Growing up, I played my fair share of platformer games, as any gamer has. Playing Sonic the Hedgehog and Super Mario World left a major imprint on me. Nowadays they’re a good go-to when I’m looking for a break from the constant chaos of fighting games and shooters. Aero the Acro-bat is one such game that I had never even heard of before this review, but thanks to Ratalaika Games, that finally changed.

Aero the Acro-bat was originally released on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo in 1993 to a significantly positive reception. Developed by Iguana and published by Sunsoft, Aero was praised for its unique levels and main character design.

Aero fit in perfectly with his counterparts. An anthropomorphic acrobatic bat with a knack for stunts and big jumps is right in line with a familiar blue hedgehog who debuted two years prior. It was successful enough to warrant a sequel, but a third game was thwarted by the release of Crash Bandicoot on the PSOne. Just an example of how timing can be everything.

A Tale as Old as the Genre Itself or It’s Just a Prank, Bro

After the spoiled Edgar Ektor is banned from the World of Amusement Circus for nearly killing a lion via a prank, he vows revenge. After spending the next 20 years becoming a major evil industrialist, he finally hatches his plan. With the help of Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel and the Psycho Circus Gang, he takes over the circus, imprisoning all the performers in the process. All but one, the talented Aero the Acro-bat. It’s up to him to put a stop to Edgar, Zero, and the gang and rescue the performers and his girlfriend, Aerial. He must jump, climb, dive, and fight his way through the mess that Edgar has created.

Gameplay

Aero the Acro-bat makes some innovations in platforming in the gameplay department. Since Aero is literally an acrobat, the platforming and gameplay itself is very fast-paced and vertical. There’s a good variety in how levels are paced, with things like trampolines and unicycles scattered about. The carnival theme is at its peak in this department.

Taking Back the Circus from Clowns

Enemies aren’t simply defeated by jumping on their heads or spinning at them at full speed. When you jump, you have to press the jump button again to torpedo towards them. You can do this upwards or downwards, depending on which direction you’re holding. It’s easier said than done though, as it’s always at a 45° angle. With all the jumping and movement from enemies, it gets tricky. 

No one method will work either, as some enemies will require you to simply dive into them while others must be defeated by finding their weaknesses. One of the first difficult enemies you encounter is defeated by jumping behind them as they attack and diving at their legs with near-frame-perfect accuracy. 

Level Completion

Levels themselves aren’t completed in a typical fashion either. Instead of simply running from one end to another, each level has a specific stipulation to be able to complete it. The first level has you finding and destroying 7 specific platforms, and the next has you searching for a key in an attempt to free Aerial, and so on. If you can do this within the time limit, you’ll get bonus points. So don’t fret too much when you see that timer. You can also gain extra points by collecting the various circus snacks that are scattered throughout the levels.

Graphics and Sound

There’s not a lot to be said about the graphics of Aero the Acro-bat. It’s a 16-bit platformer that’s been upscaled for modern hardware. However, the upscaled resolution really helps you appreciate the little details, like the animations themselves. The levels can feel repetitive in appearance at times, but that can easily be overlooked when you consider the original hardware. The same goes for the sound. 

While it sounds clearer, the soundtrack itself is compromised of the same loops that fit the game’s theme. At times it feels normal and fitting, but when you’ve spent several minutes in a level just trying to find your objectives, it may feel like nails on a chalkboard.

Emulation Engine

The game is essentially running on an emulator, which allows for some quality-of-life improvements and some cool bonus options. You can rewind or speed up time, which is cool, but the way all the sounds play when use the default rewind is kind of creepy. It feels like those videos where people try to find evil messaging in songs played in reverse. It’s an easy fix though, since you can change the speed of the rewind function. There’s also the inclusion of save states. These allow for multiple saves that can be made at any point in the game. It’s helpful for while you’re still learning the ropes.

As well as save states, there are extensive customization options, as well as cheats. You can adjust your screen to resemble an arcade cabinet, classic television, or even a Gameboy. There’s also several cheats you can use, such as invincibility and infinite continues. Similar to Limited Run Games’ Carbon Engine, it gives a lot of power to the player.

Replayability

The replayability of Aero is on the lesser side, to put it bluntly. Unless you’re trying to earn a platinum trophy, wanting to try to get the highest scores, or just jumping in for old-time’s sake, you may not find yourself coming back repeatedly. For at least half of players, Aero the Acro-bat may just be a one-and-done experience. Though that is the case, it’s not a bad one.

Conclusion

In an age of constant full-fledged remakes and modern takes on this kind of game, it can be nice to take a break and play an actual 16-bit classic. Aero the Acro-bat is a good game for that role. The modern quality of life additions are a huge plus, making it more accessible to broader audiences without alienating people who want the full challenge. As a whole, it’s a good port of a pre-playstation game.