Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Ristar
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Ristar | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Designer(s) | Yuji Uekawa |
| Release date(s) | NAFebruary 16, 1995 JPNFebruary 17, 1995 |
| Genre(s) | Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E (Wii Virtual Console) |
| Platform(s) | Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Virtual Console |
| Media | 16 megabit cartridge |
Ristar (known as Ristar the Shooting Star in Japan) (pronounced rist-ar) is a platform video game developed by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive in 1995.
The game stars a cartoonish humanoid star who uses his hands to both move and combat enemies. It was originally released on the Sega Genesis, and was also included as an unlockable in 2002 on the Nintendo GameCube's Sonic Mega Collection, in 2004 on the Xbox and PlayStation 2 and in 2006 on the PC as part of Sonic Mega Collection Plus. A Game Gear version which features different levels to the Mega Drive/Genesis versions was also released. The game is also available on Sega Genesis Collection for PS2 and PlayStation Portable and, as of December 4th 2006, it is available on Wii's Virtual Console service. [1]
Contents |
Ristar developed from an idea originally put forward during design talks for the character who would later become Sonic The Hedgehog. Yuji Naka, head of Sonic Team, recalled in 1992:
| “ | At first we used a character that looked like a rabbit with ears that could extend and pick up objects. As the game got faster and faster, we needed to come up with a special characteristic to give our character some power over his enemies. I remembered a character I had thought about years ago who could roll himself into a ball and slam into enemies. Hedgehogs can roll themselves into a ball, so we decided to go from a rabbit to a hedgehog.[1] | ” |
The rabbit-type character was developed separately from Sonic, in a game entitled Feel. The rabbit resemblance in Feel was phased out over time and that game eventually became what is now known as Ristar.
The game takes place in the seven-planet Valdi (or according to the back of the European box, "Vadji") system. An evil space pirate, Kaiser Greedy, has kidnapped the protector of this solar system and made the planets' rulers obey him. The inhabitants of the planet Neer (known as Flora outside Japan) pray for a hero before Greedy's mind control snatches them. The request summons Ristar to destroy Greedy and rescue the protector–who is also Ristar's father.
Controlling Ristar is fairly simple. He is unable to jump as high as most platformer protagonists do, but his jumps have a bit more hang time, meaning he stays in the air longer. By pressing the "grab" button, Ristar will stretch his hands forward, grabbing whatever is ahead of him. The player can make his hands go in any one of eight directions by combining the attack with any direction on the control pad, except downward while on the ground. When Ristar grabs an enemy, he will continue to hold it until the button is released, causing him to collide with the enemy and destroy them. He can also grab walls and obstacles this way and it is possible, albeit time-consuming, to climb walls by continually grabbing diagonally up a wall.
Ristar's health is shown as four stars in the upper-right corner of the screen. Taking damage removes one star. When all four are gone, the last star falls on Ristar's head and he loses a life. Stars can be found throughout the levels, which replenish his health. These and other items must be picked up manually with Ristar's attack. A gold star restores one hit point, while a blue star refills health completely. A tiny icon of Ristar adds an extra life to the total.
During levels, horizontal poles facing the player will sometimes be seen and when grabbed, they may be spun on to gain momentum and shoot off toward the edge of the screen. The player may control Ristar's speed and direction with the control pad. If he has enough momentum, Ristar will begin to fly with a trail of stars behind him (called a "Shooting Star"). During these flights, any enemies that are touched will be destroyed and regular hazards will not deal any damage. Since Ristar flies at a high speed and rebounds easily, it can be difficult to control his flight and on Hard and Super difficulties, his flight cannot be controlled at all. When Ristar loses enough momentum, he will cease flight and drop to the ground. At the end of all regular levels, there is one last pole for Ristar to fly from. This allows the player to gain a great amount of altitude and the higher Ristar is when he leaves the screen, the more bonus points are added on to the player's score.
Each regular level also contains one special pole that Ristar can grab onto. Grabbing this makes him automatically spin and launch himself off the top of screen into a bonus stage. These bonus stages involve getting through an obstacle course in order to reach a treasure within a given time limit. Their difficulty increases as the game progresses.
- It is interesting to note that the Japanese version of Ristar is entirely in English and features additional text in the bonus stages.
- In the Japanese Mega Drive version and all Game Gear versions, a figure appears when Ristar is about to be summoned. According to the Japanese manual, this is a Star Goddess, and she answers to the prayers of the inhabitants of Planet Flora by awakening Ristar. In the other MD/Genesis versions, there is no mention of any Star Goddess and Ristar is attempting to save his father.
- The Japanese/GG version's ending shows Greedy, Uranim and Inonis, after their escape from the castle, with the image of Ristar up in the sky. The other versions show Ristar, reunited with his father.
