Quick take: Rocket Rider is our tribute to Jetpack Joyride, the 2011 side-scroller from Halfbrick, the Australian studio behind Fruit Ninja.
Rocket Rider is our tribute to Jetpack Joyride, the 2011 side-scroller from Halfbrick, the Australian studio behind Fruit Ninja. Its hero, the gloriously named Barry Steakfries, storms a secret laboratory strapped to a machine-gun-powered jetpack that fires as it flies. Hold to rise, release to drop, and skim through the lab collecting coins while dodging zappers, missiles and sweeping lasers.
Endless, funny and packed with gadgets, it became one of the defining free-to-play runners of its era.
Jetpack Joyride Fast Facts
| Original title | Jetpack Joyride |
|---|---|
| Debuted | 2011, on iOS |
| Created by | Halfbrick Studios (Australia) |
| Hero | Barry Steakfries and his jetpack |
| Genre | Endless side-scrolling runner |
| Hazards | Zappers, missiles and laser beams |
| Our tribute | Rocket Rider |
Why Jetpack Joyride Mattered
- Released in 2011 by Halfbrick, the studio that had already struck gold with Fruit Ninja.
- Casts you as Barry Steakfries, riding a machine-gun jetpack that lifts you the instant you hold the screen and lets you fall when you release.
- The laboratory throws up a relentless obstacle course of electric zappers, guided missiles and sweeping laser gates.
- Coins line the run and unlockable vehicles - from a stomping mech to a gravity suit - shake up the flying on the fly.
- Its generous unlocks and daily missions helped set the template for the modern free-to-play endless runner.
- Charming, chaotic and endlessly replayable, it became one of the best-loved runners on mobile.
Jetpack Joyride Timeline
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2011 | Jetpack Joyride launches on iOS from Halfbrick Studios. |
| 2012 | It reaches Android and other platforms as its audience explodes. |
| 2013 | Frequent events, vehicles and missions keep the lab full of new tricks. |
| 2017 | The game passes major download milestones across its platforms. |
| 2022 | A long-awaited sequel carries Barry Steakfries to a new generation. |
Why Jetpack Joyride Still Matters
Jetpack Joyride made holding one button feel like piloting a rocket, and that joy never wore off. Rocket Rider keeps Barry's hold-to-fly flight and its lab of zappers and lasers, and adds a daily seeded run every player shares plus a global leaderboard - so there is always one more coin just past the next beam.
