Jetpack Joyride is an action, side-scrolling game starring Barry Steakfries. The game was created by Halfbrick Studios and originally released for the iPhone. It made the leap to Android, Facebook and Windows 8, before finally coming to the PS3 and PSP as a Mini. Unfortunately, due to its original platform, it doesn’t really lend itself as a proper console game.
Barry is a disgruntled employee at a jet pack manufacturer. When he learns that his employers goal is world domination, he quits and proceeds to try to sabotage everything by breaking through the lab using one of the jet pack prototypes. That’s about as much as you’ll get as a story. The game itself consists of playing and replaying a scenario while accumulating points to buy upgrades and replaying that scenario again. The goal is to exit from the lab, but unless you are prepared to spend a considerable amount of time accruing points for upgrades, that’ll be nothing more than a lofty ideal. There’s really nothing wrong with this type of game. I’ve spent hours playing similar games while I had some free time here and there, but I can’t help but wonder who would play this on a PlayStation 3. The graphics are mediocre; there’s nothing truly innovative about the gameplay, and the UI is clearly made for a touchscreen.
I’d be less hesitant to recommend this game for the PSP and Vita. Since those are both handheld platforms, you could say they have a bit more in common with the shallow-storied, gameplay-focused mobile games. However, the PSN Mini version is about four times more expensive than the other mobile platforms with no distinctive difference. Halfbrick Studios claims in a comment in the US PlayStation Blog that players fly farther on average on the PS3 version. Still, with so many full games out, I’d say save your money, and if you really want to get it, get it for your phone. The game itself isn’t bad. The PS3 is just the wrong place for it.