One of the greatest platformers of all time - PERIOD.
Here's the lowdown:
Story:
You play as the titular hero Ristar, son of the galaxy's Legendary Hero. When Ristar's father is captured by the evil Greedy, Ristar sets off to different planets across his galaxy to free them from Greedy's influence.
Gameplay:
In a slight change from the platforming norm - Ristar's arms - instead of his feet - are the emphasis for how he interacts with both his enemies and the environment around him. With a press of a button, Ristar will throw out his arms , grabbing an object or enemy and slam himself into it. The bosses are amazing - requiring strategy and timing in order to be bested. You are able to take four hits before you die - which sounds like a lot, but in the later levels and on the later bosses, you'll be wishing you had more!
Graphics:
For it's time, Ristar had AMAZING graphics - especially for a Mega-Drive game. Each world has its own theme (as is generally the norm for platformers) such as forest, fire, ice, music etc. and the graphics really help to make each world seem different from the last, with differentiating effects such as firebombs and musical notes.
Sound:
This game is filled with catchy tunes and memorable sound effects. Again, each world has a tune that is perfectly suited to it. Such as the calming and gentle music of the Ice World - to the harsh and strong music of the Lava planet.
Value:
Though this game may be beaten in a day - it is worth the experience, no self-respecting platformer fan can be without this their collection. Immense fun is to be had here!
Overall score: 9.0