RISTAR - Who Dat? [Character Review]

[@Roze_aye]

Can we just take a moment to stop and appreciate the fact that DiGi Valentine exists? The guy, not just the channel.

[@Jajuan44]

No.

[@CronTime3D]

Yes

[@linear1224]

Yes

[@waringaw.m6350]

Yeet

[@superiorratolive8528]

Yes

[@mylifeisacomplexpastiche7901]

"In the Western version, Ristar is in the shadow of some legendary hero who messed up, and now it's his job to clean things up" *I FIGURED IT OUT* Ristar is the prodigy of his father who failed to defeat an evil that was threatening his galaxy, and he's a star! *THIS IS STAR WARS!*

[@melodylewis4692]

o shit

[@chocov1233]

Hence forth you shall be known as the ultimate Ristar Wars theorist.

[@DonGEX]

66 likes. Coincidence?

[@violetthebat8810]

RISTAR WARS.😎😎😎☆☆☆⚡⚡⚡🎵🎵🎵

[@NimhLabs]

Wait, I thought that was the plot to the Fantasy Zone games? With Opa Opa instead of Ristar.

[@Sketchmii]

Ristar is a character that I personally praise because of the creativity behind it~ The music, the art style, the colors, EVERYTHING made the world of Ristar beautiful and I wish he had more games to expand upon his series... He even inspired some characters I made for myself so, I thank Ristar and the team behind it for making this awesome game!!

[@chocobochick5390]

Me, too. I have a girl based on Lucky Star and Ristar. Thanx for the memories, SEGA!

[@rachaelbolton8113]

I wish to stay would come back

[@gypdarin1458]

The greatest score of 16bit hands down. Bumps amazing. Done by a legitimate musical composer i forget her name.

[@wanderlustwarrior]

When you said his Japanese backstory, I thought "I'm getting a kinda Kirby vibe here." Then when you pointed out his design is mostly ball, that feeling came back. Then I started feeling it in the level design. But when you mentioned how his more wide eyed design was made more hardcore in America, I had to say something. Incidentally, the Japanese name for Kirby and his series is "Kirby of the Stars".

[@URFTBOUND4LIFE]

wanderlustwarrior He could have been the Kirby of Sega

[@reloadpsi]

How could you miss out mentioning the "American Kirby is hard-core" trope by name when discussing Ristar's slight redesign while comparing him to Kirby?

[@londonjackson8986]

+Wanderlustwarrio I've always kind of seen Ristar (& to a lesser extent, Nights), as the Kirby of Sega. But to be honest, Ristar in his 1 & only game has more personality than Kirby has been given in most of his recent games.

[@rodrigomorales563]

I feel like ristar is kirby while nights is the legend of zelda.

[@wanderlustwarrior]

@@reloadpsi because you got the point without me needing to detract from focusing on Ristar.

[@radicallaruby]

Forget "Rye-Star" and "Rih-Star", calling him Joseph the Shooting Star just to end the pronunciation wars.

[@slivorywings2821]

I've got the hiccups now.

[@greatwavefan397]

Try "Wrister"

[@Enriquito445]

@@greatwavefan397nobody but you uses that pronunciation

[@JCOdrjones]

Digi Valentine back with kino. Though off the cuff is pretty raw too.

[@URFTBOUND4LIFE]

Fun fact: Both Ristar and NiGHTs have the same music composer, Tomoko Sasaki

[@thejigular9704]

no wonder why they both have great music

[@chu-pay]

He has a black ball for a body because when you see a shooting star, it’s only at night when the night when the sky is black. When Ristar is flying across the sky, you don’t really see anything but his gloves, his shoes and his star face.

[@Rinne_Z_rank]

Heres something i notice after beating greedy, before the credits start, ristar says "hasta la vista baby" and that puts a smile on my face

[@brandonwilliams6119]

Man! I never knew he said those exact words, they are so compressed on the Genesis Engine this is why Ristar deserves the the Sonic Mania Treatment.

[@mollyshadows9726]

I’m surprised they haven’t tried to bring this guy back. He’s super cute! 💕 And welcome back dude! 😁

[@DJMoiyMoiy]

SEGA's allergic to money.

