Jetpack Joyride has been another smash hit for Fruit Ninja developer, Halfbrick, thanks in part to the universal app's switch to a free-to-play model a couple months back. But its success is more notably due to its addictive nature and engaging structure, which keeps you interested with missions and new gear to unlock to improve and change up the experience.

And the fun isn't likely to stop anytime soon, thanks to the recently announced 1.3 version update, which will be released in April. I had a chance to play the update at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco this week, and its one big feature addition is a very meaningful one that can significantly affect the feel of the game.

With version 1.3, Jetpack Joyride adds 15 gadgets, two of which can be equipped prior to every long-distance run in the game. Each gadget adds a unique new ability to cartoonish hero Barry Steakfries' arsenal to help you stay alive longer or extend your total distance -- like Air Barrys, a pair of fresh sneakers that pop you halfway up the screen with a single touch while running on the ground. There's also the Freeze-o-Matic, which turns you into an ice cube that slides along the floor upon death (adding meters to your distance), or the similar InstaBall, which puts you into a bouncy ball upon death.

Gadgets are purchased using the same coins that typically unlock new jetpacks and costumes, and are available in five tiers of three gadgets each. You'll need to purchase at least two of the three gadgets in a tier to open the next set, so there's incentive there to try a bit of everything. And in addition to particular gadgets being targeted at certain missions, some also work together well. For example, the Air Barrys make you zip upwards much faster, while a gravity-based gadget pulls you down to the ground more quickly when you're not touching the screen. As such, the pair essentially gives you much more responsive controls for evading hazards and surviving for a potentially greater span of time.

While current high score owners may bemoan the addition of tools that potentially make the game easier in some respects, the gadgets offer a new twist on the old formula while challenging players to discover the best possible combinations. Gadgets are the lone new feature in the 1.3 update, but Halfbrick says more updates will follow in time. If your Jetpack Joyride obsession has taken a backseat to other apps recently, this update may well reignite the passion. And if you're still unfamiliar with the game… what are you waiting for? It's free, universal, and fantastic fun -- and about to get even more interesting.