I've been searching for this game for 20 years. All i could remember was that it opened with a giant blue robot fighting a giant pink robot. After all this time, i was beginning to think i misremembered that Phineas and Ferb treehouse episode as a game. Literally 20 years later and my search is over. I feel so fulfilled
It'd be a huge mistake to dismiss Sparkster as just another mascot platformer - this Konami platformer was an excellent followup to the classic Rocket Knight Adventures.
Madeleine Fisher not really. You’re far better off playing Rocket Knight Adventures, which is a fantastic game. This is just average and full of cheap ass level design...something that RKA manages to do without. It’s very obvious that whichever group made this had no idea what made the first game special.
@@evan2902 RKA had plenty of spots where it was quite easy to take damage or lose a life, the series is more known for it's difficulty and unique character with jetpack. It is also known for having great music in all 3 games, plus level design that wasn't that cheap overall. Hell if you want, you can turn the difficulty down and skip a lot of parts of the game, but where's the fun in that?
This game is super underrated. Loved playing this anytime I rented it from Blockbuster. All though, I think it is kind of a cheap shot that if you fail the robot fight at the beginning of the game you're locked out of the true ending because you need to collect these magic swords through out the game and the first one is the one Sparkster was trying to get before he got interrupted.
Me too . I love the snes game but it lacks something in its presentation that the genesis game had. It had much more packed adventure and its not so brutal like the snes game. I think even the soundtrack captures the spirit on the genesis much better than the snes soundtrack.
I've honestly always felt this one a step back compared to Rocket Knight Adventures. I find the visual style less appealing (BTW, I got the impression that the artists of RKA or the same as Contra Harcorps, so different ones may have worked on Sparkster), and the control scheme while still good is a bit bogged down by having a third button to use. Never enough praise, however, for how Konami (rightfully) believed in the games and the character's appeal to the point of making two entirely different games that share just the main character, the damsel in distress and a few music tracks (odd to notice that it's the SNES Sparkster that plays more like RKA).
I found this game pushed the mega drive a little because during some scenes with explosions the game would slow to a crawl. But I find that the first looked and sounded so much better yet the Super Nintendo version is completely different, he had the power slash off his sword in that version like from RK1, in the MD he doesn't you have to pick up a flame power up which was pointless. I actually would have liked to try the SNES version j thought it was a mega drive only game
@@dnakatomiuk i have a feeling the slowdown was intentional, even the og rka had that many explosions on screen, tho i will say some parts of this game feature some neat sprite rotation like in the mech fight and final boss
Вторая часть приключений Реактивного Рыцаря-Грызуна (Rocket Knight Adventures) вышла на мой глазок куда более простой и весёлой, но всё равно прикурить даёт и ещё как... но я - ни на чём ни настаиваю! Прохождение оной игры тоже хорошее - спасибо автору!)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
I wouldn't compare it to Treasure's masterpieces at the time like Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy, but Konami did a great job with these platformers in the meantime too. Still one of the better Genesis platformers.
@@Dorian_Scott Ehhh I wouldn't say that, both are different enough from one another to be fantastic stand alone games of their own merits. I will agree with you though that this is one of the best platformers for the Genesis, with RKA right up there with it.
@@Bloodreign1 Look, I *_LOVE_* *_"Sparkster"_* on the SNES. But compared to *_"Rocket Knight Adventures 2"_* , it has worse sounding music (at least in *_my_* opinion. Still sounds great, though.), a worse idea for a Password system, and worst of all, inconsistent boss difficulty (Some, like *_Axel_* , are brutally difficult, while others you can just spam that sword attack on them. Completely eliminating the challenge). It's a great game, yes. But, better than the Sega Genesis sequel of the same name of which *_DOZENS_* of people claim it to be...? I don't think so.
In hindsight, I think it'd be cool (and funny) if this game (or the previous--Rocket Knight Adventures) had a sort of Moai statue Easter egg (like in a lot of out Konami titles).
Good game but I guess someone at Konami thought the first game wasn’t challenging enough. Just beating it on normal is brutal. Stage 5’s corridor full of metal fists coming at you and eventually becoming impossible to fend off unless you’re super fast with hitting the switches is horrible. Also, at least the first game doesn’t make you fight the last three bosses without any checkpoints. Die on the third phase of Mr. Lizard King? Your ass is going back to fighting Axel.
