Pocky & Rocky Reshrined

I was so excited when Pocky & Rocky Reshrined was announced, it was one of those games that I knew I had to get the special edition of, and as I write this, I can see it looking at me from my shelf. This is one of the best 16-bit remakes I have ever played, I loved the original game on the Super Nintendo and I would argue that this is better, even better than the sequel. I came into this thinking that it was a straight up remake, but this completely blew me away by being so much more than that.

A 16-Bit Origin

Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is a remake of the original Pocky & Rocky on the Super Nintendo. The story is the same we have Pocky who is a shrine maiden and rocky who is a freaking adorable tanuki and they are on a quest to rid the land of these monsters and all of the danger that they bring. I was very impressed with the cartoon cut scenes that this game had and while it does not have a ton of story, it is more than charming enough to make you smile. Plus, our heroic duo just ooze personality through the screen, even if they do not actually say a great deal.

The More Things Change

The core gameplay of Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is very similar to that Super Nintendo original game. You can shoot, you can use a projectile defending shield and you can slide out of the way. These are the core mechanics that you will be utilizing as you take down wave after wave of enemies as you progress through the game. However, you can power up by getting upgrades and this game throws new abilities you way which make the game a bit easier if I am being honest, but I also think that it fleshes out the gameplay. I can see why some may prefer the simplicity of the original game, but I think that this is a great expansion on that original formula and I was not disappointed one bit by what this was offering.

Not What I Was Expecting

As I knew that I was all in on Pocky & Rocky Reshrined pretty much as soon as it was announced, I decided to go into it as blind as possible. I checked out the trailer and I thought that the game was a straight remake, but with better visuals. It certainly starts out that way as the opening stage is just like the Super Nintendo, but eventually, things start to change and you realize that this is not just some kind of remake, this is almost like Pocky & Rocky 3 or some kind of reimagining of that original game as it offers you a whole bunch of new and creative stages and enemies to deal with. This is just so awesome! It 100 percent pays homage to that original game, but it more than stands on its own as a unique title in the series.

How Can It Get Any More Charming

The plush Rocky that came with the edition of Pocky & Rocky Reshrined that I got is awesome and it is just a prime example of how much charm this game has. Visually, this is gorgeous. It very much captures the look and feel of the original Super Nintendo game, but it adds in tons of more details. The way the leaf’s will fall or the reflections in the water, the way the straw field moves and so on. The whole game looks spectacular and I actually think that it is the new areas that really still the show here. As well as getting an overhaul with the visuals, the soundtrack in this game is fantastic too, it has the tunes you remember, but it also has some fantastic new music as well that is every bit as fitting as the original soundtrack.

Pros:

• How can you not love the two main characters?
• The whole game is very quirky and I love it
• The extra content added here is awesome and took me by surprise
• It plays great, looks great….. it is just generally great!

Cons:

• Some may prefer the simplicity of the original game
• It does have a slightly slower pace than the original game