First released: Mega Drive (1995)

Now Available On: Virtual Console, Steam

In the 16-bit era it became apparent that you can base a platformer around virtually anything, from the red dot on the 7UP logo to an anthropomorphic shooting star.

If you haven't already guessed, the latter example refers to Ristar, a Mega Drive title from Sonic Team that is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary.



Ristar cast players as an animated cartoon star, who used his gloved hands and stretchable arms to attack enemies and navigate his way around colourful environments.

The game was derived from materials that ended up on the cutting room floor during the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog, and was briefly pitched to Sega as a successor to its bestselling franchise.

At an early stage in its development, Sonic was envisioned as a rabbit-like character that used his elongated ears for combat and traversal. This concept was eventually scrapped in favour of a speedy blue hedgehog and the rest, as they say, is history.



However, Ristar rose from the ashes of the rejected idea several years later, the rabbit with stretchable ears becoming a star with elongated arms.

The resulting game was every inch a Sonic Team title, with vibrant visuals, robust platforming mechanics and a memorable soundtrack, the same values the Sonic series was built upon.

There was no shortage of cartoon platformers around back then, but Ristar set itself apart by basing its gameplay around the character's elasticated arms.



He used them to seize enemies, swing from pole-like structures and launch himself across the screen. This skillset made the game unique and separated it from the myriad Super Mario Bros and Sonic the Hedgehog sequels dominating the market.

The story was set in the Valdi star system, where a space pirate called Kaiser Greedy was using mind control powers to bend the galaxy to his will, forcing the Star Goddess Oruto to awaken our hero from his slumber so he could save the day.

This was the extent of the plot in the Japanese version, but the English-language editions omitted Oruto and threw in a father figure for Ristar to rescue.

Although Ristar was praised for its colourful visuals and inventive gameplay, it suffered commercially due to an ill-timed release.

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In early 1995, the home console sector was in transition, gradually shifting towards the next hardware generation. Sega was focused on promoting its new Saturn system, so Ristar was left to go down with the good ship Mega Drive.

It's a shame because the character was more than capable of leading his own franchise. If the likes of Rayman and Crash Bandicoot can manage it, there's no reason to believe that Sega's cosmic hero was unworthy of a sequel outing or two.

Ristar had to settle for cameo appearances in other Sega franchises, such as Shenmue, Sega & Sonic All-Star Racing and a couple of Japan-only titles from the Dreamcast era.



He made the most minor of comebacks in 2006 when the game was rereleased on the Wii through Nintendo's Virtual Console service, and has since graced the PC via the Steam platform.

Like the original Sonic the Hedgehog games before it, the game has a certain timeless quality brought about by its addictive gameplay, cheerful visuals and score.

Ristar was a diamond in the Mega Drive's sky, and we can't help but wonder what might have been if it was released when the console was at the top of its game.

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