Rocket Knight Adventures Series - In Retrospect

[@ElNingyou]

The first game has hands-down my #1 favorite 16-bit soundtrack.

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

SNES soundtrack is better

[@FuzzleMusic]

Same here. It’s impossibly good.

[@ManiYeaYeaNayNaySolomon]

​@@godzpeedx7ii75dream on fan boy

[@thewackywarden]

Good video! Seeking out reviews since this (and that awesome felix the Cat game!!) was announced to get a re-release on modern hardware. You've sold me! Can't wait to try this series out!

[@jmo0595]

So glad there doing a collection of these games then

[@GatorRay]

I'm pissed off that Konami took down the Steam version of Rocket Knight.

[@rkcoon]

If you mean the recent steam version, They took it down because it was *BAD*. Extremely bad. Overly silly, bad gameplay, the *worst* control of the entire series, and a general insult to the fans of the original. Even the generally-derided RKA2 for Genesis is better than the mess Konami farmed out to Steam.

[@GavinsGoldenEntertainment2005]

Language

[@jambofatherandsongaming2692]

@@rkcoon STFU opinions exist LMFAO

[@jambofatherandsongaming2692]

@Chrono what???

[@jambofatherandsongaming2692]

@@GavinsGoldenEntertainment2005 what now???

[@deckofcards87]

Rocket Knight is just a cooler character than Sonic, IMO. He deserved a bigger series of games.

[@elegunte]

no bady talks about the continuation of sparkters in snes: twin bee rainbow bell adventures

[@DomMcFly88]

Loved the lightly steampunk inspired setting of part 1 on the genesis.

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Snes is better

[@GavinsGoldenEntertainment2005]

@@godzpeedx7ii75 okay here’s the plot: Beginning of Rocket Knight Adventures & There’s A *Sparkster* Is A Sequel to The Rocket Knight Adventures & Then *Super Sparkster* is The Another Sequel to The Sega Genesis & Finally The final Sequel of The Series *Rocket Knight 3D Adventures*

[@Killahurtz260]

God I fucking loved this game. I remember renting this more than any other game at the movie rental store.

[@lucariowolfomegax1175]

Rocket Knight on SNES 🤔😘😘😘😘😘🐺🐺🐺🐩🐩🐩🏆🏆🏆😙😙😙😻😻🎮🎮🦊🦊🎉🎉🎉🎊🎊😄😄😄✝️✝️✝️🕹️🕹️☯️🐱🐱🐱🤧

[@ekmakarek]

4:03 you are a fitting voice actor for sparkster

[@jerfuhrer2581]

I would love a modern Rocket Knight game that doesn't just feel like a rehash of ideas from the first game. Like, fighting pigs and Axl Gear is fun and all..... but he's a whole steampunk knight!! Have some fun with it! Have him fight a coven of clockwork witches that grant him different powers like Mega Man. Instead of Gold Sparkster, make it just ONE legendary sword that grants him increased range and power on his sword. Have him have to team up with Axl Gear to fight off space pirates. Have Sparkster's home kingdom get attacked by Karakuri Skunks. The rock'em-sock'em robot fight was fun in the first game, but adding it to the following games wore it out. Come up with different, fun and weird vehicles for him to have alternate battles in. Tanks, skateboards, battle boats, Go-Karts, weaponized fruit stands, seadoos...SO MUCH!!! Snowmobiles!!! Have some kingdom employ knock-off rocket knights (Steam-Squires) that use similar, but inferior moves, weapons and tactics. Make one level seriously turn into a split screen race like Wiz'n'Liz or Sonic 2. There's so much they can do!!!

[@NEOthefriendlyYoutuber]

Rocket knight for smash

[@rageinternet9391]

Sparkster boosts his way into the battle

[@xRocketzFighterx]

Great review. Ironicly i used to play as Baird alot in Gears of War because he looks like sparkster

[@2097xl]

"There's no way this guys name is Generalissimo lioness, he's a pig in a fucking tank" - Sonic For Hire

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Nope

[@miamimagicians]

One of the best SNES/SEGA games. This is what kept Blockbuster video in business for 30 years!

