Received: July 6th, 2017 | Written: April 24th-27th, 2020
Year: 1993 | Developed by: Iguana Entertainment
Published by: Sunsoft
After Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog came out on their MegaDrive/Genesis console that fateful day in 1991, a number of things happened as a result: it was one of the most successful games on the Sega 16-bit console of all time, Sonic effectively replaced Alex Kidd as Sega's mascot, it left a huge legacy and impact especially as it showcased the fast speed capabilities of the system, it kickstarted a big franchise which is still going to this day (including being adapted into a live action movie very recently), and it inspired and influenced many a platformer that tried to cash in on its success.
Image from GameFAQs
Iguana Entertainment's first success would arrive in the form of Aero the Acro-Bat (directed by Nigel Cook, produced by character creator David Siller, Spangenberg, and Moon, designed by Siller, Moon, and Team Aero, and programmed by Richard Cowie, Carl Wade, Spangenberg, Darrin Stubbington, David Brevik, and David Crummack) which would be released by Sunsoft on the SNES in October 1993 and would be followed by a PAL SNES conversion that December in lieu of its original destination, the NES, on account of the popularity of the 16-bit market. Created by David Siller (with some help from his son Justin Siller who incorporated mixed themes from the '70s and '80s) after years of formulating ideas of an anthropomorphic bat character in his head, design work on Aero began in 1992.
Image from GameFAQs
There was also a Sega Genesis/MegaDrive conversion that was being worked on simultaneously along the SNES version, but it ended up coming out first as the Nintendo version reached its final stages of development. As I have not played the Genesis version, this review will solely focus on the SNES version.
Left: This is the story of how Aero collected all the Chaos Emaralds to become Super Aero; otherwise, um, why's he all jaundice like that as he begins to warp in? 😕 | Right: Through the ring of fire
In the sidescrolling platformer Aero the Acro-Bat you take control of the anthropomorphic bat Aero who you can move left and right, duck down, climb a ladder up or down, jump with the B button (with how much altitude you gained dependent on how hard you pressed the button for which you can control your jumps in midair), by pressing the B button again in midair you can perform a close-ranged drill attack toward your foe (or to reach a spot you wouldn't otherwise reach with a normal jump) either above you or below you by holding up or down respectively, by pressing Y you can shoot one of your star projectiles provided you've got some at your disposal,
Left: Hopping from balloon to balloon | Right: Fast unicycle speed
and finally with the X button you can do one of four things: if you hold still and hold it you can hold down any direction button to look around you, at any point in midair if you press the X button you can momentarily float in place until it's time to fall down again, while on the stairs you can simply press the X button to slide down it rather than slowly climb down, and finally should you be on a straight lined tightrope by pressing the X button Aero will hold on to it from below it where you can move left and right but when you're ready to get on top again simply press the button once more.
Left: 🎵 Don't wanna beeee, in Aero's woooorld 🎵 | Right: Looking up high
Throughout each stage you'll come across a variety of items that may come to your aid: there's the aforementioned stars that can be used as projectiles, edible items like candy and cupcakes collected for points, a parachute item which will have Aero slowly glide to the ground even though he's a winged creature, the A icon to replenish your health by one (each time you begin with three bits of health, but you can have up to five), a winged icon to momentarily allow you fly in any which direction (preferably upward),
Left: Swinging ahead | Right: Aero attempting to channel his inner Mappy
a bright spark which will render Aero invulnerable for a brief period of time, a battery pack which will enable you to do two air drills at a time as opposed to the usual one until you either lose a life or clear the stage, keys to unlock closed areas, an Aero icon to get another life, a B icon to grant you access to the bonus stage once you beat the present stage (only found in the Circus, Funpark, and Museum portions), and a clock icon to give you extra time. Despite the timer counting down suggesting otherwise, it doesn't count against you as it just amounts to time bonus after clearing a stage because you won't lose a life if it reaches zero (you just won't get any time-based bonus points).
Left: Well that's not a nice way to address the elephant in the room | Right: Chilling inside a water tank
Every now and then you'll come across a checkpoint which is represented by a red and yellow pole, meaning if you lose a life whether by having the last of your health depleted by an enemy or being insta-killed by a set of spikes or buzzsaws or flame you'll respawn from the nearest checkpoint you've reached; it's also worth noting that once you got an item that item won't appear again after losing a life (and the bright side is neither will the enemies you vanquished, primarily through the drill attack). During the boss battle you'll respawn on the spot and pick up from where you left off so you won't have to start the battle over.
