Konami Is Bringing Back Rocket Knight Adventures And Felix The Cat

Felix NES and all three Sparkster games are pretty great.

"Rocket Knight and Felix the Cat is remastered."

Yay!

"And physical is sent by Limited Run Games."

Boo!

More classic collections, Konami? And yet...Goemon still remains an outcast. No, but really. The Rocket Knight/Sparkster games were great! The music to the 1st level especially is just iconic.

Also, I had no idea that there WAS a 3rd Rocket Knight. How interesting!

I’ve been playing NES games since the 80s and never realised that there was a Felix the Cat game until now. Interesting how that slipped by me.

in terms of emulation how have previous carbon engine releases been when it comes to potential issues (input lag and the like)

Absolutely loved Rocket Knight Adventures! One of my all time favourite games. Great music, incredible art and level design, epic boss battles...oh man. Wasn't that taken with Sparkster, and had no idea there was a third rocket knight... I'd pick this up for RKA alone to be fair.

Konami is not a small Indy developer. Why are they using Limited Run? The TMNT collection got an non LRG physical run and sold well. These would sell just as well in the same space. I hate relying on LRG. They are far to slow.

Would pick these up just to satisfy the 6-10 year-old me that would see these games in magazines and on store shelves and could only use my imagination to play them

@Captain_Toad Carbon is just for porting I think, so there's no remastering here, but they do get a new opening animation it says. And Carbon engine was created by Limited Run, so if not for them, this likely wouldn't be happening at all. Most people's complaints are production times, but it will be digital too.

@Mana_Knight Yeah, I do love me some Sparkster, but Goemon is awesome! Mystical Ninja 64 is one of my all-time favorites.

I will be getting these digitally. Very excited!

Goemon collection when Konami? Because Bakeru (I am not typing that long arse title) is trying to take the crown back.

FFS why can't Konami use M2 who made the Castlevania/Contra collections or Digital Eclipse who made the TMNT collection? I played LRG's Jurassic Park collection and the emulation quality is absolutely horrid with limited options to boot.

I’m interested in the Felix games, but this just isn’t worth physical LRG prices. Two old games isn’t much of a collection. Definitely going to look for this one digitally.

RKA is great. Unfortunately, Sparkster couldn’t hold a flame to it.

… I didn’t intend that last sentence to be a pun, but sometimes it happens.

Funny enough, I was actually wondering if Sparkster would come to Nintendo Switch Online. This is the next best thing, maybe even better; just a shame that it has to be their Limited Run. I'll grab it regardless though if I think about it on time.

Rocket Knight!!!’ Oh man I actually have to purchase this one! This is one of my favorite old franchises!

@Mana_Knight
Seriously, Getting those N64 Goemon games on a collection would be just perfect.

@BrianJL Are you referring to Legend of the Mystical Ninja, the one that’s like a Zelda game? That’s one of my all time favorites too. The other one that’s 2.5d I never played but I hear it’s good too.

I really like Felix The Cat on the Nes, but there is really no point in playing the Gameboy Game, as its just the same, but shorter.
I still cant believe Konami havent realesed a Tiny Toon collection yet. They realesed 10 games in the series in the 90s and most of them where really good.

Limited Run Games?... Wait, what happened to Plumbers Don't Wear Ties: Definitive Edition?
Edit: It was delayed to March 3rd, though Switch and PS4 versions were already done... Sigh

Rocket Knight! I need to have it! Can't wait to play those levels again where you're in a giant Mech!

Hopefully the emulation is up to snuff.

@MSaturn
the zelda like one will always have a special place in my heart but i think gameplay wise the 2.5d one was my fave.

had a killer soundtrack too.

would buy the hell out of both of them on switch (hopefully if they did make it to switch they would be in a form you could buy/keep rather than NSO)

Yays, been waiting on RKA a looooong time….

@MSaturn I mean the first one on N64 - I believe it is called "Mystical Ninja starring Goemon" in the West. There's also a Game Boy game of the same name, but I mean the 3D one with Lord Dancin' and the Peach Mountain Gang - man, what a great game! The 2.5D one, Goemon's Great Adventure was good too, but the western release stripped out the songs, which is such a shame.

Does it not include Rocket Knight 2010? Why make a collection of a series that has four games in it and then only include the first three games?

@BrianJL Yes, you are so right, I screwed up the name. Yeah what a game! So many cool, funny touches. Puh-LAS-a-Maaa!

Sweet! But I'm going for Sparkster.

Rocket Knight Adventures is the best 16-bit platformer.

Fite me.

