Spark the Electric Jester

About

Spark the Electric Jester is a single player arcade platformer game. It was developed by Farkle and was released on April 10, 2017. It received very positive reviews from players.

"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

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92%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,007 reviews

music239 positive mentions

stability38 negative mentions

Fast-paced gameplay that combines elements of Sonic and Kirby, providing a unique experience.
Fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall enjoyment of the game.
Great level design with varied environments and interesting power-ups that change gameplay dynamics.

Technical issues such as frame rate drops and crashes when pausing the game can hinder the experience.
Some levels feel overly long and repetitive, which can lead to player fatigue.
Boss fights can be inconsistent in difficulty, with some being too easy and others feeling unfair.

music
418 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
42%
1%
The music in "Spark the Electric Jester" has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising its phenomenal quality and catchy compositions that evoke nostalgia for classic 16-bit games. The soundtrack, featuring contributions from notable composers, is described as a standout element that enhances the gameplay experience, often being highlighted as the best aspect of the game. Overall, players find the music to be not only enjoyable during gameplay but also worthy of listening to outside of the game itself.
- “The music is an absolute banger though and super underrated.”
- “The soundtrack is a masterpiece, with infectious takes on multiple genres.”
- “The music in this game is phenomenal.”
- “They have dull geometry, barely differ from one another, the music all sounds the same, and the foreground and background blend together.”
- “While soundtrack is indeed polished, the game itself lacks the shine quite noticeably and it extends further than mentioned technical difficulties.”
- “I'm not sure why, it might be the coloring and resolution of some levels (not helped by the music eventually getting repetitive).”
story
294 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
77%
6%
The story of "Spark the Electric Jester" is generally perceived as light-hearted and whimsical, featuring a simple plot about a jester named Spark trying to reclaim his job amidst a robot uprising. While some players find the humor charming and the dialogue entertaining, others criticize the narrative for being disjointed and lacking depth, often feeling meandering or nonsensical. Overall, the story serves as a backdrop to the gameplay, with many players noting that it doesn't detract from the fun but isn't a primary focus either.
- “The story is amusing and the gameplay feels really tight, so it's an easy recommend to anyone with a love of classic Genesis games.”
- “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 lighthearted and predictable but it's endearing, enough to have you feel motivated for Spark and not upset the gameplay is interrupted with dumb unnecessary stuff.”
- “The story is a little all-over-the-place but you can generally understand what's happening.”
- “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.”
- “The story is nonsensical and the game is wack and goes way much harder than it has any right to.”
gameplay
292 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
61%
2%
The gameplay of "Spark the Electric Jester" is a vibrant fusion of classic Sonic speed, Kirby's power-up mechanics, and Mega Man's level design, resulting in fast-paced, engaging platforming that encourages exploration and skillful combat. While the game features a variety of unique abilities and solid controls, some players noted issues with level length and occasional performance hiccups, which can detract from the overall experience. Despite these shortcomings, the game is praised for its enjoyable mechanics, colorful visuals, and an outstanding soundtrack, making it a recommended choice for fans of retro-style platformers.
- “Incredibly tight momentum-based gameplay that feels good when you are moving fast, platforming or fighting enemies and bosses.”
- “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.”
- “Spark the Electric Jester offers a unique, yet enjoyable blend of gameplay features from several games.”
- “With mechanics that are subpar, momentum that will leave you without speed, and a story I personally could not care for, I'm just glad this was gifted to me and I didn't spend my own money on it.”
- “With the inclusion of a health refill mechanic, healing items being plentiful, the game not explaining or utilizing the dashing invulnerability for most of it, and the sheer number of boss fights you have to go through, the combat gets pretty stale and boring.”
- “The sheer flow of the sonic fangames is gone, and I think it's down to the added combat and the dash mechanic.”
graphics
84 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
54%
42%
4%
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their charming 16-bit pixel art style, cohesive environments, and well-animated sprites, evoking nostalgia for classic platformers like Sonic and Mega Man. While many reviewers appreciate the unique aesthetic and vibrant visuals, some note issues with clarity in differentiating gameplay elements and occasional technical hiccups, such as framerate drops. Overall, the visuals are considered a strong point, contributing to the game's appeal alongside its impressive soundtrack.
- “The graphics are fantastic, as is the soundtrack, and the costumes/powers are a fun idea, but the zones just aren't that engaging.”
- “The visuals in here are also pretty gorgeous, with stunning set pieces and magnificent sprite work.”
- “The game's art style is unique and charming, reminiscent of classic 16-bit platformers, and the environments are beautifully designed.”
- “Another criticism that I have is that sometimes the art style doesn't help to differentiate the background from enemies or the floor, making it a little confusing to navigate.”
- “The game's art style is... odd.”
- “Its aesthetics are ugly and the game design is a mess.”
humor
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
95%
5%
The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players appreciating the witty dialogue and funny character interactions that often elicit genuine laughs. However, some found the humor hit or miss, with certain jokes falling flat or feeling forced, and critiques of typos and cringe-worthy moments detracting from the overall experience. Overall, while the game features enjoyable comedic elements, its effectiveness varies among players.
