Halfbrick, the developer behind Fruit Ninja, is finally releasing a sequel to the 2011 mobile hit Jetpack Joyride after a couple of years in development hell and pandemic-related delays. While fans will expect similar gameplay to the original, the devs have been boasting various new features and improvements that will build on the basic, satisfying gameplay of the original Jetpack Joyride. Protagonist Barry Steakfries returns to those laboratory hallways with new enemies to face and new weapons to defeat them, using the basic tap- or hold-gameplay to propel Barry’s volatile jetpack up and down. However, a couple of big changes are coming that are sure to spice up the somewhat repetitive gameplay. 

First of these: Barry has a life bar, allowing him to take a few more hits than the original allowed, so we can probably expect some more frenetic courses in the future. Additionally, Barry now has a gun that is constantly out and firing, giving players more aggressive options than previous; a result of this change brings Guardbots, foot soldiers that will fly on screen in a line and target Barry, requiring you to dispatch the Guardbots or dodge them long enough for them to leave. Yet, arguably the largest change comes in the format – where Jetpack Joyride was an endless runner, Jetpack Joyride 2 has multiple levels, bosses, and an ending. Reaching a certain score will trigger boss fights where Barry must dodge the attacks and shoot at telegraphed weak spots, letting you actually progress. To aid in this sense of progression, Barry now has access to “Factory Mode,” allowing Barry to build his own lab and make improvements to the jetpack, his health/resistances, and badass weapons that will help Barry beat bigger and beefier bosses. 

Halfbrick first announced a Jetpack Joyride sequel back in 2021, even a few countries (Canada, Australia, New Zealand) receiving a soft launch of the game in February, and a full release slated for September. However, shortly after the announcement, Jetpack Joyride 2 went dark and unmentioned for about a year, when Halfbrick once again announced the sequel. But yet again, the game was incredibly quiet for most of the year, before the recent announcement that the sequel would be an Apple Arcade exclusive. On this, an interview with lead game designer Francisco Gonzalez sheds some light on the delay:

And we soft-launched the game in three or four countries… but when we started the conversations with Apple Arcade we felt the better platform to develop this game was the Apple Arcade platform.

From this, it’s clear to see that the developer’s conversation with Apple halted the game’s progress until the deal could be finalized. Now, after an almost three-year development process, Jetpack Joyride 2 will be available on the $4.99/month Apple Arcade service beginning August 19th.