Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel (SFC, Mega Drive) (1994)
Developer: Iguana

Review by Faididi and Co.

Screaming at the top of his lungs

Story: Average

In a jump from A to Z, the martial artist squirrel and former henchman known as Zero gets to be a hero, too. Some time after the events of Aero the Acro-Bat 2, our new protagonist leaves his wicked master (Ektor) in order to stop another supervillain from ruining his forest home and threatening his girlfriend's family.

The story here has no movies between the stages, but it's appreciably tighter than the aimless tale of the previous game. However, while Aero understandably doesn't appear in this game, it's certainly strange that Zero's girlfriend doesn't either.

Gameplay: Excellent

As its reformed hero already suggests, Iguana's Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is an action platformer that does things quite differently from its predecessors. Zero possesses several powerful jumping moves (his offensive somersault, flic-flac, swoop, and signature kamikaze dive) that let him reach distant ledges faster as well as destroy foes more easily. Besides being very plentiful compared to Aero's magical stars, Zero's shuriken can be aimed diagonally and even bounced off walls. He can also perform nunchaku attacks, so he is never defenseless on the ground. This extraordinary set of moves renders Zero one of the most versatile characters in the entire genre.

Just as important are the vastly improved level and enemy designs. Although there are no longer any passwords, the stages don't drag on like before, as they feature much more compact, streamlined, and varied layouts. For example, the open stretches of the beach stages allow Zero to easily race across the clear sands, whereas the towering trees of the forest stages test his diving and swooping skills against the extreme vertical obstacles. As for the vehicle scenes, Zero will get to ride a jetski and use his heavily armed jetpack (the same one seen in Aero the Acro-Bat 2). They're more fun than Aero's snowboarding scenes, thanks again to the better focused level design.

The bad guys see an increase in variety, too. The stages now contain minibosses, and there is a greater number of main bosses, who range from a rock golem to an evil mutant bat. If things like the special off-screen sniper still aren't enough, the final battle adds a cool twist, where Zero has to cooperate with a computer-controlled friend to defeat their foe.

Controls: Excellent

The controls are highly responsive and intuitive, even though Zero's somersault behaves a little differently from the typical double-jump. If the flic-flac moves could've been reassigned to different buttons, the controls would be absolutely perfect.

Graphics: Excellent

The amazing visuals go further beyond those of Aero the Acro-Bat 2. Zero is smoothly animated, whether he's running, jumping, climbing, sliding down ropes, or swinging his nunchucks, and he even has multiple idling poses. The bosses are huge, and projectiles and explosions can fill the screen without any noticeable slowdown. At the same time, the beautifully rendered backgrounds show off more dynamic details. The sun's heat distorts the horizon's image at the beach stages, mist weaves across the dark and slippery paths at the cliff stages, and lava pools bubble menacingly at the cavern tunnel stages.

Audio: Excellent

Matching the graphics in quality are the top-notch sound effects and music. Zero's shuriken fly through the air with a heavy whirling noise, while his diving attacks slam into surfaces with a mighty crash. The music leaves the often gentle, reflective style heard in Aero the Acro-Bat 2 in favor of a badass rocking style, but the inspired and driving tunes are just as moving.

Overall: Excellent

The change of hero is no simple gimmick in Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel, because this awesome follow-up takes the opportunity to attack all the problems from the Aero the Acro-Bat games, without forgetting to improve on the strengths. With its many potent abilities for Zero, its beautifully streamlined level and enemy designs, and its dazzling visual and audio effects, this exciting new action platformer classic makes one want to break out the nunchaku and scream toward the heavens.