A
video game series from
Sunsoft for the
Super NES,
Sega Genesis, and
Game Boy Advance.
Aero the Acrobar was released for the
Super NES and
Sega Genesis in 1993, and the
GBA version is a port that was released in 2002. The plot of the games revolve around Aero, a circus-performing bat, as he tries to stop the evil circus clown,
Edgar Ektor, and his henchman
Zero the Kamakazie Squirrel.
Aero's moves include jumping, throwing stars, and his trademark drill maneuver, in which he spins nosefirst at a 45-degree angle. On occassion he can shoot himself out of cannons, ride rocket cars, slide down water flumes, ride snowboards, and perform other skills based on the goals of the level. The levels themselves are side-scrollers in which Aero has to accomplish a given task, such as jump through 25 hoops, jump on 15 star platforms, find the key, rescue Aerial the Acrobat, or simply find the exit. The game features levels set in the circus, amusement park, forest, and museum. The only major difference between the Super NES and Sega Genesis versions of the are that the Super NES version includes a bonus round based on the parachute level of Pilotwings in which Aero free-falls into a pool. The most memorable thing about the Aero series is, to me, the shout that Aero makes when his life meter is depleted: a high-pitched "Yeouch!". Hear it a few times and you'll never get it out of your head.
The Game Boy Advance version is, as said above, a port of the game. However the game underwent a few little changes: the Aero character is based on the sprite design from the second Aero game, the difficulty has been turned down a notch (hazards that used to cause one-hit kills now merely cost one unit from the life bar), some cringe-worthy cut scenes have been added with character art that is simply atrocious, and the inclusion of a battery pack allows games to be saved.
The game spawned a sequel in 1995, Aero the Acrobat 2 as well as a spinoff staring Edgar Ektor's evil assistant, Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel. The game itself can be found in the usual used game shops and is one of the 16-bit era's most underrated platforming games.