[#07] Ristar (Genesis)


Genre: Platform
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Original release: February, 1995

If a developer was asked to take the scenic design of Sonic, the elasticity of Stretch Arm Strong and the appeal of Kirby and roll it all into one finely tuned package, Ristar would be right there to sue for copyright infringement. While a bit late on arrival, the 1995 platformer based around a Star separated from his home is quite frankly the most underrated title on our list.

Ristar's arms are what make him such a formidable celestial hero, stretching every which way he can to swing, grab and punch his way back to the heavens. With the ability to advance not only forward through levels, but also backwards with total freedom, Ristar brought new meaning to the term quality platformer. Ristar includes the standard life up and point bonus items scattered about each level (in this case disguised as stars), moreover it also includes three modes of play: Normal, Hard and Super. With 14 levels and bosses spread across 6 different planets, there's plenty of room to go back and challenge yourself for a higher score. I wish I could say more about this game, but it's really one of those titles you have to play to really appreciate. It's not exactly a fast platformer (though it has its moments), but it's quite an exceptional title that never got as much love as it really deserved.


If you think Ristar is polished, wait until you check out our next game. And what's up with Sega totally dominating our rankings on the developer side of things? I thought this was Nintendo's Virtual Console.