Summary

Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 is a classic platformer that continues the adventures of the opossum knight Sparkster. With its fast-paced gameplay, vibrant graphics, and challenging levels, it remains a beloved title in the retro gaming community.

Release Year: 1994
Genres: Adventure, Platform, Shooter
Platforms: Sega Mega Drive/Genesis
Developers: Konami
Publishers: Konami

Introduction

Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Konami. It is the sequel to the acclaimed Rocket Knight Adventures and continues the adventures of the opossum knight Sparkster.

Synopsis

“Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2” is a 1994 side-scrolling platform game developed and published by Konami for the Sega Genesis. It is the sequel to “Rocket Knight Adventures” and is the second game in the Rocket Knight Adventures series.

The game’s plot unfolds immediately after the events of the first game. The Kingdom of Zephyrus, which was rescued by Sparkster from the Devotindos Empire, comes under attack once again. This time, the threat is from the Gedol Empire led by King Gedol. To make matters worse, King Gedol has dispatched Sparkster’s rival, Axel Gear, to kidnap Princess Cherry, Princess Sherry’s cousin.

The interactive introduction scene shows Sparkster picking up a new sword after the final fight when his nemesis Axel Gear appears. After a fight in giant robots, Sparkster manages to save Princess Cherry and returns her to the queen. Sparkster once again rockets into action to save Cherry and the Zephyrus Kingdom from King Gedol and his army of lizards.

The gameplay of “Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2” is very similar to its precursor. The game largely functions as a 2D sidescrolling platformer, with a few areas in the game featuring auto-scrolling levels. Like its predecessor, the player can jump and attack using Sparkster’s sword. However, unlike the first game, the sword can no longer emit projectiles and can only perform melee attacks. Sparkster’s maximum health has been reduced from eight hearts (16 hit points) to five hearts (10 hit points) compared to the first game.

Sparkster can find various helpful items in the levels, such as apples and meat (the former restoring all hit points), gems, rocket pack items that automatically make him perform a screw attack when collected, extra lives, and a power-up capsule that increases Sparkster’s attack power until he is hit. Similar to its precursor, pressing the Rocket button will make Sparkster perform a rocket attack where he blasts into one of eight directions where the player has inputted on the directional pad (if no direction is pressed, Sparkster will perform a stationary spinning attack).

The use of the rocket pack is changed in “Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2”. Instead of charging up a rocket attack manually, the rocket pack charges automatically. A rocket attack is now performed by pressing its separate Rocket button. The rocket pack charges up to two levels. If the energy gauge is filled red, the player can perform a rocket attack. If the secondary white gauge is filled, Sparkster can perform a “screw attack” which lets him travel a greater distance and can interact with certain level elements such as screws.

A unique feature of this game is the inclusion of six secret swords hidden within the levels, as well as another earned by clearing the prologue level. A player who can obtain all seven will face the final boss as “Gold Sparkster”, similar to Super Sonic from the Sonic the Hedgehog series. Gold Sparkster hits harder than normal Sparkster and his rocket pack charges faster. However, he is still able to sustain damage. Completing the game as Gold Sparkster is necessary if players want to see the ‘True’ ending. If the game is completed without transforming into Gold Sparkster, a message will appear saying ‘Try Again’. The ‘True’ ending simply shows Gold Sparkster returning the sword he originally found (which was claimed after clearing the prologue level) to its rightful resting place, transforming back into normal Sparkster, and then raising his arm and giving a shout of triumph, followed by the message “END.”.

Characters

Sparkster, Axel Gear, Princess Sherry, Emperor Devligus Devotindos

Gameplay

The gameplay involves side-scrolling action, with Sparkster using his rocket pack to fly short distances, attack enemies, and reach new areas. The game features a variety of levels, each with its own challenges, enemies, and boss battles.

Conclusion

Overall, Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 is a worthy sequel that builds upon the foundation of the original game. It offers a fun and challenging experience for fans of the platforming genre.