[@VirtualVernon]

Rocket Knight Adventures is a genesis/mega drive exclusive. Snes got the bad sparkster version.

[@GavinsGoldenEntertainment2005]

@@VirtualVernon SNES Sparkster is Not Bad

[@PhillipORiley]

Great retrospective! The SNES Sparster is one of my favorite platformers.

[@lucariowolfomegax1175]

Phillip O'Riley 🤧🐱🐱🐱🐱☯️☯️🕹️🕹️🕹️✝️✝️😄😄🎊🎊🎉🦊🦊🎮🎮😻😻😙😙🏆🐩🐺😘😘

[@TylerNessss]

Hell yeah baby. Its just looks and sounds sooooo much better than Genesis. But this IP needs a proper reboot.. give it to Nintendo or something... put Sparkster in smash. This character is too great to die

[@GavinsGoldenEntertainment2005]

@@TylerNessss where is Rocket knight 2!!

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

@Цанко Лапаков Lol no you don’t. The Snes has more and better moves. Also most prefer the snes version more

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

@@GavinsGoldenEntertainment2005 No

[@lysanderxx1664]

Great retrospective! I thought to look up Rocket Knight stuff with the announcement of Re-Sparked. I played the original repeatedly when I was young, and I rented Sparkster on SNES a few times. Is the game still one I'd play today? Apparently, yes. Yes it is. The quality of gameplay and amazingly expressive sprites, with Sparkster himself having so many poses and actions, is just as good as the higher quality indie titles today. Most action and platforming games from back in the day had fairly static and expressionless characters.

[@Angelo_X_2045]

Anyone else get reminded of Tails (from Sonic) whenever they look at Sparkster’s character model on the 2nd game?

[@whogotbarslikethese7563]

Honestly the backgrounds in the genesis sparkster game really looks like they wanted it to look like a sonic game.

[@ScatterbrainPete]

From what I've read, Zephyrus is the actual Japanese name. They chose to drop the English name for the 2010 game. Also, apparently "Elhorn" is supposed to be "Erewhon" but was mistranslated.

[@MrGlenbw]

6:01 Both versions are now available on the latest version of Disney Classic Games Collection for all consoles. TOTALLY RAD!

[@beedabop5797]

I just bought that last week! I have the snes cartridge that I play on my nt but I like the sega version better

[@GavinsGoldenEntertainment2005]

@@beedabop5797where the hell is Rocket Knight 2

[@VirtualVernon]

I use to rent this game from blockbuster video back in 1993-1994 faithfully.

[@emmanuelemenike6723]

I imagine a perfect rocket knight game with fresh music, tight controls... Oh wait.

[@shinyneko8136]

I kind of prefer Sparkster's design in the second game a bit more then the first one mainly because of the armor. I like his cutesy design in the first game, but his armor looked kind of tacky and I think they fixed that in the second game. I also don't mind his 'anime' look that much, as I think it still kind of maintains some of that 'cutesy' appeal.

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

I and most prefer sparkster’s design in the first game more. And his armor didn’t look tacky

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Nope his anime look doesn’t maintain the cutesy appeal

[@deebrown5744]

He says super Nintendo versus Genesis now that is a throwback video appreciate the video bro kids don't even know about that

[@frannavarro-efejota-5018]

Thanks for the detailed retrospective! It's interesting that they never got any portable entries or re-releases.

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Not portable, HANDHELD

[@POSSUM_chowg]

Beat the SNES sparkster today. Don't say that a character needs to be in Smash Bros unless you've played one of these games! Should I try to beat RKA next? Also, I'll tell y'all how to beat axel's big boxing robot in space. You can get a few punches in before he starts blocking, and meanwhile you can spam bullets while blocking until one of his arms breaks (it takes a long time, but it cancels those times when he goes crazy!) Then you can easily beat him with a few more blows (28 total, but it'll be a lot easier to do.) Well, I did try this on normal and it might not work on hard.

