Yup, that's an Xbox Live Arcade game, alright.
Nothing horrible, but nothing that great if you're not nostalgic for or charmed by that Xbox Live Arcade smell.
The presentation, for the most part, does what it sets out to do. The stage design reminds me of the Donkey Kong Country Returns revival duology in the sense that floating platforms in the sky are eschewed in favor of every platform showing why it's placed or moving the way it is. The visuals themselves sometimes felt striking to me, though occasionally I noticed where concessions were made in regards to this game's status as a digital-only title from 2010. The story wasn't anything huge, but for platformers - especially mascot platformers - I don't expect a groundbreaking story.
Everything Sparkster is known for doing - hanging onto poles, the jetpack, the sword, the shooting, the dedicated shooting stages - is still here and accounted for, and he still felt satisfying to play as, even when the levels didn't. The bosses did remain challenging throughout - the final boss reached the point of frustration because of his random movements - but that's about it. My advice to anyone wanting to feel something when playing this game: Play on Hard Mode. Normal is too easy.
I'm happy I got the chance to try a Rocket Knight game out, and I daresay I'm growing to like this series, but this particular entry isn't really anything special.
Nothing horrible, but nothing that great if you're not nostalgic for or charmed by that Xbox Live Arcade smell.
The presentation, for the most part, does what it sets out to do. The stage design reminds me of the Donkey Kong Country Returns revival duology in the sense that floating platforms in the sky are eschewed in favor of every platform showing why it's placed or moving the way it is. The visuals themselves sometimes felt striking to me, though occasionally I noticed where concessions were made in regards to this game's status as a digital-only title from 2010. The story wasn't anything huge, but for platformers - especially mascot platformers - I don't expect a groundbreaking story.
Everything Sparkster is known for doing - hanging onto poles, the jetpack, the sword, the shooting, the dedicated shooting stages - is still here and accounted for, and he still felt satisfying to play as, even when the levels didn't. The bosses did remain challenging throughout - the final boss reached the point of frustration because of his random movements - but that's about it. My advice to anyone wanting to feel something when playing this game: Play on Hard Mode. Normal is too easy.
I'm happy I got the chance to try a Rocket Knight game out, and I daresay I'm growing to like this series, but this particular entry isn't really anything special.