[@AT7outof10]

He doesn't even get to show up in their all-star games, how insulting.

[@URFTBOUND4LIFE]

AT7outof10 He was the flag man in All-star Racing Transformed 😒

[@mattwo7]

@@URFTBOUND4LIFE Yea but only because NiGHTS became a racer and they needed someone to replace him... Well, it was either Ristar or Space Harrier anyway because Opa Opa doesn't have hands...

[@mattwo7]

@@URFTBOUND4LIFE Also don't forget the gachapons in the Shenmue games, the opening sequence to Segagaga and he cameo'd in the first Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing's Egg Hangar track. He'll probably show up in Sega Heroes someday too.

[@Sparkys_World-0]

Bro, your stuff is outstanding. I can’t believe I’m only discovering this channel today. Every time I think enthusiasm for SEGA is fading with time, someone comes along and proves me wrong 👌

[@mysticmonkey6132]

I like to think both japanese and western backstories can be compatable with one another and be the one story. SoJ introduce a mother, SoA introduced a father. What if Ristar's father was some sort of cosmic fairing hero. He won favour of the Star Goddess Oruto and the goddess fell in love with the mortal and the two had a child. When Kaiser Greedy showed up to threatened the galaxy the hero was defeated and captured so Oruto awaken their demigod son Ristar to save the Valdi system.

[@3upgames2023]

i agree with you man. i also like to believe that both japanese and american backstories are compatible

[@CarvedDaWarped]

Interesting way of fixing the canons together.

[@victorygraceforever]

I honestly really like this!! Minda if I kinda use this idea for a fanfiction I'm developing??

[@callumsparrow4379]

Speaking of Ristar’s cult following, he also appeared as a flag-man cameo in All-Stars Racing Transformed, alongside getting his own story (and as of writing this the only one so far) in the fan-continued STC-Online adaptation of Fleetway’s Sonic The Comic.

[@thevoidmagician6653]

I love your voice and narration. Would to see a 3d remake of Ristar

[@ki11ert]

@maltese 84 I believe its some sort of Caribbean accent. Jamaican maybe?

[@shinyneko8136]

I think you may have overlooked something about the ball shape behind Ristar's head, because it's not just there for show. It also plays a crucial roll to Ristar's *other* main gimmick, that being the ability to fly through space like a shooting star after he swings himself from a pole. EDIT: You also forgot to talk about his original design, and his connection to Sonic's original design. But either then that, great video! 👍 It's nice to see this underrated mascot get some love.

[@bboykiddblack]

Ristar is flat out charming, whether you grew up with him or not, whenever you get around to playing it the vibrant colors and music will rope you in

[@williamdavis3376]

Actually it will rewope you in. That's the Japanese for planet Automaton Uranim: bruh

[@DeathAngelX196]

YO THE LAD'S BACK. AND WITH A TOP BOY TOO

[@vassel6643]

AND THIS TIME, HE'S IN THE MOOD.

[@segascourge]

I can't properly convey how happy I am that you're covering Ristar. And correctly pronounced as "wrist-are". 👏👏

[@chocov1233]

Hey Sega Scourge, how have you been? Love your content.😊

[@segascourge]

@@chocov1233 I'm good thank you! Just working on some interesting upcoming videos 'n stuff! Thank you for watching 🙏

[@OnlyInDr3ams]

I always thought it was Rye-star...

[@segascourge]

@@OnlyInDr3ams According to the devs, it's "wrist-are". It's even mentioned in this video by SEGA Forever: twitter.com/SEGAForever/status/895668758995390467 Believe me, I thought it was "rye-star" once too, haha :'p

[@reloadpsi]

@@OnlyInDr3ams The kana is リスター (ree/rih-su-taa) so yeah, it's wrist-are. I spent my life mispronouncing it too.