[@gonzalot.605]

Awesome video! I am excited to hear your thoughts on the upcoming Re-Sparked collection.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Can't wait for Blonde Guy Gamer: Judgment. [damn it, *I* was supposed to make a Gears of War joke! :P] Seriously, though - pretty awesome goggles! I would still say Rocket Knight 2010 is my 2nd favourite in the franchise. I'm not the greatest fan of both Sparksters. They don't even feel like they should belong in this franchise. I'm a bit surprised an Okami fan such as yourself didn't import the Asia-only physical release of Okami HD on the PS3.

[@Blondeguygamer]

Eh, I heard Blondeguygamer: Judgment was just filler to hold people over until the next game, I'd say wait until Blondeguygamer 4. ;) Also, as big of an Okami fan I am, I'm content with the downloadable Okami HD we do have. Though I suppose if I really wanted it for collection sake, I could see importing a physical copy one day for that.

[@GatorRay]

A better candidate could be the new 2D Pikmin game that I won't buy because it doesn't look interesting coming out next year. Heck I'd be fine if it got cancelled in favor of Pikmin 4 on the Nintendo Switch.

[@GatorRay]

I'm hoping Capcom puts OkamiDen on the Wii U VC since it would play so much better with an analog stick. since games are still made for a console after it's been discontinued.

[@rochanred5845]

7:16 That’s literally the best part of this review.

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

No

[@adultmoshifan87]

I’d like to see the 16 bit RCA/Sparkster games on Evercade, the cart also featuring iOS’s Krazy Kart Racing!

[@awakeningofevolutiontheiro1057]

Good news man! A Rocket Knight Collection of the first three games is getting released in February 2024!

[@michaelhernandez1841]

Akira Yamaoka produced the soundtrack. What a change from this to the Silent Hill series

[@NeutralGuyDoubleZero]

23:11 Actually it seems like gold sparkster has a faster charging jetpack than normal. Guess its more of a risk vs reward style of fun then.

[@kitsunahri]

omg best video ever, I love Rocket Knight Adventures and Sonic Spinball gets mentioned too, I love that game too...but I´m terrible at both of them^^

[@SuperPiposaru]

I can't even get past the first level of Sonic Spinball!

[@BlueFrenzy]

@Blondeguygamer you will have a better hint into the story of RKA if you can get your hands into the instruction manual. Let me describe it briefly: Long time ago a group of pirates from space came in the Pig Star to the world of the game. After war, they were defeated and their supreme weapon, the Pig Star was sealed. The key to the seal was passed through generatios in the Zebulo's Royal family and the rocket knights were created to protect the seal. Axle gear, a rocket knight who wanted to take the secrets of the rocket knights "disabled" Mifune Sanjulo, master of sparkster and leader of the rocket knights. Sparkster, as new leader, pursued Axle gear for taking revenge, and he found out that he was teaming up with the Devotindos, who is back to attack the Zebulos Kingdom and kidnap the princess Sherry, the one who has the key to the seal. That's where the game begins. After pursuing Axle gear and reaching Devotindos' Kingdom Sparkster is late: the key was stolen and devotindos went to the Pig Star. Sparkster follows Devotindos and Axle gear to the pig star to find out that Devotindos was just a mechanical robot, and the Pig Star was a factory of those robots. At the end of the game Sparkster find that the Pig Star's Core computer has the Devotindos' face, hinting that Devotindos' fake was all along a puppet of the Pig Star in order to unseal itself. It ends up blowing into million pieces. Personally, I loved it at the time.