Left: Balance launcher | Right: Backwards tipping
The overall goal is to reach the end of the stage which will transport you out should you enter the magical ring, but in certain stages said magical ring won't show up unless you either went through the requisite number of hoops or found and stepped on star platforms, for should you have missed one or two you might have to do some backtracking. There are only three continues to use in-game, but should you use one up you'll recommence the entire segment over (say you lost your last life on Circus Act 4, for instance, then you'll go back to Circus Act 1) which isn't bad if you expired your last life on Act 1 but any further would not be an appealing prospect to start over. On the bright side the stages are manageable to play through with enough time and practice so you may not have to worry about that happening... as much.
Left: Standing on a bubbly platform | Right: "Stilt Brothers, eh? More like Wilt Brothers, OHHHH!"
Aero the Acro-Bat has got a solid visual aesthetic going for it led by art director Matt Stubbington along with fellow artists Jonathan Casco, Adrian Ludley, and Jools Watsham. The nice thing about the Circus, Funpark, Woods, and Museum stages is that each one tries to be more distinctive visually than the last (sometimes even changing the background palette is enough) thus you don't feel like you're looking at a lazy copy-paste of the preceding background. The Circus stages transpire inside different segments of the tents (where sometimes you see the attending audience) including one with a blue zigzagging pattern, the Funpark stages take place outside (at last) with the parallax scrolling trees and mountains that take place during different times of the day (dark blue for night, red for sunset)
Left: Stair sliding rather than climbing down | Right: Riding on a Ferris wheel
with the occasional view of the circus silhouette you came from looming in the backdrop, the Woods stages have a clearer view of the sky that range in color depending on the stage (i.e. red, blue, magenta), and finally the Museum stages take place in an atmospherically designed setting with the columns in varying distances with imposing statues of Edgar Ektor's henchclowns (some of whom spring to life like gargoyles) and creepy face platforms that morph their expressions that have got a different background hue with each stage (and later on there are glass structures with a laser ricocheting off each side and angle). I liked that each stage's title card and score screen had their own separate palette based on whether you were in the Circus, Funpark, the Woods, or the Museum.
Left: Lights on a bridge when I step on it? Nice! | Right: Ducking down on a roller coaster ride
Aero has got a decent in-game design with his crimson palette, his initial emblazoned in yellow on his chest, gray wings, and black hair as he moves, and his set of animations are solidly executed (including walking, stair climbing, wing flapping if you pressed X in midair or if you grabbed a winged icon, his tipping animation when facing forward, or when he's facing away from the edge he'll have himself get closer with his legs resembling the Road Runner), and when it comes to being burnt his body will cartoonishly shrivel up with his charred out body and incredulous reaction as he falls straight offscreen or if he touches a sharp object or falls to his death his eyes will bug out as he disappears to offscreen land.
Left: "YEOWCH!" | Right: Platform cloud tethered to the sun
Meanwhile in the enemy front they are designed decently with their own set of animations, like the clown variants (including ones that spin around like a spinning top, tall clowns clad in gray, and clowns dressed up as ghosts with sheets shrouding them with their red noses sticking out), the elephant in a tutu who tires out easily, Aero's squirrelly nemesis Zero has got a decent design with his Japanese headband and the number 0 emblazoned on his chest who at one point operates a mechanical clown head that occasionally sticks out its hand at you from its mouth and spouts tears (which I initially thought was snot) after drill-booping its nose, and finally Edgar Ektor who wears a demonic white mask and has got a silly design and attempts to be imposing.
Left: Shot up by a cannon | Right: Whooshing rocket ride
The soundtrack was composed by Rick Fox of Fox Productions (the latter of which is the only credit given in-game) and is solidly crafted in its own right as it is easily the strongest element of the game, with the majority of the themes being exclusive to the stage they serve as background music so at least there's some variety. The title theme (which doubles as the theme for Circus Act 1) is fittingly circus-esque and it wouldn't feel out of place in that environment, same for Circus Act 2's theme, Circus Act 3's theme is decent, Circus Act 4's theme is bouncily catchy, and Circus Act 5's theme is not only atmospheric in terms of instrumentation but has got a cool rock guitar in certain moments;
Left: "Mmm! Fried bat performer!" | Right: The arrow points thataway 🠜
Funpark Act 1's theme (which also plays in Woods Act 3) is pleasantly empowering, Funpark Act 2's theme is the circus-like interpretation of Aram Khachaturian's "Sabre Dance" movement from his Gayane ballet that's appropriately fast-paced considering you're riding a roller coaster, Funpark Act 3's theme is an engagingly fun listen, Funpark Act 4's theme is well-composed, and Funpark Act 5's theme has got a quirky instrumentation with rocky vibes; Woods Act 1's theme sounds outdoorsy, Woods Act 2's theme sounds fun and catchy, and Woods Act 4's theme is aptly fast-paced as you're going down the rapids; Museum Act 1's theme is playfully inviting and sinister, and Museum Act 4's theme gives you the sense that you're nearing the end of your journey.
