The 2D artwork featured throughout looks halfway decent; it bugs me how they couldn't have just gone with a hand-drawn 2D style like that instead, but oh well. It's a satisfying game either way.
#review
For a game that had awesome as one of its defining traits, Konami's Rocket Knight Adventures isn't exactly one of the Genesis' most well-remembered games. Shame. Maybe you'll remember this modern-day successor in its stead. More »
PSN Tuesday brings the cute and epic this week. Cute comes in the form of Rocket Knight, which may have some of its sales fueled by nostalgia, but can be a blast for those in the mood for classic (pseudo) 2D side-scrolling. The epic is delivered by Dragon Age: Origins' "Darkspawn Chronicles" DLC, which is just the latest add-on in the saga of Ferelden -- this one with a "what if" twist.
Check out the full update after the break.
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(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Your choices for downloadable games in this week's European PSN update are fairly limited -- however, the two choices you've got are rather appealing. If you're looking for a hex-based diplomacy simulator, Catan is now available for the PS3. If you want some jetpack-infused action, Rocket Knight is probably a safer choice. Or, if you want to pimp out your copy of Skate 3, DJ Hero, Nier or LittleBigPlanet with new DLC, there are a few avenues for you to explore as well. Everyone's a winner!
Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list:
(Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Click to huge-ify
We're not sure what it is about this batch of screenshots for Rocket Knight that fills us with such euphoria. Perhaps it's all of the pretty colors. Perhaps they remind us of the simpler days of our youth. Perhaps we've only recently realized how preposterous the concept of an opossum strapped to a rocket really is. Seriously, think about it. Really think about it. It makes zero sense.
Check out the gallery below to see Sparkster -- the flying, furry contradiction -- in action.
We've known for a while that Rocket Knight, Konami's resurrected opossum adventure (a resurrected adventure about an opossum, not an adventure about a resurrected opossum), would land on XBLA, PSN, and Steam in May. On Facebook, Konami just announced precise US arrival dates for the airborne marsupial.
PC and Xbox 360 owners will be able to download the game on May 12, while those looking to play on PS3 will have to wait until May 18 to join the fight against Axel Gear. But what's a six-day wait after the years spent anticipating a new Rocket Knight?
With everyone focused on the 2D return of a certain cerulean hedgehog, I'd like to point out that another nocturnal hero in blue is making a comeback: Sparkster, the armor-clad, jetpack-wearing opossum star of Rocket Knight. Konami has brought in UK developer Climax to resurrect the series, which hails from the 16-bit era and included two games: Rocket Knight Adventures and Sparkster.
Having played through the first couple of levels from this XBLA, PSN and Steam release, I can say that not a whole lot has changed from Sparkster's adventures of yore -- and that's a compliment. There must be something inherently difficult about capturing the feel of a 2D game using entirely polygons, since the number of remakes that have gotten it right far outnumber the successes. But, like Bionic Commando: Rearmed and even Street Fighter IV, this snappy action platformer should feel like revisiting a childhood home for retro junkies.
Marsupial action enthusiasts rejoice! Konami has announced that Rocket Knight will arrive on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam this May. Coinciding with this announcement, the publisher has released a new trailer and screenshots of this sequel to the classic 16-bit series.
The trailer is of particular interest, especially to fans of the original games and their protagonist, Sparkster. If you've been waiting to get an extended glimpse of the awesome opossum in action, now is your chance. Check out the new trailer above and a batch of new screens in the gallery below.
click to rocket-size
We're going to level with you: There's not a lot of new info to be found in the latest batch of character art from Konami's upcoming reboot of Rocket Knight. The press release does mention a few of Sparkster's abilities. While most should be familiar to players -- wall ricochet jumps, etc -- one new addition is the "burst vortex," which can reflect projectiles back toward enemies. Beyond that, however, we're left only with images of Emperor Sweinhart and Sparkster's nemesis, Axel Gear, both of whom can be seen above. Konami has also released a high resolution version of Sparkster himself.
Yes, it's not much but, when it comes to Rocket Knight, we'll take what we can get.
