Ristar is one of those Genesis gems that never got enough love. You play as this little stretchy-armed star dude who grabs onto poles, swings around, and headbutts enemies—way more satisfying than it sounds. The controls take a second to click, but once you get the rhythm of flinging yourself around, it feels weirdly natural.

The levels are packed with these bright, almost dreamlike worlds—one minute you're bouncing through candy-colored clouds, the next you're dodging lava in some alien jungle. And the music? Absolute earworms. That first planet's theme still gets stuck in my head randomly.

It's not just about running and jumping, either. Some enemies need specific moves to take down, and there are these sneaky hidden paths everywhere if you poke around. Took me way too long to realize you could grab certain background objects. Definitely worth replaying just to find all the little secrets they tucked away.

Honestly, it's criminal how overlooked this one is compared to other platformers from that era.