When Sonic the Hedgehog revolutionized the platforming genre with his high-speed antics and oodles of 'tude there was a sudden explosion of copycat franchises: Bubsy, Awesome Possum, James Pond... the list goes on. While most of them straddled a fine line between mediocrity and utter boredom, one furry hero blew gamers away with memorable graphics and flawless level design.

After inventing fun several years prior with arcade titles such as Gradius, Contra, and Sunset Riders, Konami decided to try their hand creating a new, console exclusive franchise. Borrowing from Sonic and feeding off of their own successful platforming series, Castlevania, Rocket Knight Adventures was a fast paced and beautiful game that combined Konami's penchant for tight control and intense arcade style gameplay with creative characters and a memorable score. What results from all of that is one of the best and most memorable 'tudeformers of the Mega Drive era.

When starting a new game in Rocket Knight Adventures the first thing you're likely to notice is the impressive music. Each stage features excellently composed tracks from Konami's brilliant sound team, including the legendary Michiru Yamane. Even the between-stage music is powerful enough to illicit a teardrop from this reviewer. Next you will become aware of just how lovingly crafted the characters and environments are. Each enemy animates smoothly, and the backgrounds are nothing short of breathtaking. As the game progresses, you'll be wowed again and again by the care with which this world was sculpted.

It'll take a while to dawn on the player, but the control mechanics are incredibly fluid. You'll be moving easily enough when you first start the game, but after a few credits you'll be bouncing skillfully across the screen, obliterating enemies and dancing around obstacles. This is all thanks to Konami's innovative Rocket-Dash system. Charging your attack will fill a meter at the top of the screen that, once full, will activate the Rocket-Dash upon the release of the attack button. It can be aimed in any of eight directions and allows you to bounce off of walls and deal massive damage to your enemies.

Once you gain mastery over this powerful tool, the brilliant level design will finally start to reveal itself. What was once an arena for hacking enemies and jumping over obstacles is now a test of your rocket skills. How fast can you make it through the stage? How many enemies can you destroy with a single attack? Rocket Knight leaves the player hundreds of options and allows for extremely flashy play. Your friends will weep hot tears of joy when they see you zinging around the screen with nary a scratch, and your lovers will be immediately aroused by your skill.

It's not all peaches in Rocket Knight Adventures, though it may seem so at first. While moving around regular stages feels flawless, the "shooting" stages feature a hint of inertia that mars an otherwise wonderful experience. In addition, some of the platforms are finicky, such as a walking platform in Stage Three that can throw you off if you're positioned incorrectly. Another negative aspect is the difficulty; it won't take an average player long to clear this game on one credit, as powerups and extra lives are littered generously throughout the stages. Luckily there are unlockable difficulty levels, including a Crazy difficulty with one-hit kills for those looking for a real challenge.

In the end, Rocket Knight Adventures is a worthy game. It's few flaws are easily outweighed by its endearing charm, and the thrill of bouncing around the screen will keep you coming back again and again.

~Ryan Mixey