The awesome opossum returns.
Rocket Knight a sequel to Genesis game Rocket Knight Adventures. Its presentation has been brought the next generation, but its gameplay still feels as old-school as ever. Rocket Knight is split into two styles of play: on foot and flying. The on foot levels have you running around jumping from platform to platform while defeating wolves and pigs with your trusty sword. Your jetpack will be utilized to propel you to heights that a simple jump can't do, or have you hurling pointy sword first into your enemies. You can also perform a boost assist that will give you a couple of seconds of hovering to nail that perfect landing. Every time you use your jetpack, your fuel meter begins to deplete, but it will restore itself after a period of time.
Somehow, the fuel meter doesn't hold the same significance when you're flying, as it won't be consumed when you're in the air. However, if you want to charge your normal shot (which is considerably weak), it will be used up and replenish itself over time. These flying segments won't be as thrilling as actual space shooter segments, and will wear themselves thin after a while, having you bet to return to terra firma. Both on foot and flying segments will have you collecting gems, but they have no beneficial purpose other than points.
Rocket Knight has a handful of boss fights, but they're over rather quickly, and they aren't very interesting. They're not all that challenging. In fact, there doesn't appear to be much of a challenge throughout the game itself, and you'll only really have an issue with enemies cheapshotting you. Some of the later level design begins to enter its stride, as a few platforming sequences are indeed a bit tricky, but just as you begin to really enjoy the game... it ends. Rocket Knight can be beaten in roughly two hours, and with a lack of much difficulty, its value begins to take a nose dive, especially with the asking price of 1200 MS points.
The game's greatest asset is in its visuals. The game looks excellent, with environments and enemies rendered well. A great pallet of colors and animations helps the game give off a cartoon feel. The special effects are decent, with nice fire trails from your jetpack and plums of smoke from explosions. There's also nice things happening in both the background and the foreground that help the action come alive.
Audibly, the game's about as decent as the graphics. Sound effects are kept simple, sounding a lot like an old school game should. Your jetpack sounds pretty much like you'd expect a jetpack to sound. Other sound effects from enemies being dispatched to crumblings of walls are all standard fair. The music unfortunately is where the game disappoints the most. The soundtrack is just boring and unexciting, and there's barely a bit of urgency in it. There's also no voice acting to be had, but considering the nature of the game, there isn't a need.
If you remember Rocket Knight Adventures on the Sega Genesis and you absolutely loved it, you may want to check out this game. It's fun for as long as it lasts, but if you're browsing through the marketplace looking for an old-school style game to play, there are far better options. For its asking price, Rocket Knight delivers very little content and hardly any challenge until the very end of the game. Unless you're a competitive gamer looking to stay among the top players, you won't even be compelled to give the game a second playthrough.