- “The stage design is great, the music is phenomenal, and the dialogue in the game is actually funny.”
- “The story, although not all that riveting, has a pretty good sense of humor hidden inside its dialogue.”
- “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.”
- “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!”
stability
38 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is widely reported to be quite buggy, with numerous glitches, performance issues, and occasional crashes that detract from the overall experience. While many players find the gameplay enjoyable and engaging, the lack of polish and stability, including problems with controls and level design, has led to mixed reviews regarding its reliability. Overall, while the game offers fun moments, its technical shortcomings are a significant concern for many users.
- “This is just another experimental, not fully developed game. The developers did not put enough time into it. I found major glitches just trying to start the game, so trust me, don't buy it. There is no real control setup whatsoever, not even for keyboards. Just avoid this and the rest of the series until the developers get inspired to want to make the game a game.”
- “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.”
optimization
37 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
8%
81%
11%
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 fan patches could improve the experience. Overall, the game's optimization appears inconsistent, heavily influenced by individual hardware setups, leading to a mixed reception regarding its playability.
- “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 for fast gameplay and the ability to spam air dash to stay high in the air for better times on the level.”
- “I wouldn't pay for this game anymore due to those performance issues... if there was like, a remake or something, then we'd be in business, but just play the sequel or just grab a Kirby game.”
- “Framerate, crashing, etc. there's a mod called 'Spark the Electric Jester: Recharged' (it's made by Sparklegem and you can find the mod on their itch.io page, it's not hard to find) that fixes these performance issues and has a couple of extra quality of life improvements.”
- “Back when I played this game for the first time, the game's performance wasn't stable for everyone, and things have gotten worse as time has passed.”
- “The big elephant in the room is that the game's framerate and general performance may or may not be completely abysmal for you based on some totally arcane factors not well understood.”
- “It has massive, seemingly unexplainable, performance issues that have it running at a constant choppy crawl of less than 20fps.”
replayability
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
51%
40%
9%
The game is widely praised for its high replayability, offering a variety of modes, power-ups, and branching paths that encourage experimentation and skill development. While some players note minor performance issues and lengthy levels, the engaging gameplay, diverse character options, and additional challenges ensure that players will find plenty of reasons to return. Overall, it delivers a satisfying experience reminiscent of classic platformers, making it a strong choice for those seeking replay value.
- “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.”
character development
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
8%
25%
Character development in the game is highlighted by its solid character designs and unique power-ups that enhance gameplay, although some players find the designs lack charm and depth. While the environments and character aesthetics are praised for their creativity and polish, there are criticisms regarding the shallowness of boss designs and inconsistencies in pixel art quality. Overall, the character designs contribute positively to the game's retro aesthetic, but some players feel they could benefit from more refinement and depth.
- “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 about 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
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
80%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with long dialogues and repetitive level design contributing to a sense of monotony. While some power-ups add fun and variety, the overall experience can feel drawn out, especially during challenging stages that disrupt the game's pacing. Despite these frustrations, many still appreciate the thrill of the gameplay and the additional content available after completing the main campaign.
- “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
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game, likening its impact to nostalgic experiences from classic titles like Sonic and Knuckles. The narrative is described as surprisingly emotional, reminiscent of Mega Man X, and the strategic gameplay elements enhance the overall experience, despite occasional frustrations with hit detection and power management. Overall, the game successfully evokes a range of feelings, from nostalgia to strategic satisfaction, while maintaining a balance between combat and movement.
- “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.”
- “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.”
- “Pretty much every platformer of the time did that, but Spark handles enemy design in such a simple but impactful way: touching enemies doesn't hurt you, but if their attack animation touches you, then you take a hit.”
atmosphere
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
50%
The game's atmosphere is praised for its diverse and immersive design, featuring a mix of calm melodies and energetic beats that enhance the gameplay experience. Levels are creatively constructed, offering unique environments that evoke different feelings, from a vibrant, neon-lit paradise to a soothing park-like setting, all of which complement the gameplay mechanics effectively.
- “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, the technology tree zone, you are taken to a paradise, much like the 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, such as the game's narrative and world-building.
- “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.”

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2h Median play time

2h Average play time

2-2h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 1 analyzed playthroughs

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