Or just buy Sega Genesis classics on PC which allows mods from the steam workshop, this game can be downloaded from the steam workshop and it works well plus with the addition of quick saves and rewinds, this game becomes much less frustrating.
@@rodrigoalves-cg6xv - It's comments like this for why the mainstream thinks of people like you to be Aviator-Shoemaker-Sole-Helium-Over-Laser-Entrance-Swamp that deserve to be fed to President-Independent-Radical-Anthem-Nostalgic-Hay-Antelope-Sensible!
I remember renting this one back in the day, loved the music and graphics to this day and Sparkster was one of my fav videogames characters, but is such a difficult game for me that I'd rather have other titles featuring mascots, I guess I'll leave this one to those who enjoys challenging games
Do you have to beat this game on hard mode to get the best ending? I know you have to collect all the swords... But the first RKA game made you play on hardest mode for the best ending (unless you had the Japanese version).
I gotta say that it's pretty much agreed that the 1st is the best and this is the least favorite of the 3 but I freaking LOVE level 2's music. One of my favorite 16 bit tunes
@@professorpenne9962 there was 1+2 on Genesis and a completely different 2 on SNES. Then there was Rocket Knight on Xbox 360. And sparkster has been in several other games
to all the folks claiming the first one was better... I played this one first before RKA, and when i finally played RKA, it felt like such a cheap and rough demo version due to the level layout, the less catchy music with fewer memorable hooks, and the fact that the ***rocket didnt have its own button?!*** Sparkster feels immensely polished compared to RKA, and I think nostalgia holds a lot of fans back from objectively looking at the sequel
My dude, all the Sparkster games are 3 decades old. Why would someone be more nostalgic for 1 than 2? Anyway I actually played this game first and I was legitimately surprised that RKA released before it considering how much better it looks and plays. This game is still decent but the levels and bosses can really drag
Damn, i never know there was Sparkster Game on the Genesis. I only know Rocket Kight Adventures and Sparkster on the SNES. Both games look similar and have the same music, but the Genesis Version has a lot of changes so i must play it, because i love the SNES version.
You definitely should play both Sparkster games, both are incredible games. I'm thankful I bought all 3 games while they were still sanely priced, part of my game collection.
Sparkster is the greatest character on the but he didn't get invited in smash but hes not mad hes said [Oh is fine let sora get in smash i just need to wait new game] but he's great person but hes not coming back hes ages 37 but hes dead.... I don't know what happened to him? Hes gone? Or he left to find hes family or friends? We don't know! IM FRICKIN WAITING SPARKSTER GAME!!! IS BEEN 19 YEARS DUDE!!!!
the bit from 41:23 to 42:02 is the biggest bunch of bullshit ever, not only does the barriers knock you back you can still get hurt even when you push the button down.
Theres only 5 levels but they're longer than the first game. The password feature still would've been more useful in the first because it's a little tougher
This game feels nowhere near unfinished actually. Graphically inferior, with less effort put into the overall presentation, as well as less rich overall sound due to less sound channels being used. In all respects, it does indeed look like the older game. But unfinished? No. It still looks great, sounds great, and most importantly is fun to play, in fact I personally have more fun playing this game than I do playing RKA or the SNES game, but then again this is the first one I played. And I think the main problem is that for most people it's the other way around. This game out of the three had the smallest marketing budget and therefore less people noticed and picked up and played it, let alone played it before playing the other two. That's why whenever they critique this game they feel the need to compare it directly to RKA before all else. And many of the things they point out are admittedly true to an extent. Out of the 3, this game arguably looks and sounds the worst, and has the least amount of cutscenes and story. But it's like saying a Ford mustang has less engine power than a Ram TRX. It just doesn't play out. I wish people would stop looking at this game through those rose-tinted RKA glasses and appreciate this game on it's own for what it really is. That is, a great game. People tend to not understand what really was behind the creation of these titles. Compared to Rocket Knight, this game was made by a much smaller team with less resources and budget to work with. And they gave it their all. And honestly, in the end, after the dust of rose tinted nostalgia settles down, it pays off.
