Virtual Vox Pop is a weekly open mic in which we ask you, the reader, to sound off on a particular topic. This week, it’s Rocket Knight’s return.

I know what you’re thinking: ’90s mascots sucked and need to be buried in 6 feet of cement so that their derivative stench can stay far away from gamers’ nostrils. After dealing with cute, fuzzy, and smirking 16-bit icons of mediocrity like Aero the Acrobat, Awesome Possum, and Bubsy, it’s quite difficult to look back to the mascot games of that era without experiencing a full body dry heave.

But Konami’s Rocket Knight Adventures, and its sequels, managed to be fondly remembered all these years later, unlike the aforementioned cookie cutter sons of Sonic. The Big K is publishing the Climax-developed Rocket Knight, a 2.5D revival of the beloved franchise, for PSN, Steam, and XBLA.  Retronauts landed an in-depth preview that discusses some of the changes made to bring Sparkster into the modern gaming landscape. It’s an all around solid read.

So what do you think about the return of Rocket Knight? Do you think mascot characters are the products of another era and no longer relevant?