[@retrogamelover2012]

Why do I get the feeling that if they ever did anything more with Rocket Knight (wishful thinking as it is), that Sparkster would eventually flip his lid and probably try to strangle the daylights out of Axel, once he was down?

[@lgpugh35]

I still prefer the original Rocket Knight Adventures on Genesis over all.

[@mozes88]

You can clearly see that the sequels arent made by the same design team right?

[@Michichuelo]

Oh my, the submarine stage in SNES version.

[@edwardgaines6561]

4:25 Sleeping with your video games? Well, that was funny nonetheless. I won't judge a fellow retro gamer.

[@retrolosopher2405]

i played sparkster first before RKA. never had the responsiveness issues people tend to complain about with him. If anything I find controlling him in RKA to be a chore, since apparently it took a whole game development cycle for konami to figure out the rocket pack should be its own button. And in RKA, his possum hanging was always random and slippery for me

[@cobalt7248]

Rocket Knight Adventures is my favorite game ever

[@MrGlenbw]

5:32 If I were a Sega exec, I'd rather have Rocket Knight Adventure be a part of the Genesis Mini collection instead of Sonic Spinball. Honestly, it's one of Sega's most baffling decisions to be sure.

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Nope

[@DarkElfDiva]

I'm glad Spinball is on the Gen Mini because it's the only place in quite a while you can see the Freedom Fighters. I miss them.

[@krakenskull2557]

I think that the downloadable Rocket knight is a great game.

[@CleafKnowsVLOGS_nl]

I was so hooked on this game!

[@starsatellite2413]

Even though the first Rocket Knight Adventures is underappreciated but great even though the sequels and the reboot aren't as good as the first game what I find disturbing about the endings in the games is Sparkster being all shy and not getting one of the girls Princess Sherry or Princess Cherry and and flying off from the princesses and King Zephyrus who is the father of Princess Sherry and uncle of Princess Cherry and in the reboot he got hitched with some ramdom female character and has a young son.

[@Shinjiduo]

Maybe Sparkster did not want to be king? He seems to be more about battling than ruling. I recognize this post is from 3 years ago but I had to answer it.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Yeah, the fear of losing all those download-only games... This is why I usually stick to physical collecting and it always pains me to see a game I really like never getting a physical release - like Hard Corps: Uprising, Shadow Complex or Tales of Monkey Island PS3. I wish more XBLA/PSN games went physical like: DuckTales Remastered Okami HD, Strider & Resident Evil HD (PS3 in Asia) Triple Packs (Splosion Man + Trials HD + Limbo) (Beyond Good & Evil + OutLand + From Dust) Heck, I think even Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon got a physical disc on the X360 as a part of a Far Cry collection in the US. A shame the 360 is region-locked! (European here...)

[@GatorRay]

I like to buy digital copies but I will get physical copies if I can get it at a cheaper price or if that digital version is too big.

[@GavinsGoldenEntertainment2005]

@@GatorRay excuse Me How do I Unlock Gold Sparkster Mode!

[@IndianaDundee]

This dude screams I still live with my parents.

[@Korudo]

This partially inspired me to play through all 4 games. I’d rank them 1. Rocket Knight Adventures 2. Rocket Knight 3. Sparkster (SNES) 4. Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 (Genesis) 1 is a great game all around. Best music, fun levels, and best final boss. So charming. 2 has a generic art style and a bit easy, but excellent level design and fun. 3 plays similar to 1, but had annoying levels (and yeah, that Boxing fight SUCKED!). 4 had the best art style, but the worst overall level design, and the most annoying final boss…but I did like the auto-charge.

[@jerfuhrer2581]

Rocket Knight Adventures = Sonic the Hedgehog Rocket Knight = Crash Bandicoot

[@gonzalot.605]

What?

[@jerfuhrer2581]

@@gonzalot.605 Sonic the Hedgehog has simple controls and a singular attack. Crash Bandicoot is similar, but with far more options.

