run jetpack in a window with it, so you can do other stuff too. If you have Vista, you HAVE to use DOSBox in order for it to work at all.
June 3rd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
I was just thinking…. one million downloads…. just imagine if you had charged one dollar per download, or even 1 cent!
June 4th, 2008 at 9:48 am
Then I would have gotten maybe one thousand downloads, and a lot less jetpack fans!
June 4th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Abi. If you see this then here goes.
To beat “Its all Greek to me”, all you do is jump on the edge of the brick with the spear, you dont have to touch the middle and the spear won’t kill you. There is also a way to phase through the bricks underneath but that is harder.
June 6th, 2008 at 12:12 am
Hey Adam, I have a question. I was recently reading the hintbook and for # 18 (Take a Good Look) I noticed it was mentioned, the “sequel level: Who Turned Out The Light” and that it can be found on other BBSs. I know BBSs no longer exist, but is there somewhere we can find these levels? I downloaded all the ones off adeptsoftware.com and It’s not there. I also noticed that in the prologue it says “You may even find a few extra levels that wouldn’t fit into this version, made by Adam Pedersen and the original Jetpack Level Team.” Do these levels even exist? If so, are they available to get?
June 9th, 2008 at 10:03 am
Dan:
Wow I tried the latest DOSBox (kinda old), and am really impressed with the front end “D-Fend Reloaded” (despite the name). Jetpack runs great under that and there are lots of configurable emulation options. The only problem I had was the sound is about half a second behind.
As for the other levels, sorry I have no idea what that was talking about now!
June 9th, 2008 at 10:12 am
Ahh fixed the sound issue - under Sound, set the block size to 256 or 512
June 12th, 2008 at 12:48 pm
Hey just to let you know, I have a bunch of techno/dance/trance music that I created in FL Studio 6, and I’m willing to donate that if thats what you’re looking for. I’ve noticed that style of music is in a lot of flash games but I don’t know what you are thinking of, so whatever. If you want it just email me at dkalnz@hotmail.com.