[@chu-pay]

Who dat? My baby boy that needs a new game

[@tailskidgaming442]

I agree Edit:Thanks for the support

[@tailskidgaming442]

I subed back to your channel

[@chu-pay]

Ristar The Shooting Star ayyy Thx Ristar

[@3upgames2023]

i 100% agree. Our little star boy needs a new game

[@Lonk2976]

I don't know about that, I'm scared that SEGA would just ruin him, like Sonic

[@TokyoBloodWolf]

I never got the chance to grow up with Ristar. It wasn't until my teen years in the early 2000s when I got a hold of the Sega Classics Collection on PS2 that finally got to experience this beautiful game. The art style in the levels and characters, the music, the story (Even though I do honestly prefer the Japanese version) were all brilliant and I'm glad I got to experience Ristar's journey to clean up his father's m....I mean save the galaxy. That being said thank you Digi for giving this little guy some time in the spotlight. He totally deserves it. (Also just a suggestion for a future episode of Who Dat, since the new game is coming out soon, Axel Stone from the Streets of Rage/Bare Knuckle series)

[@DarkAura19]

MY BOY MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SEGA BOY Bless up Digi, always great to get a who dat

[@TurtleTitan03]

Damn, Star Force fans still at it with the good tastes and eye for overlooked gems. :)

[@Error1626]

I'am you favorite nokia/gameloft boy :)

[@kingoverseas9052]

Empathy towards Ristar's creators and some reflection to boot. Definitely a good character choice to achieve these then, even if you didn't see it coming, which I suppose is the beauty of it.

[@Neo-Metal17]

0:26 I’m glad you put these 3 here of all SEGA characters, always thought of them as SEGA’s mascots.

[@FinalBaton]

The body language and animations of Ristar are excellent. he really has a well-defined personality and it's beautifully reflected in these. elite work

[@RadikAlice]

You put into words what I wished I could, just. Dead on As for Ristar himself, what a lovely little guy. I was so ecstatic yet heartbroken to see him in ASR Transformed as a cameo, because c'mon. Football Manager was playable but not him?

[@KatKitoshi]

Aw shit! Shout out! And in a Ristar video! 💜💜💜 Thanks man! And this video is great and it's making me want to play Ristar again. Even if it did shred my hands back in the day. Probably gonna rock the soundtrack at work again cause I can lol

[@Starsanity64]

Who here only knew about Ristar for the very first time when they (finally) unlocked the game in Sonic Mega Collection Plus, played through it and wanted to know more about the little guy and went back to where it all came back to fruition? I know I did and I LOVE this game!

[@Tiripsroirraw]

I love Ristar !!! One of my favorite games. The music, colors, storyline, Ristar himself

[@gisele_alandria]

OK so...this video made me play Ristar. Really XD I had never have access to that game as a kid. Just got it on Steam. IT IS SO ABSURDELY PRETTY, WHAT THE HECK!? I love the sprite art to several levels... but I feel I could pick the Japanese version too, I like Ristar's cheerful face. Thanks for the video!

[@justanotherrandomchannel6981]

My favorite part about playing Ristar is how you can make him hold on to an enemy and keep it struggling in his hands before knocking them. I loved watching the purple geckos wriggle in his hands.

[@xity-xfilms5228]

This video got me intrested in Ristar again. I played it before, but didn't like it. And thought the game would be similar to Sonic. But I saw this video and wanted to play it. Turns out, I really like this game! Thanks for giving me a better view of This game!

[@tanone4137]

Great job with this Who Dat, I missed this show, but I love your other shows equally. Keep doing what you're doing, cause you're doing great things 😁

[@zellbi]

I'm just always so blown away at how Digi can analyze characters to this extent and make it so enjoyable. Thanks for always making great videos man, keep up the good work!

[@tanookiplayer]

I agree that is important for a creator(s) to work on more passion projects and mix things up a little. I love the Sonic games but imagine all of your gaming career you only work on the same franchise or the same kinds of games. Ristar is such a good game.

[@tailskidgaming442]

0:02 Love the title music for me

[@skunthundler]

You didn't have to come back so hard! Going with one of my childhood favorites!

[@LowellLucasJr.]

Been a while since we got a WHO DAT? Worth the wait!

[@The4thSnake]

Sega does that. One of the Sonic games had two plots based on region, and another for another port.

[@ClairvoyantDreams358]

I would love playing this game on a Sega Genesis.

