Happy Video Game Nerd: Sparkster / Rocket Knight (Part 1) (Gen/MD)

[@Akatsukileader9]

Also I beat this game as a child without passwords while I could never beat Rocket Knight Adventures. I hated not being able to move after you rocket up.

[@Edobean]

He's a Knight with a Jetpack. YOU CAN'T TOP THAT!!

[@TheCodedtestament]

The best part of this game is its replayability factor. This game just doesn't get old. It is as fun the fiftieth time around as it is the first.

[@lankey6969]

Love these videos, love the style and I love the fact you give credit where it is due. You and the AVGN are my two favorite YT commentators.

[@azurneon]

I think Avgn, Nostalgia Critic, and Happy Game Nerd should make a series: AVGN being the main character, Critic being a rival, and Happy being a helper character

[@SQGReviewShow]

The titles of the Sparkster games remind me of the Rambo movies' titles

[@pungisotu]

I was just thinking of that the other day when I realized Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 was followed by simply Sparkster and an internet comment called it Sparkster 3.

[@LeeOsburn]

Rocket Knight Adventures: Resparked.... COMING SOON!!!

[@porkboy23]

The robot fight is clearly superior in the sequel. There's actual strategy involved. You can actually defend yourself.

[@JONNYSORENSEN_AU]

I had (well still have) Sparkster on my mega drive buy sadly never Rocket Knight, it was popular/ hard to find even back then as it was long gone from retail when I had my console. Still never finished it, hoping to get some emulation happening on one of my handhelds and will finally complete it.

[@opadrip]

Still have my genesis game. I wish there were more sequels.

[@StopSkeletonsFromFighting]

@Itionobo2 no worries, it was for the original gameboy and it was only alright.

[@Jade_S]

WOAH WOAH WOAH! There was a COMIC!? Christ! I used to have and LOVE this game as a kid and I never heard of no comic! I'm going to need to find that shit right the hell now!

[@StopSkeletonsFromFighting]

@marscaleb it's one of the best games for the sega cd (probably my favorite), but it's extremely expensive. personally, i don't think any game is worth 200+ dollars.

[@joshuakaizer5233]

Good review , i've had this game ( RK and sparkster on genesis) lot of fun indeed, but you didn't mention two things, in sparkster when you collect all hidden swords you become gold sparkster wich changes radically the gameplay in the end ( and congrates you with a good scene while transforming , that was epic) and also the sound tracks are created by Akiira Yamaoka him self (silent hill will ring a bell surely)

[@azurneon]

Me too, I just love the Genesis and SNES

[@fatherragoo]

I can't believe I only just noticed the BTBAM poster in the intro. GREAT to see that you're a fan of Between the Buried and Me Derek! The Anatomy Of is a pretty damn good album, it's still not Colors.

[@detspark]

No one's answered already? It's from an old Hideo Kojima game called Snatcher.

[@CaseyGarnerPDX]

I love the Between The Buried And Me poster at 0:57

[@rudorot65]

What is the thing where it gave you the choice of sparkster goemon and the rest of the choices

[@PerryMcCall18]

I manage to see this on RetrowareTV and I must say THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR REVIEWING THE SPARKSTER GAMES!! Including mentioning the rivalry with Sparkster and Axle. I, too, think they should in Smash Bros.

[@PunchyStream]

@sidney27ago I've always pronounced it "Lop Hat Jello". Probably because I'm incredibly bad at recognising funky spellings of words.

[@RamblyngRobyn]

@lophatjello I knew there was the NES and soon to be 3DS games, but I didn't know of the 2nd one inbetween! Thanks for pointing out the mistake. I shoulda done my research first, sorry.

[@Sannidor]

what kind of arcade stick is that? it looks very light

[@sayastra]

oh yeah, glad to see you back in action.

[@devastaticon]

dude, honestly the whole jewel slot game sometimes being a disadvantage makes the game more interesting!

[@marscaleb]

I'm sure there's a number of folks asking this same question, but what game is that shot from, with Sparkster showing up at a "dance" club?

[@beaglelad]

Hi, can anyone tell me what the guitar riff at the beginning of the episode is from? Its fucking amazing!

[@Anakunus]

I can.

[@beaglelad]

Ok cool. What is it?

[@Anakunus]

Part of "Dr. Wily Stage 1".

[@beaglelad]

Anakunus cheers 👍

[@NismoJoeB13]

Snatcher is a classic. I found it at Goodwill for $3.25 in NM condition (disc), and only missing the manual.

[@SK0RRK33P3R]

Intro music anyone tell me what its from? want to download it. 00:08-00:18.

[@StopSkeletonsFromFighting]

@Itionobo2 Pit got 2 actually, and a 3rd one for the 3DS. And he was a Nintendo property. Sparkster is Konami's character. It would be awesome but it's less likely.

[@Ludicodex]

what i like about him is that he did not jus copy avgn and he actually gave him credit good job

[@mango2005]

Thats a very sharp camcorder. What model is it?

