Although the sequence first appeared in Japanese arcades in 1986 as Kiki Kaikai, Nintendo followers most likely know the pair of titular characters from their two adventures on the SNES, Pocky & Rocky and Pocky & Rocky 2. Having performed each video games across the time of their authentic launch, I used to be wanting ahead to the standard Japanese setting of Pocky & Rocky Reshrined, with its deal with Japanese mythology and difficult shooter-style gameplay. Whereas guiding the shrine maiden, raccoon, and their friends by means of 9 complete phases is enjoyable sufficient, the poor writing throughout cutscenes and odd manner of locking content material forestall this blast from Taito’s previous from being a must-play.
The story begins with Rocky dashing again to the shrine to inform Pocky that monsters from the mountain have began attacking, to which Pocky responds, “However why? They promised to not be dangerous anymore.” Although this line undoubtedly bought a chuckle out of me, and not using a technique to pace up the dialogue with out skipping it solely, it turns into a chore to take a seat by means of the prolonged cutscenes that bookend every of the sport’s phases. Early on you study that the villain Black Mantle, from earlier video games within the sequence, has made his nefarious return, and a lot of the sport sees you in scorching pursuit. What’s fascinating is that the character you play modifications with each stage, so there’s somewhat little bit of selection as you make your technique to the ultimate boss in stage 9.
A lot of the gameplay loop includes working by means of forests, temples, and mountains as you shoot at enemies and deflect their bullets again at them. You’ll be able to decide up three several types of weapon upgrades that stack a number of instances. The essential improve usually provides extra projectiles for a wider unfold; the fireplace improve does extra instant single-target injury; the wind improve does extra steady injury if you land a shot, and even creates one thing of a homing shot, relying on the character wielding it. You can even decide up well being restoratives and a short lived defend, however the former tends of popping up both too late or too shut to a different well being merchandise. One of many closing power-ups is a mount that hops round as you experience on it, which sounds cool till you understand you could’t shoot whereas driving, its period is extremely brief, and controlling it’s depressing. Thankfully, the essential enemies you encounter and the boss fights that come on the finish of each stage are different and current a stiff and satisfying problem.
The primary and second phases are basically ripped from Pocky & Rocky on the SNES, however the up to date visible model does assist with that sense of deja vu. A number of the new characters you encounter take heart stage in their very own ranges, that are designed to reap the benefits of their particular traits. For instance, Hotaru is extra of a melee fighter, who quickly jabs together with his spear or slashes projectiles away together with his sword. Powering him up does grant a bit extra vary to his primary assault, however the floating ships that make up a lot of his stage contain a lot of combating in shut quarters. Sadly, you possibly can’t select which character to play as in the primary story mode and even play with a buddy till you unlock Free Mode, which requires 10,000 cash or the completion of story mode. For some weird motive, Reshrined’s straightforward mode can also be locked till you accumulate 3000 in-game cash, with a single playthrough incomes me slightly below 4000 cash.
The music, sound results, and visuals current a pleasant combine of up to date and retro, and I used to be undoubtedly transported again to the ‘90s as I plowed my manner by means of scores of ghosts, demons, and yokai. The phases are colourful and happen throughout quite a lot of locales, and the audio is catchy sufficient that it’s value turning up or placing on headphones for. Enemy bullets are nearly at all times straightforward to identify; it’s timing your deflecting transfer to guard your self that’s the laborious half.
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined doesn’t actually do sufficient to justify the sequence making a comeback. It experiments little or no and takes nearly no dangers, in comparison with Pocky & Rocky 2 particularly. The 5 complete characters are fairly completely different, which makes going by means of all of the phases with them in Free Mode a worthwhile pursuit, however locking co-op play and simple mode from the beginning of the sport and never together with a stage choose choice are apparent missteps. There’s definitely nothing unsuitable with the gameplay, which stays simply as gratifying now because it did nearly 30 years in the past, however Reshrined seems like a missed alternative so as to add in new parts or mechanics. Whereas the inclusion of a web-based leaderboard is welcome, the prolonged, poorly-localized cutscenes usually are not. When you go in not anticipating anymore greater than what the Tremendous Nintendo video games did and may tolerate some odd design selections, then busting these ghosts may make you are feeling good. In any other case, watch for a sale or mild some incense in hopes that one of many authentic Pocky & Rocky video games reveals up on NSO.