[@wafflemutt6281]

That speech about creating, it was inspirational! I think Sega needs to do that AGAIN, it's been nothing but Sonic lately! No Crazy Taxi, Nights, Ristar, House of the Dead, Bonanza Bros, Billy Hatcher, or Jet Set Radio... I need something other than a Sonic game so bad!

[@retrofan4963]

@maltese 0217 That's awesome and all, but where does Alex Kidd fit into all this?

[@noirerequiemii101]

came here because I literally wondered "who dat"? So thanks DiGi

[@JasaeBushae]

That visual of the end is quite nice. It didn't occur to me until seeing him flying through space that the point of the black body was so that it would be invisible while flying through space, giving the illusion of just a star shooting across the sky.

[@katamichi8003]

The music from Ristar is so catchy I made it into my alarm. I can't sleep through something so iconic,familiar, and perky.

[@bwtrickster]

Damn I was expecting a surprise in the description when I saw that you uploaded this. I'll watch this when I can

[@mobileuser7962]

This is a character I've always been curious about, and I think your unique take has also given me a better understanding of his importance. This was a great return of Who Dat, thank ya Digi!

[@KaiboStudios]

I always thought he said "Goodbye" when going to a world, and "Are you with me?" When you start the game.

[@vicctretamaj]

Love Ristar! And wish he came back...such a cool design and such a good game with some jams

[@Rinne_Z_rank]

Also classic sonic says im out of here from CD from an Easter egg, thats the ONLY time he talks

[@retrofan4963]

In Sonic CD, Sonic also says "Yes" for getting am extra life.

[@arthurpprado]

Ristar seems to be that one game I cannot bring myself to play again because I know I won't enjoy it as much as the first time, so I keep it in my memory

[@FoxerTails]

Since we are talking about Sega IPs near the end of the Sega Genesis' life span, what do you think about Vectorman?

[@scarmightlikeboxes9929]

prob one of my fav sega genesis games

[@CarvedDaWarped]

I seriously want Ristar 2

[@orchetrance3230]

I was beginning to worry you stopped making these, love your channel.

[@dima_keller]

I personally really like how expressive Ristar is! Those animations are stellar

[@gwynethbautista2156]

I really like who dat videos you did digi because youre not just letting the viewers know who this unknown character that the masses didnt know you give youre own oppinions by theyre digital designs and thats how i learn to make my fan and original character designs outstanding and interesting give them reasonable motivation thank you digi for making me learn how to make youre characters interesting from youre who dat videos

[@ShadowDinosaurNetworkTV]

Great episode! Also I agree 100% on the branching out thing. You put it excellently. :D

[@DigiEggz]

Thanks for pronouncing the name correctly. The way you pronounce it is how it's pronounced in Japanese, so I appreciate the aim for accuracy.

[@MagillanicaLouM]

Thanks for the irl history on Ristar, had no idea he had that kind of weight on his....shoulders? Well either way, yeah, hes more important to Sega history than i thought

[@lamontmitchell8903]

Ristar my baby boy I will get him his new game!

[@TheGamersState]

Alright..time to get to bed but better have a quick look at the KZbin inbox...hmm....be right back, need to grab a cup of tea as I watch my favourite show.

[@toonzach2870]

A character who needs more love, dat's who dat.

[@nelsonmartel1482]

Ristar can be back but maybe, ristar was my favorite game in the genesis and even i love it . So thank you so much for everyone is remembering a gmae who is special

[@bobstayoffthegrass8772]

I think what Ristar means to me, like, I think the point that he made was, that those magical objects that’ll grant your wishes aren’t shooting stars, dandelions, wishing wells, birthday candles, clocks reading 11:11, or what have you, but instead, your own two hands.

