Aero the Acro-Bat is a colorful but frustrating platformer. You play as a cute circus bat with some tricky, dive-bomb inspired moves. The levels are creative, the music is super catchy, and it has an old-school charm...but it's brutally difficult. Hit detection is wonky, levels are filled with instant-death traps, and it just gets unfair at times. Unless you're a masochistic retro game fan, this one might be better left in the past.
this game has the funny circus song
Aero is Bubsy's cousin.
Aero the Acro-bat is a three ring circus of bullshit with all the show-stopping trademarks of a failed mascot platformer: slippery momentum, uneven enemy hitboxes, a character that outruns the camera at full speed and runs into enemies you never saw coming, and an endless supply of one-hit-kill traps hidden off-screen. You will launch yourself out of a cannon and into a spike trap you had no way of knowing about dozens of times. You will have no idea how many hits some enemies take, or if they're even taking damage at all. And you will restart the multiple autoscroller sections again and again and again.
There are a few high points in the game, though. For one, the music is fantastic throughout. Nearly every level has a completely unique track, and they all have great energy and arrangement. Secondly, the game puts extra lives absolutely everywhere, almost as if they knew the general gameplay was unfair. Lastly, the final boss fight is genuinely exciting, with timed platforming and multiple phases that are checkpointed fairly. It does last a bit too long, but it's a high point to end an otherwise extremely middling experience.
Aero wants to be the next big mascot, but he's just another victim of the 90s "rad" era, with his sunglasses and moonwalking not being nearly enough to distract from a game that's just not all that fun to play. When it's not being outright unfair, it's just downright "okay." This star of the big top is a big flop.
There are a few high points in the game, though. For one, the music is fantastic throughout. Nearly every level has a completely unique track, and they all have great energy and arrangement. Secondly, the game puts extra lives absolutely everywhere, almost as if they knew the general gameplay was unfair. Lastly, the final boss fight is genuinely exciting, with timed platforming and multiple phases that are checkpointed fairly. It does last a bit too long, but it's a high point to end an otherwise extremely middling experience.
Aero wants to be the next big mascot, but he's just another victim of the 90s "rad" era, with his sunglasses and moonwalking not being nearly enough to distract from a game that's just not all that fun to play. When it's not being outright unfair, it's just downright "okay." This star of the big top is a big flop.
It’s always fun when you know entire game definitely after someone thought of the title.
...well at least unlike Bubsy, Aero isn't an annoying little shit.
Otherwise, yeah no this is ass. Cheap enemy placement, cheap one hit death traps, meh music, and slippery controls that don't feel good. The momentum especially is terrible and just doesn't fit the level design.
Honestly this, mostly from the graphics, gives me vibes of a british game that would've been released on the Amiga or something.
Otherwise, yeah no this is ass. Cheap enemy placement, cheap one hit death traps, meh music, and slippery controls that don't feel good. The momentum especially is terrible and just doesn't fit the level design.
Honestly this, mostly from the graphics, gives me vibes of a british game that would've been released on the Amiga or something.
I hate this character. Right from the opening Sunsoft logo and the stupid little bat's moonwalk across it I let loose a pained sigh, yet another lame animal themed console crapfest trying to appeal to the common denominator . And then the music hits, it's too loud, too bloody annoying and oh so repetitive. Circus themed platformers are never going to scream "play me" I'm sorry and this game made me want to commit violent acts against small woodland creatures, Sonic it ain't.
In terms of mascot platformers in the wake of Sonic the Hedgehog, this one has a little more staying power than most. There's at least a concept here with the circus theming and Aero's verbset having personality even if neither is great. The music is pretty great, especially the level 1 theme.
I love mascot platformers, I really do, but Aero the Acro-Bat is not a good one, even when it has all the right elements.
Aero is a circus bat, who's only attack is a divekick basically downwards or upwards. This means, that you need to dispatch enemies with this attack and also use it for platforming.
The problem here, at least for me, is that the level design is not the best, and sometimes really confusing (looking at you pillars).
Also, the movement is really floaty, Aero is very hard to properly control, but the animations and the overall look of the game is pretty decent.
There are also objectives for levels, so the game is at least tries to be fresh.
There is also a sequal and a spin-off so I will definetly checking out those too.
Aero is a circus bat, who's only attack is a divekick basically downwards or upwards. This means, that you need to dispatch enemies with this attack and also use it for platforming.
The problem here, at least for me, is that the level design is not the best, and sometimes really confusing (looking at you pillars).
Also, the movement is really floaty, Aero is very hard to properly control, but the animations and the overall look of the game is pretty decent.
There are also objectives for levels, so the game is at least tries to be fresh.
There is also a sequal and a spin-off so I will definetly checking out those too.