When I was a child, I thought as a child, seeing every oak tree as a cedar of Lebanon, every unpleasant mutt as the embodiment of Cujo, and every walk in the woods as an important scientific expedition. No pleasure was too small to get my creative juices going and gaming was my way of keeping these compulsive fantasies in check. Problem was, the games had a hard time keeping up with my overactive imagination. Ignorant to the concepts of theme and continuity, I could not understand why forests and spaceships, swordplay and submachine guns, monsters and robots and soldiers and pirates should not all exist in the same fictional universe. Not content with the occasional departure in background, my ideal game would have to have been absurd in its surroundings. Not enough for the action to be exciting, the scenes within this imaginary cart would have needed to be just ludicrous (and have explosions). As time goes on, reality beats the mind into shape, and pipe dreams are dismissed as just that. There is no way, I thought, that such a game will be developed.
I was wrong. Konami, ever full of good ideas, made of of their first outings on the Genesis by welding together dozens of platformer bits and shooter segments in eccentric style. Rocket Knight Adventures is wonderfully close to what I had in mind.
The hero of this journey Sparkster by name is not a ninja nor a shirtless GI, but an affable, bipedal opossum. Fitted with knobby blue armor and a thick gladius, with his cute face and floppy ears poking through an aviators helmet, Sparkster strikes just the right balance of deftness and Disney. Vividly animated, he swings his tail about, reflects his mood with his face, and leads with his right foot as he confidently paces ahead. It is the jetpack on his back, however, that sets him apart from so many Marios and Sonics. As leader of the Rocket Knights in the Arthurian kingdom of Zebulos, Sparkster finds himself on the forefront of battle when the maniacal hog emperor Devligus Devotindos, with goals unclear, attacks using an army of pig soldiers and war mechs. Added to the fray is Axle Gear, Sparksters doppelganger and sworn enemy, who acts as right-hand man to Devligus to advance his own selfish agenda.
Sparkster can handle it though. With his long marsupial tail, he can grip any rafter or branch. At the swipe of his blade, he can rapidly sling twirling projectiles. Upon charging his jetpack, he can launch himself as a projectile, or use that same energy to become a consuming buzz saw. Though only two action buttons are used, a wealth of options is at hand.
To counter, dim-witted pig creatures are ready to assault the hero at every interval. There are more pork monsters in this cart than in Richard Simmons portfolio of before pictures. Pigs recklessly make chase in dune buggies, or liberally toss explosives from a mine cart, or disguise themselves as a birthday present, hoping to pull off a surprise attack, or do whatever it takes to put a dent in Sparkster. Far from monotonous, these grunts often make comical ornaments for machines they probably shouldnt be in charge of. Witness the deadly Crab Rangoon, an ugly tentacled robot who fills out the bottom of the screen as he rises from the depths of stage 3s grimy waters. By ramming him at the right angle, one can produce an extra spinning effect and short-wire the beast before his lobster claws get many chances to bite. The pig-faced Flame-thrower, fought in midair while the hero clings to the underside of an airship, makes it risky for one to attempt a rocket attack. Solution: time your shots just right, and peg him with the falling scraps of other oncoming bots! When Sparkster takes to the skies (in horizontal shooter format), the Gradius boss makes an amusing cameo as a walking mech who coats the screen in lasers before flailing his long arms around like a pinwheel, allowing Sparkster little room for error. Such unique sub-bosses infest the game several often reside in one stage. The reward for besting these brutes is a flashy chain of fire, bubbling, sputtering, or washing over the screen while scrap metal and flaming oil trails unfold in a twisting mess of wreckage. The explosions, they dance.
Though RKA gives enemy encounters precedence over platforming action, that doesnt mean its all hogs and robots. From the burning castle of Zebulos to the gorgeous nebulas of outer space, the game spares no opportunity to impress the player with eventful backgrounds, graphical trickeries, and unforgettable scenes of chaos. Theres the crystalline cave where the reflective lava lends an unwilling hand, by mirroring Sparksters path when ones view is cluttered by quartz formations in the foreground. Theres the game of bomb volleyball one plays with the emperors top officer, before chasing him around and throughout his flying battleship. Theres the rising floor of the imperial pig fortress, that forces one to rocket this way and that, with no time to think, to avoid being crushed in a maze of hallways and shafts. Every short episode has its own rules, and they are so variously thrown together that one must adapt to each part anew.
