Wi-Philes ))) Ristar (VC)

Platform: GEN (VC)
Genre: Platformer
Players: 1
Developer: Sonic Team
Publisher: SEGA
The word from N-Philes
Cost: 800 points
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Gareth Trinkwon Ristar

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Developed by Sonic Team, and based on some of the original design premises for what eventually became Sonic the Hedgehog, Ristar is a colorful side-scrolling adventure that has players guiding a heroic young star answering a distress call from the inhabitants of several worlds in the Valdi system, which has found itself under the oppression of an evil Tyrant known as Greedy. The game has Ristar flying from planet to planet, venturing through classically videogame themed stages and battling huge bosses. Fairly standard sidescrolling romp.

The gameplay mechanics make it a little more than a simple platformer, though. Perhaps in the spirit of Treasure's Dynamite Headdy, Ristar's main ability (besides being a star and able to travel at light speed), is his stretchy arms, which he can use to grab ahold of items, enemies, or the environment itself. Grabbing objects allows him to swing, smash and launch himself around to otherwise inaccessible areas, as well as attack foes along the way.

Graphically, the game is absolutely fantastic. Each world is colorful, vibrant, and sprites are animated perfectly. The game also has a great set of music to accompany each stage. Presentation-wise, it's one of the best titles you'll find on the Genesis.

Legacy...

Although the game isn't particularly well known, and hasn't been released on many systems since its debut, it is featured on the GameCube's Sonic Mega Collection as an unlockable title. Unlocking it is a simple (although tedious) task of simply loading up a few of the Sonic games a specific number of times. I'd say if you can ahold of the Mega Collection, go for that instead. It has some of the best Genesis games you'll find, and Ristar is certainly among them. If not, go with the Virtual Console. Just don't miss an opportunity to play this game.