Solar Jetman: Hunt for the Golden Warpship

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Critic Reviews 68% add missing review

Mean Machines (94 out of 100)

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!

Dec 1990 · NES · read review

Computer and Video Games (CVG) (94 out of 100)

Solar Jetman is simply one of the best NES cartridges I've had the pleasure to play this year. The Thrust-type gameplay coupled with some great power-ups make this a really playable little game, but then what would you expect from Rare (creators of the original Speccy Jetman games)? On some planets, keeping control your craft is the hardest task - it really is a challenge just to survive! With fabby graphics and super sound, Solar Jetman is a really cosmic cartridge that must be bought - pronto.

Mar 1991 · NES · read review

Total!! UK Magazine (92 out of 100)

Each level takes ages to explore, let alone complete, but those nice chaps at Rare have provided a password option - you only need finish that first level once! Solar Jetman is brilliant. The mission is so vast you could be at it for weeks, but then it's so incredibly playable you won't mind doing just that!

Jan 1992 · NES

VideoGame ( )

Solar Jetman é o último sobrevivente de um ataque de piratas espaciais, e deve reconstruir sua nave, explorando 12 planetas desconhecidos e enfrentando muitos perigos.

May 1991 · NES · read review

Nintendo Magasinet (Sweden) (4 out of 5)

Solar Jetman är påkostat och mångfacetterat, men innan man samlat på sig en grundutrustning av specialföremål och tränat en del är det avgjort knepigt att navigera omkring i den lilla tyngdkraftsstyrda jetskytteln utan att dundra in i saker hela tiden. Lösenordssystemet är bra eftersom man slipper ta sig genom alla rutinnivåerna varje gång man vill ge sig i kast med dem man inte klarat ännu. Solar Jetman ger god valuta för pengarna i form av speltid och omväxling.

Sep 1991 · NES

Ultimate Nintendo: Guide to the NES Library ( )

The planetary surfaces are craggy, yet colorful, and the alien armies are creatively designed and well drawn. The music is tastefully understated while sound effects are varied and unusual. All said, it’s a top-notch game that requires dexterity and patience.

2016 · NES

All Game Guide ( )

The planetary surfaces are craggy, yet colorful, the alien armies are creative and well-drawn, and the character you control looks great in his space suit. The music is tastefully understated, and the sound effects are varied and unusual. This is one of the most unique games available for the NES. Amid an endless array of conventional shooters, Solar Jetman stands out from the crowd.

2007 · NES · read review

Tilt (15 out of 20)

Les graphismes ne sont pas géniaux, mais les commandes répondent parfaitement bien et c'est l'essentiel. Un programme très prenant qui exige de la concentration et beaucoup de précision.

Apr 1991 · NES · read review

Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (30 out of 40)

This is a totally unique game boasting a lot of neat features. Besides a completely original theme (a rare find on the NES) Jetman has a ton of items to find and huge alien caverns to get lost in. A nice break from the plague of unimaginative carts invading the store shelves.

Jan 1991 · NES

Player One (65 out of 100)

Solar Jetman part d'une excellente idée. Niveau jouabilité, par contre, c'est pas vraiment ça ! Le jeu est sympa, mais il faut être vraiment méticuleux pour réussir. C'est le genre de soft pas assez speed pour les fans de shoot'em up et trop primaire pour les dingues de Tetris !

Mar 1991 · NES · read review

Power Play (48 out of 100)

Der olle Jetman hätte für sein Comeback ein einfallsreicheres Spielprinzip verdient als eine solche etwas abgestandene Thrust/Gravitar/Oids-Mischung. Immerhin ist die Actionvariante mit der tückischen Schubsteuerung auf dem Nintendo noch Neuland und damit eine Herausforderung für alle, die einen ungewöhnlichen Geschicklichkeitstest suchen. Den Extras zum Trotz ist das Spiel auf Dauer etwas einfallslos. Ein bißchen farbenfroher hätte die Grafik ausfallen dürfen. Solar Jetman hat einen gewissen Unterhaltungswert, aber gigantische Motivationsschübe sollte man sich auf Dauer nicht erwarten.

Mar 1991 · NES

Video Games (41 out of 100)

Dieses ungewöhnliche Actionspiel verlangt weniger brillante Reflexe als vielmehr eine doppelte Portion Fingerspitzengefühl. Die Steuermanöver sind so vertrackt, daß man mächtig vorsichtig Gas geben sollte, um nicht dauernd schwungvoll an Gestein zu rumpeln. Hat man sich an die Steuerung gewöhnt, bietet Solar Jetman trotz schlichter Grafik eine schöne Ladung Unterhaltung. Die einzelnen Levels sind aber zu umfangreich und verzwickt: Auf höheren Stufen sind Spielzeiten von einer halben Stunde und mehr pro Planet keine Seltenheit. Der Spaß wird breitgewalzt, die Abwechslung hält sich arg in Grenzen.

Mar 1991 · NES · read review

Questicle.net (D+)

Kudos and congratulations to Rare for simulating pseudo-realistic physics on an eight-bit system. Jeers for making Solar Jetman‘s potentially satisfying gameplay rely so heavily on them.

