In the game, Jetman has to first assemble his rocket (which comes in kit form), and then fill it with fuel before taking off to the next planet (where the procedure is broadly repeated). Along the way Jetman has to fend off the attention of intelligent (and not-so-intelligent) aliens, while making off with their valuable resources. It was followed by a sequel, Lunar Jetman, and later a further sequel, Solar Jetman.
Not to be confused with the unrelated (apart from them both containing jet packs) game Jetpack.
Jetpac provides examples of:
- Blob Monster: There are many varieties of aliens, but they tend to look like weird blobs. It is deadly to touch one.
- Death from Above: Some planets are suffering from extremely heavy meteor showers instead of having hostile aliens.
- Dismantled MacGuffin: On the first level and every fourth level afterwards, the rocket is in three parts. The experienced player can reassemble it in a few seconds.
- Endless Game: Your ship will always land on another planet, where you must collect fuel (and occasionally, build a new ship) again. (All planets look identical, except for the different aliens.)
- Flight: It seems that all the aliens can fly.
- Jet Pack: Jetman wears one.
- One-Hit-Point Wonder: Any collision with an alien will kill you.
- One-Word Title: The game contains a Jet Pack that is used by the protagonist.
- Ray Gun: It kills aliens. You might as well hold down the gun button, because it will never run out of ammo, and it won't harm your rocket.
- Scoring Points: The goal of the game.
- Video Game Remake: Has been remade with modern technology by various fangroups, as well as by the original developers themselves for Xbox Live Arcade. The XBLA version also features an 'original' game mode faithfully replicating the Spectrum version.
