After the hit, Ristar bounces off the enemy. Ristar grabs onto enemies, and launches himself into them for a damaging attack.

It’s a simple setup, but the game uses the limited input to its fullest. Ristar’s inputs are directions, jump and grab. Most of the game is making careful movements to avoid hazards and defeat enemies. This shooting star move isn’t required to complete the levels, but it provides a burst of speed for a change of pace. There are moments where Ristar can turn into an invincible shooting star rocketing around the screen. Precision a large part of the game design. Grabbing onto barred walls and ceilings, you always know precisely where Ristar will move with a single tap of the d-pad. Ristar is the polar opposite of Sonic the Hedgehog’s chaotic speed. One that could release on Steam today, and is available there for download. Playing this Sega Genesis classic for 90 minutes was a breath of fresh air, despite being 25 years old. Sonic’s popularity allowed the franchise to languish through mediocre and bad games for over a decade, while Ristar faded into obscurity. There’s been no talk of a sequel or Sonic Mania style release here, despite it being the arguably better Team Sonic developed title.

Despite this, Ristar remains a hidden gem of the Sega Genesis library. Type Ristar into YouTube, and a dozen reviews pop up.

Download ristar sega retro