Elon M with a Jetpack (ZX Spectrum)
by Rafa Vico

Elon M. with a Jetpack is a new version of the classic ZX Spectrum game which wowed everyone back in 1983, Ultimate Play The Game's Jetpac. It was developed using AGDx.

The idea in this game is the same as the original. Your spaceman, Elon M is stuck on a planet. To escape he must collect and connect together the three sections of his rocket and then fuel it with half a dozen crates of rocket fuel whilst avoiding or blasting the aliens on the planet. Once fully refuelled the spaceman can take off and fly to the next planet where he must blast a new type of alien and refuel to take off again. Alien artifacts and treasures can also be found on each planet.

 

Once the game has loaded you are given Keyboard, Kempston and Sinclair joystick options to choose from. Keyboard controls are fly (Q), left (O), right (P) and fire (Space). On starting the game players of the original will be familiar with the look of it but also notice it's little differences too. The platform graphics look more appealing and the background is no longer just pitch black. It has mountains and clouds which add a sense of depth to proceedings.

 

The three rocket parts are there sitting on the platforms and are dropped in place exactly the same way, but on refuelling, rather than your rocket filling with magenta as you drop fuel loads into it there's a status bar at the top right of the screen which shows how many fuel loads have been added and how many remain. Enemy aliens look and act almost the same as their original counterparts, they even appear in the same levels, meteorites, bouncing fuzzies, wobbling bubbles, guided missiles, etc. Similar looking alien artifacts can be collected as in the original too.

 

Elon's laser is not quite as satisfying and attractive as the originals Defender like laser streams but it has an additional overheating mechanic which adds a strategic element to all the blasting. A coloured laser indicator icon in the top left shows the lasers heat status. When players complete the first level they're in for quite a nice surprise because each level in this version has different looking platforms in a different layout. So a new strategy to navigate around the platforms is required for every level. Also the area where your rocket is located is not always the same. The graphics do their job and the similarities and differences from the original make them interesting. Audio wise there's no music, just a bunch of spot effects for when you collect things or blast enemies, but they're effective enough.

 

Unfortunately the game has a few mildly annoying quirks. Sometimes fuel drops directly into the rocket which I'm sure never happened in the original. Sometimes fuel drops through platforms and there are no pauses between fuel drops so that little bit of suspense, where you have to fight off hordes of aliens whilst waiting, is lost. Laser fire sometimes freezes matrix-style in mid air, like the game code can only cope with a limited number of bullets. Part of me thinks this might be why the laser overheating mechanic was introduced, the other part of me thinks Mr. Anderson is up to his old tricks once again. Also odd graphic fragments get left behind in various areas of the screen. More Matrix shenanigans? But these quirks don't spoil the fun in this enjoyable half nostalgic trip down memory lane.

I enjoyed the varying looks and layouts of the platforms on each level and the enhanced background details. Also the laser overheating mechanic and the fact that the aliens in the game look and act like those in the original but not exactly the same was quite refreshing. However, the laser fire is not as astounding as the original and the mildly annoying bugs are mostly annoying because with a bit more time and care you know they could have been ironed out.

This is a fine version of the original 1983 game. All of the extra features work very well and add to the game. I would have recommended it more highly if it weren't for those meddling kids,..... I mean, mildly annoying kids,..... I mean bugs. But it's still worth a play.