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 generally positive, but the game's initial release was overshadowed due to the imminent ending of the Genesis's lifecycle and the succession of the Sega Saturn and other fifth generation video game consoles.
While never receiving any sequels, Sega has re-released Ristar several times digitally and on Sega-themed compilations, including the Sega Forever line of releases for mobile devices. The character has additionally received various cameos in other Sega properties as well. A Game Gear version of Ristar featured different level design and gameplay mechanics.
Gameplay
thumb|left|Screenshot showing the [[playable character Ristar traversing Planet Neer/Flora, the first level in the game]]
Ristar is a 2D sidescrolling platform game, similar to games in the Super Mario or Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games, but focusing less on jumping and speed, and more on the use of Ristar's stretchable arms, which can reach in 8 different main directions. The player must maneuver Ristar through the level to its end, while avoiding damage from obstacles and enemies.
Beyond attacking, Ristar's arms are also used as a method of projecting him through levels. Ristar is also able to grab on to enemies and objects in mid-air and swing on them. Additionally, "Star Handles" are placed in levels, where the player must have Ristar grab and use momentum to swing him around in a 360 degrees circle. Letting go launches him off in a given direction, dependent on the time of release. If enough momentum is gained, sparkles appear behind Ristar and he performs a move called the "Meteor Strike", which makes him invincible and able to defeat any enemy upon touching them. When enough momentum is lost, usually a few seconds, flight ceases, and he drops to the ground back into his normal state, though this can be extended by bouncing off walls and ceilings during flight.
Every level ends with a special "Star Handle", which is used to launch Ristar through the end of the level. Bonus points are awarded based on Ristar's altitude when flying offscreen, similar to how levels are ended in Super Mario Bros. Additionally, every level also contains one hidden handle that sends Ristar to a bonus stage, which involve getting through an obstacle course within a given time limit. Completing the level in a particularly fast time will earn a continue, and after the game is completed, special codes are awarded depending on how many were completed. Ristar's health is shown through an icon based health system consisting of four stars in the upper-right corner of the screen. Taking damage removes one star, and losing all stars causes Ristar to lose a life. Locating and grabbing a Ristar figure grants Ristar an extra life, while finding traditional star figures replenish his health; a yellow star replenishes one star, while a blue star restores all four.
Plot
Much like other games from the same timeframe, the game's story varied between the Japanese language release and its English language counterpart. In all versions of the game, the events take place in a far off galaxy, where an evil space pirate, Kaiser Greedy, has used mind control to make the planets' leaders obey him. Rather than Oruto awakening Ristar, the legendary hero was kidnapped by Greedy, and it is up to Ristar to rescue his father as well. The Japanese version of the game ends with Greedy and two of his underlings, Inonis and Uranim, stranded on a deserted planet, with a picture of Ristar appearing in the space, while Greedy simply stares at it. The ending scene in the international version shows Ristar being reunited with his father once again.
Development
In the early 1990s, Sega asked its development teams to create a mascot to rival Nintendo's Mario. One proposed character had long rabbit-like ears which could extend and pick up objects, but this was discarded as too complex The team moved on to animals that could roll into a ball, and settled on Sonic the Hedgehog. Some years later, Sega developed another prototype, Feel, which became Ristar.
In a 1994 Electronic Gaming Monthly interview, Sega marketing staff Lisa Best and Terry Tang claimed Ristar was not designed by the same Sonic programming team, although much of the game's staff would later go on to create Nights into Dreams for the Saturn, the next game to be officially credited to Sonic Team. This, along with Ristar's inclusion in a number of Sonic themed compilations and re-releases in subsequent years, would lead game journalists to retroactively label the game as being developed by Sonic Team.
The rest of the changes were very minor edits in effort to appeal to western audiences, such as minor graphical changes to make Ristar and other character's faces look more serious, renaming levels to names more descriptive of their looks, and adding a few non-interactive scenes to show more continuity in the game, such as a skiing sequence before the snow themed level, or putting on anti-gravity shoes to explain why Ristar is floating in a particular level.
| CVG = 83/100
| EGM = 8/10, 7/10, 8/10,<br/>7/10, 8/10
| Fam = 7/10, 7/10, 7/10, 8/10
| GI = 8.25/10
| GP = 79%
| GameFan = 90/100, 98/100, 92/100
| GMaster = 57%
| MMS = 84/100
| NGen = 3/5
| rev1 = Entertainment Weekly
| rev1Score = B−
| rev2 = Electronic Games
| rev2Score = A
| rev3 = Games World
| rev3Score = 83/100
| rev4 = Mega
| rev4Score = 82%
| rev5 = Sega Magazine
| rev5Score = 87/100
| rev6 = Sega Power
| rev6Score = 74%
| rev7 = Sega Pro
| rev7Score = 90%
| rev8 = Sega Saturn Magazine (JP)
| rev8Score = 7.5/10
| rev9 = VideoGames
| rev9Score = 8/10
Ristar received a 20.8/30 score in a poll conducted by Mega Drive Fan and a 8.3076/10 score in a 1995 readers' poll conducted by the Japanese Sega Saturn Magazine, ranking among Sega Mega Drive titles at the number 63 spot. The game received generally favorable reception from critics, holding a rating of 89.33% based on six reviews according to review aggregator GameRankings. In Electronic Gaming Monthly, Mike Weigand summarizing: "An excellent new character, Ristar requires more technique than the typical run-and-jump action titles".