A disappointment compared to the first game. The single-player is more accessible thanks to the addition of a CPU helper, but the co-op suffers as a result. Player 1 is locked to Pocky and is the only one that has a swing attack, can collect health/powerups (of which there is one type now), or lose lives, while player 2 is one of seven friends that cannot do any of those things (bar one who has a swing attack). There are also two pretty middling shmup stages that are single-player only. This makes player 1 the only one with a proper challenge, but that challenge is dialled down by the fact that player 2 can aggressively take hits/deal damage without much consequence. The first game's co-op -- two more or less equally strong and difficult characters -- would've been more enjoyable here.

Speaking of difficulty, there's generally less of it in Pocky & Rocky 2. Part of it is due to the boss/level design and unbalanced second player, as well as the removal of the slide move, which helped raise the skill ceiling and speed of the previous game. The new partner throw and magic move (with its many combinations) are welcome additions, but I wish they were introduced in addition instead of in replacement of the original's satisfying slide and super attack.

Pocky & Rocky 2 still does a lot of right. The music, character designs, and pixel art are all great. Having seven unique additional characters to try is really sweet, and the variety of level locales and obstacles is decent (but not as great as the first game). I just wish parts of the game didn't feel like a step back in so many regards.