One word description of this game: Bittersweet.

Although I was excited for the reboot of everyone's favorite opossum knight, the game feels somewhat trivialized by modern game design. But it's not bad and I get why they streamlined some of RKA. I just wish they could've included the Genesis game somehow to bring back Sparkster.

Since 2010 nothing has been said about Sparkster's return, and knowing Konami it should probably stay that way. Hopefully the IP will be given to someone else in the future. Or maybe Sparkster for Smash. (Maybe.)


If you're wondering how Sparkster controls to his previous games, he is more like his SNES sequel. (Not the Genesis sequel). To casual players, instead of controlling both your attacks and rocket-boosts with the same button you have both mapped to separate buttons. They also added in a projectile button and a glide that has some usage other than his boost attack and sword.

This was probably for the best because you get more control over Sparkster's rocket-pack, but his air-dash ability is absent. I would've liked for the classic methological approach of controlling your boost meter for being a good player as well as the sword doing more damage than the projectile attack.

Again, a compromise was made for newcomers, so he was made more simplistic. I don't have any qualms with the new gameplay; it keeps the basic formula the same and Sparkster controls just fine. The drill attack is a neat little addition to the RK arsenal and it comes into play in the final boss.

My main issues with RK (2010) are the lacking level variety and the low replayability, not simply the short length. (The original game wasn't that long but it did a lot more with its time.)


The first glaring issue with the game is how formulaic it feels compared to the original, and even to the subpar sequel(s) on both the SNES and Genesis. Every area of the game follows this exact process:

Platformer Stage (2D platform stuff)---> Rocket Flying Stage (Shoot-em-up-lite) ---> Boss Fight.

As my younger self asked after playing this game, "Where are the robot boxing parts? Where are the maze levels? Where are the various vehicles in the sequels?" There are also no miniboses; no level gimmicks or specific bosses in different gameplay modes; and there is no hard-mode bonus boss-fight worth the hassle.

Speaking of hard mode, the hardest mode(1 hit) isn't as difficult as it sounds. Sure, it can be frustrating at some sections of the game, but it won't take you too many tries to get the patterns down of all the bosses and levels. I was hoping there would be a secret boss-fight at the end... But there isn't anything to find. Just a stupid cutscene that makes me smile a bit.

You then have some score-challenges and a Axel Gear skin. A nice concession for fans, but there's nothing to bring you back for another round when you're finished. Oh, and I do like that the Konami Code still lets you unlock everything from the title screen.

The soundtrack is also underwhelming compared to the original games. The orchestral update on the classic theme is fine the first time around, and the rest is forgettable.

All in all, despite knowing how much the devs wanted to bring back Sparkster, the execution of the game is severely lacking.


I don't dislike this game. I boot it up every now and then for what it's worth. Is it overpriced? Sure, it can be if you value getting tons of gameplay time. I got my money's worth for the 4 to 5 hours of my first playthrough collecting everything and exploring as much as possible.

But I would've more enjoyed seeing Sparkster return to his former glory, or at least having his past glories playable once more for the sake of nostalgia alone.

Never go out with a whisper, Rocketeer; always go with a bang.

One word description of this game: Bittersweet. Although I was excited for the reboot of everyone's favorite opossum knight, the game feels somewhat trivialized by modern game design. But it's not bad and I get why they streamlined some of RKA. I just wish they could've included the Genesis game somehow to bring back Sparkster. Since 2010 nothing has been said about Sparkster's return, and knowing Konami it should probably stay that way. Hopefully the IP will be given to someone else in the future. Or maybe Sparkster for Smash. (Maybe.) [h1]Playing Possum[/h1] If you're wondering how Sparkster controls to his previous games, he is more like his SNES sequel. (Not the Genesis sequel). To casual players, instead of controlling both your attacks and rocket-boosts with the same button you have both mapped to separate buttons. They also added in a projectile button and a glide that has some usage other than his boost attack and sword. This was probably for the best because you get more control over Sparkster's rocket-pack, but his air-dash ability is absent. I would've liked for the classic methological approach of controlling your boost meter for being a good player as well as the sword doing more damage than the projectile attack. Again, a compromise was made for newcomers, so he was made more simplistic. I don't have any qualms with the new gameplay; it keeps the basic formula the same and Sparkster controls just fine. The drill attack is a neat little addition to the RK arsenal and it comes into play in the final boss. My main issues with RK (2010) are the lacking level variety and the low replayability, not simply the short length. (The original game wasn't that long but it did a lot more with its time.) [h1]Less Bang for Your Time[/h1] The first glaring issue with the game is how formulaic it feels compared to the original, and even to the subpar sequel(s) on both the SNES and Genesis. Every area of the game follows this exact process: Platformer Stage (2D platform stuff)---> Rocket Flying Stage (Shoot-em-up-lite) ---> Boss Fight. As my younger self asked after playing this game, "Where are the robot boxing parts? Where are the maze levels? Where are the various vehicles in the sequels?" There are also no miniboses; no level gimmicks or specific bosses in different gameplay modes; and there is no hard-mode bonus boss-fight worth the hassle. Speaking of hard mode, the hardest mode(1 hit) isn't as difficult as it sounds. Sure, it can be frustrating at some sections of the game, but it won't take you too many tries to get the patterns down of all the bosses and levels. I was hoping there would be a secret boss-fight at the end... But there isn't anything to find. Just a stupid cutscene that makes me smile a bit. You then have some score-challenges and a Axel Gear skin. A nice concession for fans, but there's nothing to bring you back for another round when you're finished. Oh, and I do like that the Konami Code still lets you unlock everything from the title screen. The soundtrack is also underwhelming compared to the original games. The orchestral update on the classic theme is fine the first time around, and the rest is forgettable. All in all, despite knowing how much the devs wanted to bring back Sparkster, the execution of the game is severely lacking. [h1]One More Boost for Old Time's Sake[/h1] I don't dislike this game. I boot it up every now and then for what it's worth. Is it overpriced? Sure, it can be if you value getting tons of gameplay time. I got my money's worth for the 4 to 5 hours of my first playthrough collecting everything and exploring as much as possible. But I would've more enjoyed seeing Sparkster return to his former glory, or at least having his past glories playable once more for the sake of nostalgia alone. [i]Never go out with a whisper, Rocketeer; always go with a bang.[/i]