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"Crazy rockets and rabid animals always mix for a delightful treat."

Many strange and unique platform games owe their existence to crazy and wacky ideas. The imagination can produce some weird ideas, such as a heroic Italian plumber, or four-legged furry hero. When a game manages to take those ideas, and implement them into a thrilling gameplay system, you're provided with an instant classic. Konami did just that with their sole under appreciated gem on the Sega Genesis. Rocket Knight Adventures is a platforming action game that combines elements of futuristic gear, opossums, and medieval settings to create a surreal experience. The storyline puts you in the role of an opossum named Sparkster, or better known as a Rocket Knight. The Rocket Knights are an elite group of kingdom guards who defend the empire from dangerous threats. Suddenly, your kingdom is under attack from an arch-rival nation, and Princess Sherry is kidnapped by Axle (leader of the opposition). Axle plans to release a ''seal'' of a dangerous weapon that could decide which kingdom is stronger in the end. Of course, when you mix jetpacks and furry creatures, you definitely get one varied mix. Rocket Knight Adventures combines fast gameplay, with challenging enemies, and fluent presentation. Prepare to play one of the best classics available on the Genesis.

Graphics [9/10]
Usually, when you hear the word ''Disney'', you think of a bright and colorful place. Rocket Knight Adventures makes such great use of the Genesis hardware capabilities, that you tend to feel like you're in your own universe. The entire game is played from a side-scrolling platform perspective. Basically, you can see Sparkster on screen in full shining armor. One of the most noticeable aspects during gameplay is the use of vibrant colors. Right off the bat, RKA uses nearly every single color in the available palette. Characters show tons of detail, ranging from minute grins to body expressions. Enemy pigs and bosses each have appropriate layouts, with curves and precise outlines. The bright and varying colors almost makes you feel like you're wandering through a rainbow. As you move throughout the game, there are literally hundreds of different animations. Sparkster will balance on the edge of a platform, leap with enthusiasm, and even attack with a ferocious blow. Unlike other games which tend to ''skip'' through animation frames, RKA does a brilliant job in keeping the flow of animations smooth.

However, what sets Rocket Knight Adventures apart from other typical games is the combination of visual elements. Each level in the game changes environments with the flick of a wrist. One second you'll be traveling on mine carts with the sunset visible in the background. The next second, you'll be underwater diving past obtrusions and spiky coral reefs. Backgrounds show enough detail that they almost feel as if they were ripped from a comic book page. Special effects are certainly something to awe about. Explosions are quite numerous, especially when you defeat a boss. Cut scenes show off huge blasters from a gigantic ship, or the clashing of two swords. Nearly every visual aspect of Rocket Knight Adventures is perfect. Despite all the pleasing effects, RKA does suffer from a few smudges here and there. Framerate tends to slow down with numerous enemies on screen, or multiple effects flashing at once. This becomes a problem when you face bosses, since the battlefield tends to slow down. Sprites will flash transparently (which is common for older games) because of a lack of processor power on Sega's part. Rocket Knight Adventures is so close to being perfect when it comes to eye candy.

Sound/Music [10/10]
If you've ever noticed, many action-packed games usually have exciting themes in the background. Whether it be some addicting title song, or a simple nostalgic tune, each sets the gamer's mood for playing time. Rocket Knight Adventures features a beautiful 15+ soundtrack complete with varying songs and different beats. The second you start the game, you're presented with a pleasing heroic song. Melodies have excellent mixes/matches of techno, hip hop, and rock beats. You truly feel like you're there to save the day as a cybernetic opossum. Songs change quite dramatically, sounding off humorous effects in the background. Riding a mine cart will play an excited beat, and then suddenly switch to a more ''gloomy'' song when you approach the boss. With such beautifully accented beats, Konami did an excellent job in the musical department. As for the sound effects, they only tend to get better. Each action you perform in Rocket Knight Adventures is accompanied with an appropriate effect. Slashing your sword at a grungy pig will cause a whispering sound in the distance. Destroying a mechanical object let's the player know by sounding off plenty of explosion-like sounds. Both the quality and quantity of the sound effects is simply unmatched by other games of its time. Even the princess makes a squealing clip of ''Help!'' when she's being kidnapped. RKA sets itself apart as one of the best sounding games on the Sega Genesis.

Gameplay [10/10]
The typical formula for platform games has pretty much been established by now. Most games put you in the role of a lone character who navigates level-by-level until he/she reaches the end of the game. However, Rocket Knight Adventures is completely different from traditional platforming games. It's one of the first games that simulates a platforming adventure, but changes the gameplay elements nearly every level to provide an awing experience. First off, Rocket Knight Adventures is a hybrid combination of action/adventure/platform games. Basically, you play the role of Sparkster (an elite Rocket Knight leader), who is sent to rescue Princess Sherry and stop the evil opposing empire. Sparkster is no ordinary opossum. Instead, he's equipped with a rocket-based jetpack, gleaming dangerous sword, and full body armor. Using an assortment of moves, rocket-blasting tactics, and pure gaming skills, the player must travel through changing levels and scenery. Gameplay is extremely fast, often forcing you to use quick reflexes and constantly jump. Enemies attack from both sides of the screen, usually charging at you.