Left: Exiting out of a clown's mouth | Right: "No no, don't tell me, you're all choked up to see me, am I right?"
The Circus Bonus theme as you're gradually descending towards the ground sounds catchy, the Museum Bonus theme rocks, the normal boss theme is the circus-flavored interpretation of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Flight of the Bumblebee" interlude from his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, the final boss theme is the strangest track of the bunch as it sounds energetically upbeat and happy considering you're up against Edgar Ektor and Zero together, and the ending credits music is celebratory and quite nice to listen to (even if what happens onscreen isn't, but more on that later).
Left: Out of the water | Right: Walking on a tightrope
The sound effects were provided by the sound company Bitmasters (whose other Nintendo 16-bit credits comprise of Imagineering's adaptation of Chris Columbus' Christmas classic Home Alone, Westwood Studios' video game adaptation of Disney's The Lion King, LucasArts' Big Sky Trooper, and Phoenix Interactive Software's Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday to name a select few titles) for they are decently chosen, like the bounce sound effect for the trampoline, Aero's drill attack sound, and the whoosh sound as Aero bungees himself down in Woods Act 3, and there is even the high-pitched "YEOWCH!" digitized soundbyte for when he loses a life except for when he's singed by fire which is aptly flame-like.
Image from Wikipedia
Prior to Aero the Acro-Bat's final release promotional artwork had been shown at the 1993 Winter Consumer Electronics Show in Nevada and its prototype left a good impression at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, having stood out well above the other exhibits which no doubt contributed to its eventual contemporary success. Sunsoft gave free copies of the Nintendo and Sega 16-bit versions to the first hundred people who sent them a 3x5 postcard with their address. David Siller's creation would win the 1993 Best New Character award by the Electronic Gaming Monthly magazine and by that point Sunsoft made Aero their mascot; he would appear beside the company logo in Blizzard Entertainment's video game adaptation of The Death and Return of Superman based on DC Comics' "The Death of Superman" comic, Funcom's Daze Before Christmas, Phoenix Interactive Software's Porky Pig's Haunted Holiday, and Scooby-Doo Mystery (both the Genesis version by Illusions Gaming Company and the SNES incarnation by Argonaut Software).
Images from GameFAQs; "MA-13"?? How violent and/or edgy is this game compared to Aero's? 😕 I can't imagine it's Konami's Castlevania: Bloodlines MA-13 levels of violent...
Concurrently that November 1994 came out Iguana Entertainment's spinoff Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel on the SNES and Genesis/MegaDrive, which centers on Aero's nemesis Zero (who was created by David Siller's son, Justin Siller, as an equal to the Acro-Bat) who's been largely absent in Aero's second game except for being shown saving Edgar Ektor during the intro (and appearing as a password icon) whom he defies after being told to stay as he returns home after learning that the forest he came from is under threat of destruction which he must save. I presently haven't played this game, I've oft heard mixed feelings on it, though I wouldn't mind catching up with and playing it when I get the chance.After the success of Aero the Acro-Bat and its sequel and spinoff David Siller left Sunsoft to join Universal Interactive Studios who bought the rights to his character Aero and had plans to use him as their mascot,
Image from GameFAQs
but those plans got turned down after Naughty Dog's Crash Bandicoot became hugely successful in 1996 and wound up becoming the eighth best selling game of the PlayStation One during the console's run (not to mention the titular marsupial would wind up having a franchise to his name). With no chance of appearing in another platformer Siller bought back Aero before leaving Universal thus the Acro-Bat was in retirement for the next several years.
Images from GameFAQs
After relocating to Texas in 2002 David Siller couldn't afford to create his own studio but he was able to hire Atomic Planet to port Aero the Acro-Bat to the Game Boy Advance, which the publisher Metro 3D found promising from a marketing perspective with Siller overseeing the direction of the port. America would receive the handheld conversion on May 14th, 2002, Japan would play the game for the first time in this format as Acrobat Kid that December 20th, and finally Europe would receive it courtesy of Zoo Digital Publishing as Aero the Acro-Bat - Rascal Rival Revenge on October 10th, 2003. Siller at one point considered porting Aero the Acro-Bat 2 and Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel to the Game Boy Advance in the near future, even compiling them in a collection called "A-Z Force", but ultimately cancelled those plans to focus on original content.
