Friday, July 19, 2024

Pocky and Rocky for SNES


Image: MobyGames

Pocky and Rocky

Legend of the Mystical Ninja...and Racoon


Genre: action - gun

Publisher: Natsume

Year: 1993

System: SNES


Gameplay Score: 3

Gameplay Notes:

As much as I love the theme and level design of this game, I'm not a fan of the controls. You fire the direction that you face so when you turn, so does your shot. Should've been a twin-stick shooter like Smash TV! You can also wave a stick to deflect enemy projectiles. This is awesome but I rarely think to do this as opposed to avoiding the shots. It's a mind shift that I haven't been able to make no matter how long I play. The real problem with this move is that you can't move while using it so it stops you dead in your tracks. Oh and did I mention the difficult of this game? It's really tough. Brutal even.


Level Design Score: 5

Level Design Notes:

Levels sneak up, down, left and right. Lots of variety. Also some fun set pieces like bridges or huts with a certain kind of enemy jumping out. Enemies come in waves and again there is lots of variety in their patterns. The game feels well-planned and constructed.


Theme Score: 4

Theme Notes:

Definite Legend of the Mystical Ninja vibe. The ancient Japan setting is very silly and fun. It's almost too cute for its own good though, since the difficulty is so high.


Art Style Score: 4

Art Style Notes:

Lovely super deformed character designs. Lots of variety in enemies. Excellent use of color and shading to give the game a 2.5D look. Excellent animation and sprite work. A fair amount of slowdown when the screen gets crowded.


Audio Score: 4

Audio Notes:

Love the music. Nothing terribly memorable or catchy, but very pleasant old-time Japanese music.


Overall Score: 75

Review ID: 425



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