I've noticed from your other comments on this channel that you really seem to like to refer to games as "unfinished" whenever it has some sort of dip in quality. And honestly it doesn't really make all that much sense. To to able to call a game unfinished you have to think of what the definition of "finished" is. That is, the point in the process of creating something in which the creator is satisfied with their work and no longer feels a need to continue working on it. And unless the developer of a game directly tells you that they stopped working on their game before they intended to, then it isn't really "unfinished", it's just "poor".
Firstly I said it 'feels' like an unfinished game. The fact that it drops the level passwords at game over, rather than when you beat the level, is a pretty obvious sign of this (I didn't even know you get a password for years - and thought you had to beat it in one go.) Secondly, what else did I call unfinished? .. Happy New Year :)
@@ryodash well, you also said that about that bad beauty and the beast game as well as part of Genesis aladdin. And those are 2 of your other recent comments on this channel. Also you said that you imagine this game was actually unfinished. Not just feels.
There were a lot of games that were released for both the SNES and Genesis where some games are the same but the music is different (Pac-Man 2 The New Adventures for example) and games like Sparkster that felt like two completely different games. I'll say this but the SNES Sparker is FAR superior to the Genesis version
If you are talking about this game, yeah. If you are talking about the SNES one, no. If you are talking about the game simply called *Rocket Knight* (which is actually the fourth one), hell yes!
Sucked? I wouldn’t say that, but it does feel a bit rushed in comparison. The mech level drags on a bit and the battle with Axel is repeated twice if you’re getting all the swords for the real ending. There’s also random insta-kill beams chasing you midway through round 5 with no indication that they’re about to mow you down...absolutely had to be one of those things to waste one of a first time player’s very limited stash of lives (thanks to having to get most of them through the weird slot machine thing). Still a good game but RKA kicks its ass entirely I agree.
I've been searching for this game for 20 years. All i could remember was that it opened with a giant blue robot fighting a giant pink robot. After all this time, i was beginning to think i misremembered that Phineas and Ferb treehouse episode as a game. Literally 20 years later and my search is over. I feel so fulfilled
They just announced a updated port for all 3 of the original games
Welcome home.
I always liked how each game had a different animal as the villain, in RKA it was pigs, SNES Sparkster was wolves, and this one is lizards
And the wolves/dogs leader was a lion/cat.
It'd be a huge mistake to dismiss Sparkster as just another mascot platformer - this Konami platformer was an excellent followup to the classic Rocket Knight Adventures.
Dorian Scott Hey, even under a different name, at least we got all of the games in the US!
Dorian Scott If he did, I just have to yell at him, "You're not so awesome!" and then mute the TV
NintendoComplete this version is way better than SNES.
no, not at the same level
@@johnmatlock8629 agreed
Sparkster is one Awesome Possum...
NO. STOP.
That joke was bad.
But your point is very valid so you can have this one.
🙂
Yes. Yes he is. 😁
@@jasonharris3502 I think they mean "Awesum Possum"!!!!
Yeah, he deserves to have his chance in a future Super Smash Bros. game!
I don't know if it's satisfying to play, but I can attest that it's EXTREMELY satisfying to watch.
Madeleine Fisher not really. You’re far better off playing Rocket Knight Adventures, which is a fantastic game. This is just average and full of cheap ass level design...something that RKA manages to do without. It’s very obvious that whichever group made this had no idea what made the first game special.
@@evan2902 This game is a lot better than RKA
@@evan2902 RKA had plenty of spots where it was quite easy to take damage or lose a life, the series is more known for it's difficulty and unique character with jetpack. It is also known for having great music in all 3 games, plus level design that wasn't that cheap overall. Hell if you want, you can turn the difficulty down and skip a lot of parts of the game, but where's the fun in that?
@@evan2902 Ah yes, the typical spread rumors, with a bit of your own flavor of bitching. That's your reply in a nutshell.
@@evan2902I wonder if you’ve gotten better at Videogames in the 5 years since you said this
This game is super underrated. Loved playing this anytime I rented it from Blockbuster. All though, I think it is kind of a cheap shot that if you fail the robot fight at the beginning of the game you're locked out of the true ending because you need to collect these magic swords through out the game and the first one is the one Sparkster was trying to get before he got interrupted.
