It’s to the point now, when every time I ‘m browsing Xbox Live Arcade or the Playstation Store I’m presented with a chance to hop in a gaming DeLorean and gun it to 88mph. Never would I have thought that my Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 were actually time machines, but as the remakes keep coming it’s hard not to. Back from the past this time, Konami’s long forgotten Sparkster makes his console return in the downloadable Rocket Knight. Having been 15 years since his last adventure, European developers Climax Studios have been handed the keys in his retro rebirth.

 

If you’re familiar with the Sparkster series you’ll be glad to know that Climax Studios has done a fantastic job updating this action platformer for the HD era. While other rebirths have gone for a more old-school visual vibe, Rocket Knight sports a fresh, almost cell-shaded look. Coupled with bright colorful explosions  and some crisp animation, it’s hard not to get a warm Saturday morning cartoon sensation when traversing the locales of Zephyrus.

 

 

For newcomers, keeping Rocket Knight from being just your run-of -the-mill 2D platformer is the rocket pack. Sure you can play through the majority using only the basics (running, jumping), but like Mario’s double jump, it’s in mastering Sparkster’s air-lifting accessory that truly opens up the gameplay adding a thrilling sense of speed to the action. Combined with his sword, Sparkster’s repertoire truly opens up. You can dash or drill through enemies in any direction, launch stationary spin attacks, and even blast bursts of energy for long range destruction all with perfect execution thanks to tight, responsive controls. It’s really quite satisfying when you burst drill through five enemies or ricochet off walls just right to obtain that hard to reach final gem.

 

Relying on your rocket pack too much comes with a price, preventing it from turning into an overused exploit. The more you use it the faster your fuel drains, limiting your attacks and dashing range while you wait for it to recharge. It’s in managing this mechanic that adds a degree of challenge to Rocket Knight.This becomes even more important later, when Sparkster finds himself in the frigid cold racing to find the nearest heat source to thaw his rockets, forcing each rocket burst to be that much more calculated.

 

 

For the most part, the levels in Rocket Knight clutch to the same safe and linear structure of its 2D predecessor. A shame since Sparkster’s rocket pack seems perfect for offering branching paths, which would lend it some diversity and replayability. At least the side-scrolling shoot-em up stages from the original return, but like the main adventure, they’re over before you know it. Lasting about two hours, once you’re done with the dozen or so levels of Rocket Knight only one other mode dubbed “Free Play” exists, which lets players retackle stages to improve high scores or gun for missed achievements/trophies.

 

Climax Studios' attention to detail has garnered one of the best side-scrollers in recent memory. At $15, it may be a little overpriced and a tad on the short side, but it’s definitely worth it for fans of the 16-bit classic or 2D aficionados. You may not get the first class treatment in terms of extras, but with the added Hard and Gold Sparkster difficulties, which will truly test your platforming reflexes; Rocket Knight reminds us why the time when animals possessed some sort of attitude is worth revisiting.