What makes Rocket Knight Adventures such a unique and renovating experience is the change of pace. For example, on the first level, you're simply engaging in hand-to-hand contact. However, as you move on in the game, you'll move through mines on train carts, fly across the screen via your jetpack, and swim underwater. Each level is practically different from the previous one, meaning that you're getting a whole new experience. Unlike other games which change the palettes or backgrounds (aka Ice World, Fire World), Rocket Knight Adventures actually provides an innovative approach each time (riding mine carts, flying, running). Besides that, each ''level'' in the game is really composed of mini-stages. Each mini-stage usually has a tough mini-boss who requires numerous hits before being taken down. Speaking of which, the bosses in RKA are composed of pure brilliance. Each boss tends to have a unique strategy, such as swinging arms, cannon rays, and even unfocused patterns. The player is lured into a whole new perspective by being forced to monitor, and remember the pattern of the opponent. Meanwhile, you're forced to navigate Sparkster all over the screen, dodging projectiles and attacks. With a great change in pace, and perfected gameplay system, most players will receive pure enjoyment out of Rocket Knight Adventures.

Fun [8/10]
Thankfully, platforming games are getting more complex as the video game industry progresses. Rather than simple strategies such as jumping on a boss's head, games are getting more strategic. Rocket Knight Adventures has perfected the method of changing the gameplay types. Modes constantly change as you'll be engaging in sword fights, and then switching off to your rocket boosters. The player is forced to use Sparkster's abilities, such as rocket boosting to get past ledges. Navigating on canal edges, and along water edges is a must-have ability. The player is challenged in nearly every way which provides a satisfactory experience to the player. Not only that, but there is plenty of humor throughout the game. The somewhat ''Disney-like'' theme only turns out to be a spoof since you'll meet plenty of evil villains. Sparkster will make faces of fear and excitement when he gets blown away by a giant spaceship. All of these elements combine together to make one innovative/fun experience. At the same time, Rocket Knight Adventures can also be fairly frustrating. Once you reach a certain point in the game, you may get stuck with a boss. Falling off a simple ledge, or constantly getting whacked by a difficult boss can only hamper the process of completing the game. Regardless, RKA is one of the more impressive games out there.

Replayability [9/10]
Besides being an advanced platformer, Rocket Knight Adventures manages to hold a sense of replay value. Numerous platform games tend to get boring after a while, since enemies hardly change, and the gameplay simply gets stale. RKA does just the opposite, by constantly changing gameplay methods and the actual surroundings. Players will complete numerous activities such as swimming, rocket boosting, attacking, hanging, jetpacking, and even riding vehicles. Take those key factors, and combine them with seven vast levels. Even the levels are tremendous, as they're usually composed of 2-3 mini-stages. While the game only has a single-player adventure mode, it's enough to motivate the gamer back for more. Bosses vary each stage, meaning you'll have to refocus your efforts on manipulating a correct strategy. With such eventful gameplay, any person will reckon that Rocket Knight Adventures is created from replay value ingredients.

Difficulty [8/10]
Even if you're not a big fan of platform-based games, Rocket Knight Adventures features quite a hefty difficulty. Despite having relatively accurate controls (one for jumping, one for attacking), the player has to focus on utilizing both at correct times. Often, you'll be forced to rocket boost in certain situations just to continue through the level. The biggest challenge in RKA is the actual environments. Constraints such as being limited to a platform (mine carts), will cause players to limit their range of mobility. Chains, hooks, and obstacles will try to hit you as you progress through a level. Enemies also attack during awkward situations, such as popping out of the background. By far though, the biggest strategic challenge is bosses. Every single boss in the game has a unique and appealing strategy. Some will attack in certain locations, causes you to weave back and forth. Others simply charge at you, forcing you to perform intricate patterns. All of these factors combine (environment, opposition, capability) to make Rocket Knight Adventures one difficult game. There are three different difficulty settings (easy, normal, crazy hard), with each increasing the damage your opponent does. Sparkster is limited to a simple health bar (a couple hearts), which causes the player to be more cautious. Quite frankly, this is one of the more challenging platform games on the Genesis.

Final Factor [10/10]
Developers tend to miss the point of adventure/platform games. Over the past years, programmers have simply made games where you take Character A, to point B. Rocket Knight Adventures was the type of game that broke the barrier. Rather than simply taking Sparkster from level 1, to level 2, you're enthralled in an exciting adventure. This is literally an adventure since you navigate in several different environment in several ways. The constant change of pace, such as riding a vehicle, or taking down numerous enemies with blazing sword swings only add to the thrilling experience. Besides that, RKA is fairly long, allowing for a replayable experience. While it seems somewhat like a child-orientated game, it's not. Rocket Knight Adventures is the best example of an unknown classic. Konami released it on the Sega Genesis hoping for some success. Instead, they developed quite possibly one of the most under appreciated games during the 16-bit era. With such brilliant ideas, RKA paved the way for future platforming games. If you're in a goofy mood, or are simply looking for a must-have Genesis game, get Rocket Knight Adventures. However, if you're looking for a perfect classic, this is it. There's only one opossum who can kick butt like Duke Nukem - Sparkster.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/07/03