Ristar was released around a time where people where forgetting about the Genesis and were moving on from CD and 32X to the Saturn. Sadly, that meant that this title was overlooked. It was released in 1995 so that you get the timeframe.
Graphics: 10/10
Yeah, seriously. Genesis just doesn't get any better than this. It looks almost 100% as colorful and good as Knuckles Chaotix on the Sega 32X, and that's saying something. The game's graphics are smooth, and nice. The animations are fluid-like and great looking. Also, I'm seeing alot of special effects in here that just show that this isn't any normal Genesis title.
Sound: 7/10
Nothing to complain about. Nothing at all. I wish I could praise it more like a Sonic or Ecco game, but it just isn't on par with them. I wouldn't expect better (maybe a bit worse), but there aren't any insanely catchy or original sounding toons. Sort of generic here.
Sound affects are a different matter. I hear Ristar talking to me, all sorts of really nice sounding affects (watch the intro), and other goods are strewn about.
Gameplay: 10/10
This is where the meat is really at. Ristar is a forgotten masterpeice, it's a gem that reminds me so much of games like Kirby's Dreamland 3 and lots of those other ever-popular Nintendo franchises. You play as Ristar, and use your awesome arm-extending abilities to flip, climb, swing, and beat the shit out of anybody that gets in your grill. There are all sorts of obstacles and bosses, and there is a wide array of level themes to keep it entertaining.
Final Word
I picked Ristar up for $13 earlier at my local GameStore. I can't admit to even hearing about this game in my life. The only reason I found it was because I had seen a Ristar toy come from a vending machine in a Dreamcast game called "Shenmue." With all of my Shenmue experience, I know that anything coming from the vending machines kicks ass.
So I was at the gamestore and I saw the same guy from the vending machine on the game, so I knew I had to buy it. I didn't expect for it to be this good, but it really is an instant classic. This is one of those games that any Sega--or any other--fan should own.
Screenshots courtesies of random people that I've ripped off:
