Spark the Electric Jester

About

"Spark the Electric Jester" is a fast-paced 2D platformer game featuring a robot protagonist with electric abilities. Players navigate through levels filled with obstacles, enemies, and boss battles while upgrading Spark's abilities. The game offers a challenging experience with leaderboards and speedrun modes for replayability.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

92%

Audience ScoreBased on 923 reviews

music220 positive mentions

stability35 negative mentions

The game features a unique combination of Sonic and Kirby gameplay, providing a fun and fast-paced platforming experience.
The soundtrack is outstanding, with many catchy and memorable tracks that enhance the overall experience.
The level design is generally well-crafted, with a variety of stages that keep the gameplay fresh and engaging.

The game suffers from technical issues, including frame rate drops and crashes, particularly when pausing the game.
Some power-ups feel unbalanced, with a few being significantly more useful than others, leading to less variety in gameplay.
The story and dialogue can be confusing and poorly written, with numerous typos and a lack of coherence.

music
397 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
43%
2%
The music in "Spark the Electric Jester" is widely praised as one of its standout features, with many reviewers describing the soundtrack as phenomenal, catchy, and reminiscent of classic Sonic games. Composed by a talented team, the tracks are noted for their high production quality and ability to enhance the gameplay experience, making them enjoyable even outside of the game context. Overall, the soundtrack is considered a major highlight, contributing significantly to the game's charm and appeal.
- “The music is absolutely top-notch in this game.”
- “The soundtrack is a masterpiece, with infectious takes on multiple genres.”
- “The music is easily the best part of Spark.”
- “The music is an absolute vibe, the graphics are beautifully done, and the levels each have a nice personality!”
- “While there are some minor flaws, such as enemy spamming near the very end and several typos in the dialogue, the gameplay is about as good as you'd expect from the creator of some of the most iconic sonic fan games of all time and the music is to die for.”
- “The only odd issues I've had while playing the game were some odd fade outs with the music, but nothing too major.”
story
277 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
77%
5%
The story of "Spark the Electric Jester" is generally regarded as simple and lighthearted, focusing on the titular character's quest to reclaim his job amidst a robot uprising. While some players find the narrative charming and humorous, others criticize it for being convoluted and lacking depth, with many feeling that the gameplay takes precedence over the plot. Overall, the story serves as a fun backdrop to the engaging platforming mechanics, though it may not be the main draw for all players.
- “Colorful, energetic, fun, and full of genuine enthusiasm for both the gameplay and the story being told.”
- “The story revolves around the titular jester, Spark, who quickly finds himself caught up in a robot uprising and a quest to reclaim his job, making for an engaging narrative.”
- “The storyline is unique, though a bit silly at times, it still gets the story across clearly and it's incredibly fun and interesting to follow along.”
- “The story is... meaningless.”
- “Most of them could be cut completely and the story wouldn't change one bit.”
- “The story is barely a factor and I was often left wondering why or where I was going, until around the last quarter or so of the game where you get a plot dump.”
gameplay
267 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
62%
1%
The gameplay of "Spark the Electric Jester" is characterized by its fast-paced, engaging mechanics that blend elements from classic titles like Sonic and Kirby, offering a variety of power-ups and unique level designs that keep the experience fresh. While the game features smooth controls and a vibrant presentation, some players noted issues with bugs, performance, and occasionally lengthy levels that can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these drawbacks, the game is highly recommended for fans of retro platformers, thanks to its replay value and entertaining combat mechanics.
- “The gameplay is fast-paced and engaging, the music sets the mood perfectly, the environments are colorful and distinct, and the difficulty is challenging without being headache-inducing.”
- “An extremely well-done sonic-style 2D platformer with great level design, an awesome and widely varied set of power-ups, and fantastic gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is fun, and it encourages weapon swapping a lot.”
- “The gameplay is very varied with all the different powers.”
- “There's an unfortunate aspect that the parry mechanic isn't taught to you, there's just a side mention of it having an extended timing window with one of the power-ups (that's how I found).”
- “My only gripes are a few glitches here and there, at one point during my gameplay I tried pausing and was hit with an error screen, and on another occasion the game straight up crashed on me for no reason (at least that I'm aware).”
graphics
79 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
42%
4%
The graphics of the game have received largely positive feedback, with many reviewers praising the charming 16-bit pixel art style and vibrant environments that evoke nostalgia for classic platformers like Sonic. While some noted minor technical issues such as framerate drops and occasional bland stage designs, the overall aesthetic and character designs were highlighted as standout features that enhance the gameplay experience. The combination of beautiful visuals and a captivating soundtrack contributes to the game's appeal, making it a recommended choice for fans of the genre.
- “This game is dripping with genuine love and adoration for the aesthetics and level design of the Sonic franchise.”
- “The presentation is simply beautiful, very comparable to Sonic Mania in that regard, with stellar graphics and a soundtrack that goes hard.”
- “The graphics are fantastic, as is the soundtrack, and the costumes/powers are a fun idea, but the zones just aren't that engaging.”
- “Due to too many technical problems that have never been patched, later levels having enemy spam akin to Mario Maker levels, occasional seizure-inducing visuals (level 15b in particular), a nonsensical story riddled with typos, and unmemorable zones and bosses, I cannot recommend this game.”
- “It's weird to see the in-game graphics look so competent and then see the poor art pop in when it tells the story.”
- “Its aesthetics are ugly and the game design is a mess.”
stability
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is frequently described as buggy and unpolished, with issues such as frame drops, glitches, and occasional crashes impacting the overall experience. While these technical problems can detract from gameplay, many players still find enjoyment in the core mechanics and presentation. Overall, the stability of the game is a significant concern, but it remains fun for fans willing to overlook its flaws.
- “There are some unfortunate glitches, the controller was a hassle to set up, and the pause menu just straight up did not exist for a particular level.”
- “Adding insult to injury, for having a Ryzen 5 and a GTX 3060, there were multiple times I experienced frame drops, freezes, and occasional controller disconnects, something I found surprising considering how many years it's been since its release.”
- “The game is definitely rough around the edges and has a number of framerate drops in more graphically complex parts, a few minor glitches, and the story is shallow, but they're not enough to ruin the experience for me.”
humor
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
94%
6%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding the dialogue and character interactions genuinely funny and capable of eliciting laughs, while others feel that many jokes fall flat or come off as cringeworthy. The writing often attempts to be witty and playful, contributing to a lighthearted atmosphere, but inconsistencies in execution and numerous typos detract from the overall comedic impact. Despite these shortcomings, the game's charm and colorful characters provide moments of amusement that resonate with some players.
- “The humor's fun sometimes; it got a good few chuckles out of me.”
- “All the different characters and bosses are quite enjoyable to meet with the jokes and funny dialogues, and they fit in the storyline very well.”
- “I enjoy this game's sense of humor and the wide variety of ideas it implements.”
- “Most of the dialogues feel like they were supposed to be funny gags, but they all fell flat.”
- “I wanted to try to like it, but I don't know why this game is not funny and feels boring to me. Go play Freedom Planet or Sonic; they're much better!”
replayability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
41%
9%
The game offers significant replayability, thanks to its diverse levels, multiple characters, and various modes, including time attack challenges. Players appreciate the fast-paced gameplay, numerous power-ups, and branching paths that encourage experimentation and skill development. While some note that the game may not be as replayable as its sequels, it still provides a fun experience with ample content to explore.
- “A great platformer with Sonic and Kirby mechanics, with tons of replay value.”
- “From fast-paced gameplay to a wide array of power-ups, and tons of replayability through various modes and challenges, Spark the Electric Jester will not disappoint any fans of classic 90s video games, and is sure to satisfy your nostalgia hunger.”
- “The wide variety of abilities definitely gives this game replayability, and the option for taking different paths in the various levels is also a treat.”
- “This is where the game loses some replayability.”
- “The stages are a bit long yes, but a full playthrough still shouldn't take you more than about three hours, which is a pretty good sweet spot for a game designed to be replayable.”
- “The game boasts 16 stages and multiple bosses, but also has a fair amount of replay value.”
optimization
32 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
9%
78%
13%
The game's optimization has been widely criticized, with many players reporting significant performance issues such as frame drops, crashes, and lag, particularly in later levels. While some users found the gameplay enjoyable despite these problems, others deemed the performance unacceptable, suggesting that a remake or better optimization could greatly enhance the experience. Overall, the game's performance varies greatly depending on hardware, leading to inconsistent experiences among players.
- “I'm having a blast playing this; I played it for over 3 hours without realizing it. I noticed in some stages the performance does drop and can make it hard to do some platforming in some areas. Some abilities are pretty overpowered when used correctly. It also runs fine on my Steam Deck, so if you wanted to play it on the go, you definitely can.”
- “Would love to see a remake just where things under the hood are optimized better so that the game can truly shine.”
- “Overall the game is great, but I'd like it to be more optimized so that people can enjoy looking at the background while running fast at the speed of sound whenever you have a wind power-up to roll, allowing you to go fast and even spam air dash to stay high in the air for fast times on the level.”
- “The engine as well is poorly optimized and the controls feel like a Sonic fangame.”