[@bretthicksomega]

My copy of Rocket Knight Adventures is complete :P

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Most of the game’s music on snes most people prefer

[@dapure1718]

favorite childhood game ever

[@jonathanjuarez316]

I don't usually comment cause most people I watch review games suck and have no personality but you my friend deserve my first comment! Very thorough review and that Axel being a dick bit had me cracking up!!! I will say I agree that soundtrack for Sparkster on SNES really sucks but the entertaining mechanics make up for that but Rocket Knight Adventures on Sega has the best soundtrack hands down!!! So as all cliche sack riders would say Great video man!!! 😎

[@GalaxiaShadow]

I see Rocket Knight on steam being purchasable still, I own it anyways so idk.

[@evan2902]

There was a cancelled port of Rocket Knight Adventures for SNES? I know this is an old video and so you're likely not watching the comments but I'm curious to know where you heard about that.

[@Blondeguygamer]

It was something I read about on Wikipedia and through word of mouth from other RKA fans, but there doesn't seem to be a source for that trivia from what I can find. So, I can't say if that's 100% true nowadays without verification.

[@Lion-EXE]

I like Sparkster on Genesis way more than the SNES version. The SNES version is so annoying with the enemy placement and stage hazards. It's like the game punishes you for trying to utilize its main mechanic. You just run into everything.

[@AYANAMlREl]

that explanation reminds me a very popular genesis trilogy

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Nope most and I like sparkster on snes WAY more than the genesis. And the Snes annoying? Dude the genesis is MORE annoying. The genesis has way more annoying hazards than the snes has

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Also the game doesn’t punish you for trying to utilize its main mechanic. The genesis sparkster doesn’t reward you and you get a jet pack that you need constantly instead of using your brains and your sword

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

@@AYANAMlREl Nope genesis sucks

[@AYANAMlREl]

@@godzpeedx7ii75 chill out dude i know snes is better but genesis still have great games

[@karenshoemaker8179]

You can get a download code for the Steam version of Rocket Knight on Gamestop.com

[@jonathanplooij3666]

thanks for the video

[@karenshoemaker8179]

You buy a download code for the Steam version of Rocket Knight on Gamestop.com

[@retrolosopher2405]

did you see konami announced an RKA collection? switch and playstation

[@mopbrothers]

I've only played the SNES version. Odd that the first game on the genesis is the best?

[@DudeWatIsThis]

Oh dude you're missing out. Try it whenever you can. I grew up with a Mega Drive (Genesis), and this was the best platformer I've played on the system. Yes, better than Sonic. Sparkster (the second game) is just average by comparison.

[@whogotbarslikethese7563]

The original genesis game is legit probly one of my favorite games

[@mango2005]

i like the latest rocket knight game

[@luluraratime]

MD, 제네시스 버전 스파크스터는 너무 저평가 되었습니다. 조작감이 시리즈 중 최고입니다.

[@rickonami]

RKA... The Best.

[@rkcoon]

RKA was, by far, the best of the franchise. None could measure up after it, especially not without some serious backing which none of em got. The polish, music, level design, and attention to detail far eclipse the rest of the franchise sadly.

[@predaking2wings]

bro yea hard core genesis fans, needs a game genie once in a while to enjoy the games better, really too hard some times even for the skilled players!

[@MizfitZer0]

So... you only did 1 of these type of reviews?... odd

[@AJTComicsBrand]

You look more like Cid from ff7.

[@IkesDaddelbox]

12:02 was that a reference to Neo Cortex?

[@coffeefox5703]

Why the fuck is Sparkster so expensive? When I bought the game a few years ago, it was only around 40$.

[@rkcoon]

And, a year later, having got and played the steam version - IT SUCKS! Konami made a massive mistake farming that out (as the reviewer noted , the idiot that they farmed it out to has a habit of ruining games) as they got something that absolutely defecated all over the original. Overly silly game plot, pathetic graphics (seriously, RKA on Genesis and even SNES looks immensely better than this slop) sloppy controls *worse than RKA2* , slow ass game play, cheap bosses and even cheaper levels culminate for a waste of harddrive space. I played through it a couple times just to say i had, and yea, there is only *one* Rocket Knight, and he's on Genesis.

