Publisher Natsume has announced that Pocky & Rocky Reshrined will be heading to the PS4 and Switch in Fall 2021. Announced last year as Pocky & Rocky 2021, the game is a revival/reboot of the classic SNES co-op title that saw a shrine maiden team up with a tanooki to battle mythological Japanese enemies. It was 100% a product of the 90s but has gone on to amass something of a cult following (thanks in part to the Game Grumps).
The release window was revealed during a panel at the New Game Plus expo alongside a trailer, though that hasn't yet hit the internet. We do have a new screenshot that shows off the glorious raw pixel look the game will have. I really love the update to widescreen, which will help tremendously when scanning the environment for surprise umbrella attacks.
Despite its popularity with certain fans, Pocky & Rocky hasn't been re-released in any capacity. Curiously, the third installment -titled Pocky & Rocky With Becky- did release on the Wii U's virtual console, but the first two titles remain stuck on the SNES. You can safely ignore the immediate follow-up, but the first game is absolutely worth playing.
Reshrined isn't exactly a remake, but it should be able to update the first title to modern standards while retaining what made the original so unique. I have a weird obsession with that game, probably because playing it with my friend drove him to insanity and I loved it. It is honestly an overlooked gem in the SNES library, so I'm not ironically excited for this.
Source: Twitter, Nintendo Wire