Left: Rolling at uncontrollably high speeds in a barrel | Right: You know, my biggest concern when it comes to bungee jumping would be suffering from whiplash and/or dying from it once the rope tugs itself after a fast descent 😟
I read that the first game had middling reviews while the second game had a better reception, so naturally I was a bit more curious of the second game than the first, but at the same time I wanted to at least try the first game beforehand. And so eventually, many years later on July 2017, I decided to look into Aero the Acro-Bat (as well as the SNES version of Nintendo's puzzler Wario's Woods, a title choice that can sadly be taken the wrong way because Urban Dictionary has got total contempt towards OG Dictionary) and truth be told I initially thought it was hard as I could only ever make it up to the fourth stage and having to continue from the beginning after using up an attempt was not at all exciting; that Christmas I would play the sequel which I got more mileage out of in terms of fun, but it wasn't until very recently that I would try today's game again.
Left: Riding down the rapids | Right: Disposing of clown dressed up like a ghost
There is a very lofty premise with Aero the Acro-Bat, I liked the idea and concept behind it and it's one of those games that take time to warm up to if you give it the time of day, but what I feel undermines the proceedings to some degree is the overall execution of the controls and structure. Now I just want to get this off the bat: I don't think this game is bad or awful, it's actually pretty okay on its own merits, as there is plenty of stuff to like and appreciate about it which I'd like to highlight before moving on to the lesser aspects.
Left: Water's too boiling hot | Right: Oh man, I hope the statues are just for decoration and don't spring to life for one of them...
I liked that there were a varying amount of elements the further you went along; like small balloon platforms that lifted you up upon stepping on them because that makes sense, trampolines which you can bounce up from a la Namco's Mappy where each subsequent bounce propelled you higher, cannons that shot you up high which you can manually position, I liked that you could dive down towards the water after jumping from a board and how certain hoops you could get through were set on fire which you could get through for points if you centered yourself properly enough, later on in the game a there's platform that spins round and round upward attached to a column until you either get off it or reach the top, and if you search thoroughly enough there are secret passages and compartments you can get through (certain columns or walls you could try fitting through; Museum Act 4 even urges you to explore the secret passages), et al.
Left: Twisty platform is twisty | Right: Because of course the Museum would be replete with conveyor belts, why not?
I also liked how in certain stages it would deviate itself from platforming to freshen things up, like riding a roller coaster in Funpark Act 2, doing a barrel ride along the way in Woods Act 2, bungee jumping in Woods Act 3, and in Woods Act 4 you ride down the rapids which involves jumping over or ducking down balls of spikes, et al. Some stages are more linear and straightforward than others, including Funpark Act 3 where you must collect the key to open up the next section, and the drill attack can be used as you many times as you want (once per midair normally, twice if you got the battery powerup) so you don't necessarily have to use the stars which can only be used up in limited number.
Left: Sliding down a slimy curve | Right: Gliding down via chute
I greatly appreciated that this wasn't one of those platformers where the timer counted down and worked against you, because one time I took so long to clear a stage and when the timer neared zero I was worried about losing a life but was relieved when that did not happen; I believe the convenient checkpoint system attributed to that, and it's great that the music doesn't start over from the beginning after losing a life. There are a good amount of secrets, I liked that you're given different goals and objectives (like stepping on a requisite number of star platforms until they vanish or going through magic hoops), and when it comes to the nonstop sequences like the roller coaster and the barrel riding sequence one of the keys to survival is memorization for there is a trial and error element if you failed the first time so next time you'll know what to expect if you can time it right.
Left: Wall trampolines bouncing you across | Right: Upward drill move
Now let's talk about what breaks Aero the Acro-Bat and may potentially turn off the casual gamer from enjoying it and/or even wanting to play through it: as I said earlier once you get an item that item won't appear in the same spot again until you either start over from scratch or from the world's first act after using up a continue (say you needed health again, you'd have to wait until you get to a later point), the drill attack is helpful when it comes to defeating airborne enemies or ground ones but there are certain ones who won't easily budge (like the tall gray clowns or the guy who attempts to impede you by hiding inside his tall red and white hat),the boss battles are very easy with the most simplistic strategy ever, your swings have to be timed right, you always have to play on the defensive and bide your pacing as a means to preserve whatever health you've got or prevent a lost life which sort of counters the fast-paced vibe of its source of inspiration with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog, its enjoyability factor is mildly inconsistent as some stages are more fun than others, it is annoying to have to start from the first act after using up a continue but luckily the game is manageable if you stick with it and learn the stages' layout, time and position your drill jumps carefully (especially if it's above sharp objects and fire) or you may meet your end quickly. But the biggest problem with Aero the Acro-Bat is that it had emphasis on quantity over quality which is its greatest downfall for it could've greatly benefited itself with a touch more polish.