The driving theme of madness and mayhem is only intensified when recurring nemesis Axle Gear shows up to make trouble, never without, er, proper equipment. The first confrontation has Sparkster dashing through tortuous corridors with his life hinging on the speed of his jetpack, as Axle follows close behind, piloting a pig mech twice higher than the screen. The playing field is leveled in grand fashion when the hero comes upon another such mech sitting unmanned! The two set themselves at an intimidating stance, and the players hopes are fulfilled when the word FIGHT! stylishly appears on-screen, to the ding of a referees bell. A strategic exchange of blows then sends one side to the mechanical grave in a blaze of defeat. A rational opossum might have given up at that point, but in the distant reaches of outer space, Axle reappears (now in shooter mode) with a jet engine piece resting on his shoulder. Just as one might be wondering, Whats he gonna do with that thing?, the screen is bathed in pure white fire, as Axles grin tells of his demented glee. Folks, it just doesnt get any better than that.
Until the very next screen, that is.
Thats when the trump card, the haymaker, the highlight in a game full of highlights shows up. Borrowed from fellow would-be classic Bucky OHare, a now-improved warship nips at Sparksters heels pouring streams of bullets his way. With an electric shriek, the boss vanishes, only to change position before emerging with a new attack. Piece by piece, area by area, one must slash away at the given targets until the nose of the ship breaks off, and then absolute craziness unfolds. The ships final scrap transforms into a fidgety humanoid that dances around the screen, jogging in place while bullet hell is unleashed. When the murderous beast lunges forward, one must maneuver a tight space to avoid being ripped apart by his spiked shoulder pads. It is the stuff of sweaty palms and deep concentration.
Amid all the action, small touches here and there work to endear us to the world of RKA. Incompetent pig soldiers run into humorous dilemmas like forgetting to let go of a missile before it leaves the ground. Cartoons provide a transition from one level to the next, and, with faces and gestures, engage us in a way most games do not try. End-of-level snapshots motivate players to catch Sparkster in a goofy, slick, or difficult pose. Rarely has so subtle an element been so effective.
While not on the same plane of quality as the rest of the game, the music bounces right along with a suitable if not wacky feel. Among circus tunes, techno beats, and gallant melodies, theres a few songs that stand out and do justice to Konamis reputation. Proud and heroic fanfare introduces a large still shot of Sparkster before the start of each stage. By turns bubbly and energetic, the outer space composition compliments its surroundings particularly well. The final battle takes the ordinary boss theme, adds a driving bass line, and doubles the speed and in doing so doubles the excitement.
With a bombardment of short, hectic events and a fabulous control hook in its rocket maneuvers, Rocket Knight Adventures carves a unique niche among side-scrollers. Though Sparkster might have taken a cue from Sonic, his charisma, technique, and chivalry could not put any more distance between him and the ill-mannered hedgehog. This cart has intensity that other mascot platformers can not match, and it belongs in the collection of all fans of the genre.
****/****
I was wrong. Konami, ever full of good ideas, made of of their first outings on the Genesis by welding together dozens of platformer bits and shooter segments in eccentric style. Rocket Knight Adventures is wonderfully close to what I had in mind.
The hero of this journey Sparkster by name is not a ninja nor a shirtless GI, but an affable, bipedal opossum. Fitted with knobby blue armor and a thick gladius, with his cute face and floppy ears poking through an aviators helmet, Sparkster strikes just the right balance of deftness and Disney. Vividly animated, he swings his tail about, reflects his mood with his face, and leads with his right foot as he confidently paces ahead. It is the jetpack on his back, however, that sets him apart from so many Marios and Sonics. As leader of the Rocket Knights in the Arthurian kingdom of Zebulos, Sparkster finds himself on the forefront of battle when the maniacal hog emperor Devligus Devotindos, with goals unclear, attacks using an army of pig soldiers and war mechs. Added to the fray is Axle Gear, Sparksters doppelganger and sworn enemy, who acts as right-hand man to Devligus to advance his own selfish agenda.
Sparkster can handle it though. With his long marsupial tail, he can grip any rafter or branch. At the swipe of his blade, he can rapidly sling twirling projectiles. Upon charging his jetpack, he can launch himself as a projectile, or use that same energy to become a consuming buzz saw. Though only two action buttons are used, a wealth of options is at hand.
