Rocket Knight
Score: 76% ESRB: Everyone 10+ Publisher: Konami Developer: Climax Entertainment Media: Download/1 Players: 1 Genre: Platformer (2D)/ Shooter/ Action
Graphics & Sound: Rocket Knight is a sequel to 1993's Rocket Knight Adventures, which was good enough to earn a sequel on the Genesis as well as a SNES spin-off. The games featured Sparkster, an armor-clad, sword-wielding possum with a jet engine strapped to his back. Though he never reached an iconic level of stardom, the character was still able to gather a cult following among players. Rocket Knight hearkens back to the days when nearly every videogame company had some sort of rodent, marsupial or other furry creature as a mascot. I'm going to miss old style 2D sprites, but I could definitely get used to this whole "2.5D" thing. It's a nice mix of old and new and gives the flat play area a nice visual pop. Artstyle is influenced by 16-bit sensibilities. Characters are bright with overly-exaggerated features and loaded with details. While Rocket Knight doesn't stand toe-to-toe with some of the 360's visual heavy-hitters, it ranks high when it comes to pure artistic merit. Sound is nothing more than a collection of "videogames sounds," though they get the job done. After going back to the original games for research, I was surprised to hear how many of the original sounds are included. Quality is a little better, but hearing the old Konami "pause sound" is really cool.
Gameplay: As the story goes, Sparkster spent the last decade or so quietly farming in a kingdom where pigs and possum have overcome their vast differences and learned to live in peace (just go with me on this one). When an army of wolves attack, Sparkster drops his pitchfork and overalls for a sword and armor and rockets back into action. Levels are designed to make full use of Sparkster's jetpack. He can hover to gain a little more distance from jumps, ricochet off walls ... it's a blast! Controls are surprisingly tight and support the core gameplay wonderfully. Some rocket-assisted jumps are hard to target, but you can easily plow through challenges with little fuss. Around the halfway point, there's a tectonic shift in gameplay. Jetpack antics are still important, though most of the gameplay involves hitting switches and fending off hordes of enemies while locked in a room. A little of the latter are fine, but Rocket Knight relies on them far too often. Length is a major issue. When an Achievement involves finishing a game in an hour, I worry. One play-through takes under 3 hours with little difficulty. Much of the game seems built around a scoring system, which I assume is supposed to add a little more playtime and challenge. It adds some value if you like beating the clock (or want to add 200 points to your Gamer Score), though I personally don't see myself returning anytime soon.
Difficulty: Compared to the original games, Rocket Knight feels a bit light on difficulty. Although tricky, angled jumps are a major part of gameplay, the main focus is on plowing through levels as quickly as possible. Challenges pop up all over the place, but rarely take more than one try to get through. Playing in Arcade Mode adds the challenge of finite lives, though it rarely became an issue. At times, Sparkster takes to the skies for shooting levels. Pacing is fixed, placing emphasis on shooting enemies down and dodging bullets. Neither is all that tricky, though it does add a little time to just sit back and enjoy demolishing everything in your path. Boss fights deserve a lot of praise. They're frustrating as heck, but a lot of fun. I cussed and yelled my way through one or two, but finally defeating them was an incredibly rewarding experience. These are some of the game's more memorable moments. I only wish levels came with the same sense of achievement.
Game Mechanics: Rocket Knight is less combat-focused than Sparkster's sword would lead you to believe. He'll knock out his fair share of wolves, though using his various skills to navigate levels is the bigger focus. Not only can Sparkster perform all sorts of tricks with his backpack, he can also use his innate possum skills. He can hang upside down and... well, Climax was able to get a lot out of that one skill. Though not used as much as I would have liked, there's a variety of platforming challenges peppered through levels. One great example involves Sparkster's jetpack freezing over. Normally, his pack will recharge when not in use. While in snow levels, it will freeze over and no longer recharge. In order to refill the pack, Sparkster needs to find torches to melt the ice. It's a really cool idea, but de-icing the pack never felt as pressing as it should have. Torches were easy to come by and if they weren't available, a handy fuel power-up was usually nearby. Rocket Knight is fun, there's no question about it. It doesn't quite capture the feel of the original, but comes incredibly close. If I hadn't replayed the original, I likely wouldn't have noticed a difference. However, I'm not sure it's enjoyable enough to warrant $15. I could handle $10, but $15 is Shadow Complex territory. A little more is expected from the price. Give Rocket Knight's demo a few runs and go from there.
-Starscream, GameVortex Communications AKA Ricky Tucker
Related Links: Game Vortex's Review of Shadow Complex on Xbox 360
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