Ristar (Game Gear)
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''Ristar'' is a
platform Platform may refer to: Technology * Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run * Platform game, a genre of video games * Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models * Weapons platform, a system or ...
video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
released by
Sega is a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its international branches, Sega of America and Sega Europe, are headquartered in Irvine, California and London, r ...
in February 1995 for the
Game Gear The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Sega on October 6, 1990, in Japan, in April 1991 throughout North America and Europe, and during 1992 in Australia. The Game Gear primarily competed with Nintendo's Game Boy, ...
. While sharing themes and gameplay elements from its main counterpart, ''
Ristar ''Ristar'' is a 1995 platform game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. The game stars an anthropomorphic cartoon star who uses his hands and long, stretchable arms to both move and fight enemies. Reception for the game was gen ...
'', for the
Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
, it is a largely different game. The game was well received by critics, who felt the gameplay mechanics were transferred over well to the older, aging Game Gear system, but were divided on whether or not the game was worth playing if both versions of the game were available to the consumer. The game received even less exposure than its Genesis counterpart, due to the Game Gear being towards the end of its lifecycle, and having less of a userbase to begin with in comparison to the Genesis.


Gameplay

The basic premise for the gameplay of the Game Gear version of ''Ristar'' is largely the same as the
Sega Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
counterpart. The game plays as a
two-dimensional In mathematics, a plane is a Euclidean (flat), two-dimensional surface that extends indefinitely. A plane is the two-dimensional analogue of a point (zero dimensions), a line (one dimension) and three-dimensional space. Planes can arise as s ...
sidescrolling '' A side-scrolling video game (alternatively side-scroller), is a game viewed from a side-view camera angle where the screen follows the player as they move left or right. The jump from single-screen or flip-screen graphics to scrolling graphics ...
platformer A platform game (often simplified as platformer and sometimes called a jump 'n' run game) is a sub-genre of action video games in which the core objective is to move the player character between points in an environment. Platform games are charac ...
where the player must navigate Ristar through a
level Level or levels may refer to: Engineering *Level (instrument), a device used to measure true horizontal or relative heights *Spirit level, an instrument designed to indicate whether a surface is horizontal or vertical *Canal pound or level *Regr ...
, maneuvering around enemies and obstacles. Also like the Genesis version, Ristar's main abilities include emphasizing grabbing and "
headbutt A headbutt is a targeted strike with the head, typically (when intentional) involving the use of robust parts of the headbutter's cranium as the area of impact. The most effective headbutts strike the most sensitive areas of an opponent, such as ...
ing" enemies over jumping. However, despite the same premise, the actual
level design In video games, a level (also referred to as a map, stage, or round in some older games) is any space available to the player during the course of completion of an objective. Video game levels generally have progressively-increasing difficulty t ...
is distinctly different. While half of the levels having the same themes such as the opening level having a
fauna Fauna is all of the animal life present in a particular region or time. The corresponding term for plants is ''flora'', and for fungi, it is '' funga''. Flora, fauna, funga and other forms of life are collectively referred to as '' biota''. Zoo ...
-themed environment, the actual layouts are remixed and the enemy type and placement is different. Additionally, the other half of the levels have entirely different themes not present in the Genesis game at all, such as one based around
Pirate ships Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
. Another major variation present in all of levels is the placement of little stars scattered throughout. The player directs Ristar to move through them to collect them, similar to the manner in which
Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
collects
rings Ring may refer to: * Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry * To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell :(hence) to initiate a telephone connection Arts, entertainment and media Film and ...
, or
Mario is a character created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. He is the title character of the ''Mario'' franchise and the mascot of Japanese video game company Nintendo. Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creat ...
collects coins in their respective games. Similarly, collecting 100 earns Ristar another
life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...
. While
boss battles In video games, a boss is a significant computer-controlled opponent. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight. Bosses are generally far stronger than other opponents the player has faced up to that ...
are still present at the end of every planet, most battles themselves are different, and almost all planets no longer possess any sort of mini-bosses halfway through the planet. More moves, items, and interactivity between characters and the environment are also possible in the Game Gear game. Upon defeating an enemy, the player can choose to have Ristar use an enemy's hat as a weapon, or use its leftover
spear A spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head. The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with fire hardened spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fasten ...
as a stepping point when plunged into a wall, allowing Ristar to reach previously out-of-reach higher areas. A "red star" item gives Ristar temporary invincibility, speeds up his movement, increases his jump speed, and allows him to damage enemy upon contact. Colored square boxes, similar to the coin boxes in the ''Super Mario'' series, are also only present in this version, and like with enemies, they are eliminated by using the "headbutt" attack rather than by jumping into them.


