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It's a father-son kind of thing in outer space. Again. Whilst relaxing deep in his watery planetary star home, little Ristar receives a panicked message from the strange wormlike people who wear Fezs, going something along the lines of "someone's kidnapped your father, the great leader, and enslaved the local populace. Er, help!"

Rising from his stupor, Ristar prepares for an interstellar mercy mission. His cute five-pointed look is deceptive - only one person ever called him 'Twinkle' at school, and they only ever did it once, because Ristar was Alpha Centauri head-butting champion three solar cycles on the trot. Evolution has given him an exceptionally hard forehead and extended arms to match. This so-called 'evil tyrant' is going to wish he had never been born...

Originally devised as a companion for Sonic, Ristar has been in development for over two years in Japan.

Rescue the enslaved population from a system of planets by indulging in some platform head-butting.

The game has an 'epic' feel, set over a whole series of three-stage planets (conveniently allowing for abrupt scenery changes every so often). These celestial stopovers all have their own characteristics - the first being a forest planet, with deadly flora and fauna. The second, Undertow is set almost entirely underwater, with a series of chambers filled with naughty nautili and squid. Scorch incorporates all things hot, including lava tides and furnace traps. Then Sonata takes things to a weirder plane altogether: a musical planet with the sub-plot of releasing the harmony birds with the magic metronomes. Once each planet's head denizen has been butted into submission, Ristar accelerates for a cosmos crossing bonus tally.

When Ristar comes across an attractive metal pole, he's tempted to get swinging. Accelerating in the direction of rotation sets him up for a stratospheric boost - but only if the release timing is right. Most of these poles help Ristar to inaccessible places, but the pole placed at the end of the level is used to calculate a height bonus, which rises with the angle Ristar leaves.

Ristar's attack method is subtly different to that of his Sega platform partners in crime. The bum bounce has been foregone in favour of the head-butt. Ristar exends his hands and grasps any meanies within range. Releasing the button causes the cranial collision. However, holding the button keeps Ristar's prey in thrall. This can be used to hitch rides on moving baddies, like birds.

There is one special pole on each level that takes Ristar to the bonus game. On each bonus round, the object is simple - get the treasure. Usually this involves a test of his pole-spinning skills, but variations include swimming after a reluctant pearly prize.

Ristar is unlikely to win many awards, or many accolades. It's rather staid and unoriginal platform format is a good enough reason to keep it out of the heated and hard-fought days of Christmas to mop up the new year Megadrive-owning contingent.

But this harsh analysis doesn't do the actual game full justice, since it is an enjoyable, quirky and well-assembled little number. The graphics are nice and very varied, and Ristar's fluid control is one of the most pleasant aspects of the game. Some of the gameplay leads verge on the puzzle level, and the whole pole-swinging bit - bonus games et al, is a strong element in Ristar's 'feelgood' factor. You certainly don't feel as if you've wasted time on the game, even if it is just too easy.

Not in the same league as Earthworm Jim or Headdy, but acceptable amongst the younger age groups.

Joining an ever-growing pile of recently-released platformers, Ristar scores extra brownie points for its cute graphics and novel twist on the customary bum-bouncing killing system. The Ristar sprite is endearing enough, and hs platform-laden world is brimming with nice touches (knocking trees over to form bridges, for example) and plenty of foes but it just seems to lack that essential playabiity to take it into the Sonic and Headdy league.

Congrats go to Sega for trying to add a twist to the platform genre, and a year or so ago Ristar would be wearing a Megagame logo with pride. In these days of Earthworm Jim and Co, though, I feel obscurity beckons. Sadly.

Graphics 88%
P. Great variety between the stages and Ristar has his own star quality.
N. Some of the colour combinations are lurid and fuzzy.

Sound 81%
P. The first stage tune is great, and the Sonata level files under bizarre background music. Nice FX.
N. Some FX are like cheese-graters on the ear.

Playability 85%
P. Pleasantly playable, and the well-handled novelty of Ristar's attack method giving the game its own distinctive feel.

Lastability 77%
N. A bit of a soft touch, our Ristar, and really one for the less experienced (or lingered) amongst us.

Value For Money 83%
N. Too much for a game of this type. Only the biggest or most exciting concepts warrant equivalent price tags.

Overall 84%
Likeable, if not exactly lovable, and pretty interpretation of the old platform chestnut. Now does anyone have some new ideas?