Pocky and Rocky is an underrated, difficult twin-stick shooter in the veins of Commando, a 16-bit inspired sequel Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is in the work by Natsume as we speak and should release within the week. It's neither a remaster nor a remake, rather a "follow-up" that borrows similar levels.
As for the original Pocky & Rocky, it's just an all-around unbelievably polished title from Natsume; who worked on Medabots, Wild Guns, Harvest Moon, and Ninja Warrior. They just have that portfolio without any stinkers, which made them some of the best developers of the Super Nintendo era. Unfortunately, their games weren't targetted to a Western audience, with a rather Japanese design philosophy.
This game has 6 levels which don't seem like a lot, but all of them are extremely complex and varied; they're all quite difficult. Playing on your own isn't recommended at all, as you can bring a friend to the fight, just be careful not to bounce into them, as there is friendly fire to balance.
Pocky and Rocky is quintessentially Japanese, our main character is a temple maiden and a tanuki, and our enemies are various "goblins" from the Japanese folklore legends. How Pocky & Rocky turns these chilling, creepy yokai monsters into cutesy characters is beyond stellar, and certainly gives the game a unique feel. Pocky and Rocky remain to this day one of my favorite shooters of all time and one of my favorite games of all time.
As for the original Pocky & Rocky, it's just an all-around unbelievably polished title from Natsume; who worked on Medabots, Wild Guns, Harvest Moon, and Ninja Warrior. They just have that portfolio without any stinkers, which made them some of the best developers of the Super Nintendo era. Unfortunately, their games weren't targetted to a Western audience, with a rather Japanese design philosophy.
This game has 6 levels which don't seem like a lot, but all of them are extremely complex and varied; they're all quite difficult. Playing on your own isn't recommended at all, as you can bring a friend to the fight, just be careful not to bounce into them, as there is friendly fire to balance.
Pocky and Rocky is quintessentially Japanese, our main character is a temple maiden and a tanuki, and our enemies are various "goblins" from the Japanese folklore legends. How Pocky & Rocky turns these chilling, creepy yokai monsters into cutesy characters is beyond stellar, and certainly gives the game a unique feel. Pocky and Rocky remain to this day one of my favorite shooters of all time and one of my favorite games of all time.