* SugarWiki/AwesomeArt: [[TheyChangedItNowItSucks Change in art style aside]], it is hard to deny the second and ''especially'' the third games look '''gorgeous''' for the systems, having some of the most vibrant and detailed levels all with very little slow down.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
** The [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNb9_JuHjAk Boss theme]] from RKA.
*** Particularly the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dIDOLbQxwU Final Boss Theme]]
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n67XIOuqHgs The stage 1-1 theme]] , which seems to become the BootstrappedTheme.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLwiusoA7t0 The stage 1 theme]] in the SNES ''Sparkster'' is pretty awesome, too.
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT47nVbx0HQ The stage 1 theme]] from the Megadrive version, while we're at it.
** Actually, the majority of "Rocket Knight Adventures" music falls under this trope.
%%* EnsembleDarkhorse: Axel Gear.
* FirstInstallmentWins: While the later games are considered excellent in their own right, the first game is often seen as the best in the series. Noticeably many are surprised it even ''had'' sequels.
* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments:
** In Stage 2 of the original game, Sparkster crashes through a chicken coop while riding a mine cart, causing a flock of chickens to fly from it. One of the chickens takes a liking to him, flying around him until the battle against the stage's boss, the Pig Train begins, at which point the chicken flies away.
** Captain Fleagle, the boss of Stage 4 of the original game, looks progressively more beat-up as the stage goes on. With each defeat he suffers, a tinny rendition of "Shave and a Haircut (Two Bits)" plays. While he does prove he can be fairly formidable by taking control of the stage's boss, a giant robot in his likeness, once the robot is destroyed, he attempts to attack Sparkster by charging at him.
* GoddamnedBats: Not as bad in this series as in some, but there are still some minor enemies that can mess you up very badly if you're not careful, especially the literal bats of ''RKA 2'', which show up in an area filled with hazards and can ruin your trajectory. One in particular appears during an optional sequence where you have to outrun an AdvancingWallOfDoom; if you do anything but very carefully fly past it through the narrow gap available, without stopping to kill it, you die.
* HilariousInHindsight: [[VideoGame/SonicAndTheBlackKnight A knight clearly rips off Sonic]].
* NightmareFuel: The (nearly) unstoppable pigs in the fifth level that chase Sparkster and can kill him in one hit if they touch him.
* SpiritualAdaptation: ''VideoGame/FreedomPlanet'', particularly Lilac's story, is the best Rocket Knight game in years.
* ThatOneBoss: In the SNES version of ''Sparkster'', we have Axle Gear in his giant mech. Aside from the fact that it's an UnexpectedGameplayChange within an UnexpectedGameplayChange (Sparkster jumps into a giant mech of his own solely for the purpose of this one boss), Axle is unbelievably aggressive, especially on the higher difficulty levels. And he can take a ''lot'' more damage than you can. Getting hits in on Axle without getting hit yourself can be nearly impossible at times. Worse, you can't just sit back and block all day, because his punches will destroy your arms over time if you allow them to (you can actually do this to him, too, but it's very hard to do so).
** In the first game, the boss of the fifth level counts for this, considering that it's a giant mecha fight between Sparkster and Axel Gear, and Axle Gear can take ''twice'' as much damage as you can which makes this a ''very'' tough fight.
** Also the space battleship boss of the sixth level in the first game considering that it has a lot of health, and multiple phases that you have to defeat in succession.
* ThatOneLevel: The fifth level in the first game, which was long, had multiple {{One Hit KO}}'s in the forms of both spiked enemies and spiked backgrounds, and to top it all off, you had to defeat ThatOneBoss at the end of it.
* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: Quite a few fans seem to have complained about certain differences in gameplay mechanics between ''RKA 2'' and the other two games: The RazorWind attack is gone, replaced by a relatively slow sword slash; the rocket charges automatically as opposed to manually and does so much more quickly, making it possible to stay aloft indefinitely; and the controls are less fast-paced in general. The graphics were also less "hand-drawn" and more blocky, which along with the change in color palette has resulted in the game's visuals being very evocative of Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog.
%%* TheWoobie: Princess Sherry.
%%** IronWoobie: Sparkster.