Sparkster

Sparkster is a fast-paced action platformer in which the player takes control of an anthropomorphic opossum knight equipped with a rocket pack. It grants him short bursts of speed both in flight and on the ground, setting the game apart from classic platformers – the pace is high, and the levels are built so that the player constantly combines flight, sword combat, and dodging projectiles. The rocket pack also serves as an attack tool, letting him plow through rows of enemies or bounce off walls and ceilings, something the level designers make ample use of to build vertical passages and hidden shortcuts. The game continues the Rocket Knight series and inherits its emphasis on acrobatic movement and a flashy combat system that demands quick reflexes and a sense of timing, with the combination of sword and flight giving the battles an unusually fluid, almost dance-like rhythm.

The graphics on SNES use vivid colors, smooth animation, and in several sections even effects resembling pseudo-3D display, which at the time counted among showcases of the console's technical capabilities. The levels alternate aerial combat with classic ground sections and also offer passages where the player flees from an advancing threat in the background, further accelerating the game's pace. The music is energetic and complements the frantic pace of play well, while the design of enemies and bosses builds on an exaggeratedly stylized, almost cartoonish take on a sci-fi world. In reviews the game was praised for its controls and visual elegance, though occasionally criticized for its difficulty and short playtime, which many players compensated for by replaying it for a better score.

With the years, Sparkster is regarded as one of the finest fast-paced action platformers on SNES and a demonstration of how the genre's basic formula can be enriched with a simple yet distinctive movement mechanic. For fans of action platformers the game remains a beloved classic, even though it never achieved mass popularity comparable to the big mascots of the era, and it still regularly appears in lists of the best platformers on SNES to this day.

Why play it: Sparkster can be recommended to fans of fast-paced action platformers on SNES for its distinctive rocket-powered movement, even though it never achieved the fame of the era's big mascots.