Solar Jetman review - Nintendo Entertainment System

After spending several years in retirement, Jetman has decided to face the universe again, this time with another get-rich quick scheme with which to make his fortune. Jetman joins up with the Federation of Space Loonies and uses up his last remaining credits on a new fleet of space garbage collectors. With these worthy star vessels he can visit any planet he desires, collect all the rubbish and make a fat pile of cash out of it.

But when Jetman arrives at his first destination, among the rubbish he finds a piece of the once great Golden Warpship. With dollar-signs in his eyes, Jetman realises he could make a huge amount of wonga if he could find the other pieces of this ship and then sell it. The only problem is that there's only one piece of the ship on each of the planets in this solar system, so in order to succeed, Jetman needs to undertake a long and danger-fraught journey.

On all of the planets not only are stacks of enemy gun emplacements and alien craft out to get our hero, but Jetman has to battle against the laws of gravity itself in order to be victorious!

What the Mean Machines staff thought

Wow! The old Spectrum Jetman classics were good, but for sheer playability, fun and excitement, Solar Jetman really stomps on them! The prospect of Gravitar-style gameplay with plenty of bolt-on weaponry makes for a totally fantastic game! The gravity alters for each world, and on some of the levels simply keeping control of your ships is the greatest challenge. With a depth of gameplay second to none and amazing graphics and sound, Solar Jetman ranks as the greatest NES cartridge released this year!

Jetpac and Jetman were amongst the first computer games I ever played, and it's great to see that great space loony, Jetman, back in action. The action is very similar to the old coin-op Gravitar, and also like the brilliant computer game Thrust, but there's much more to it. The gameplay is very tough, and it takes quite a while to get used to the gravity - especially when you've got a great hunk of space garbage in tow - and the actual planets themselves are absolutely huge. It certainly helps to draw a map as you fly around so you don't get completely lost. The graphics are great, with lots of neat little effects, and the sound is similarly excellent. Put all those factors together and you've got a simply brilliant Nintendo title which is an essential part of your collection.

Buy Solar Jetman from Genki

Have your say about Solar Jetman

Tsar - 20 Mar 2008, 05:14 GMT

Such an isolate and involved game i have not played before or since. Stunning atmosphere of vulnerability in a solitary world.

Yet another game by Ultimate/Rare that i have yet to complete, but would like to before i die.

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Publisher: Tradewest