One of the best platformers on the Genesis.
The thing that makes this game great is the very same thing that so many others lack -- variety. This isn't just your common-or-garden platformer where you fight the same old enemies over and over again and defeat boring, uninspired bosses. Everything in this game has a feeling of uniqueness, from the levels themselves to the enemies and even -- dare I say, especially -- the bosses. As the decidedly adorable hero Sparkster makes his way through each of the uniquely-designed levels, fighting various porcine adversaries, there's never once a feeling of boredom. With the exception of some of the very early enemies who simply run straight into you, almost every enemy in the game has its own way of attacking, some more subtle and devious than others. And the bosses... oh god, the bosses.
Remember how Dr. Robotnik always has a new and interesting way to fight his aquamarine foe in the Sonic series? They seem to take that idea even further in Rocket Knight Adventures, giving each boss and mini-boss not only its own attacks and patterns which bear almost no resemblance to any boss you've previously defeated, but the majority of bosses even have several forms, changing attacks and appearance with each part you destroy. But wait, there's more!
The game even changes styles a few times through the seven stages you must battle your way through. While most are basic platformers, some of them become side-scrolling shooters as a sort, as Sparkster jets his way through the skies, defeating all in his path. My absolute favourite part of the game -- which, sadly, I found rather more easy to complete than when I played as a kid -- is, where after fleeing from an evil rocket knight, you jump into a giant mecha-pig and battle with flailing arms and spiked fists. It's the little things like that which really keep the game interesting, and along with the ever-changing bosses and mini-bosses, you're never quite sure what to expect next.
There even seems to be somewhat of a story to the game, though truth be told, I wasn't really paying a great deal of attention. Normally an avid hater of boss battles, I found myself itching to get on to the next, wanting to find some new tactic to defeat my ever-present foes. All I know is that our furry hero seems to be pursuing an evil rocket knight (also a possum), along with various pigs, including some kind of emperor pig who later turns out to be a robot.
A variety of unique and interesting levels, twitch-reflex puzzles, cleverly-designed bosses, a hero who is nothing short of adorable, and a face-off with one of the most bizarre end bosses I've ever seen. What more could you ask for in a platformer? My only gripes are that the game is a bit too short (an experienced player can beat easy mode in an hour or two), and some of the bosses can be a little too annoying. Despite these very minor flaws, I'd recommend this game to anyone with even a passing interest in platform games, as it's definately one of the Genesis' best titles.