Ristar

"The best under rated game of all time."

This is my first ever submitted review, and for good reason. Ristar is truly a virtually flawless game that deserves much more attention than it has. So let's get down to this, shall we?

Story:
I don't think rating a story on platforming games is very fair, because usually they're very simple, and should not take away from the score of a game. The story here is that the evil tyrant, Greedy, is corrupting the planet leaders, and having his minions take over all the planets. A desperate cry for help is made by the leader of Planet Flora, before he is taken over as well.

The legendary hero has also been captured, so the distress call goes to his own son, Ristar. So Ristar heads off to Planet Flora where the distress call was made. And there you have it, simple story. Now on to the real meat of the game.

Graphics: 10/10
Wow. For a game of it's time, it sure is a wonder to behold. Here we have very colorful levels, with multiple background layers, all very well flown together in each world. Ristar is a very original and well modeled character as well, who has a personality all his own. He's well animated and has some cool idle animations unique to each level. Some of the best charm I have ever seen.

Sound: 10/10
As anyone who has played this game will know, the music is simply fantastic for a Genesis game. In my opinion, Planet Freon has the best ice level music of any game, and yes, that's beating out even Sonic 3's Ice Cap Zone. It's that good. Every song matches the look and feel of the level perfectly, which is a huge plus.

Sound effects are also nice. Everything sounds well, from Ristar's jumping to the sound made while he swings on a star handle. Nothing wrong here at all.

Controls: 10/10
This game controls just as perfect as it looks and sounds. Ristar must use his arms to defeat enemies, fly off star handles, swing across poles or trees, and climb up walls. It's a pretty original concept that works so well, something about it really keeps me coming back for more. It's all very satisfying to me. Ristar also is probably the best swimmer in gaming history, as he can swim from any angle and he's also quite fast if you use his breast stroke. Very well done.

Gameplay: 10/10
Everything in this game flows great. The satisfying way to defeat enemies, finding hidden bonus star handles, uncovering hidden items by slamming against the wall..I could go on. The boss fights in this game are all very well done also, each just as unique as the last. There's never a dull moment in this game, because each world also has it's own experience. You'll swim across waters, slip and slide on the ice, quite literally, avoid flames coming from underneath you, fetch metronomes for singing birds, get into a snowball fight, and swim in mid air with anti-gravity shoes.

There's more to this game than I have mentioned, but I think you get the idea. Ristar may not move as fast as Sonic or Mario, but he has his own unique feel so it doesn't even matter. This game is perfect gameplay wise as well in my opinion.

So there you have it, my take on this great gem of a game. It's truly sad that this game did not get the recognition it deserves.

Rent or buy?
Well, you can't rent the actual game anymore..and it's probably hard to find to buy. However, in Sonic Mega Collection for Gamecube, or Sonic Mega Collection Plus for the other 2 consoles, this game is an unlockable, which is how I discovered it in the first place, really. I can't believe I didn't notice this game 10 years ago. Anyhow, I recommend you purchase one of the Sonic Mega Collection titles, for this game especially. You won't regret it, unless you absolutely detest platformers.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/18/05