This game is the last non-Sonic, Sonic Team title I will be covering for the Sonic 25th Anniversary Retrospective. But ironically, its the first non-Sonic IP Sonic Team game the studio produced!
Ristar is a wonderful game that does so much right, so lets head-bump across outer space!
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Ristar originated as a rabbit that could grab objects with his ears. This idea and concept was very far along when Sonic's creation was going underway but Sonic Team had issue finding gameplay that would work with this idea. So, they went back to the drawing board and explored other concepts like a Amarillo and.....an Hedgehog.
Fast forward to the launch of Sonic & Knuckles, and we got Sonic Team sorta done with Sonic, so they wondered what they could do next. The Sonic CD/Knuckles Chaotix team went up on the plate and offered to revisiting the lost idea, code-named project 'Feel'.
They changed the Rabbit into a Star, set the games core location in space and decided upon a triply visual style that is not unlike Knuckles Chaotix.
Then the game released on both the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive & Sega Game Gear in 1995 and.....critics & gamers loved the game but it was over shadowed with other hardware looming on the horizon.
One interesting element when this game released is that major localization changes happened, with Psxphile pointing this out to me
! Thank you for the clarification, as this is a major element to the games release. 
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The core gameplay is very simple; a traditional platformer, but with the ability to grab anything. This leads to levels and core gameplay being more traditional compared to the fast levels of Sonic. What makes the game so much fun is the different ways you interact with the levels.
Ristar can grab anything and he can pull himself toward foes for a effective head-but....or you could hold the grab for a flying foe to get across a pit. This extends to level gimmicks, as you can grab hand-holds to climb across objects, vines that can send you upward/downward, weeds that float in the sky, and more!
It makes levels very varied and quite enjoyable!
You visit underwater worlds, play through a Rayman Band Land-style location, ride on skies across snowy hills and more! Level variation is one of Ristar's greatest strengths and its something the game really shows its Sonic roots.
Ristar skiing down a mountain really remind me of a hedgehog racing down icey caps
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The boss fights are also well designed, with the fight giving you a clear hint toward the bosses weak point and the locations you fight them in have the fun level gimmicks in place too (at least the sub-bosses).
I really enjoyed my time with the gameplay, as it is really enjoyable
. The game even does swimming controls great too and playing the game with an analog stick with the SEGA Genesis Collection on PSP/Vita, makes them control even better 
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The games presentation is really impressive as well, with a ton of bright colors and vivid visuals that scream 'Sonic Team'. Just like NiGHTS and Billy Hatcher that come after this, it shows how Sonic Team can master the hardware they work with leading to really impressive looking games.
The music is also very strong too, with this composer working on latter SEGA/Sonic Team games like NiGHTS into Dreams and Sonic Adventure 2
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Shooting Star - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjqcELQWZ24&index=3&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7
Dancing Leaves - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89SKjZoHRio&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7&index=4
Splash Down - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABEcmJlXiC4&index=5&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7
Break Silence - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qj-wo3r_dcY&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7&index=6
Busy Flare - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgrC54UNmu4&index=7&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7
Ring Rink - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF8SGh4e3zY&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7&index=12
Ice Scream - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkNcWh7uw_8&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7&index=13
Lock Up - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgA46s-l9Sk&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7&index=15
Crazy Kings, Battle Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDJmNEz4Mno&index=17&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7
Greedy Game, Final Boss Theme - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy0S76FyNy4&list=PLirSddeMOYZ5QC3tdHodugYo26QdXLeJ7&index=18
Great sound that really gives each planet you visit a unique identity.
Ristar also has some funny animations like how Sonic has when idle or when you aren't pressing any buttons/D-Pad. Shows the care Sonic Team puts into the characters they create
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One last thing before the conclusion though, the Game Gear version. I saw very little of this online, so I cannot comment much on this version of the game but it appears to have altered level designs and paired-down visuals....but it still looks really impressive.
The animations are very close to the Genesis version in quality, the colors are some of the best on the hardware and Ristar works 1-to-1 like how he works in the Genesis version (I think); very faithful port, showing how SEGA developers got the hardware of the Game Gear really well by 1995.
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Overall, I enjoyed my time with this SEGA classic and its one of the stronger platformers on the Genesis. It has such a simple gameplay style and concept but it works so well in making really fun level design and combat encounters.
One of Sonic Teams best games and a real hidden Gem among the other work the studio has produced.
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Now, the Dreamcast Era is concluded and logically, we would be covering the disaster that is Sonic 06 next, right? Well, I covered it already, same with other Modern games like Unleashed, Colors, and Black Knight.
So, it might be a bit disjointed for a handful of games but I will be revisiting a few past threads with some updates to the OP, so will let you all know via thread bump when I do that
.Now, next up for the retrospective is Sonic's first Wii adventure, so lets join the Blue Blur for a wild fire of a time; Sonic and the Secret Rings!
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Finished the game several times because it was so much fun. It is also one of the more expensive titles on Game Gear if you want it boxed.