Jun 2013 · NES · read review

The Video Game Critic (D-)

Some gamers will relish the challenge, but even the first level pushed my patience to the limit. Solar Jetman has a unique visual flair, but its fun factor is crushed under the weight of its outrageous difficulty.

Jun 18th, 2010 · NES · read review

Player Reviews

Lunar Lander's revenge comes with equipable ships!
by Shoddyan (14527)

The Good
Take the simple game of Moonlander (also known as Lunar Lander) as the base. You know, where you have a falling spaceship and have to use fuel and inertia to land it safely at a landing. Take that base and add elements to it: instead of landing, you explore different planets with different gravity... and instead of doing it again and again, you're on a quest to recover various items. To get these items will require a tractor beam, and every time you use this tractor beam... you'll be pulling extra weight, changing your ship's thrust and inertia. The more you collect, the more money you can spend on improvements and power-ups that will help you out. And if, heaven forbid, the little lunar lander-esque probe happens to crash... Solar Jetman is able to eject and run towards his mothership, and come back using a spare probe. Now, that's not all there is to Solar Jetman, but that's the best part. There is a "comedic" storyline, however rest assured, all the real fun is in the gameplay and the gameplay alone (I list the storyline below under my negative impressions). It's challenging, it's fun and it comes with just enough new items to deliver and landscapes to make you feel like you're doing something productive.

Also the game is pretty, well at least it is during the landings and takeoff from the planets. We're talking some of the nicest graphics ever seen on an 8-bit NES. And since you get to watch them at the beginning and ending of each level, it almost seems like a reward to watch the NES display alien planets. Sadly the graphics in between aren't that great, however they're on par with other NES titles (many 8-bit games don't have background graphics. I suspect I've been spoiled by newer titles)

The Bad
What's not to like? well, a lot actually. First and most obvious, if you don't like dealing with inertia, this game's not for you. If you're hoping for something else in the gameplay, prepare to be disappointed. Even with all of it's extra stuff, the heart of this game is still Lunar Lander.

And if that isn't boring enough, the game itself has no music to speak of. There is a soundtrack technically I suppose, but the music is a series of background noise which doesn't really work all that well... I suppose they might be trying to go for the emptiness of space, but players will do better by having something else outside the NES to listen to. This game won't ever be celebrated by videogame music lovers.

The game is also very hard in some parts. The inertia and thrust balance is a bit hard to deal with until you discover the Thrusters power-up, and even then... there's some planets where the gravity is so strong (I believe level 2 or level 3 has the highest gravity in the game) that it's very easy to over-compensate. All of this is done with a NES controller, which is adequate to the task, but isn't always responsive when you need it to be.

As mentioned before, ignore the storyline and you'll be doing yourself a huge favor. Just use your imagination and make up your own. Or just pretend it's an extension of the events of Crystal Caves... just ANYTHING besides "The Federation of Space Loonies". You'll be doing yourself a favor.

The Bottom Line
This game is simple in the same ways that Lunar Lander is, the tiny spaceship-probe can thrust, turn and fire your peashooter to avoid enemies and obstacles... approach some interesting item and try to tow it back to your mothership. Repeat the sequence to discover interesting items, interesting upgrades and eventually all the pieces of the Golden Warpship, which when assembled is when the game turns into a shooter.

Frankly the game is all about the gameplay and for that alone, it's one of my favorite NES titles. And I enjoy it for the same reason that I've enjoyed other "remakes with fun new stuff" style games such as Starscape (Asteroids remake) or... well that's the only one I can think of as I'm writing this review, but I'm sure there are more.

Aug 16th, 2003 · NES

ASTEROIDS with more to it. Not a BAD game!!!
by Weston Sharpensteen (29)

The Good
The music is pretty good for the NES. It sounds so silent and has a good feel if you are playing in the dark.

Like MOST games made by RARE, it shows off the system's graphics quite well. It is bright and cartoonish but still manages to have that space feel. I like it.

The Bad
The controls are awkward to handle. It feels kinda like ASTEROIDS but your ship (or spaceman) will fly all over the place and if you touch a wall you loose health!!!! Speaking of which......

 The game's difficulty is absurd. But since this game is made by the brains behind BATTLETOADS, it should come to no real surprise.

 What you have to do in the game is collect items and bring them back to the space station for upgrades. But you can only do this with the spaceship. I wish you could do it with the spaceman because he has better controls. To get the spaceman you must have no life left in your life bar. It's really tedious, but it's LOADS better then game-play in that horrid BUBSY 3D (shudders....). <br><br>**The Bottom Line**<br>      No, I don't HATE this game. Asteroids fans will eat it up, but I just find it OK. Horrid? No. Best spaceship game on NES? Not quite.

 I'll still stick to Life Force....

Jul 2nd, 2011 · NES

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Contributors to this Entry

Critic reviews added by RhYnoECfnW, Hello X), SlyDante, chirinea, lights out party, Alsy, Alaka, Terok Nor, Big John WV.