Have you ever looked back at your childhood video game collection and thought: “Where the hell did I get that game from?” That one random game with no connection to any of your favorite series. Was it a gift from an estranged relative? Did you buy it with birthday money based solely on the box art? Perhaps a friend loaned it to you before moving to eastern Europe? There is no end to the possible explanations for its manifestation.

Rocket Knight Adventures was that kind of game for me; an apparition with no discernible source. Despite this, I played Adventures quite a bit throughout my formative years and it remains a game I bring up when discussing favorite hidden gems of that 16-bit era. It was a simpler time, before a pile of muscle and facial hair constituted a character. All you needed was a cartoon animal who was either adorable or Bart Simpson-esque (who, looking back today, was about as rebellious as a wacky tie).

Now, almost 20 years after that game was released, Konami has delivered Rocket Knight (I assume the next one will simply be titled Rocket); a downloadable sequel aimed at the tens of twenties of people who, like me, have inexplicably played the original. That’s not exactly an exaggeration either, as the story (thin as it is) revolves around characters from the previous games with no explanation for past relationships. Granted, it’s certainly not a gamble to assume that the cackling Axel Gear, clad in dark red and black armor, is an antagonist, but with so many years in between titles I wonder if a complete reboot wouldn’t have garnered the attention of more people who had no previous knowledge of the series?

Regardless, the story is only there as string to tie the levels together, and once you have control of the little opossum you’ll quickly forget all about the details involving the Pig and Wolf war. Filling your brain instead will be the thought that “Hey, this game is actually pretty fun!” A big part of that comes from the levels themselves, which come in one of three varieties: platformer, boss battle or side-scrolling shoot ‘em up. None of the different styles feels tacked on, and each is strongly executed. In fact, if there is any complaint to be had it’s that there are simply not enough levels to be enjoyed. I think the final count falls somewhere around 15.

Progressing through those levels, limited though they may be, is an old-school dream. While hero Sparkster has several moves in his arsenal, the jet pack is his most versatile tool. Its offensive contribution is a quick dash attack across the screen but it also allows our hero to shoot up into the air in any direction, aiding in the platforming and exploration of levels. Its mastery will be required by the end of the game where all its capabilities and limitations will be tested. Luckily controlling Sparkster is spot on and everything just feels right, so navigating some of the more perilous bouts of platforming won’t result in controller-related rage. However it should be noted that trying to play the game with the analog stick is a death wish; the D-pad feels much better. With that in mind, I played the game on PS3, but for those of you thinking about trying it out on the 360 I worry about playing the game with the Xbox’s awful D-pad. Food for thought I suppose.

It must be mentioned that the game looks spectacular. With its clean 2.5D style, Rocket Knight is a joy to look at. The characters (especially bosses) have a lot of personality and animation and the entire package is incredibly bright and colorful. There’s enough variety in enemies and backdrops to ensure no feeling of boredom or repetition. I was a little disappointed in the music, though. I remember loving the original’s soundtrack, but here the music and effects just never really stood out at all. Check out Nate’s Soundtrack Spotlight for some of the classic tracks from the original game.

In the end, Rocket Knight is a great game at its core but I wonder about the execution. The game looks great, and though it is a lot of fun to play there is a noticeable lack of innovation. Particularly for those who have played the previous games. Then again, its strong ties to nostalgia almost market it exclusively to those familiar with the lineage of Sparkster. That’s a conundrum if I’ve ever heard of one. It must also be noted that the game is quite short, as alluded to earlier. The entire campaign can be completed in about 2 hours or so. With a $15 price tag that might be a little hard to swallow. Of course there are leaderboards and unlockables acting as the proverbial carrot on the stick, beckoning for more than one play through. While I will indulge, I have no doubt there are some who won’t be so inclined.

Though it pains me to do so, I will leave the game with the “Research It” rating. While I generally hate to factor cost into a review, I feel in this instance I have no choice. However if price is no concern for you,  then move this up to a ‘Recommended.”

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Things We Liked: Controls are perfect (as long as you’re using the D-pad). The game looks great. Perfect variety of challenges.

Things We Disliked: Not enough levels! The audio is forgettable.

Target Audience: Champions of the 16-bit era. Those who just all-around love 2D platformers.

(Rocket Knight – Developer: Climax Studios. Publisher: Konami. Available on PC via Steam, PlayStation 3 via PlayStation Network and Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade – PlayStation 3 version reviewed. A copy of the game was provided by the publisher for review purposes. New to CFD!’s reviews? Read our explanation here.)