Development

Ristar's origins trace back to a scrapped idea by
Yuji Naka , credited in some games as YU2, is a Japanese video game programmer, video game designer, designer and video game producer, producer. He is the former head of the Sega studio Sonic Team, where he was the lead programmer of the original ''Sonic t ...
of
Sonic Team is a video game developer owned by the Japanese video game company Sega as part of its Sega CS Research and Development No. 2 division. Sonic Team is best known for the long-running '' Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and games such as '' Nights ...
involving a rabbit which grabbed objects. While it was scrapped in favor of pursuing what would be ''
Sonic the Hedgehog is a Japanese video game series and media franchise created by Sega. The franchise follows Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battles the evil Doctor Eggman, a mad scientist. The main ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' games are platformers mo ...
'', years later the concept re-emerged as a prototype called ''Feel'', which eventually morphed into ''Ristar''. The Game Gear game was developed by a different team from the Sega Genesis game – being developed by Japan System House (later Biox), a developer Sega commonly used at the time to make Game Gear iterations of their Sega Genesis games, such as ''
Streets of Rage ''Streets of Rage'' is a series of side-scrolling beat 'em up video games, centering on the efforts of several ex-police vigilantes trying to rid a fictional, large American city from a crime syndicate that has corrupted its local government. ...
''. For the game's
North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
n release, an entire level was cut out of the game. While every planet has two levels in the Japanese release, the game's second planet, "Fanturn", only has one level in the North American release; the second level was cut out of the game.


Reception

''Ristar'' for the Game Gear was largely well received, albeit slightly less so than its Sega Genesis counterpart. While most reviewers agreed the game was worth playing, they were split on whether or not it was worth playing if the Genesis alternative was also available to the consumer. Similar to the Genesis version, reviewers praised the player character's abilities and the colorful graphics of the game. The four reviewers of ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...
'' gave the game a 7.5 out of 10 average. Two of the reviewers criticized the audio, but all four described the game as having impressively colorful graphics and more deep technique than most platform games. ''
GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
'' called ''Ristar'' "surprisingly excellent", citing precise and easy-to-learn controls, cleverly designed and colorful graphics, and strong replay value. In contrast, ''
Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the fo ...
'' only awarded the game a 25 out of 40 score. Retrospective reviewers were somewhat less positive about the game, and tended to hold it up as inferior to the Genesis version. Hardcore Gaming summarized their stance on the game as "ultimately, the Game Gear version may not be quite as fun or visually interesting as the original version but is still colorful and quite playable. Furthermore, enough new segments and features have been added that it feels significantly distinct from the original Genesis release. It's definitely worth looking into..." Honest Gamers highly praised the game as the best on the system, stating, "''Ristar'' is the best Game Gear game you could possibly buy, better than any game of its type on the
Game Boy Color The (commonly abbreviated as GBC) is a handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on October 21, 1998 and to international markets that November. It is the successor to the Game Boy and is part of the Game ...
, and almost as good as its namesake on the Sega Genesis. I was incredibly impressed to see something look and sound so good on the diminutive Game Gear screen, within the quaint limitations of what is mostly Master System hardware. But Sega managed it...even if you already owned the Genesis game and the (Sega) Nomad, you'd still want this". Defunct Games was less enthusiastic, criticizing the graphics, sound, and limited replay value, and concluding, "...this version of Ristar is decent. It's pretty fun, and if you're a big fan of platformers and don't mind graphical or audio limitations, Ristar for the Game Gear would make a pretty good addition to your collection. Otherwise, I'd say, if possible, try to get the Genesis version".


Legacy

Unlike the Genesis version of ''Ristar'', which was re-released on several different Sega or ''Sonic'' themed video game compilations, the Game Gear version was only re-released once, as of one of twenty games included in "''Sonic's PlayPal Plug and Play''", a controller that hooks up straight to the television rather than a video game system.


Notes


References

{{Sonic the Hedgehog 1995 video games Fictional characters who can stretch themselves Game Gear games Game Gear-only games Sega video games Single-player video games Side-scrolling platform games Video games set in outer space Video games set on fictional planets Video games developed in Japan