Rocket Knight Adventures

"Possible the most fun game I've ever played"

Intro:
I originally began playing Genesis around 1992, when I was about 5 or 6 years old. I always played Sonic the Hedgehog, those were my favorite and still are. Some time later, my friend bought Rocket Knight Adventures. I watched play it, but really enjoyed it. When I bought it, I was surprised to see that it was similar to Sonic. I thoroughly enjoyed the game, and now, 8 years later, about 10 minutes ago, I completed the game and had the same satisfaction as I did when I was 6.

Story (50/100):
Oh please...Another captured princess...why do all stories have to have a wimpy feminine character who puts up no defense and submits herself to the evil of the ''bad guy''?! I'm tired of these stupid plots. Luckily, as this does not affect the gameplay, it does not affect my overall score. The main story is about Sparkster an Opossum with a rocket pack who (being the heroic ''knight'' type (hence ''rocket knight adventures)) saves the kingdom. I lost the instructions booklet, so sorry about the lack of names...

Graphics (100/100):
When I first turned on the Genesis, I was in awe at how poor the graphics were. But of course I was just playing GameCube. Back then, these measly graphics were the best, and when I compared them to my other Genesis games, I realized that these graphics are amazing. They have beautiful and vibrant colors, pasted on top of a nice background that has sort of a ''painted'' look to it. When you are playing, there is never a time when you look at the screen and say ''what is that''. The graphics are clear and colorful.

Enemies (90/100)
Ehhh...they went a bit over the top with the pigs here. Every enemy is a pig (almost), many of the machines are pig like and even the skyscrapers are pigs faces! But for the most part, the enemies are just simply obstructions and are not a real challenge, yet fun to kill.

Bosses (100+/100)
Yay! The bosses are so much fun! There are about three per level. They usually have a very systematic way of attack, which really makes life easier. They are all very fun to fight, and what they do really surprises you. Some have 1 phase of attacks and some have up to 5 phases.

Difficulty (100/100)
This game is hard! Don't be fooled by the ''children'' setting. Even on this setting you will get stuck on level five or six. And unless you want to die immediately, don't try the ''hard'' mode because no matter how good you are, its imposible. After you beat the game once, DEFINITLY beat the game on Easy (get ready for a surprise at the level's end...). I'll leave it at that.

Music (100/100)
Impressive and fun. Well orchestrated and most of them fit with the level. The boss music really gets your heart beating. The rest is just happy music or ominous. Some interesting Techno as well.

Gameplay (100/100)
The levels are always fun the first round, and what is cool is that each level is broken into 3-5+ separate parts. So its not the same continuous level. The levels are planned out in a very lateral design, but its still fun because there are plenty of tricks and difficult areas.

Levels (100/100)
There are only 7 levels, but they are massive and extremely fun too. I cannot say how many times I played each level. Eventually you figure out how each level works, and never mess up.

Funishness (100/100)
You will have a lot of fun playing this game, its fast-paced and wild and will be a fun ride all the way through.

Sound (90/100)
A bit annoying and off at times, (like the jet pack continually charging at the last boss battle). Some sound you get used to and some just stay all the time in your head.

Replay Value (95/100) Up to 20 times MAX!
When I was six I sure played this game continually, but now because of the other 3-D games, this game may not seem as fun. You will definitly not beat it on your first try.

Overall (100/100)
Its fun its great and its great...um and good. Anyway, I had extreme fun playing it even after 8 years.

Buy or...buy?
Go to a store in a mall that trades games, they might have a copy. Or check out Ebay or other bidding sites.

Other:
~If you don't have a Genesis, they are only $20
~Get ''Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventure 2 for Genesis or SNES, they are completely different.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/04/02, Updated 07/04/02