Rocket Knight: A Laudable Reiteration
Many publishers have been perusing their catalogs to see what can be resurrected and reintroduced to any platform in this current generation. While some revived games are excellent HD remakes or merely an endearing, unstable homage to the original manifestation, it is difficult to discredit the demand from the gaming population for the return of their beloved franchises. Titles like Metal Slug XX and Sonic 4 are notable examples of how a series, older than some of the gamers who experience it for the first time, are still wildly popular. Thus, it was pleasing to see Konami give Rocket Knight a new lease on life.
Originally released on the Mega Drive and Genesis, Rocket Knight follows the exploits of an opossum that wears jetpack-endowed armor and possesses a sword that can shoot bolts of energy. Reminiscent of an era when games and the characters inhabiting them didn’t really have to make any rational sense, it only serves to make it all the better that the hero originally fights an army of evil, militant pigs. The current iteration, which released last week on XBLA, possesses the same fundamental nature as the original, making Rocket Knight feel significantly superior to other modern ‘spiritual successors’.
From the moment the game begins, it feels like Rocket Knight down to the most nominal of detail. The primary exception being tutorial aspects, which seem to blend into the background in the form of signs conveniently placed to illustrate what a button does for a player moments before they’ll need to do it. Despite this aspect, the game doesn’t seem to ever feel the need to punish the player for doing something wrong. Suffice to say, you take a great deal of damage before a life gets deducted from your pool of extras.
Occasionally, the level of play will change from a platformer to a side-scrolling shooter a la Gradius, but even these levels feel laconic and well-designed. Additionally, players will be able to collect gems for points and achievements along with the scattered extra life. The gems do certainly shine, but everything about this game makes it stand out like a diamond in the chaff.
Beyond the basic gameplay, the controls are extremely well-balanced, perfectly recreating the nostalgic feeling of playing the title on a Mega Drive. The updated graphics merely serve to absorb new fans of the franchise while giving a fond nod to the players who remember getting their hands on the original – but doubtless the game is very pretty and Konami did an excellent job of creating a vibrant world for gamers both new and old.
I confess it took me a very long time to put together a review on Rocket Knight because, as surprising as it may sound, I had an exceptionally difficult time finding anything wrong with the game. That verdict stands as the game feels ridiculously well-designed beyond my wildest dreams. Hopefully the same care will be taken by Sega for Sonic 4: Episode I, which if that’s the case, will undoubtedly be a hit.
Frankly, diverging from my usual style, I cannot help but say enough good things about Rocket Knight. The boss battles, platforming and side-scrolling flying carry over many, if not all, of the qualities that made the original a fun and engrossing experience and regardless of the high-end cost of 1200 MS points, it should not be missed, even if in the form of a trial download.
Rocket Knight is currently available for 1200 MS points on the Xbox Live Marketplace as well as Steam and the PlayStation Network for $14.99.
