It's been roughly one week since Natsume announced the official name for Pocky & Rocky Reshrined, a reboot/sequel heading to the PS4 and Switch this fall. Originally going under the unimaginative name of "Pocky & Rocky 2021," we now have a better look at how this long-gestating title will play. Right off the bat, it looks almost identical to the SNES original.
I'm 100% okay with that, too. The visuals on display, which are rendered in a 16-bit style, look beautiful. I understand that emulation can't do much with original aspect ratios and such, but I'd love to see more classic games get a widescreen treatment like this. It looks spectacular in motion alongside that classic music.
I'm not really sure why Natsume chose to revive this particular series, but I'm weirdly excited for this sequel. The first title is something of a hidden gem on the SNES that more people should play. Its follow-ups don't really capture the same magic, but Reshrined seems to be picking up right where the original left off. That means you can expect a tough-as-nails challenge and some excellent co-op action.
It will be interesting to see if Natsume eventually brings this to PC, much like Wild Guns Reloaded. I think I would die happy seeing this artwork in 4K, something which is bound to render the visuals even cleaner. I can live with it being on Switch, though, especially since the portable nature of that console will let me get my Pocky & Rocky on at any moment.
Source: YouTube