Rocket Knight

Publisher: Konami
Developer: Climax Studios
Genre: Platformer
Release Date: May 12, 2010
Platforms: Playstation 3, Xbox 360
ESRB: E10+ - Everyone 10+

Reviewer: Damien

Rocket Knight? What!?! Are you serious, am I really writing a review for Rocket Knight? After 15 long years of waiting, Sparkster is back and I still don’t believe it! The Rocket Knight Adventures (RKA) series has always been close to my heart. After the 16 bit trilogy (or should I say sequel and spinoff?), I thought I would never again get to enjoy a new RKA game. Konami showed no real interest in continuing the series and I was left wanting. But then came the classic game resurgence. With new super Mario brothers wii selling by the truckload, everyone wants a piece of the 2.5d pie! Enter: Rocket Knight.

Rocket Knight is set 15 years after the end of the 2nd genesis game, Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2. Basically the excuse given is that, well, nothing happened. Sparkster has become a farmer and has just been hanging out. I guess even video game characters are allowed to have down time. Sparkster’s kingdom is attacked and he jumps into action. Fans will be happy to know the gang is all here, the pig empire, axel gear, those mechanical robot walker things with the velociraptor legs. All of them are back in 2.5 d glory.

Some changes to the controls have occurred, now instead of holding down the attack button to charge the jetpack, Sparkster’s jetpack is always auto recharging. There is a slash attack, a fireball attack (for enemies in those hard to reach spots), and of course rocket jumping. Thankfully the controls are very precise and responsive. If you die in the game, you know it’s because you messed up, not because you were fighting with the controls. Also like the original games, every so often to change things up there are flying stages. These play like a shoot em’ up, and are very fun. I’m happy to say that anything you would expect from a rka game is included in Rocket Knight. That’s not to say this game is a simple rehash of the original. There are plenty of new things to keep it fresh. For example one stage is set in a very cold climate where your rocket pack will not charge. Instead you have to collect fuel. This may sound like a small change but it totally changes how you play the game. The game manages to take the series in some new directions without forgetting about who it is.

The game has very colorful well animated graphics. If you are tired of dark gray games, Rocket Knight will be a breath of fresh air. The first time you start the game and hear that familiar rocket knight music, you won’t be able to help yourself from smiling. I only wish they would have used some of the other 16 bit era tunes (boss fight music ftw!!) because unfortunately, after the first stage the rest of the games music is pretty boring and forgettable. (NERD ALERT!!! I actually found the music from the original genesis game online and put it onto my 360’s hard drive. Then when I played rocket knight I just let it play in the back ground instead of the games normal music, it actually lines up really well!)

Ok, so maybe you are not like me. Maybe you weren’t looking forward to Sparkster’s return. Heck, maybe your have never even heard of RKA at all. This game should still appeal to you! There is no deep story to follow or tough controls to learn. Since it has been so long since the last Rocket Knight game, both people who enjoyed the original and those new to the series will find it entertaining. Bottom line, if you enjoy classic side scrolling game play you will enjoy Rocket Knight.

The one major flaw of this game is its length. It is on the short side, (about 2 hours to beat the first time around) and being priced at the premium cost of 15 dollars, that can be a pretty big hurtle. Yes there is a big speed run community and online leader boards, but if you are not into that, you are paying a lot for a pretty short game.

Final Verdict
This game is a blast while it lasts. If you are like me and have been dying for a new Rocket Knight game, you will be very satisfied. If you enjoy games like NSMBW and Sonic 4, you will really enjoy Rocket Knight. The major thing against rocket knight is the cost. For what your paying (15 bucks) this game is pretty short and the casual player might feel like they paid a bit too much for it. If you fall into this category, wait till the game is on sale (for 10 bucks) and pick it up. You won’t be disappointed!

Rating Breakdown
Gameplay: 9 out of 10
    + Easy to learn, but hard to master. Using the jetpack to fly around and bounce into enemies the one of the most fun times you can have! The speed run challenge will keep you coming back for more.
    - Short, short, short! This game is short. You can beat it in about 2 hours the first time around, even less than that once you know the path.
Story: 6 out of 10
    + Takes place 15 years after the first rocket knight adventures. The story here is on par with most 2d platformers, bad stuff is happening because of bad guys, stop the bad guys the end.
    - Typical and almost unoriginal.
Graphics: 9 out of 10
    + This game is beautiful. The 2.5d models look great, Very colorful and full of life.
    - Somehow Konami managed to make Sparkster and Axel Gear cute and badass at the same time.
Audio: 6 out of 10
    + Has great sound effects, and the first stage music is from the original rocket knight adventures!
    - The rest of the music sucks pretty bad. Nothing is terrible, but it’s all pretty forgettable.
Replay Value: 8 out of 10
    + The speed run challenge and leader boards add some extended life
    - This game is short, once you beat it the 2nd time, your pretty much done with it.

Overall
8.50 out of 10