Thanks to Ratalaika Games for the review code

Title: Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel
System: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Price: $5.99
Release Date: 10/04/2024

Story

In this spinoff to the Aero the Acro Bat series, you take control of rival Zero, as he sets out to defend his homeland from an evil attack by deforesters! But as he goes deeper into his homeland, he realizes that someone he didn’t expect is working behind the scenes…

Presentation

Uses the same new wrapper Aero 2 had, with the exact same quirks; scanned manual/box/concept art, a sprite gallery, a sound test, a weirdly quiet game audio balance, and weirdly slow fast forward speed on Switch. Display options still look pretty decent and the game has a decent soundtrack, though not nearly as good as Aero 2. Not much else to comment on here, as Zero doesn’t attempt any crazy 3D effects like Genesis Aero 2 did or offer anything visually besides providing a smooth 2D platforming experience. Yet again, this is just the SNES version on offer here.

It should be noted, since I’ve seen a few confused when reporting on the game, that yes, some visual aspects are altered in this release if you play the new Japanese ROM. The character art and several sprite aspects are altered to remove some less-than-savory elements, but the US version uses the original designs.

Gameplay

Zero takes the get to the end of the level focus of Aero 2 and remixes it with quite a lot of action! Rather than just jumping and drilling into enemies, Zero has a few weapons to use on pesky foes, whether that includes shuriken, darts, nunchucks, or a powerful glide attack! It weirdly makes Zero feel somewhat like Shinobi, and somewhat like a run and gun.

Speaking of Ninjas, the whole game feels pretty frantic and much faster paced than both Aero games did. While Aero 2 took the very messy foundation the first game had and made it a lot more fun to enjoy, Zero just uses what Aero 2 did best and make a new game with a focus on fun and quick action, and I really dig it. Not only is combat satisfying enough, but Zero runs incredibly fast, and even has a handy double jump that if you time just right, will launch you incredibly high, especially when coming off a bouncy platform.

By far the best technique in Zero’s arsenal however comes from the glide. This is a really tricky technique that takes a while to get used to, but if you use the A button just right in mid-air with enough ground game to cover, Zero will glide like the wind, going down, right then up, which can be used to gain incredible momentum. Heck, there are even a bunch of fun little optional routes to take which reward mastery of this technique, which helps for getting through the levels real quick.

These techniques and continually solid play control really elevate Zero to be a really darn fun game, and just like in Aero 2 the stages and worlds do offer some good variety. Vehicle stages return but just like in Aero 2, they don’t suck as much as Aero 1, and some of the more sprawling stages provide really fun moments for Zero to use his combat abilities. Add in some very satisfying boss fights, and you have yourselves a surprisingly fun action platformer.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Zero, questionable full name aside, is easily the best thing to come out of the Aero the Acro-bat lineage. Taking out the dull, tedious chores from the first game, some of the slow paced movement from the second game, and adding in a bunch of way more engaging combat mechanics and several techniques rewarding skilled play, and you have yourselves a really darn fun action platformer, mostly known for being so absurdly expensive to get a real cart of that Zero was hardly obtainable before this port and the Evercade reissue.

Well, for $6 this is a great SNES action platformer, and one I’m really happy to say Ratalaika did good work on even if their new wrapper is still rather wonky for my tastes. The rewind and auto-save features provide some decent quality of life to make use of, and of the four Aero related games, this is easily the best one to pick up if you can only go with one of em. Definitely a hidden SNES gem worth checking out!

I give Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel an 8 out of 10.