This is yet another game where the plot is not told anywhere in-game so you'd have to look up supplementary material to know what even is going on, content v. context and all that stuff; also, those are some highly distracting NES-style borders on the left and right
But what killed me the most was the ending, and good God, what were they thinking? So after defeating Edgar Ektor and Zero that skull they rode on crashes through the Museum wall, Zero escapes just in time, Ektor gets out in the nick of time barely containing his balance (with a panicked, helpless look on his face), Aero drill attacks him off the edge without qualm or hesitation, and during the course of the credits it constantly alternates from watching Ektor fall (until eventually Zero comes to his aid) to Aero listening intently for his demise?? 😳 What did Ektor even do to deserve that, other than almost killing a lion after a prank gone awry twenty years prior which caused him to get banned from the circus and exact his petty revenge as a bitter old man? O-Okay, that's bad, but in what way does that 
Was "psychopath" seriously the vibe David Siller and/or Iguana Entertainment was going for with this supposed "hero"? 😟 It makes me feel unclean just thinking about it... 😖
absolve Aero from coming across like a complete psychopath as he eagerly anticipates his biggest foe hitting the ground and whips up a pair of sunglasses celebrating what he believes to be his death after hearing the loud crash at the bottom??? It doesn't, not at all; in fact, it kind of makes the proceedings of the first game (in my opinion, anyway) feel rather disingenuous as a result and I'm not sure I like Aero as a character (he acted less like a psychopath in the sequel and was better written, but still).
Is it worth looking into and investing in an Atari Jaguar just to play the sequel? I ask this genuinely
If you want to play a better Sonic wannabe alternative on the Nintendo 16-bit console then I recommend checking out Gremlin Graphics' Zool: Ninja of the Nth Dimension--it's a better crafted and solidly enjoyable platformer chock full of imaginative worlds and backgrounds, its color choices really pop, it's got three difficulty settings, has got a genuine sense of challenge, and in my opinion it's more consistently fun, but more importantly, Zool was not a psychopath. Or if you wish to play another better alternative, play Iguana Entertainment's Aero the Acro-Bat 2.And since I brought up the sequel, playing these games back to back taken as a whole it really does form up a whole overarching adventure as Aero the Acro-Bat essentially acts as Part 1 while Aero the Acro-Bat 2 forms up the second (and better-made) part which picks up immediately after its predecessor ended in recap fashion. It's interesting once you realize this how far Iguana Entertainment had come as they would improve upon their craft as they focused on quality over quantity which is the exact opposite of what the first game did as it had quantity take precedence over quality.
Left: Yes, truly the area layout the Pale King from Team Cherry's Hollow Knight would approve of what with his unhealthy affinity for buzzsaws | Right: Attack Ektor through his source of power
Aero the Acro-Bat is not devoid of good ideas and concepts as there is plenty going for it and you have to give it credit for trying to mix things up once in awhile, but if it had more polish and had been made more accessible in terms of enjoyability and difficulty and structure and continue system then I think we would've had a real winner with this game, but alas it comes up real short in that regard (you can have a hard platformer, just incorporate a sense of polish and balance to make the proceedings tolerably bearable or, more importantly, fun). Overall I say it's an okay endeavor for what it's worth (questionable ending notwithstanding), but one that is difficult to recommend unless you were morbidly curious about where Sunsoft's former batty mascot originated from or are a diehard platformer fan, otherwise I suggest skipping it in favor of the sequel (or anything else, really). Iguana Entertainment's first success story came out at the right place at the right time as it left an unlikely, albeit very brief, legacy behind.
My Personal Score: 6.0/10
d(^-^)bTO EACH THEIR OWNd(^-^)b
● This game lucked out on account of its success otherwise that ending message would've all been for naught. It's a little sad when a lesser title lives up to its sequel bait but a superior title (like, say, ASCII's Ardy Lightfoot) doesn't. ☹ Oh well, at least it led to something better articulated and structured.
● Ocean Software's Mr. Nutz, not a Sonic wannabe, is the superior red rodent platforming hero on the Nintendo 16-bit in my book; it's tons of challenging fun, the squirrely protagonist is actually a hero in it, and he does nothing to make himself come across as a psychopath like Aero did at the end of the first game (I'll never let that one go).
Hope everyone is doing all right and staying safe with everything going on right now, thank you for reading my review and please leave me a comment to let me know what you think (neither spam nor NSFW will be allowed); hope you have a great day, and take care of yourselves out there!
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😐 … Why is there a trademark beside Aero when there's already one by the title below him in the same screen? Isn't that overkill if not being overly redundant at this point?