- “It has massive, seemingly unexplainable, performance issues that have it running at a constant choppy crawl of less than 20fps.”
- “Others experience major performance issues that essentially make the game unplayable.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
8%
25%
Character development in the game is marked by a mix of solid designs and unique power-ups that enhance gameplay, particularly for the main character, Spark. While the character designs are generally praised for their creativity and fit within the retro aesthetic, some players feel that they lack charm and depth, especially in boss designs. Overall, the character designs contribute positively to the game's environment and gameplay experience, despite some inconsistencies in quality.
- “Spark's character design is solid and is a perfect canvas for the long list of unique power-ups to find that give Spark new abilities and a new look.”
- “Plus all the character designs from players to enemies and bosses are way more creative and interesting here.”
- “The game has wonderful environment and character design (even if the pixel art can vary in quality at times), and the music is phenomenal.”
- “It could use cleaner character designs (which hasn't historically been one of Fepard's best abilities) and a few gameplay tweaks, but overall is enjoyable 90% of the time.”
- “There's a good core of a platforming game character design there, seriously let down by the complete shallowness of the boss designs; it's a real shame.”
- “I'm not much of a huge fan of Spark's overall character design, but I can deal.”
grinding
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
78%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, particularly due to repetitive level design and poor power-up balancing, which can lead to frustrating experiences, especially in later stages. While some power-ups add fun and variety, the overall experience can feel drawn out and lacking in excitement, particularly during marathon sessions. Despite these issues, many still appreciate the game's thrilling moments and additional content post-completion.
- “The power-ups are a nice gimmick that isn't too tedious and fun to master, even if a few of them are not great.”
- “Bosses aren't as tedious as in previous installments.”
- “I spent a huge amount of time grinding out the hours of challenges this game threw at me.”
- “The repetitive game design, the poor balancing in the power-ups, the levels going on so long that they stop being fun and start being tedious, the immense difficulty spike in the level design in stage 15, the final stage being just absolutely anti-climactic, the levels in general being just forgettable overall, the list goes on.”
- “It does, however, get very tedious if you happen to not have any good offensive powers on you, which can sometimes manage to happen if you're unlucky enough.”
emotional
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have expressed that the game evokes strong emotions, with some even experiencing tears during pivotal moments, reminiscent of the emotional depth found in titles like Mega Man X. The gameplay mechanics, such as the unique enemy interaction and power management, contribute to a strategic yet sometimes frustrating experience, enhancing the emotional stakes of the game. Overall, the combination of impactful storytelling and engaging combat creates a memorable emotional journey for players.
- “It's truly amazing how this game made me feel the same way as I did running through the later stages of Sonic and Knuckles.”
- “Also, this game made me cry like two times.”
- “If I were to compare it to a Mega Man game, I'd compare it to Mega Man X; a surprisingly emotional story, with much more emotional ones to come, and deep, satisfying combat.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its variety and immersive design, featuring a mix of calm melodies and energetic tracks that enhance the experience. Levels are creatively constructed, offering distinct environments that evoke different feelings, from a hyperactive sugar rush to a serene, neon-lit park. Overall, the atmosphere effectively complements the gameplay and abilities, contributing to a rich and engaging experience.
- “The OST offers a lot of variety, mixing calm atmospheric melodies with fast-strung guitar action and groovy techno funk.”
- “The levels are well built, with a good atmosphere in design and feel, and they also complement sparks' different abilities well.”
- “In my favorite level, Technology Tree Zone, you experience a paradise much like Chemical Plant, but without the metropolitan atmosphere, and more comparable to a soothing walk in the park filled with neon lights.”
- “My biggest complaint with the game is in two key areas: combat and atmosphere.”
- “In one level you'll find yourself getting quite hyper off of sugar, serving as a speed boost to get you to new heights, in another level you'll find yourself with a fire shield, allowing you to swim through molten lava with ease, and my favorite level, technology tree zone, this takes you to a paradise, much like chemical plant, but without the metropolitan atmosphere, and more comparable to a soothing walk in the park filled with neon lights.”
monetization
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is subtly integrated, with a noticeable emphasis on environmental assets dedicated to advertising, which some players find distracting. This focus on advertising seems to overshadow other elements of the game, leading to a mixed reception regarding its impact on the overall experience.
- “Where so little is talked about, there are some aspects that catch my eye while playing the game, namely the amount of environmental assets dedicated to advertising.”
- “Advertising and weathering the sand for far longer than any building, despite the collapse of that settlement, it outlasted everything.”