[@grinbrothers]

Souldin here, an when I saw a video about one of my top 10 favourites games and one of my favourite character designs (with a lovely drawn thumbnail of the guy), I knew I would have to give this a watch. 0:43 - I call him Wrist-Star as well; it makes the most sense given his powerset and had never heard anyone pronounce it differently until I got the internet. 2:59 - Ironically, I prefer the non-Japanese version for effectively the reasons you gave. Ristar having to both rise up to his father's legacy as well as save said father gives far more of a personal goal for him. It also further showcases how dire the situation is with the original hero having been captured and fits in well with his playful and youthful characterisation. Of course, you put more emphasis on duty and destiny within your analysis so I see why you'd prefer the Japanese version in that case. 6:21 - I love Ristar's design and honestly never found a problem with the black ball aspect. I think the colour choice helps out a lot in that regards, as I'll admit that the angle of the artwork you showed (the Japanese box art I assume) does make Ristar look a little strange. The black ball part just blends to well with Ristar's overall look. I'm also surprised that in your analysis of Ristar's design, you didn't mention his origins; how he started off as a Rabbit who could pick up items with his ears, then he became a black orb shaped guy with yellow horns resembling rabbit ears and then becoming Ristar. You put a great deal of emphasis on his design spawning from the star motif when it was the black ball part that came first, with the star part added later when they moved further and further away from the rabbit idea. 8:53 - I love when personality can be shown off in small details like idle animations and I think Ristar's more varied set of idle animations is a nice expansion on Sonic's singular; both do present their characters and in different ways. I tend to consider the pose more of an homage, but I can see where you're coming from. 10:30 - Given his simple design, colourful world, and energetic youth personality, I was starting to think of Ristar as effectively Sega's Kirby... then you mention the angry eyes change. Oh my gosh, it's all coming together! 12:44 - Interesting to consider Ristar as a bridge between Sonic and NiGHTS; it did certainly mark a creative point for Sonic Team as they wouldn't return to Sonic until Sonic Adventure (well, that and Sonic Jam but that mostly a compilation). Great video on the lovable star boy with lots of charming artwork and nice dashings of humour. This video went in directions I certainly did not expect and I found your discussion points on creativity and the connections Ristar shares with both Sonic and NiGHTS to be most fascinating. The colour analysis was more what I expected and really well explained; an enjoyable video overall!

[@bossome1997]

I'm so glad you're back! I love your videos and especially love the sega and capcom characters you've covered. I was too young to play ristar when it first came out but I emulated it when I was younger. Great memories!

[@Dimpsuu]

I feel like it's been a dozen years since a new Who Dat? came out but here we are.

[@mc.gemstone]

Lovely to see who dat back again love this series! ^^

[@shotostudios2392]

A Nice Little Video with a Charming Lookback on a Character, and What Inspired They're Ability to Inspire Others. Yeah, DiGi Valentine's Back All Right

[@KiboDR]

Can we just make a poll for sega to bring my boy Ristar back?

[@snoops9214]

Hey digi I really like this sort of post hiatus sequence of videos you've been uploading lately. You just seem a bit more natural in your commentary. Keep up the good work.🖒

[@Artista_Frustrado]

Ristar does deserve a return, specially because Sonic Team seems pretty burnt out again

[@URFTBOUND4LIFE]

artistafrustrado I agree. Sonic is shackled to speed which doesn't blend with a lot of gameplay styles or ideas. I think that's why Sonic had such a hard time transitioning into 3D out of many platformers of the 80's/90s like Mario or Raman. Ristar is slower and more methodical approach that could work better in 3D. Just don't do what they did with the Werehog stages in Unleashed by making the stages drag too long or too many brawling sections and it will be fine.

[@hazzabe32]

Glad you're back, my dude! Hope life has been treating you well recently

[@Klonoa-yb6rt]

What about The Legendary Starfy?

[@neturalumbrella6688]

I guess design wise for Ristar they could've went for a rayman-esque design and made his hands and shoes just floating about. With star trails connecting his hands and head when he grabs onto anything. They did that design style for Jackle but at the same time I can't blame them.

[@LunaMinuna]

I played this game so much I still have it. Also in Sonic advance 3 Sonic characters spoke

[@jerzeefcg]

brah. As "niche" as this series might seem to you...or to the unsavvy eye...it's actually ridiculously entertaining. Such a well done, hilarious, well edited series and concept. Please keep up great work man..im def putting ppl on to this. Can tell you put in alot of work on these. Its appreciated man. big up.

[@DeathAlchemist]

The way you make a good star mascot is by being Patrick. On a more serious not ristar's happier expressions makes him feel more encouraging than sonic.

[@caldw615]

Huh, never actually seen the gameplay for this guy before. It seems pretty fun using the stretchy arms to bounce and swing all over the place to make use of the level environment.

