
Pocky & Rocky’s stateside debut provided the characters with more Western-sounding names. Imagine if Reimu Hakurei was Known as “Roxy” For better or worse, Becky is left on the sidelines. I won’t ruin the other surprises but know that a female samurai and a goddess with shielding abilities who can summon an orb with auto-directed projectiles. Ikazuchi blends the best of both worlds, offering a fox shrine maiden who can shoot lightning that homes in on adversaries. Of course, Rocky the takuki is here with his leaf-throwing ability, slightly faster movement rate, and that loveable defensive tail fanning. At one point, the story assigns a randomized character. You’ll definitely want to master the title’s roster.
Pocky and rocky 2 better free#
Free Mode is included for players who want to perfect their skills with a specific playable. The other major change is that you’ll play as one of five characters on each story stage, who each have their own distinctive style. Beyond a fluctuating level of difficulty, few of the latter ones have the splendor of the first stage. And across the remaining seven levels, Reshrined diverge further with new stages and different adversaries. The possessed bamboo shoots are in reduced numbers, replaced by intimidating flame spirits. The original tranquility of the woods gets replaced by a feudal-era village that has been visibly ravaged by yokai.

But like Radiant Silvergun, you’ll gradually familiarize yourself with all offensive patterns.Įnter the game’s second stage, The Enchanted Forest, and Reshrined begins to branch from its source material. Rapidly shifting between dispensing two types of attacks, dashing out of the way of danger, and using magic bombs can feel overwhelming at first. Soon, you’ll have to ready yourself for enemies than can only be damaged with your melee strike. You’ll have to learn the best method for dealing with each different type of threat through old-fashioned memorization. Lastly, there’s a mount that hops around in a state of invisibility, ramming into opponents. While your health meter will grow across even successfully completed level, you might also find some restorative food. Depending on your character, the wind power-up can increase damage or provide a bit of helpful aim assist. On the upside, there are plenty of power-ups that can augment your arsenal of ofuda, adding traits like a wider shot, or a fire icon offering incendiary damage. You’ll discover that holding onto your power-ups is indispensable. Fast reflexes are vital since you can only shoot in the direction that your character is facing, and opponents adore flanking you. They will send out of a cavalcade of creatures if you don’t proceed quickly enough. While some games permit players to gradually destroy the sources of adversity, wells in the haunted shrine can’t be purified.

Some of that is because you are persistently outnumbered. The obake are delightful enough to deserve their own line of merch.īut the game remains as tough as ever. Each foe is incongruently adorable, especially with the redrawn artwork. Tiny balls of fire called hitodama fly in circular patterns, skeletons rise from their grave before making a beeline for Pocky, while a wagon filled with single-eyed spirits stubbornly block the road.

Much of the charm comes from the serene location, adorned with torii games and a lily-pad filled pond overtaken by charming interpretations of spirits, demons, and various yōkai from Japanese mythology. Like the original, the multi-directionally scrolling action kicks off at a haunted shrine. Here, shrine maiden Pocky tosses out a rapid succession of paper card called ofuda, while swinging a wooden wand known as a gohei as a melee weapon and to repel enemies. Venture into Tengo Project’s re-envisioned effort and you might feel a pang of nostalgia as you visit an area reminiscent of the first stage of the 1992 SNES game. We know that remasters generally enhance the quality of an original game, while remakes use modern technology to deliver a brand-new version. Availability: Retailers, Nintendo eShop and other digital marketplaces
