Each of the six stages are relatively lengthy and filled with unique enemies, tricky hazards, and oftentimes multiple bosses as well. Though it wasn’t designed for an arcade environment, Pocky & Rocky still puts up one heck of a fight. Aside from the obvious visual differences, Pocky has faster movement and sliding, as well as more powerful bombs that cover a more narrow range, whereas Rocky’s slide travels a greater distance and his bombs offer a wider area of effect. Both players can select either character and the two have several differences. Players can even sacrifice lives to resurrect a teammate who has fallen, allowing skilled players to drag less experienced ones to the finish line. This is the ideal way to play as it makes dealing with the challenging hordes of enemies more manageable. Perhaps most significantly of all, two player simultaneous co-op is now available, allowing for both characters to work together to complete stages. The introduction of these new mechanics makes Pocky& Rocky much more dynamic than its predecessors you’ll have to juggle dodging, reflecting projectiles, utilizing bombs, and shooting to get past the trials the game throws at you. The default projectile is ideal for taking on groups and the fireball exchanges crowd control for sheer power. Power-ups work similarly to Dotou-hen in that you lose them upon taking enough damage, but now both your starting projectile and the fireball can be upgraded multiple times.
Melee attacks can also be charged, which grants each character a unique ability – Pocky spins wildly and tears through foes with her gohei and Rocky transforms into a statue that’s completely immune to attacks for a short time. Melee attacks can no longer be used while moving, but they now provide the ability to reflect projectiles back at enemies in exchange. They’re rare and the amount you start with depends on your chosen difficulty, so they’re best saved for urgent situations. Bombs are exactly what you’d expect from any shoot-em-up and can clear out foes or deal significant damage to bosses. Sliding allows players to quickly evade attacks and can also be used for a unique co-op maneuver in which one player slides into another and launches them around the screen, resulting in a deadly spinning projectile. While the core gameplay is the same at a glance, Pocky & Rocky introduces several new mechanics that have a significant impact on the experience. However, if you’re playing the PAL version, you’ll miss out on most of the story because it removes all of the text from the cutscenes! There’s even some environmental storytelling in the game’s final level – as you proceed deeper into the Black Mantle’s castle, you’ll witness the youkai from the original game captured in jail cells and PukaPukas being transformed into stronger versions in the underground lab, showing the player the Black Mantle’s intent and giving the finale a distinctly darker vibe. It’s a simple tale with a sufficient mystery that’s well presented thanks to colorful illustrations and charming writing done by Yoshihito Hattori. The story is more prominent here than in the previous two games, with cutscenes placed after each stage and occasional instances of dialogue from bosses prior to fighting them.
She agrees to help and the journey to uncover the scheme of the mysterious Black Mantle and fight his “Gorgonzola Goblins” begins in earnest. He tells a story of how the youkai (referred to as the “Nopino Goblins” outside of Japan) have gone crazy once again and pleads for Pocky to intervene since she was able to stop them the first time around.
#FAMICON POCKY AND ROCKY 2 SERIES#
Pocky & Rocky is generally regarded as the strongest entry in the series and that reputation is well deserved.Īt the start of the game, Pocky (originally Sayo-Chan) is visited by Rocky the tanuki (Manuke in Japanese), a former enemy now desperate for help. Rather than being a Taito joint, this game and its sequel were licensed out to Natsume while such licensing deals can lead to potentially strange or underwhelming entries in beloved franchises, that is most certainly not the case here. In other territories, the game and its two protagonists were renamed to Pocky & Rocky, a change that would stick with every entry afterwards. After a year off, the series would make its return in 1992 on the Super Famicom as Kiki Kaikai: Nazo no Kuro Manto (“The Enigmatic Black Mantle”).
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