The cute em up genre never quite took hold in America like it did in Japan. This sub genre of the traditional shooter changes space ships and shirtless commandos for a bright and cheery aesthetic. They were no less intense, as usually behind the cute façade laid a vicious game. Occasionally one or two would reach the west such as Stinger, Magical Chase, and Cotton. But the truly exceptional games in the genre remained imports. Natsume took a chance and brought Pocky & Rocky to the US and it was worth it. I had no expectations of this but the high reviews made me reconsider. Pocky & Rocky is one of my favorite top down shooters from that period.
Pocky & Rocky is actually the sequel to a Taito arcade game from 1986. Kiki Kaikai was a decent top down shooter for its time but was even more notable thanks to its aesthetic. Shrine maidens and Japanese yokai were a far cry from the burly muscle men that dominated shooters. It was also released outside of Japan in small quantities. Pocky & Rocky comes courtesy of Natsume, who took the arcade game’s mechanics and gave it a 16-bit makeover. This is a truly fantastic game, and one that deserves a brighter spotlight.
The mechanics from the original arcade game have carried over with a few new additions. As either character you have a long range weapon and a melee attack. Your primary attack is ofuda cards as Pocky or leaves as Rocky. There are two separate buttons for attacking; one for rapid fire or if for some god forsaken reason you want to tap repeatedly. This attack can go down two paths’ orange orbs imbue it with powerful fire while black awards a spread shot. It’s like the difference between the spread gun and laser in Contra although here both are effective. There aren’t many other power-ups aside from a shield, screen clearing bombs and the rare Mad Dog item.
Melee attacks can block and swat away nearly every projectile and are vitally important. There are many enemies that attack rapidly and this is your only protection. You can even use it while tossing out cards which is really cool. More importantly holding down the button will perform a charge attack; Pocky does a spinning attack while Rocky turns into an invincible stone statue! Aside from swatting attacks your other means of defense is a slide which covers a decent range.
Part of what I love the most about the game is its pacing and setting. Top down action games tend to be slower and more methodical. Every so often you’ll come across a title like Mercs where the action is almost non-stop. Pocky & Rocky is part of that club. Enemies come in Gradius style formations and from all corners. The magic stick makes up for the lack of a fixed fire option as it swings in an arc and catches most attacks. Each level is long and filled with frequent boss encounters. These fights are almost never simple and require the kinds of twitch reflexes usually reserved for more haircare titles. Looks can be deceiving and in this case that adage is definitely true. That box art is very misleading.
The Ghosts n Goblins inspired map might seem familiar but the overall art direction has more in common with Legend of the Mystical Ninja. Both titles share a similar theme and a bright color palette. This game isn’t afraid to go dark when it needs to however. The game isn’t particularly stunning but what I appreciate is its variety. Every level is distinct and features a new set of enemies. The Nopino goblins are a varied bunch and pull heavily from Japanese folklore. It helped the game stand out among other western releases even if it looks a bit childish.
Surprisingly the game is pretty difficult. Mastering the use of the magic stick is critical to avoiding damage. The level design does not always give you room to move and is chock full of tight spaces. Despite the abundance of life restoring food your health will disappear just as quickly as the levels are highly populated. Weapon degradation as your health drops is a curious choice and one I don’t really like. The game already puts up a decent fight, why add onto that? That being said while it is tough it remains fair. Unlimited continues mean you’ll eventually see the end, just not in one sitting.
While Pocky & Rocky is fun as a solo experience the game is truly amazing in coop. I would even say it was designed that way. There are numerous team up attacks that have a slight cost that really add to the team atmosphere. Dead players can borrow lives from their buddy as in Contra, which helps avoid being sent back to the beginning of the level if you both die. The added firepower of a second player makes the game’s random difficulty spikes trivial, almost as though it were made to be tackled by two players. Slowdown is the cost of coop but it is far from game breaking.
In Closing
What a great game. Pocky & Rocky is a title you would randomly rent and learn is an amazing game. If ever there is a game that deserves the title hidden gem this is it. This flew under the radar for many years but is more than worth tracking down. After that you can move on to the spectacular sequel…..
