Having somebody other than Pocky and Rocky in my Pocky & Rocky game isn’t always an appealing offer-the last time we got that, it resulted in that idiot Becky-but I think all three of the new additions here genuinely bring something worthwhile to the game. We now get a third type of weapon pick-up, a new set of offensive and defensive skills, and three new playable characters, more than doubling the cast. Even if it’s a lie, it’s okay.Īt the same time that Pocky & Rocky Reshrined pays sincere homage to its predecessor in its striking visuals and steller remixed soundtrack, it also seeks to both improve the gameplay of the original while also expanding it in all-new ways. Just let this be the way you remember the original. Even though it’s a great way to appreciate the amount of effort that went into Reshrined, it’ll also kinda break your heart once you take the rose-tinted nostalgia glasses off. Image Credit: NatsumeĮxcept, that does cause a problem should you go back to play Pocky & Rocky again at this point as I did, which I almost recommend you don’t do. It just looks so good, speaking as someone who still holds a lot of love for the original.

We’ve already seen Tengo Project’s skills with sprites in those previous two releases, but this is easily the team’s best visual work. Every single screen presented here is dripping with detail, from the first stage’s shrine, which starts off similar to its original self but then comes to life in new and interesting ways, to a fully original late-game area that presents an Edo period city engulfed in flames. It feels appropriate that I ended up reviewing Pocky & Rocky Reshrined right after TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, as both are love letters to an era of pixel-crafted graphics that deserves to not be forgotten. Reshrined isn’t that original game with some improvements it’s a total rebuild from the ground up, with an amazing amount of work put into making the game look, sound, and play better than it ever did before. And then I actually went back to play that version again and realized just how massive of an overhaul this is. Giving that game the Tengo Project treatment could really result in something special-and now that said game is in my hands, I can assure you it has.Īt first, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined felt like a more polished and expanded re-release of the original 16-bit version. To this day, Pocky & Rocky remains a classic and beloved run ’n gun experience that many either wish to replay or experience for the first time (just check out the current going prices for a copy). While I was over the moon with both of those releases, deep down in my heart, they were really the appetizers before the main course. Both games revived their predecessors with refreshed visuals, improved gameplay, and other expansions not originally possible on the SNES. Now together as part of an internal team known as Tengo Project, the three decided to return to their earlier days of game creation by producing the fantastic retro-styled remakes Wild Guns Reloaded and The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors.

It turns out that that trio of games came thanks to a trio of game creators: Shunichi Taniguchi (designer and graphic artist), Toshiyasu Miyabe (director and programmer), and Hiroyuki Iwatsuki (composer and programmer). Three of the best examples of such games all came from the same company, Natsume 1: Wild Guns, The Ninja Warriors Again, and Pocky & Rocky. Every now and then, a game would hit the Super Nintendo that I desperately also wanted on Sega’s system.

Growing up a Sega kid, I was completely content with the offerings I received on the best console of the 16-bit era, the Genesis.

Pocky and rocky 2 snes label