Comments on: Vaporware

By: Tara

Tara — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 01:44:34 +0000

I just wanted to say the I met Mark on cybersoulmate in Februrary of 2004, we married in September of that year and now we have a beautiful little girl all thanks to your website. We have one of the best relationships of anyone I know. We truly are made for each other. So your years of work on that website wasn’t a total waste. Thanks!

By: Dan

Dan — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:16:08 +0000

Yeah, I like the idea of a layered block. For example, you could place a simple gold block, then you could apply a moving walkway, ice, sludge, or make it fake, (walk through-able). Also, the backgrounds like the railing, the blackness, and the vines should be in a separate section so that you can apply them over any object. You also need some angled vine blocks. Then you can make cool hanging vines. Spiky vines that kill you too!! I don’t think vehicles or health should be implemented. Lava and water. I think there should be a background timing system so you don’t always have to place balls that are sealed off and roll to switch the switches That wastes space. You should be able to choose how big the level is and then the player can choose how much to show on the screen at once (zoom). That is just my opinion. Even if jetpack 2 is a flop (which it shouldn’t be), then I can at least create more and more and more infinitely fun levels for the original Jetpack.

By: Benjamin

Benjamin — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 12:16:35 +0000

I loved the original jetpack as a kid. I would like to add my two cents:

* Variable sized levels would be a big plus, so one could make a single screened game, or a very wide one that the screen follows horizontally (or a tall one).
* A tile should have several layers, so one can change the background of the tile independently of the item in the square, and the floor of a tile should be separate to its block, so one for instance could place ice on a gold block.
* I like the previously mentioned ideas of more colours for switches and teleporters.
* Would be cool to have moving target emeralds (eg, one dragged on a chain behind a ball).
* Lots of useless objects and decorations, so levels can be created, then styled.

*PLEASE* keep elements of the original game, that made the gameplay unique:
- Emeralds be the main focus, other “missions” should be secondary, or also involve emeralds somehow. In fact in my opinion missions are not necessary, since one can already create missions by clever use of switches and emerald placement, etc.
- Player should still only jump one square high.
- Please call it Jetpack 2, not many other games can boast 15 years between productions, you should be proud of the legacy of jetpack.
- Leaving the gems ‘gone’ after you die should be optional, otherwise there could possibly be times where it would be tactical to kill one’s self.

Last but not least, please DON’T introduce a Mrs Jetpack.

All the best of luck, I’m watching this space and spreading the word.

By: Protected

Protected — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 17:53:32 +0000

“Why are there no companies that just want to make cool, original games and treat people fairly?”

There are some. But usually they can’t pay you so much, because treating people fairly is more expensive than treating them like shit. Maybe you should look at smaller companies instead?

Here’s a good (not so small) company: http://www.doublefine.com/ . Tim Schaffer and some of the old LucasArts crew (and LucasArts was the most kickass game development company before year 2000). Try their game Psychonauts, if you didn’t yet.

By: Adam

Adam — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 21:34:11 +0000

I might consider something like that after this version is done. I think it could be cool on a mobile phone, but I don’t really know anything about the market.

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:41:35 +0000

that seems kind of rediculous, don’t you think? i don’t really think that would be possible anyway. and i think it would go against adam’s standards.

By: shaurz

shaurz — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:37:55 +0000

Hi there, old fan of Jetpack - just found your site. Have you thought about bringing Jetpack 2 to Xbox Live Arcade, Wii Online or on mobile phones?

By: Schrödinger's Cat

Schrödinger's Cat — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:25:08 +0000

I think a workaround is obvious: Make health optional. If a map maker wants instant death, there should be an instant death option. Same if they want some sort of health system. I think you should implement togglable options for just about every “maybe idea”.

By: Adam

Adam — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 12:10:29 +0000

Thanks,
well the reason I thought health might be good, is I think it adds more depth to the gameplay, where you can be shot/burned/swarmed by bees/fall too far/etc and still have a chance to get away and get healed. Is there a downside? There would still be a lot of creatures that kill you outright, like the ball.

Yeah vehicles doesn’t really seem like it fits, it was just a random idea. I was thinking along the lines of the minecar in Bagman.

By: Zandor 12

Zandor 12 — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:02:50 +0000

I second what Aeris said, the health and vehicles are probably the weakest and most out-of-place of the ‘maybe’ ideas. Some more colors for the switches, doors, and teleporters would help out puzzle-y levels though, and moving platforms would be another useful terrain piece to go along with the trampolines and water. I also like the multiple useable items (the Jetpack guy carrying different items with him seems like a better fit with the gameplay and has more possibilities for expanding the gameplay), and the jetpack being useable as a weapon sounds pretty interesting. I played the heck out of the first Jetpack, making what had to have been hundreds of levels, so I look forward to the new Jetpack and wish you good luck.