If you go through life expecting Japan to depict cultures that have been historically marginalized by us with dignity and grace every time, then I regret to inform you that this game will absolutely not be the last time they disappoint you in that regard.

EDIT: wait a minute, guys, THAT's why you think this is racist? Those aren't supposed to be blackface caricatures, they're bandits. I thought they were just wearing black masks over their faces, and it almost always matches the color of their black clothes, not their skin. Am I wrong here? Guys, I really don't think they're what you think they are. I thought you were all just talking about the Chinese stereotype merchant.

Ganpuru made a strong fist impression. I turn he game on and am greeting with colorful, lively spritework, animations full of good-natured personality, and light story about the wild west, a big hearted but talentless kid, and an alien police force. The music in the town hub is nostalgic and warm, like settling into a nice bath at your parent’s home. Every inch says “unsung classic.”

So here I am, incredibly jazzed, taking my first step out into the world of grand adventure after the opening cutscenes, excited to see what warm, quirky charms await me. I see my first enemy and…

Oh no.

It’s racist. These alien invaders who need to be purged from your pure land are pitch black humanoids with fat lips. They are shown as stupid, incompetently mimicking the otherwise entirely white cast of cowboys. And oh, maybe with the most generous reading in the world, it is a case of cultural ignorance horrifically clashing with history, except there is also an equally horrendous caricature of a Chinese man, all squinty eyes and big teeth, who can’t speak properly. This game knows, built by old conservative Japanese dudes who think women are useless, abuse is natural and funny, and that other races are beneath them.

But hey, I can still enjoy—even love!—a work of art that’s deeply problematic! Let's keep the adventure going!

Gameplay is…fine, a sort of mix between Zelda and a certain brand of top-down shooter like Pocky and Rocky—a great idea—but lacking the polish you’d hope from either. Exploration is light. There are no puzzles. Bosses both take too long and aren’t difficult, half of them with blind spots you can just stand in, shoot, and win. While the variety of weapons dropped by enemies are fun (and continue to push the game’s blend of an adventure game with something more arcade focused), some are clearly worse than others and none are ever required. Still, it’s a neat take that feels like a forebear to various roguelites like the Binding of Isaac or Nuclear Throne when it works, and the areas and cutscenes and bosses really are charming, which is enough to push through its short playtime to the end. A couple gags from the bosses made me laugh! Out loud!

But it all comes back to the racism, how the whimsy feels like a lie barely covering up hatred. There's nothing else there. Playing the game I eventually realized "this isn't very fun." Watching the game I knew from the start "this isn't fun at all." It's a miss; an interesting, racist, forgotten miss. Play something else instead!