Ristar

"The best 16-bit game I have ever played."

This game packs a wallop. One of the last major Sega Genesis titles released, this one was an instant classic and, in my opinion, overshadowed Sonic, Mario, Sparkster, Bubsy.. any of the 16-bit platformers. Ristar is one of the best and yet still failed to gain as much attention as it deserved. Read on to see why it's so great..

Graphics - 10/10
Simply put, the graphics are the best the system could handle. Not only was everything nicely colored, but everything was detailed, clearly defined, and well animated. Not to mention that this game had some of the oddest looking creatures seen in any title. Definitely a plus in my book.

Music/Sound - 10/10
The music is VERY catchy. All of the level tunes fit the environments quite well, and the boss music is appropriately fast-paced. As far as the sound goes, it's decent. Nothing especially notable, but everything sounds like it should (grab a wall and pound against it, and you make a pounding sound).

Control - 9/10
The control takes a little while to get used to, but eventually becomes second nature. Instead of simply jumping from platform to platform and bouncing on the heads of enemies, you have to grab everything in order to reach it (or destroy it). Once this becomes clear, everything's nice and easy.

Gameplay - 10/10
What can I say? The gameplay has been refined to the point of perfection. Not only does the whole concept of grabbing things add a new level to the gameplay, but, all of the levels are intricately designed in one way or another, forcing you to think. There are some particularly nasty puzzles, as well, and in addition to that are the bosses. All of them require different tricks for their defeat, along with the 'grab them and bash them' stratagem. Simply put, this game will not bore you.

Depth - 8/10
This game, while not exactly Romance of the Three Kingdoms Part Deux, does have more then a few ways to keep you entertained. To start, beating the game itself. But, there are also many bonus levels to beat -- these can be quite hard, but are all fairly fun to play -- and after gaining all of the treasures, you can also receive passwords which will open up new modes of play -- boss rush mode, beat the timer mode, et al. Kind of like Sonic CD.

Predicted Enjoyment - 10/10
Unless you absolutely hate platformers, you will love this game. Plus, Ristar's so gosh-darned cute, how can you not love him?

Total
-
Graphics - 10/10
Music/Sound - 10/10
Control - 9/10
Gameplay - 10/10
Depth - 8/10
P.E. - 10/10

Overall - 57/60 = 0.95 = 10

Ristar receives a 10 (rounded up from a 9, of course) as it is actually fun to play, and isn't bad on the eyes and ears. Kind of like NiGHTs.. another Sega title. Hmm, do I sense a trend here?

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/30/02, Updated 03/30/02