Possibly the most difficult parts of the game are the boss battles. It is harder to power up your cards so at no point does it ever feel like you can steamroll the game. Even with a partner the game puts up a fight. And they fly freely in this game as the action is more intense this time around. Without a large life bar and items to replenish it every stray bullet is more dangerous. As you take hits your “armor” is reduced, with a barefoot Pocky being one shot away from death. Pocky & Rocky raises the difficulty in a few ways. The original was a moderately challenging game. At eight levels you get your money’s worth although you’ll still wish it wouldn’t end. The level design is also better as there are often multiple paths through a stage. Hidden items are everywhere, highlighting how great the partner system is considering you’ll need to use all of them to find everything. It isn’t all action as there are plenty of reasons to wander off the main path. There is rarely a moment when there aren’t groups of enemies approaching and bullets flying. The weird lulls from the first game are gone and while the action isn’t nonstop its close. The action in Pocky & Rocky 2 has been significantly increased thanks to your increased firepower with a partner. Aside from their combat capabilities the magic system incentivizes switching out partners for the best experience. The best is opening locked chests without keys. Some allow you to fly, evading ground based hazards. These abilities cover a wide range of effects, from lifting boulders to finding hidden items. By pressing A you can use magic to combine and access their special abilities. The partner system is used for more than just attacks. You can sort of abuse it to let them take hits for you but it isn’t a viable strategy long term. Technically they are invincible but if they take a few hits they disappear for a little while. This also applies to their taking damage. This move is particularly devastating against bosses and indispensable. You can also chuck your partner at enemies for a super attack, although they become unavailable for about ten seconds after. Your partner follows you at all times and supplements your attacks with their own. There are additional partners that join your quest although these characters are only selectable with an item. At the beginning of every stage you can choose from three partners Rocky, Bomber bob, and Little Ninja. Instead they follow one, first gaining rapid fire than size and strength.Īlthough Pocky has lost a few mechanics she has gained some new ones. The Hanafuda cards no longer diverge down two paths. You’ll also have to stay on the move at all times since you can no longer slide. You’ll have to rely on the wand to deflect projectiles more often as a result. However you can buy armor that raises that up to four hits. At the base level Pocky can sustain two hits before death. You no longer have a life bar instead the game works on an armor system. Pocky returns with a few major changes in mechanics. This is easily one of the best action games for the system and will entertain for many hours. It’s a shame that such a truly great game is so obscure thanks to a low print run and late release. Pocky & Rocky 2 did not escape my notice I had learned my lesson. Had I known it was steeped in Japanese folklore like Legend of the Mystical Ninja with the same goofy humor I would have been all over it immediately. Then I rented it and was rewarded with a great little top down action game that was pretty unique for its time. I remember the extremely high reviews but thought it looked too silly to be taken seriously. The original Pocky & Rocky is one of my favorite SNES surprises.
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