[@URFTBOUND4LIFE]

Cal DW It's really fun. Too bad they didn't include it in the Genesis Mini...

[@__Xeese]

Oh damn! Right when I was binging through a ton of old Who Dat videos. Lovely stuff man, always look forward to whatever content you put out!

[@daztora]

One of my favourite childhood games, thanks for covering fam

[@victorygraceforever]

Bro, it feels so nice to see this character being noticed. I remember when I was first introduced to this character, it was literally Christmas, my dad got me a Sega Geniuses "reboot game console" or whatever (I was a crazy Sonic fangirl, still kinda am🤣😅 ). It came with alot of old classic Sega games like Alex Kidd, & ect, of course Ristar was one of them, my older brother and I played his game and over all we really enjoyed the game. It was visually pretty, and the controls of the character were really nice, my brother even commented on how he liked the game more then Sonic (he also said that to teas me....He's more of a Mario person Xb). I agree with you the design of the character isn't the strongest, but I say it kinda gets the job done (however if it was me, I totally would've done something different). If Sega ever had plans to bring a simple character/game back, definitely would consider Ristar!

[@mattwo7]

Personally I never confined myself too much, always doing my own thing on a whim. My review show was the one thing I managed to do consistently and even that's starting to fade out lately, though I do want to keep it going as much as possible.

[@vani-lla]

Ristar is one of my favourite games of all time, so going into this video, I was mostly here to hear your personal opinions on him. I will say, watching the gameplay footage made me realize just how noobish I am compared to the guy playing. He's playing on Hard Mode, and the amount of score and extra lives he has is crazy high.

[@BlackWingedSeraphX]

Anyone else end up playing Ristar's game more than Sonic's on Mega Collection?

[@crybabybf1990]

Whenever I hear the phrase "play with me" I think of a doll trying to give me an invitation to the depths of hell.

[@jollygrapefruit786]

And yet fucking Bubsy gets the new games

[@Autotrope]

Nice video style man. I have to say though, this is the second youtube video I've seen recently about Ristar that claims one game was ever made. But Ristar came out also for the Game Gear, and it's a different game and worth a look if you like Ristar.

[@FrankieW00FR]

I'm gonna call him Joseph from now on. "NIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIICE"

[@dashi-musashi351]

Ristar, Astal, NiGHTS and Freedom Planet all share similar kinds of visuals, and I like them a lot.

[@K.J.S.est1994]

Ristar makes me wish that it could’ve been a launch title for the Sega Saturn due to its graphics and visuals.

[@djpyroteknikz135]

Patiently waiting for that "Angus Delaney (Night in the Woods) - Who Dat? [Character Review]" video.

[@JPeoplzOIII]

I use to just play around on the stages like how we all did at the mansion on tomb raider

[@goldenlightning8842]

Hey guys it's me again the same guy on literally every ristar video here to say yet again that ristar NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT BACK PLEASE SEGA

[@toamatoro570]

When you brought up Ristar having a voice, I'm surprised you didn't mention he says "Hasta la Vista, baby" after defeating Greedy.

[@Hero_AOS4]

Man i poved this game when i was young and still want part 2 and more 😭😭💔

[@Flashshadow]

Restart is actually one of my first Sega Games. I liked the idea of playing as a star-themed alien. 😎👍🏾 There was also a fun collection of flash cartoons starting Ristar on Newgrounds that I thought were pretty fun. 😄

[@JPeoplzOIII]

Ristar's soundtrack was lit. This games was 1 of 3 games i had on game gear. This The Hulk Tetris

[@SilentTandem]

Awesome video Digi! Ahh how I miss Ristar! Grew up playing his game right alongside the blue blur!

[@SicklySeraph]

I love Ristar i was introduced to him and Sonic on the Genesis collection on the psp and i loved play thing game, keep up the good stuff Digi! (Also im sure the change was made because mentioning god somehow makes people mad)

[@puffnstuff7905]

YAY! Who dat is back! I missed your character analysis content a lot. I hope your personal life is doing alright

[@sutakira9992]

Eeeeeeh I missed this show! Thanks DiGi!