While it's good news that they remember Sparkster, it still feels lame that they won't include the 2010 reboot of Rocket Knight along with the other three. I know not many people like that reboot but it's still Rocket Knight, this is the best opportunity to bring them all together. Make it happen Konami, bundle all 4 Rocket Knight games: Rocket Knight Adventures (1993 - Sega Genesis exclusive), Sparkster: Rocket Knight Adventures 2 (1994 - Sega Genesis exclusive), Sparkster (1994 - Super NES exclusive), and Rocket Knight (2010 - Xbox 360 non-exclusive) into one package for all platforms.

@MSaturn I loved the songs. "Dash-Dash-Dash!"

The Rocket Knight collection has me intrigued.

@Ralizah Since I classify Shinobi 3 differently, I think I agree with you on that. I shall take up your cause.

Rocket Knight got my attention as a child as opposed to sonic and mario. It just felt better to play. I say this as a massive Goemon fan.

@Lony85 It says in the article there is a physical release. Nevermind you edited your comment.

@Ryu_Niiyama I just skimmed through the article (saw the tweet with it talking about a digital release), while on the bus, went back and edited my post.

Either way, my bad, I jumped the gun.

Nice! I love Rocket Knight Adventures! I’ll be picking this up for sure! Though I wish it also contained the PS3 game too

@GameOtaku Konami is just greedy they don't want to invest in buying physical cart to make standard physical release. Also the only reason the TMNT Cowabunga Collection wasn't through Limited Run Games was cause Nickelodeon handle the physical orders of that cartridge release. Konami's other collections such as the Contra Anniversary Collection, the Castlevania Anniversary and Advance Collection, and the Arcade Collection all are through Limited Run Games. Konami was known to cheap out on production with these.

@EarthboundBenjy I think it's safe to assume that these collections exist solely due to Limited Run's proprietary Carbon Engine, which offers to fairly quick, turnkey, and presumably inexpensive solution to bringing these retro games over to modern platforms.

Alas, it certainly doesn't have the capability to emulate XBLA games.

@Ryu_Niiyama ✊

Nice to see someone else who properly appreciates this classic!

Yeah, I'm not including other 2D games that have platforming elements, personally. That'd be a much harder claim for me to make.

@EarthboundBenjy Same reason why the PS1 Contra games weren't included in its collection. It wasn't made by Konami and was poorly received, plus it's easier to emulate SNES and Genesis games than one from the PS360 era.

@Lony85 It’s cool. You were editing your reply as I was replying. I only left it up because it would have looked weird had you responded. Safe travels home!

@Waluigi451 I have to agree. Not to mention you’d have to wait like half a year for your order too.

The reversible cover art! Why is he now grimacing in top image? He's such a happy looking lad in the original cover art...

Rocket Knight is easily my favorite Genesis title but I've had it with these lousy emulated releases and LRG in general trying to milk me through nostalgia. I'll stick with my original carts. They can keep the slapdash production and useless trinkets.

@Mana_Knight Want your mind really blown? There's a fourth one too.

As others have said we really do need a Goemon/Legend of the Mystical Ninja collection next from Konami. The 2nd, 3rd and 4th games on the Super Famicom were never translated and brought over to the west, and the 2nd one in particular is meant to be great.

The two N64 games were really good too (luckily I have both of them on cart as well as LOTMN on the SNES). There were a couple of Goemon games on the PS1 too, all in all there's more than enough there for a collection. but it would need some good translation work.

I'm starting to think Parodius will be the final release for Switch, if any of the old Parodius games ever make it to Switch at all...
These are great games though. I love Felix on NES, and want to play Rocket Knight.

WHY IS KONAMI USING THE SCUMBAGS THAT ARE LIMITED RUN?! Ridiculous!!!

Huh I heard of rocket knight. I should probably give those a shot.

All these Goemon comments... Man do I miss Goemon.

You had me at Felix the Cat, but then you lost me on Limited Run Games.

Are these going to be available online for a limited time like Bill and Ted?

Sparkster is pretty fun. Too bad Konami is continuing to make poor decisions by not utilizing regular stores for their physical ports.

@GameOtaku I have no earthly idea? I wonder that myself.

@TotalHenshin Really? I've only played the SNES version. What are the differences between this and the Sega ģame out of curiosity?

@Tryffel Perhaps WB can't or won't renew the licensing deal, or vice-versa?

@EVIL-C Cause they are scumbag themselves.

@Serpenterror This is sadly also true... cries

@Poodlestargenerica Lol! Really! Never heard of either of these!

Been trying to grab a copy of Rocket Knight for Mega Drive for a long time, but it's in the three figures now. A personal little Holy Grail.

Very disappointed to not see it in the Mega Drive Mini 2 after the first one got Konami licenses. A retro collection will have to scratch the itch, and it comes with the other games in the series, although being a LRG release it's going to be digital unfortunately.

