Collection essentials #140: Sparkster (Genesis)

This is Konami’s sequel to Rocket Knight Adventures, a game I discussed not long ago. I don’t have a ton to say about it, but because the basic concept is the same, a 2D platformer where you have a jetpack ability that can send you rocketing forward. That’s not to say Sparkster is just a rehash of the original though. The mechanics of the jetpack boost were changed this time. It charges up automatically, and has two levels of charge as well. The game has a “true” ending that dedicated fans can go for, which involves playing on hard mode and collecting all the various hidden swords throughout the game. 


I don’t have much history with Sparkster on the Genesis, but the one time I played through it I had lots of fun. It’s my favorite game featuring the possum, unless I change my mind upon replaying them. Konami wanted to make Sparkster their mascot to rival Nintendo’s Mario or Sega’s Sonic, but for some reason he never caught on nearly enough for that. I’m not sure why, since his games were all very good.


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