Thank you for doing this. One of the few Genesis games I grew up with :)
Legend has it the one-eyed dinosaur from 2:50-3:13 still has its eye open, staring deep into your soul.
OMG this game brings back childhood memories 🥰
53:24 Check out the complete derp eyes on the princess, oh my lord.
Sparkster on Genesis was so much better than on snes
Yes thank you for saying that, a lot of people keep saying the SNES version is better
Me too . I love the snes game but it lacks something in its presentation that the genesis game had. It had much more packed adventure and its not so brutal like the snes game.
I think even the soundtrack captures the spirit on the genesis much better than the snes soundtrack.
SNES version feels like a clunky copy of RKA, this version actually tries new things and expands on the mechanics
This fight of giant robots at the beginning reminds me metal slug 7...
My dad bought me this game.. miss that moment 🥲
I've honestly always felt this one a step back compared to Rocket Knight Adventures. I find the visual style less appealing (BTW, I got the impression that the artists of RKA or the same as Contra Harcorps, so different ones may have worked on Sparkster), and the control scheme while still good is a bit bogged down by having a third button to use. Never enough praise, however, for how Konami (rightfully) believed in the games and the character's appeal to the point of making two entirely different games that share just the main character, the damsel in distress and a few music tracks (odd to notice that it's the SNES Sparkster that plays more like RKA).
I found this game pushed the mega drive a little because during some scenes with explosions the game would slow to a crawl. But I find that the first looked and sounded so much better yet the Super Nintendo version is completely different, he had the power slash off his sword in that version like from RK1, in the MD he doesn't you have to pick up a flame power up which was pointless. I actually would have liked to try the SNES version j thought it was a mega drive only game
At this point the Super Famicom version is the cheaper way to play that version. I already own a complete copy of this game as well as the original.
@@dnakatomiuk i have a feeling the slowdown was intentional, even the og rka had that many explosions on screen, tho i will say some parts of this game feature some neat sprite rotation like in the mech fight and final boss
Вторая часть приключений Реактивного Рыцаря-Грызуна (Rocket Knight Adventures) вышла на мой глазок куда более простой и весёлой, но всё равно прикурить даёт и ещё как... но я - ни на чём ни настаиваю! Прохождение оной игры тоже хорошее - спасибо автору!)))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
I wouldn't compare it to Treasure's masterpieces at the time like Gunstar Heroes and Dynamite Headdy, but Konami did a great job with these platformers in the meantime too. Still one of the better Genesis platformers.
What about Alien Soldier??? Alien Soldier blows those other 2 Treasure games away
Right Back at you, Stewart. This is truly one of the better platformers that the Genesis has to offer... And it's better than SNES Sparkster.
@@Dorian_Scott Ehhh I wouldn't say that, both are different enough from one another to be fantastic stand alone games of their own merits. I will agree with you though that this is one of the best platformers for the Genesis, with RKA right up there with it.
@@Bloodreign1 Look, I *_LOVE_* *_"Sparkster"_* on the SNES. But compared to *_"Rocket Knight Adventures 2"_* , it has worse sounding music (at least in *_my_* opinion. Still sounds great, though.), a worse idea for a Password system, and worst of all, inconsistent boss difficulty (Some, like *_Axel_* , are brutally difficult, while others you can just spam that sword attack on them. Completely eliminating the challenge).
It's a great game, yes. But, better than the Sega Genesis sequel of the same name of which *_DOZENS_* of people claim it to be...? I don't think so.
Treasure was founded by former Konami developers. I read that some of the programmers from Gunstar Heroes also worked on Contra 3
'90s are all that!!
In hindsight, I think it'd be cool (and funny) if this game (or the previous--Rocket Knight Adventures) had a sort of Moai statue Easter egg (like in a lot of out Konami titles).
Not as good as the first game, but still underrated and loads of fun. Anyone else excited for RKA: Resparked???
Good game but I guess someone at Konami thought the first game wasn’t challenging enough. Just beating it on normal is brutal. Stage 5’s corridor full of metal fists coming at you and eventually becoming impossible to fend off unless you’re super fast with hitting the switches is horrible. Also, at least the first game doesn’t make you fight the last three bosses without any checkpoints. Die on the third phase of Mr. Lizard King? Your ass is going back to fighting Axel.
