Big news for fans of marsupials that like the hang upside-down. That's right, Limited Run Games just announced their newest classic game compilation – Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked. This brings three classic 16-bit action/platformers together in one exciting package, including the original Rocket Knight Adventures on Genesis, Sparkster on Super NES and the Genesis sequel, Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2. That's cool news and all, but are any of these games actually worth playing? To answer that question, I decided to flip through the pages of Electronic Gaming Monthly, MegaTech, Die Hard Game Fan and other classic magazines to see what the critics said back when these games first came out. So, quit hanging around, because it's time for another high-flying installment of Limited Run Review Crew.


With killer franchises that included Contra, Gradius and, of course, Castlevania, Konami was once the go-to publisher when you wanted a high-quality action game that was sure to be great. Unfortunately, they were not the place to go if you wanted a cartoony platformer in the early 1990s. Enter Rocket Knight Adventures, Konami's answer to the cute and cuddly mascot craze that had been spurred on after the success of Sonic the Hedgehog. In a lot of ways, this game is the perfect marriage between what you expect from a mascot platformer and a traditional Konami action game, complete with an opossum hero with a big sword and fresh armor. He hacks, he slashes, he flies and he occasionally hangs upside down. Can Sonic do that? I don't think so.

When it comes to the reviews, you're going to find a surprising variety of takes. Let's start with Electronic Gaming Monthly, who you'll see is right in the middle of the pack. Getting a capsule review and an 8 out of 10 from all five editors, EGM concluded that Sparkster “is one awesome possum! Konami offers the Genesis another great game with this flying critter! Plenty of levels, technique and great graphics to keep even the most hardened game veteran entertained.” With that bite-sized review, EGM gave Rocket Knight Adventures an average score of 8 out of 10.

It's worth mentioning that there were other magazines that fell into this middle ground, including Hyper giving the game an 84% in their first issue and Force Mega settling on 79% in their third. This is also in line with the 4 out of 5 score we saw in GamePro, who called it “good, solid fun. The graphics may not be mean enough to suit the dark fancy of some hack-n-slash fanatics, but Sparkster's jet-propelled speed will blow your doors off, and the action swings. If you have a taste for a fast fight (and fried pork, too), stick Rocket in your Pocket.”

When it came to the detractors, Rocket Knight definitely had a couple. For example, Video Games magazine wasn't as hot on the hero, giving this first installment a 7 out of 10. That's the same score we saw from Edge, who reviewed this platformer with the biggest eye-roll they could muster: “The current trend of cute-looking, but intrinsically hard characters continues with Konami's Rock Knight Adventures. This shrew-like rodent is blessed with a missile-slinging sword and a rocket pack. Gameplay is pretty much spot-on, with just the right amount of platform action and enemies, plus a nicely balanced difficulty curve. But, sadly, it sticks to the same old level-boss, level-boss structure, so no marks for innovation here. If you can restrain from your cheating tendencies, Rocket Knight Adventures provides a neat twist on the aged platform theme.”

If you're looking for some high scores, then you have a few to choose from. Computer & Video Games ended up giving the little guy an 88%, while Mean Machines went a little higher with a 91%. That's also the same score you saw over at Die Hard Game Fan, so remember that, because that's going to come into play later. The highest score I could find came from the UK magazine MegaTech. They praised the presentation, singling out the “highly polished, smart intros,” as well as the “good animation, attractive colours and big sprites.” They were also impressed with the ”loads of variety” and the “great gameplay.” They ultimately concluded that Rocket Knight Adventures is “a great game. Very original and playable, but none to tough. One of the best Mega Drive platformers around. Get it.”

I agree, this was a great way to kick off the Rocket Knight series. After you play this game, it will be easy to see why fans were desperate to see more of this unorthodox hero.

After both the critical and commercial success of the 1993 original, Konami rushed out two different sequels – Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 on the Genesis and a Super NES game simply named Sparkster. Believe it or not, both of these games were released in October of 1994, just fourteen months after the first game hit store shelves. The first game we're going to talk about is Sparkster on the Super NES, which is neither a continuation of the 1993 game nor a port of the similarly-titled Genesis outing. This is a completely different game with all-new levels and a slightly different story, though many aspects of the gameplay remain the same. Let's see if the critics were impressed with this Super NES follow-up.

Once again, Electronic Gaming Monthly found themselves right in the middle with an 8.2 out of 10, slightly higher than the Genesis original. It's also worth mentioning that they, yet again, couldn't give Sparkster more than a capsule review on the side of the page. For that reason, let's start things off with GamePro, who went with a score of 4 out of 5, the exact same score they gave the first installment. “Sparkster isn't as fresh as the original Rocket Knight. The play control should've been improved, and new weapons would've been nice. Still, Rocket Knight rookies will do well with Sparkster.”

