OK, so you've played Sonic to death, X-Men and even Lion King because it came with the Game Gear you got on eBay. What's a jaded platform aficionado to do?
Ristar may be the game for you. The graphics aren't bad and the sound is somewhere between uninspired and lame, but there's a really neat control twist to this game that makes the play unique, refreshing and enjoyable.
Instead of just punching, your little star grabs with his hands, which is an integral part of moving around the game right from the get go. It requires a little extra dexterity to coordinate jumps and grabs but its balanced well, adding an interesting dimension to the game.
Grabbing also adds to the puzzle aspects, as sometimes you need to figure out where to grab, as well as where to let go. There are lots of elements in the environment to interact with. Ladders and moving platforms and poles are just a start. I don't want to give away too much but I will say that in the first level alone you find some interesting things to wrap your gloved hands around.
I guess you have to make the inescapable comparison with Sonic. The various Sonic games all look and sound better, but sometimes I get the feeling that they're playing me rather than the other way around. Ristar requires a lot more input than Sonic, and I think I like it better for that.
2008 ben langberg, all rights reserved.