Get gud
Or just buy Sega Genesis classics on PC which allows mods from the steam workshop, this game can be downloaded from the steam workshop and it works well plus with the addition of quick saves and rewinds, this game becomes much less frustrating.
@@rodrigoalves-cg6xv - It's comments like this for why the mainstream thinks of people like you to be
Aviator-Shoemaker-Sole-Helium-Over-Laser-Entrance-Swamp
that deserve to be fed to
President-Independent-Radical-Anthem-Nostalgic-Hay-Antelope-Sensible!
HAPPY 30TH TO YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! WILL BE REPLAYING BOTH TONIGHT!!!!
My damn childhood while everyone was playing sonic i was playing this
Not as polished as Rocket Knight Adventures but I had a good time with it as a kid. Wish I'd had a go on the SNES Sparkster too
I remember renting this one back in the day, loved the music and graphics to this day and Sparkster was one of my fav videogames characters, but is such a difficult game for me that I'd rather have other titles featuring mascots, I guess I'll leave this one to those who enjoys challenging games
The Konami sound
The game itself looks similar to Sonic The Hedgehog.
Loved these games. Probably should just forget that awful reboot from a few years ago.
Do you have to beat this game on hard mode to get the best ending? I know you have to collect all the swords... But the first RKA game made you play on hardest mode for the best ending (unless you had the Japanese version).
52:47 Very satisfying explosion.
©1994 Konami Digitally™ of ["America"] Grouping Home Entertainment Limited, Limiting, Corporation, Incorporation, Incorporated, Incorporating, Inc., All Rights Reserved.
7:00 my favorite part of the game.
Unscrewing those giant bolts was oddly satisfying
8:20 remember soundtrack Sparkster SNES VERSION.
im waiting for fuckonami to make a rocket knight pachinko..........
Classic!
Idk why but level 5 bgm is my fav bgm
lol
Because it's great. That's why :)
The best version of rocket knight 2 as well greater in music and in gameplay too ( sega genesis )
9:10 Looks like something straight from Parodius
Game is actually good
I gotta say that it's pretty much agreed that the 1st is the best and this is the least favorite of the 3 but I freaking LOVE level 2's music. One of my favorite 16 bit tunes
I actually think this is more fun then the first game and like to pretend 3 never happened
@@professorpenne9962 there was 1+2 on Genesis and a completely different 2 on SNES. Then there was Rocket Knight on Xbox 360. And sparkster has been in several other games
to all the folks claiming the first one was better... I played this one first before RKA, and when i finally played RKA, it felt like such a cheap and rough demo version due to the level layout, the less catchy music with fewer memorable hooks, and the fact that the ***rocket didnt have its own button?!*** Sparkster feels immensely polished compared to RKA, and I think nostalgia holds a lot of fans back from objectively looking at the sequel
My dude, all the Sparkster games are 3 decades old. Why would someone be more nostalgic for 1 than 2?
Anyway I actually played this game first and I was legitimately surprised that RKA released before it considering how much better it looks and plays. This game is still decent but the levels and bosses can really drag
This game is really neat 😃😄
Doesnt even look, feel, or sound like the first game at all
Damn, i never know there was Sparkster Game on the Genesis. I only know Rocket Kight Adventures and Sparkster on the SNES. Both games look similar and have the same music, but the Genesis Version has a lot of changes so i must play it, because i love the SNES version.
You definitely should play both Sparkster games, both are incredible games. I'm thankful I bought all 3 games while they were still sanely priced, part of my game collection.
56:43,sue me for this....TILL ALL ARE ONE!!
Anyone else think of Crystalis with the whole sword collecting thing?
Sparkster is the greatest character on the but he didn't get invited in smash but hes not mad hes said [Oh is fine let sora get in smash i just need to wait new game] but he's great person but hes not coming back hes ages 37 but hes dead.... I don't know what happened to him? Hes gone? Or he left to find hes family or friends? We don't know! IM FRICKIN WAITING SPARKSTER GAME!!! IS BEEN 19 YEARS DUDE!!!!
the bit from 41:23 to 42:02 is the biggest bunch of bullshit ever, not only does the barriers knock you back you can still get hurt even when you push the button down.
