NOTE: This is a review of the Genesis version of the game, which is a completely different game from the SNES version, which I will review next.
Going from playing Rocket Knight Adventures to this feels like a complete downgrade. The game looks like a Java mobile port of the original and plays so stiffly compared to the smooth Donkey-kong country-like RKA.
The boost attack, which was the main selling point of the original, feels really weak and inconsistent. In the original, most enemies would die to it in one hit. Here you just bounce off most enemies, which makes you not want to use it. Even when you try to use it for platforming, it is quite horrible as sometimes you will bounce off surfaces and other times you won't. Having your main mechanic be inconsistent like this is not good.
Levels are just bad. No proper design, just go from left to right while shit is thrown at you. The last couple of levels were abysmal and soured my taste even further. Cool setpieces the original were known for are drastically reduced. The robot boxing match setpiece played worse than the original and every other setpiece included is not fun at all.
I don't know how the visuals were messed up this badly. RKA was one of the BEST looking games on the Genesis. Here it looks like a megadrive launch title. It's seriously off putting if you're playing this right after RKA.
If you liked the original RKA and wanted a sequel, please skip the Genesis version of Sparkster and go play the SNES version that actually feels like a sequel.
Going from playing Rocket Knight Adventures to this feels like a complete downgrade. The game looks like a Java mobile port of the original and plays so stiffly compared to the smooth Donkey-kong country-like RKA.
The boost attack, which was the main selling point of the original, feels really weak and inconsistent. In the original, most enemies would die to it in one hit. Here you just bounce off most enemies, which makes you not want to use it. Even when you try to use it for platforming, it is quite horrible as sometimes you will bounce off surfaces and other times you won't. Having your main mechanic be inconsistent like this is not good.
Levels are just bad. No proper design, just go from left to right while shit is thrown at you. The last couple of levels were abysmal and soured my taste even further. Cool setpieces the original were known for are drastically reduced. The robot boxing match setpiece played worse than the original and every other setpiece included is not fun at all.
I don't know how the visuals were messed up this badly. RKA was one of the BEST looking games on the Genesis. Here it looks like a megadrive launch title. It's seriously off putting if you're playing this right after RKA.
If you liked the original RKA and wanted a sequel, please skip the Genesis version of Sparkster and go play the SNES version that actually feels like a sequel.