- As mentioned below, the planet names are different, as are some other minor details.
- In the non-Japanese versions, the enemy sprites look meaner and Ristar frowns in every area, while in the original Japanese version he only frowns during boss fights and has additional animations that are played when he is idle.
- When the Game Gear version is played on a non-Japanese system, the third level is removed and, like the Mega Drive/Genesis versions, the planet names are changed.
- In the Japanese Mega Drive version, Ristar starts with only one star in Hard mode.
- The original Ristar (Genesis) can be now downloaded through the Wii's Virtual Console Downloading System for 800 Wii Points (800 Wii Points = USD$8.00)
Normal
On Normal, Ristar has a four-star power meter, and is able to control his "shooting star" launches from bars.
Hard
On Hard, he begins with two stars, but may hold up to the usual four. In addition, his shooting star may no longer be controlled by the player, making it more desirable to launch Ristar at a lower speed.
Super
Upon completion of Hard, a password is given for Super Mode. In Super Mode, Ristar has only one star, one life and all health and extra life powerups are either removed, or replaced by treasure or enemies that fall from the sky. The player is given infinite continues in Super Mode, but the one-star-one-life setup forces the player to make a completely flawless run through each stage. The perfection required in this mode not only makes the game very difficult in places, but usually results in a Technical Bonus higher than 10,000 points at the end of the stage (technical bonuses are based on the amount of damage Ristar sustains).
Upon completion of the game with all bonus stages cleared, four additional passwords are given. One unlocks a Boss Run mode, where the player time-attacks the bosses in order. The second password unlocks a stage select menu. The third allows the player to play the bonus stages at their discretion and compete with the development team's best times, some of which are very fast. The final password unlocks "Onchi", a strange effect used in the music select screen that warps and twists the music, possibly the same effect used when Awaueck is singing during the Sonata boss fight. This password also unlocks "Star Humming" and "Next Cruise", the two themes heard in the ending of the game.
Ristar features six different planets with two levels and two bosses each. The Game Gear version has two planets replaced, while one planet is missing entirely, save for the boss, which is moved to the final stage. Japanese names are given in parentheses.
This planet is a rich grove of fertility in the Valdi system. The trees grow so high that they sometimes block the sun. The first boss is a snake that crawls from hole to hole, the second is the monkey-like Riho, who takes possession of the elder.
This planet is largely covered in water. Luckily for Ristar, he is able to swim and does not need to surface for air. The first boss is more of a "think fast" test than a boss, but is still dangerous. The second is a hammerhead shark named Ohsat, who attacks by ramming Ristar and summoning fish to do the same.
As the name implies, this is a volcanic planet. Pools of lava are just one of the obstacles Ristar must face. For this planet's first boss "fight", Ristar must defeat enemies in the order they were shown. The second boss is a digging creature, Adahan, who uses the planet's volcanic vent system to his advantage.
This is a planet which concerns itself only with music. The first boss is a bird maestro who directs statues to attack Ristar. At the end of the stage, Ristar fights Awaueck, a bird with a singing voice so bad that he is able to use it as a method of combat.
This is a planet frozen by Greedy's forces. The non-Japanese versions feature a non-interactive snowboarding sequence at the start of the level. The first boss is a youth from the planet. He forces Ristar into a snowball fight, and will later come to Ristar's aid. The second boss is Itamor, a giant mechanical cat who hates spicy soup, a reference to the Japanese term "nekojita", or "cat tongue", which describes a person who dislikes hot food. In the non-Japanese versions he is a mechanical ice monster.
This is an entirely mechanical environment featuring various pieces of machinery and robotics. The first boss is the commander of the orb shaped enemies Ristar has faced throughout his journey. The second boss is Uranim, a robot created by Greedy's aid, Inonis.
Having liberated the six planets and defeated the six dictators, it is time for Ristar to face Greedy head on. First, however, he must once again fight Inonis, who first appeared on Rewope with Uranim. He now has a snake-like robot with a large arsenal. The final boss, Greedy, uses lighting bolts, artificial black holes, teleportation and also summons enemies to fight Ristar. After his defeat, the game's ending sequence plays.
A fantasy setting, with the first level (omitted in the non-Japanese version) depicted as a cloudy sky with beanstalks and rainbows throughout, and the second taking place at sea aboard various ships. The planet replaces Leatow. The boss here is a tapir trying to take a nap as the environment keeps changing.
This planet is more clock based than Elykiki, which the Game Gear version replaces. The boss of this world is a mechanical rabbit, possibly a reference to Feel.
- The downloadable version designed for Wii's Virtual Console has both japanese and non-japanese features. For example, Ristar still has his poses, but the cutscene with the Star Goddess has been removed.
- Sonic The Hedgehog Database: Feel - screenshots of the Feel prototype