[@cjlaw100]

what is the song at the begning

[@marscaleb]

@lophatjello Is it worth getting? I'd like to get something worthwhile for my Sega CD for a change.

[@HurricaneSparky]

For RKA2, I loved the new jetback. I agree with the gimped sword, and I didn't even know how to get a password. ;) I grew up on this game more so than the first, but the the gunship level and the tunnel in the 'last' level with the rockets stopped me from finishing the game, had to use savestates years later. (Axel duel is the best!)

[@LightHatake]

Yes New Video!!! Dude, Derek you are My favorite review of games!

[@TheOrangeDart]

Wait, are you going to review the Earthworm Jim games? Did you already review them? Plz tell me you will (or did).

[@cyde79]

It sounds so funny when he says KOOnami and stOOOpid, LOL!

[@Yorsefener]

what happened to the original HVGN song? it was really good!

[@Carlitonsp1]

Taking the Dick Tracy Cartridge out in the beginning was a nice touch.

[@sam8skate]

are you playing on a mayflash fighting/arcade stick???

[@Carlitonsp1]

I'd put a link to your retrowaretv page, since many people may not realize that reviews are there first.

[@mainecolbs]

You're the man!

[@sayastra]

I don't think complaining about the level length is warranted- but i guess it's just something that was added on with the [admittedly] other crappy drawbacks.

[@MooseCrossing262]

Finally! Been waiting patiently (Read: Impatiently) for your next video. Glad it's here! Keep up the good work!

[@HarrySon29]

Man I wish I had all these old games

[@MikeSugs]

I just noticed, grats on being able to upload over 11 minutes. :P

[@wesker100000000]

Cntd: and another epic rock em sock em robot battle, epic music and challenging levels. I'll probably get laughed at for this but I miss manually charging up the rocketpack and using it sparingly instead of spamming it constantly now and shooting fire from your sword (projectile in the latest one isn't the same thing).

[@TheHeroOfTomorrow]

Hey, HVGN, you've done a retrospective of the Gargoyle's Quest series already, so how about one of Earthworm Jim?

[@wrathofmetal619]

Rocket Knight Adventures was one of my fav genesis game.

[@TheTinker19]

@grandtheftauto5555 It's probably the Genesis Arcade Power Stick. It's pretty much a 3-button Genesis controller with a joystick. There's also a 6-button version, I think.

[@DescendantDroog]

one of your best reviews HVGN

[@Evolvingmom]

what is the song at 0:53

[@Akatsukileader9]

Well this one was my favorite of the bunch.

[@GadGades]

sometimes you're just walking the street and bombs

[@luiscanamarvega]

i remember renting this game at the video store... i had a blast that weekend :)

[@MP2066]

Man I'd love collection of these games

[@TheCartoonCrusader]

@Yorsefener i actually like this intro, but i love the clever lyrics in the old one

[@spinballpac-man]

2:54 what game was that from?

[@MegamegamikeG1]

@Ludlov I'm pretty sure the only reason he keeps it in is because of his name.

[@EpicMiss911]

a 3ds sparkster game is coming out?

[@DEFUNCTFORKS]

what was the game at 2:58

[@DookNewcomb]

Nice review overall, but I actually disagree about you on the password system. You might think it would be nice to just have an option to quit and get a password on the pause menu without using any continues, but think about how easy it would be to abuse in order to never die or use any continue throughout the game. Just pause when you're about to die, get password, restart, repeat until you beat the game.

[@demonangel00]

GREATEST GAME OF MY CHILDHOOD

[@hahahayess]

How long was this game?

[@Gojiro7]

with s to mystery slots left, its super unlikely but fingers crossed for Sparkster in Smash Bro's Ultimate XD

[@Lunasa]

@Ultizer Inspired is inspired, not "based on". If anything, he's showing his respect to James, who is very talented just like Derek, and yes they are very different.

[@ellpoyohlokoh]

"Amplemented properly..." Is that Alaskan slang for implemented? Great video by the way!

[@Brettagher]

i like how you explain that this was inspired by james rolfe right in the opening creds. i hate it when people rip him off and then try to completely dissociate themselves with the AVGN. it's lame. kudos to you

[@Mundank]

@alex93metallica i didn't even notice that, coincidentally I'm wearing a BTBAM shirt now :P

[@Xenysys]

@chafenhimer Ice Climbers were only in one Nintendo game as well. And seriously, who the fuck saw SOLID SNAKE coming? But that's beside the point, it's true that Simon (or Alucard) has more of a chance of making it into a Smash game than Sparkster.

[@sontuk96]

1. Rocket Knight Adventures 2. Rocket Knight Adventures 2: Sparkster 3. Sparkster 4. Rocket Knight

[@Zeno11Salazar]

@Ultizer Who's Seanbaby?

[@smogzilla]

WHAT GAME IS SPARKSTER IN THE STRIP CLUB?