It feels like an unfinished game (compared to the first) and I imagine it was.
Theres only 5 levels but they're longer than the first game. The password feature still would've been more useful in the first because it's a little tougher
This game feels nowhere near unfinished actually. Graphically inferior, with less effort put into the overall presentation, as well as less rich overall sound due to less sound channels being used. In all respects, it does indeed look like the older game. But unfinished? No. It still looks great, sounds great, and most importantly is fun to play, in fact I personally have more fun playing this game than I do playing RKA or the SNES game, but then again this is the first one I played.
And I think the main problem is that for most people it's the other way around. This game out of the three had the smallest marketing budget and therefore less people noticed and picked up and played it, let alone played it before playing the other two. That's why whenever they critique this game they feel the need to compare it directly to RKA before all else. And many of the things they point out are admittedly true to an extent. Out of the 3, this game arguably looks and sounds the worst, and has the least amount of cutscenes and story. But it's like saying a Ford mustang has less engine power than a Ram TRX. It just doesn't play out.
I wish people would stop looking at this game through those rose-tinted RKA glasses and appreciate this game on it's own for what it really is. That is, a great game.
People tend to not understand what really was behind the creation of these titles. Compared to Rocket Knight, this game was made by a much smaller team with less resources and budget to work with. And they gave it their all. And honestly, in the end, after the dust of rose tinted nostalgia settles down, it pays off.
I've noticed from your other comments on this channel that you really seem to like to refer to games as "unfinished" whenever it has some sort of dip in quality. And honestly it doesn't really make all that much sense. To to able to call a game unfinished you have to think of what the definition of "finished" is. That is, the point in the process of creating something in which the creator is satisfied with their work and no longer feels a need to continue working on it. And unless the developer of a game directly tells you that they stopped working on their game before they intended to, then it isn't really "unfinished", it's just "poor".
Firstly I said it 'feels' like an unfinished game. The fact that it drops the level passwords at game over, rather than when you beat the level, is a pretty obvious sign of this (I didn't even know you get a password for years - and thought you had to beat it in one go.) Secondly, what else did I call unfinished? .. Happy New Year :)
@@ryodash well, you also said that about that bad beauty and the beast game as well as part of Genesis aladdin. And those are 2 of your other recent comments on this channel.
Also you said that you imagine this game was actually unfinished. Not just feels.
God stage 5 is a fever dream lmfao
I think this is freedom planet’s early prototype it really does have the same game mechanics
There were a lot of games that were released for both the SNES and Genesis where some games are the same but the music is different (Pac-Man 2 The New Adventures for example) and games like Sparkster that felt like two completely different games. I'll say this but the SNES Sparker is FAR superior to the Genesis version
Why they called it Sparkster?
Oswald Epic Loquendero to help people understand his name was sparkster rather than rocket knight, no joke.
Because that's his name.
I don't know, I think the music in the first game was better.
never played this
Spatk E Cheese's
but hey at least it's better than home alone 2 on sega
Maxim Ukhin Lmao yeah, there isn't much room for comparison there
To think the third title killed the franchise unfortunately.
If you are talking about this game, yeah. If you are talking about the SNES one, no. If you are talking about the game simply called *Rocket Knight* (which is actually the fourth one), hell yes!
sheeeeeesh
ARMADILLOS
21,099 views, no dislikes.
Who the fuck cares about dislikes,
Igloo-Diet-Indiana-Oven-Tower!?!
Such a downgrade from the first game...
This sequel was so bland that I thought this was first one lol
This one was so bland compared to the first one. This one sucked.
Sucked? I wouldn’t say that, but it does feel a bit rushed in comparison. The mech level drags on a bit and the battle with Axel is repeated twice if you’re getting all the swords for the real ending. There’s also random insta-kill beams chasing you midway through round 5 with no indication that they’re about to mow you down...absolutely had to be one of those things to waste one of a first time player’s very limited stash of lives (thanks to having to get most of them through the weird slot machine thing). Still a good game but RKA kicks its ass entirely I agree.
"Nobody can beat me when I'm Gold Sparkster!" (Based on that one Super 17 line in Dragon Ball GT - "Nobody can beat me when I'm Super 17!")