[@mjhedgehog873]

Are you to draw my mum crazy because I can play in this game a lot on my Sega mega drive I love I cannot adventures it's such a good and a very unique game of it's time and yes sometimes it from work I play it pretty much before playing a sonic game or after playing a some again but mainly at night when I don't want to play Sonic but just play something that I just forgot even your spark threw himself or even know my Pikachu after him as well but this game Melanie's to come back this there was one of the little that was gets me every time it's still not working even today bless the game actually makes you play the hardest difficulty to get it's true ending which is wonderful

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

SNES version is better

[@djanthony9759]

sega all day

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Nintendo all day

[@dr.joshdarealgamer1610]

Rocket Knight Adventures is doh.

[@cup_noodls]

u hav bootleg bruh?

[@MrStrangermoon]

some of stages 2nd parts and final boss second phase only avaialbe hard on sparkster md. if you play like that way better than first game and its best game after sonic 3 and knucles. music also best after s3&knucles. if you consider s3a&knucles is two game combine you can maybe say sparster md is best md game. orginal game have charm but feel slower and shorter. orginal game have long attack spaster game is more like sonic you need to use sword closer like sonic hits. if orginal game not have long attack like contra maybe best after sonic games buts its diffret than sonic like games. color tone also more sonic 2 3 like on sparskter. snes sparskster and orginal colors more like strider. snes spasrster some eneymies very strider like and feels sluggy slow. cant beat md sparster ı think. the only thing on mega drive spasrter is lack of ı think space level. but you have great fly levels. bosses on sparster md every one is uniuqe espicialy end boss second phase eye attack and music. on sparskter md pyramid level compared sonic and knucles pyramid level both have endles sections to trick you you can lost in pyramid but sprakster pyramid feels bigger and brutal also. on normal play pyramid almost easy. need to played hard not just extra end cinamtic. ı think thats why people chose orginal game . if you play normal of course orgnial game feel longer.

[@mordibc]

7:16

[@moscowvicent831]

keep up good work!

[@retrogamelover2012]

22:39-22:42 They got to first base!! 8^D

[@bogumilaczwakiel5579]

Ja grajem w rocket kinght 2010 pastysgoiusa xbox3600🍮🍙🍣

[@bogumilaczwakiel5579]

Ja grajem w rocket kingt 2010 pastysgoiusa xbox3600😣💅🏿😈😡😡💩💤💤🖕🏿😈

[@darrellprice4029]

I thought this game was rasist..

[@MizfitZer0]

The snes sparkster is NOT better than the sega version at all. Both sega games are vastly superior in terms of music, gameplay and control

[@jonahabenhaim1223]

It really depends

[@TylerNessss]

No.... never.... at allllllll SNES looks insanely better, music quality Sega vs SNES is just uncomparable. Over game design I might give to RKA, because SNES had the broke Box Axel fight which suuuuucks. But in general Sega just looked and sounded horrible compared to SNES, so its not Sparksters fault

[@POSSUM_chowg]

The genesis sparkster is NOT better than the other two games at all. Both RKA and the snes sparkster are vastly superior in terms of music, gameplay and control

[@philbateman1989]

I'm still waiting for someone to point out that Sparkster looks completely trash compared to RKA in terms of graphical quality. Is it just me who sees that???

[@DrPepperFields]

It's just you.

[@Mahadonation1]

dude you talk so fast some words are mumbled. anyway good review tho

[@michaelpitcher2820]

That xbla rocket knight game is soooo bland.

[@godzpeedx7ii75]

Not

[@christophe2201]

What a bad game! Controls are inaccurate and I didn't take any fun while playing it!!!