[@Bittergamer1886]

It's not impossible, though. Konami begged Nintendo to let Snake be in Super Smash Bros. Melee. The only reason he wasn't in was because Nintendo was too far along in the game to add a new character, so he got in Brawl. So maybe if we beg Konami enough to beg Nintendo to let Sparkster and Axel Gear in the next installment, then maybe they might get in, huh?

[@stringanime]

Dynamite Headdy best Mascot of the 90's

[@BloodravenKennen]

Stuttering Craig actually likes this game

[@UltraPrimus]

@TheNintendo101 Actualy I Think it gonna be on the 3DS, and I Agree, Sparkster and Axel Gear MUST BE IN THAT GAME

[@FinalAuron1]

@TheNintendo101 ...how about adding Lloyd, Kratos, Ephraim, Eliwood, Jill, etc...

[@DomIstKrieg]

holy fuck, Sparkster would be amazing as a smash bros character.

[@hobocamptheater]

the reason why you get bombed so much is that (stupidly) there are 2 bomb plates on the slot machine. If you watch it when it slows down, you can see it (there's also only 1 plate for everything else... stupid)

[@stevenraysidibe]

I'm always shocked that nobody ever comments on how attractive he HVGN is. The end.

[@Volothos]

Sparkster had reach... but Rocket Knight Adventure had flexibility...

[@Br0adHead]

Two Best friends channel talked about you bro! your in the big time :P

[@DocUno1]

I actually liked this game the best out of all of them

[@leeartlee915]

I booted up the original the other for the first time. It’s obviously a high quality Konami joint. Fun movement, good pacing, the whole package… but I just SUCK at retro games now. I don’t know when I lost my touch but I was dying a lot. So I’m, shamefully, using save states. I might have to return my gamer card.

[@xenotypos]

When you say that the sword is useless, you admit that you didn't fully understand the gameplay of Genesis Sparkster. I won't blame you: that's the case of so many people, probably because the game didn't emphasize enough how useful it is. All those fancy rocket charges are so fast that most people don't bother understanding the actually subtle gameplay of this game. The sword is damn useful, it's especially the case in a jump or after a jet pack: the sword remains is action during the entire fall. While the sword effect in Rocket Knight was a horizontal line, when you fall in Sparkster this is a vertical line. In my opinion, while no Sparkster is on the same level as RKA, genesis Sparkster is still a brillant game (I really find it almost as good as RKA) and way better than snes Sparkster (which is basically all of RKA's idea but less well made every time, maybe if I didn't do RKA first I would have liked it better). But I give you that, the robot phase against Axle Gear's robot is shit. Slow, boring and easy. The flame sword isn't very useful too. As for the bombs, I think you really weren't lucky (unless you played on hard or very hard modes, in which the bombs are common).

[@ProkoLokor]

Rocket knight Adventures is one of the best games ever made. Would you rather want to play RKA or first Medal of Honor?

[@TerraceLuster]

Hey, Derek! You should really consider auditioning for the AVGN's movie, you could be like, his alter-ego!

[@PSNGreyLynx]

ROCKET ROCKET ROCKET SKATES!-Rocket Racoon

[@QuetzalToon005]

2:34 no man that spot is for klonoa, sparster is good but i think klonoa is more diserving of that spot

[@Lexilulz]

woah, dude. that's an BTBAM poster at 00:57. didnt know you were into the heavy shit!

[@takanuva114]

@KirbyY15 I don't think that's what he meant.

[@lankey6969]

right? Thats why i like this guy too

[@xRocketzFighterx]

Saw the review two weeks ago, great work hvgn. I've already commented on the whole review of all 3 games on your YT front page. To answer your questions on the flame sword yes it does double your attack and its impossible to keep, its useless on very hard mode since evernturaly get bombs every 10 seconds cause you accidently set off the slot machine.

[@hezekiahramirez6965]

Nice Dickard cameo.

[@wesker100000000]

Konami should remake the first one and re-release it on psn/ 360/ wii and pc, they'd get a crapload of sales. The latest one lacked a lot, it was fun but too easy, short, no boss rushes, it sucks that nothing ever came close to the original rka and sparksters original design is still the best one imo. I'm glad konami brought it back I just hope if they make another one they go back to sprites and look back at the first game and expand on it ie crazy boss fights, faster flying levels etc.

[@EndymionMkII]

The sequel on the genesis, as you said, could have been much better, but sadly got lowered by the same things it wanted to implement. A case where the sequel trying to put more new things, screwed a bit off :C

[@jossy323]

is there a cheap but good wine bottle in particular that you enjoy?

[@Mysterious0Bob]

@lophatjello Hah, I got Snatcher at my local Gamestation for 3 pounds. And it came with a copy of Micro Machines V3. I don't plan on ever selling it though, I buy games to play them.

[@StopSkeletonsFromFighting]

@marscaleb snatcher for the sega cd

[@wesker100000000]

As chuck norris says real men play rka, boys play cod.