This isn't out in NA territories yet, but I happened to be lucky enough to play the JP version of the game and I could not have been more enthused about it. Crisp, classic arcadey gameplay, a clean, enjoyable soundtrack, and just impeccably strong pixel art throughout. Environments are lushly detailed, with elaborate pixel effects that blend in seamlessly with the rest of the on-screen action.
Docked just a half point because one of the (IMO) biggest draws, the 2-player Free Mode, is locked behind either clearing Story Mode or collecting 10,000 coins. If you're reasonable at playing the game on Normal you'll definitely finish Story Mode first, but even the game's Normal difficulty is going to have some punishing stretches. Fortunately for some, the difficulty is a little bit offset by the game's checkpoint system, which allows players to continue Story Mode in the event of a game over. It won't get in the way of anyone looking for that juicy 1CC, either - players can have their dango and eat it, too.
As more of a "reimagining" of the original Pocky & Rocky than a straight remake, Reshrined introduces some neat new mechanics and a host of new playable characters, available at select points in Story Mode and free to choose in Free Mode. Each character has its own quirks and style to work with, and no two characters really play alike, so there's a lot of replay value in testing your mettle with the whole cast.
If you're at all a fan of the original SNES game, you are not gonna want to miss this one. It's a step up in just about every conceivable way, but I don't mean that as disparaging towards the OG -- I'm overjoyed to see a legend like this brought back with some modern flair.
Docked just a half point because one of the (IMO) biggest draws, the 2-player Free Mode, is locked behind either clearing Story Mode or collecting 10,000 coins. If you're reasonable at playing the game on Normal you'll definitely finish Story Mode first, but even the game's Normal difficulty is going to have some punishing stretches. Fortunately for some, the difficulty is a little bit offset by the game's checkpoint system, which allows players to continue Story Mode in the event of a game over. It won't get in the way of anyone looking for that juicy 1CC, either - players can have their dango and eat it, too.
As more of a "reimagining" of the original Pocky & Rocky than a straight remake, Reshrined introduces some neat new mechanics and a host of new playable characters, available at select points in Story Mode and free to choose in Free Mode. Each character has its own quirks and style to work with, and no two characters really play alike, so there's a lot of replay value in testing your mettle with the whole cast.
If you're at all a fan of the original SNES game, you are not gonna want to miss this one. It's a step up in just about every conceivable way, but I don't mean that as disparaging towards the OG -- I'm overjoyed to see a legend like this brought back with some modern flair.