Game Reviewed: Ristar Platform: Sega Genesis Publisher: Sonic Team Releace Date: 1995 Even after all these years, I still can't believe that this game was overlooked by gamers everywhere. Ristar could've been the next Sonic. Seriously. That is how good the game was. Because it was so overlooked, the chances for a sequel are practically nil. Anyway, I will go over the reasons why I think Ristar is such a great game, and why everyone should play it if given the chance. Story As with most platformer games, the "story" is just there to give you an excuse to jump around and kill enemies. In Ristar, it's pretty straightforward. Ristar's nameless father was a great hero of the universe. He had saved the universe countless times, blah blah blah. Anyway, one day a mysterious space pirate named Greedy appears. Greedy captures this legendary hero and overthrows the leaders of several planets, replacing them with his flunkies. Only the hero's son Ristar can save the day and rescue his father. Well, at least there isn't a princess this time. Score: 2/10 Gameplay Here is the meat and bones of the game. As platformers go, Ristar has a fairly interesting gimmick. He has elastic arms that he can use to grab onto just about anything and either hang on to it, or deliver a nasty headbutt to. It sounds a bit silly, but it works well. Ristar can hang off of giant flying pieces of fluff, swing around bars, grab in eight different directions or headbutt a wall repeatedly, making hidden items fall. He also has one other move which is worthy of note. Scattered around the stages are special star shaped gymnast bars that Ristar can swing from. If he swings enough times, Ristar becomes a shooting star and can fly through the air pinballing off walls and reaching areas he could not before. This is a good thing, since Ristar himself isn't the most agile of characters. He jumps at a nice height and walks fast enough, but he is no Sonic in terms of speed. Also Ristar only has 4 health points, so you can't be taking alot of hits. Thankfully, there are numerous health items and 1-ups scattered throughout the worlds. Overall the game plays well, and is very fun. It's challenging yet not frustrating. There is one stage that might be frustrating, where you have to kill enemies in a certain order to unlock the exit. Other then that, I can't think of any real flaws in the gameplay. The fun factor is very high in the game, so you may find yourself playing the game often just because its enjoyable. Boss fights are really cool, as each boss has a very neat gimmick. In terms of replayability, there are only a few thing you can do after you beat the game. Of course there are the usual difficulty levels. There are also gateways to special bonus stages hidden in every single area. If you complete a task in the special stage, you get a unique trophy. If you collect enough trophies, you unlock special modes. It isn't essential to beating the game, but it does add a nice set of extras. You also have a limited number of continues. About the only complaint I can think of is that the game is too short. Ristar only has about 7 worlds, broken up into 3 stages and numerous boss fights. Its the kind of game where you wish it was 3 times longer, just because it's so enjoyable. Score: 9.5/10 Graphics For the most part, the Sega Genesis was not known for creating crisp, colorful, vibrant graphics. Compared to the SNES, the Genesis had a much smaller color palate to work with. Only a handful of gaming studios could use the Genesis hardware to its utmost in terms of creating lush, detailed colors in a game. Thankfully, Sonic Team was one of them. And boy, it looks like they did a fantastic job here! The colors are crisp and vibrant, and apart from the various Sonic the Hedgehog games, I've never seen such lush greens and blues in a Genesis game. Each level overflows with creative designs and cute little touches. Ristar himself is cute as a button, even though he looks like a bowling ball wearing a star mask, and has many amusing standing animations of all types. The levels fulfill all the archetypes for planets... (i.e.- forest planet, ice planet, water planet, fire planet, ect.) Probably the most unique of them is the music planet, where literally everything is made of musical instruments. Enemies are quite detailed, and fit the game perfectly. I was also quite impressed with the transition sequence between planets. Ristar uses the star shaped gymnast bar to slingshot himself into space, and he flies to the next planet. The star field effect is quite impressive for a 16 bit system. Overall for a Genesis game, the graphics are some of the best seen on the system, ever. Score: 9.7/10 Music Wow. That's all i can say in regards to the music and sound. The music is cute and very catchy in all of the stages. The sound effects are also appropriate and unique for every action. To this day, I occasionally find myself humming the themes from the game. The game also has a sound test easily accessible, for anyone who likes to listen to the tunes from the game. Score: 10/10 In Conclusion Well I think I've said just about everything about the game. It was incredibly good, but due to almost no advertizing about it, the game went unnoticed by most gamers. I think every platformer fan owes it to themselves to track down this game, either in cartrage or rom format. Honestly, I can't recommend Ristar highly enough. Even though the game is out of print and very hard to find, next gen players may get a chance to play this masterpiece. In Sonic Collection Plus, Ristar is an unlockable hidden game, among several that Sega and Sonic Team have made. It's certainly good news that Ristar will get another chance to shine. Overall: (9.8/10) (not an average)
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