To counter, dim-witted pig creatures are ready to assault the hero at every interval. There are more pork monsters in this cart than in Richard Simmons portfolio of before pictures. Pigs recklessly make chase in dune buggies, or liberally toss explosives from a mine cart, or disguise themselves as a birthday present, hoping to pull off a surprise attack, or do whatever it takes to put a dent in Sparkster. Far from monotonous, these grunts often make comical ornaments for machines they probably shouldnt be in charge of. Witness the deadly Crab Rangoon, an ugly tentacled robot who fills out the bottom of the screen as he rises from the depths of stage 3s grimy waters. By ramming him at the right angle, one can produce an extra spinning effect and short-wire the beast before his lobster claws get many chances to bite. The pig-faced Flame-thrower, fought in midair while the hero clings to the underside of an airship, makes it risky for one to attempt a rocket attack. Solution: time your shots just right, and peg him with the falling scraps of other oncoming bots! When Sparkster takes to the skies (in horizontal shooter format), the Gradius boss makes an amusing cameo as a walking mech who coats the screen in lasers before flailing his long arms around like a pinwheel, allowing Sparkster little room for error. Such unique sub-bosses infest the game several often reside in one stage. The reward for besting these brutes is a flashy chain of fire, bubbling, sputtering, or washing over the screen while scrap metal and flaming oil trails unfold in a twisting mess of wreckage. The explosions, they dance.
Though RKA gives enemy encounters precedence over platforming action, that doesnt mean its all hogs and robots. From the burning castle of Zebulos to the gorgeous nebulas of outer space, the game spares no opportunity to impress the player with eventful backgrounds, graphical trickeries, and unforgettable scenes of chaos. Theres the crystalline cave where the reflective lava lends an unwilling hand, by mirroring Sparksters path when ones view is cluttered by quartz formations in the foreground. Theres the game of bomb volleyball one plays with the emperors top officer, before chasing him around and throughout his flying battleship. Theres the rising floor of the imperial pig fortress, that forces one to rocket this way and that, with no time to think, to avoid being crushed in a maze of hallways and shafts. Every short episode has its own rules, and they are so variously thrown together that one must adapt to each part anew.
The driving theme of madness and mayhem is only intensified when recurring nemesis Axle Gear shows up to make trouble, never without, er, proper equipment. The first confrontation has Sparkster dashing through tortuous corridors with his life hinging on the speed of his jetpack, as Axle follows close behind, piloting a pig mech twice higher than the screen. The playing field is leveled in grand fashion when the hero comes upon another such mech sitting unmanned! The two set themselves at an intimidating stance, and the players hopes are fulfilled when the word FIGHT! stylishly appears on-screen, to the ding of a referees bell. A strategic exchange of blows then sends one side to the mechanical grave in a blaze of defeat. A rational opossum might have given up at that point, but in the distant reaches of outer space, Axle reappears (now in shooter mode) with a jet engine piece resting on his shoulder. Just as one might be wondering, Whats he gonna do with that thing?, the screen is bathed in pure white fire, as Axles grin tells of his demented glee. Folks, it just doesnt get any better than that.
Until the very next screen, that is.
Thats when the trump card, the haymaker, the highlight in a game full of highlights shows up. Borrowed from fellow would-be classic Bucky OHare, a now-improved warship nips at Sparksters heels pouring streams of bullets his way. With an electric shriek, the boss vanishes, only to change position before emerging with a new attack. Piece by piece, area by area, one must slash away at the given targets until the nose of the ship breaks off, and then absolute craziness unfolds. The ships final scrap transforms into a fidgety humanoid that dances around the screen, jogging in place while bullet hell is unleashed. When the murderous beast lunges forward, one must maneuver a tight space to avoid being ripped apart by his spiked shoulder pads. It is the stuff of sweaty palms and deep concentration.
Amid all the action, small touches here and there work to endear us to the world of RKA. Incompetent pig soldiers run into humorous dilemmas like forgetting to let go of a missile before it leaves the ground. Cartoons provide a transition from one level to the next, and, with faces and gestures, engage us in a way most games do not try. End-of-level snapshots motivate players to catch Sparkster in a goofy, slick, or difficult pose. Rarely has so subtle an element been so effective.
While not on the same plane of quality as the rest of the game, the music bounces right along with a suitable if not wacky feel. Among circus tunes, techno beats, and gallant melodies, theres a few songs that stand out and do justice to Konamis reputation. Proud and heroic fanfare introduces a large still shot of Sparkster before the start of each stage. By turns bubbly and energetic, the outer space composition compliments its surroundings particularly well. The final battle takes the ordinary boss theme, adds a driving bass line, and doubles the speed and in doing so doubles the excitement.
With a bombardment of short, hectic events and a fabulous control hook in its rocket maneuvers, Rocket Knight Adventures carves a unique niche among side-scrollers. Though Sparkster might have taken a cue from Sonic, his charisma, technique, and chivalry could not put any more distance between him and the ill-mannered hedgehog. This cart has intensity that other mascot platformers can not match, and it belongs in the collection of all fans of the genre.
****/****