@Mana_Knight there was also one on the xbox 360 something with "fantaland"

A while ago I googled for lists of the best Sega Genesis games. I looked for long lists each at least 50 games long, that were ranked. I assigned points based on rank and added them all up. I was left with 16 lists, 396 unique games and 1,465 total entries.

Rocket Knight Adventures ended up the #14 best Genesis game, and was the highest ranking Genesis game not yet on Switch (now that is Ranger X).

IGN ranked Sparkster the #87 best SNES game.

@Andyv01 the reversible cover art is the original cover art.

Felix the Cat NES is one of my earliest video gaming memories, so this does my attention. I'll think about it. If only I had a Bag of Tricks!

Righty-O! I loved his 1950s/1960s Cartoons. I was oddly intrigued by The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, though.

I loved rocket knight on genesis, but as a kid couldn't really get the controls. They didn't feel intuitive to me at the time. Guess I'll have to give it another shot.

@Ogbert Turns out there were different expressions for the PAL and NTSC regions. In Europe he had this jolly whimsical and adorably goofy "Oh boy oh boy" smile.
The US seems to have gone for the possom with tude look.
Caught me off guard as I had only known about the European look for the last 30 years! xD

As great as Rocket Knight Adventures is and as enjoyable as the Felix the Cat games are as far as licensed games from around that time go, at this point I just want Konami to do a retro collection for Goemon or Bomberman.

@Tempestryke It’s been about a decade since I played both back to back, but my recollection is that the controls were tighter in the Genesis version, the music was superior, and the giant mech fights were awful in the SNES version. I also remember the Genesis version, like other Konami Genesis titles at the time, employed neat graphical effects such as the level with with the water reflecting the sprites. I feel like I also recall the SNES version having more ‘90s ‘tude in general and at times trying to imitate Sonic in its gameplay, both of which I think were moves in the wrong direction. Again, that’s just my opinion. I know some people really love the SNES game, and it’s not terrible, but it felt like a downgrade to me.

Most people know what evils Cats are capable of, but Possums are nasty, you don't wanna mess with Possums.

Possums with razor sharp broadswords and a jetpack is basically an excuse to go AWOL from the Fascist Pig Army

@Edd-O There's no way in hell Konami spends the money to have older SFC Goemon games translated, and they're not going to pay the fan translators what they want for the rights to those. Not to mention the GBC ones that haven't even been fan-translated yet...

Plus, then there's going to be the firestorm over that particular NPC in Ganbare Goemon 3...

@AllieKitsune I'm not saying it's realistic but who thought that Konami would bring back a Felix the Cat 'Collection' which includes all of 2 games?!

Just bung the Super Famicom, N64 and PS1 Goemon games on there and I'd be more than happy, no need to include the portable games. There must be more of a market for a Goemon collection than there is for Felix the Cat?!

@TotalHenshin Thank you, I appreciate you taking the time to explain about the difference in quality between the two.

Henshin-a-go-go Baby! ✌ 😎 (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

@Andyv01 oh strange! Good to know : )

@Tempestryke Lol, you’re the first to ever directly reference VJ with my name, so I appreciate it. 😅

I grew up playing Rocket Knight adventures, never played the two Sparkster games.
Haven’t played Felix the cat as I never had a NES or GameBoy.
Rocket Knight adventures re-sparked is a definite day one for me

They should release a new Rocket Knight game! Same as what Sega is doing with Shinobi.

Only two Felix games? they should have included Baby Felix Halloween for Gameboy Color…

@stevep Yes, and the Gameboy port is just the same game, but only only half as many levels. Really pointless to play if you have the Nes game. i really like The Nes game but paying $35 for one single 30 year old NES port is really not justified.
Agree that they should have included Baby Felix Haloween, as there arent really any other games to include. I dont think its a great game but the Soundtrack is very good, and i guess, most havent even heard about it.

@Expa0
i loved those games back on the n64, i still have them lying around and played through them a few years ago and still enjoyed them.

would love to have them in a collection on switch (hopefully not NSO since i would like to buy/keep them)

I’m unreasonably annoyed that the Rocket Knight trailer claims it’s a collection of “all games” and then they blatantly excluded one of the games.

I really hate when game collections dont have the european versions, and nearly all of them dont

I still say Possums are nastier than cats, I've seen my Cat come home after a Possum hissed at him, his tail was all poofed up. My Cat is afraid of the Possum, so that's Possums 1, Cats 0.

And of course the reasoning all falls apart when one considers that Hedgehogs are by nature actually fairly timid and banal creatures, but anyhoo

I'm glad to see that Sparkster has kept the torch lit, and Felix The Cat is nice to see. The BGM on it really is what I recall the most, that and it's daft powerup system.

He looks like Sonic and Mega Man did the fusion dance.

Sadly, I've never played either of these, I was a Genesis toddler at the time.