Overview – originally released by Sunsoft (developed by Iguana Entertainment), brought to modern platforms by Shinyuden and Ratalaika Games, Aero the Acro-Bat is a platforming adventure from the 16-bit generation of consoles. As the Circus performer Aero, use your skills to save your companions while battling the minions of Edgar Ektor, a sinister industrialist who has sabotaged the World of Amusement. This title is on all console platforms, with a link to each version at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into to the review, I would like to thank PR Hound for providing the copy of Aero the Acro-Bat that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the plot. Please be aware that the version of the game used for this release is from the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. If you had played the Genesis/Mega Drive or Game Boy Advance versions it may be different to the version used here.
Story – The World of Amusement Circus and Funpark is a popular attraction, bringing in people far and wide to see their acts. One person who loved this place was Edgar Ektor, who was banned as a kid for a failed prank. 20 years later, Ektor has become a powerful and corrupt industrialist, who has sabotaged the World of Amusement and kidnapped the performers. Aero, the star of the Circus, sets out on a quest to rescue his friends and save the attraction.
Gameplay – on the surface, Aero the Acro-Bat looks like a typical platformer from the time period. However, the action plays out in a way that ignores the traditional platforming mechanics. For each of the stages in this game, the player must complete an objective that is provided at the start of the level. These can be as simple as jumping through a set number of hoops, or more challenging like searching the level for switches to activate.
Each stage has its own objective and time limit to complete it within. If the time limit expires, players aren’t severely punished, with the only negative being the loss of end of stage bonuses. To navigate the different areas and worlds that Aero travels to, players have access to a rather simple move set. This consists of a jump, short hover and spin drill that will send Aero in a diagonal direction. The spin is also the main way of combatting the enemies that appear in stages.
Players can also collect stars during the stages, which Aero can throw to damage enemies from a distance. But these items are limited in each stage, so some care must be taken before using them as they don’t regenerate. Within the stages, there will be hazards and obstacles to overcome, like spikes and harmful floor tiles that will instantly kill Aero if contact is made. However, there are some elements that will help the player, like trampolines, swings and high wires.
There is a heavy emphasis on exploration with this release, with layouts that take advantage of large spaces, hiding many secrets within them. The way that the objectives are set up can lead to players getting easily lost, losing their time bonus and falling victim to the pitfalls. If an objective item is at the opposite end of the stage, it can be a long and dangerous journey to reach it. But there are checkpoints scattered throughout each stage, which can be strategically useful.
Each world is made up of five stages, with a boss battle after clearing stage five. There are also bonus stages that can be accessed by fulfilling a special condition. These bonuses will give players the chance to earn extra points, with the chance to boost the number of lives that Aero has. This is really important, as there are only 3 continues that can be used during the course of the game. Each continue used will start the player at the beginning of the current world they are up to.
Aero the Acro-Bat sadly suffers from the pitfalls of 90s game design, with leaps of faith, awkward hazard placements and instant death traps, which was the style at the time. This makes for a potentially frustrating experience, as the chance to lose all lives deep into a world is always possible. This can be made worse by the auto scrolling stages, which may remind players of the Jet Bike stage in Battletoads or the Minecarts in Donkey Kong Country.
To make some of the challenges more manageable, there have been some additions made to the game. There have been cheats and special features added to this, like the other titles emulated by Ratalaika Games. Included in this release are invincibility and infinite lives cheats, making it a breeze for players who may struggle to get through the game. There is also the inclusion of save/load states, as well as rewind and fast forward, giving more control over the experience.
Last to discuss is the bonus content that has been added to this package. For the first time ever, Aero the Acro-Bat has been translated into Japanese, allowing players to experience this title for the first time. There is also an extensive gallery, containing scans of the manual and box, along with special promotional materials, sketches and even an early draft of the game documents. All of these bonuses give this release more importance, allowing people to enjoy more than just the game.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – there is a rather easy to use three button system, which is comfortable to use for the most part. But there are some unfortunate issues with the controls, which can affect the overall gameplay. It feels like there is a minor delay with some of the inputs, which was present in the original game. The game feels a little slippery at times too, which can make some of the difficulties a little worse. But overall it plays well with a variety of controls in handheld and docked modes.
Difficulty – Aero the Acro-Bat is a really tough game, with a lot of challenging sections and objectives that increase the difficulty. The inconsistencies with the collision detection make the game harder, due to the potential to hit instant death traps and be launched into enemies. To make the game a little easier, players can use the various cheats, rewind feature and save/load states to help get through the game. This is a tough game, but after some time it can get much easier.
Presentation – the visuals and sound are emulated really well, with the music and sprite work coming through like it was on original hardware. There are no issues with the performance, with the game performing with zero issues when it comes to added lag that wasn’t in the SNES release. As this is an emulated re-release, there are special filters and visual effects that can be added to the game. Players can change the colors, screen size and more to give a unique appearance to the game.
Final Thoughts – I played Aero the Acro-Bat on the Mega Drive and SNES when I was a kid, with fond memories of the experience. Returning to it after many years was a bit of a trip, as the game was a lot more difficult than I remembered. I still enjoyed my time with it and I am happy to recommend it, as the game can provide an experience that is different from other platformers. The addition of the gallery, cheats, visual filters and quality of life changes makes it approachable by all.
There are some issues with the game, like some inconsistences with the collision, mildly slippery controls and overall difficulty, but it is still a fun and enjoyable experience. This is another title in the Sunsoft publishing library that fell into obscurity, getting another chance to shine. It is a real blast from the past, with a sequel, alternate versions and even a spin off. I look forward to seeing the other titles in the series, with releases for the rest of the games being announced recently.
In the end, I give Aero the Acro-Bat a final score of 4/5. This is a fun and challenging game that turns the traditions of 90s platforming on their head, which is tough but can be beatable with enough patience. The additional quality of life changes, visual effects and bonus gallery content makes this the best way to experience this game. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to PlayStation version (HERE)
Link to Xbox version (HERE)
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