The RetroBeat: For the love of Rocket Knight

When talking about the best platformers of the 16-bit era, you probably hear the same names over and over again: Sonic the Hedgehog, Yoshi’s Island, Donkey Kong Country, and more. But Rocket Knight should stand with them.

This series of 2D side-scrollers was Konami’s attempt at getting into the whole mascot gaming franchise thing Sonic started in the early ’90s. But Rocket Knight is far from a knockoff. These games featured a mechanic that set them apart — a jetpack. The series’ hero, Sparkster, uses his wearable thruster to dash through the sky. You could use it for attacks and for maneuverability. It even has a kind of pinball effect; hitting walls while zooming along with your jetpack bounces you off them. Ricocheting through hazards — and hitting enemies along the way — is an important part of the franchise.