"Possibly the coolest retro-platformer."

Ristar stands to show just how much talent and skill is infused into the very foundation of Sega.Around the time Sonic was in development,this game came down the pike,wowing the gamers with revolutionary gameplay and unique elements that were,until then,unheard of.This is one of the best platformers ever made.But enough about its history.Let's inspect this little gem,shall we?

Story:10/10

Ristar's story is very interesting and imaginitive.In an unidentified planetary system,an evil overlord by the name of Kaiser has kidnapped the local hero and,controlling the minds of the inhabitants of various planets,has unleashed evil upon the worlds.
You are Ristar,the son of the superhero,and a star (the space type).Using your long reach as a weapon,you must fight foes through interesting worlds and fight a rather formidable boss to progress.
The reason I rate this so high is that even now,this is very unique.I have yet to see even a similar game plot.

Gameplay:10/10

Although the game is relatively short,it makes up for it with bonus stages that can spell passwords to unlock new features to the game,and very interesting worlds rendered to the farthest extent of the Genesis's capabilities.
Bosses start out easy and get harder and harder as you go along with a perfect learning curve.The game is long enough to be fun,but short enough to finish in little time,which may not be a very good thing,but still leaves plenty of time to enjoy.Unique enemies and puzzles make this a very flexible game indeed.
A winner in my book.

Graphics:10/10

For retro,this can't be beat.The backgrounds are finely detailed,character models are relatively smooth and the framerate is great for a 16-bit system.
Aside from that,there isn't much to say,other than...wow.

Sound:10/10

This deserves a 50.All of the music is very upbeat and easy to listen to,and the synthesized sounds are used at exactly the right time.The sounds never get boring,and the secret Sound menu mode is sure to turn up a few laughs.

Replay value:10/10

This game has never gotten boring for me.I enjoy trying to beat my high score for bonus stages completed,or how fast I can progress through a level with he least damage taken.
In many stages,there are also several different routes to the end,some with a few surprises.

Overall Score:10/10

In short,this game ROCKS.If you enjoy retro gaming,then this is an absolute must-have title for your collection.
If you don't,you might still find yourself getting hooked.
If you have a Genesis,buy this game now.It's sure to provide many hours of fun.
Yuji Naka has never done better.

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