Ristar (Game Gear)

The Game Gear Ristar is a bite-sized version of the better-known Genesis game. It's slower-paced than the 16-bit version, has a couple of exclusive levels (which is unlike most Game Gear conversions of its time), and has a greater focus on platforming, but the premise is identical: use your rubbery arms and lethal headbanging skills to take down a space dictator and save the galaxy.

Sub-Page#

Prototype Info Prerelease Info

Debug Mode#

Enter the password KUMI and "DEBUG MODE ON!" will appear on the screen. During the game, pause, then un-pause while holding Up + 2 for the Level Select menu, 2 alone to skip the current level, or 1 + 2 to hard reset the game.

Regional Differences#

All regions got the exact same ROM, with differences activated based on the region of the Game Gear you're playing on.

Title Screen#

Japan	US/Europe

The international versions remove "the shooting star" subtitle from the title screen, much like the Genesis localization.

Round Title Cards#

Japan	US/Europe

The round title cards appear to look closer to the Genesis version in the Japanese version, as they have a similar shape pattern on the right side. This was removed in the international versions for unknown reasons, but presumably to fit the name of Planet Automaton, which is the longest name in the international version.

Planet Names#

Much like its Genesis counterpart, the planet names are all different between versions:

Notably, the planet identified as "Freon" in international versions is in fact a different planet from the "Elykiki" of the Mega Drive game in Japan.

Skipped Level#

The first level of Planet Fanturn/Terra is skipped in the international versions (which in turn renders its music, "Ring Rink", unused outside of the Sound Test). This was done at the request of Sega of America, as a hearing survey reported that a level about walking on rainbows and clouds would make no sense to American children.

The level can be accessed with Game Genie code C21-CEF-C41.

References#