Originally released on 16-bit consoles in 1993, Aero the Acro-Bat is a mascot platformer featuring an anthropomorphic bat trying to save circus performers. Retro game publisher Ratalaika Games has ported this 30-year-old 2D game to Playstation, Xbox, and Switch
Aero the Acro-Bat is a different type of platformer. Instead of trying to reach the exit, each stage is objective based. For example, Aero might be tasked with jumping on all the blue platforms within the stage, turning on all the lights, or must jump through all the circles. While this unique approach is admired, it is archaic mostly due to the European level design. The problem is, each stage is rather large and open which makes keeping track of locations within the environment difficult, especially since assets repeat. There is no map or indicator feature and Aero’s ability to fly/dive requires the player search all nooks and crannies blindly. One-way gates don’t play in the player’s favor either. So even if you manage to jump through all those gold rings, finding the exiting point is another painstaking challenge. Completing a single stage could take twenty minutes too. Thankfully, save states and rewind options are available. There are some respectable Pilot Wings-like Mode7 minigames too, but aren’t really that fun either.
Aero’s moveset mixes the speed and momentum of Sonic but with the cape ability of Mario in Super Mario World. With enough open space, Aero can gain speed making it easy to run into hazards, enemies, or accidentally fall off ledges. The camera is also zoomed in which makes the environment seem bigger than it already is. His main ability, flying, is also his biggest struggle. If the jump button is mashed while holding Up/Down+angle, then Aero will fly/dive in that direction. However, the button needs to be constantly mashed, and with stages as big as they are, I literally had to stop playing after each stage because my hand hurt so bad.
The visuals are on par for the competing 16-bit platformers of the time, but the soundtrack repeats ad nauseam. Like other Ratalaika re-releases, there are several screen filter options on the main menu but there still is no option to adjust audio levels. The game is very loud which makes streaming levels difficult. Thankfully, like the Shockman re-releases, cheats can be activated. Enabling the invincibility option alone makes this game much more tolerable. Also, enabling the cheats doesn’t restrict Achievements from unlocking (and don’t feel guilty for doing so).
Unfortunately, Aero is a tedious platformer that wasn’t really that much fun in the early 90s and plays even worse now. It is cool this nearly forgotten platformer has received new life on modern consoles but strangely, just the original game is included here. *Aero the Acro-Bat 2, the GBA port, and its spin-off Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel are sadly missing. If all the games were included in a compilation, then it could have acted as a decent history lesson during the 16-bit mascot wars. However, if Aero can be revived, then perhaps other forgotten platformers might also one day receive a port. Anyone up for a Rocky Rodent revival? Or how about some more Plok? Zool? Ristar? Punky Skunk? Titus the Fox? Cool Spot? Awesome Possum? Bonk… Bonk might not be so bad…
(UPDATE* – After this article was written, all the remaining games in the Aero series have been announced for re-release! Trailer here.)
Not As Good As: you maybe remember it being
Play It Instead: the other recent Ratalaika re-releases
Wait For It: a Dungeon Explorer (TG16) port with online co-op
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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RATING
OUR RATING - 4.5
4.5
SCORE
A mascot platformer from the early 90s, Aero the Acro-Bat’s objective based stages faulter due to archaic, wide level design and tedious movement (flying/diving).
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