Speaking of magazines that gave Sparkster the exact same score as Rocket Knight Adventure, that perfectly describes Video Games, who gave both games a 7 out of 10. That is not, however, the lowest score I could find. Instead we have to dig into Nintendo Power's 66th issue, where they gave it a disappointing 3.2 out of 5. They praised the “excellent graphics and play control,” as well as the “variety” and “cool moves,” but complained about the “repetitious enemies” and that there's “nothing really new in theme or game play.” Did they not see that Sparkster can hang upside down?

Much like the original, most of the critics liked this game. You saw Die Hard Game fan give it an average score of 86% in their 22nd issue, all while Super Play went with the slightly more generous 89%. And then there's Game Players, who gave the game a 93% and spent the entire review praising the original Genesis game. “From rich, colorful backgrounds to high-tech wizardry, this game has it all,” explains Chris. He liked “Sparkster's hip new look” and praised the “fine score and standard Konami quality sound effects,” as well as the new levels, “like riding a turbo-speed robot ostrich.” That said, even with the high score, he complained that “even with a password system, you end up starting over anyway” and noted that the “shooter level, while new, isn't really very much fun.” Overall, he called this a top-notch action game and even suggested Genesis owners track down the original, assuming they overlooked it the first time around.

While the average score is down slightly from the original, it's clear that the critics still really like this franchise. Let's see if that continues with the Sega Genesis sequel.

Released the same month as the similarly-named Super NES game, Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 is the Genesis sequel that fans had been waiting for. As the name suggests, this game picks up following the events of the first game, where a new global threat arises. Wait, did I say “new”? On second thought, it's basically just a repeat of what happened in the first game, right down to the kidnapping of Princess Cherry, the cousin of Princess Sherry. This sends our heavily-armored hero into action, setting up a bunch of gorgeous levels, clever bosses and fast-paced fun. This may have been enough to satisfy fans, but how did this Genesis version of Sparkster stack up against its Super NES counterpart?

If you ask Electronic Gaming Monthly, they'd tell you that this is the worst game in the 16-bit series. They gave it an average of 7.2 out of 10, a full point lower than its Super NES counterpart. The frustrating part is that we're now three games into this beloved series and EGM didn't bother to give a single one of them the full Review Crew treatment. Once again, we get a capsule review that concludes that “given a meaner, leaner look, Sparkster comes off pretty well in this sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures. Some of the attacks are different and take some getting used to, but overall a good action title for the Genesis. It could use a few more colors, and the sound effects are a nice complement to the overall game.”

Unlike the other two games, this is not the middle ground. EGM's review was actually the basement for Sparkster on the Genesis, with literally every other review being considerably higher. For example, you saw Australian magazine Hyper give the game an impressive 87%. Video Games magazine actually preferred this game over the other two installments, giving the Genesis sequel a series high-score of 8 out of 10. You also saw a series high from GamePro, who settled on a 4.5 out of 5, half a point higher than either of the other two games. “Despite some minor flaws, Sparkster's a good progression from the original. The four difficulty levels don't just add more enemies, they actually throw fresh sections at you. You'll have your hands full. Whether Sparkster saves Princess Cherry is up to you, but the path to victory's a real blast.”

If you're looking for even higher scores, then let me draw your attention to Mean Machines Sega, who gave the 16-bit sequel a score of 91%, the same score they gave the original. Game Players liked it more than either version, going as high as a 94%. And speaking of magazines that went higher, that brings us to Die Hard Game Fan, who thought that this Genesis installment was easily the best game in the series. The Enquirer ended up giving the game a high 95%, raving that “Sparkster Genesis is absolutely intense. This game has a totally different feel from last year's version. New, longer levels, new play mechanics, new bosses and gameplay that no other company can deliver.” Skid also loved the game, giving it a 92%: “Wow! I had no idea a sequel could be so much better than the original. Rocket Knight Adventures was a good game, Sparkster is a GREAT game. Graphically, Sparkster delivers big, with Mega-line scrolls and special effects, and the music is just perfect. The levels are looooong too. Do not pass this one up.”

While I definitely prefer the original over either of the follow-ups, I agree with Skid when he tells you not to miss out on the Rocket Knight Adventures franchise. These are great games that are worth preserving, so I can't wait to check out the upcoming collection from Limited Run Games.