Pocky & Rocky Reshrined
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined follows the adventures of a young Shinto shrine maiden named Pocky and her companion, Rocky the raccoon, as they take on the Nopino Goblins! A third sequel in the series, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is currently being developed by Tengo Project and expected for release on PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch in the second half of 2021. Tengo Project consists of staff who worked on the original, as well as Wild Guns: Reloaded and Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors.
SCREENSHOTS
PHYSICAL
HISTORY
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is a 2022 scrolling shooter video game developed by Natsume Atari's Tengo Project. The game involves the player controlling one of a few characters in a top-down perspective where they continue through stages avoiding enemies and their bullets to battle the respective boss character. The game starts out as a retread of the story in Pocky & Rocky (1992) about the shrine maiden Pocky and her friend Rocky the raccoon, but changes dramatically a few stages in.
The game was announced in 2020 and was developed by Tengo Project, a team led by three developers who worked on the 1992 game. Pocky & Rocky Reshrined was released April 21, 2022 in Japan, and had exceeded sales of 100,000 by July 14, 2022. Based on nine reviews each for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined garnered "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator site Metacritic.
Gameplay
In Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is a multidirectional scrolling shooter where players control a character from a top-down perspective that can both walk as well as direct their aim with the directional buttons. Each stage has a time limit, the player can progress through the stages at their pace. Each stage is cleared by defeating the large boss character that awaits at the end. Various stages in story mode have the player be different characters such as Pocky and Rocky, each with slightly different forms of gameplay. Other characters also feature unique abilities such as Ame-no-Uzume who attacks with magatama beads and has the ability to hover, making her not fall in water. Hotaru uses their naginata and odachi to attack rather than fire projectiles. In later stages, each character learns new attacks that vary greatly depending on the character, but generally have one called the "attack augmentation" that assists in attacking, and another called "the purification charge" that strengthens defense.
Various items can be found throughout stages within boxes. Upgrades to the main weapon can be found by collecting items that come in three colors: orange, blue, and green. Each orb has a different style of power-up. One of the upgrades adds more projectiles for a wider spread; the fire upgrade does more immediate single-target damage; the wind upgrade does more continuous damage when you land a shot, or even creates something of a homing shot, depending on the character wielding it. These upgraded attacks become even stronger as you collect the same type of power orbs, and when the power level reaches its maximum. If you pick up one of these items of a different type than the one you are currently using, your attack method will be overwritten by the newly acquired item. When a character receive damage, their power of these upgrades will decrease. Other items can be found such as an amulet which protects the player from enemy bullets, or guardian lions that will briefly grant invincibility.
The main ways to avoid enemies and their attacks is by either sliding or using a bomb.
Each character can slide which allows you them move a set distance quickly. The bomb item can attack the surrounding area and eliminate enemy bullets from the screen. Bombs limited to number of times they can be used. They can also be found throughout stages to increase the player's stock. The player is also equipped with a melee attack which has a short reach and mediocre power, but has the power to deflect most enemy bullets.
The player's health in the game is indicated by a life gauge marked by hearts.
When an enemy or one of the enemy bullets touch your character, their health gauge decreases. Clearing a stage increaes the maximum amount of stamina a character can have. If the health gauge reaches zero, they lose one of their lives they have on stock. When they run out of lives, the game ends. If the game ends midway through, you can continue from the middle of the stage instead of from the beginning, as long as you have progressed past a certain point. The game can be played in normal mode or hard mode. In hard mode, bullets fly towards the player when an enemy is defeated, and the attacks of boss characters are more difficult.
Plot
Pocky the shrine maiden lives deep in the mountains, far from other humans. One day, her friend, Rocky the raccoon, comes to her asking for help because a mountain monster is running wild. After subduing it, the monsters return to their old selves and said they were attacked by Black Mantle. After completing the second octopus beast near a river, they meet with Black Mantle sending the characters through time.
Development and release
Before Pocky & Rocky Reshrined there was Kiki Kaikai (1986), an arcade game released by Taito in 1986. The game was ported to various video game consoles and Natsume acquired the license for the name and made a sequel in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System titled Pocky & Rocky.
Natsume Atari announced on September 10, 2020, that they were developing a new Pocky & Rocky game. Pocky & Rocky Reshrined was developed by Tengo Project, a team within Natsume Atari. The three members of Tengo Project who had worked on Pocky & Rocky include designer and graphic artist Shunichi Taniguchi, composer and programmer Hiroyuki Iwatsuki, and director and programmer Toshiyasu Miyabe. The team developed the game with the Unity game engine. They also used custom sprite-editing software and techniques first used during the Super Nintendo years to closely emulate a 16-bit style.
Destructoid's Zoey Handley said that while Tengo Project's previous games Wild Guns Reloaded and Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors were "enhanced remasters", Pocky & Rocky Reshrined was more of a sequel. Much of the game is pulled from Japanese folklore, such as Rocky being described as a raccoon but actually being a tanuki.
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined was showcased online at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2020. That year's event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic which led to the show being an online showcase. It was released in Japan on April 21, 2022, for the PlayStation 4 and the Nintendo Switch. It was released in North America and Europe on June 24, 2022. Natsume Atari has announced that cumulative sales of both console versions of Pocky & Rocky Reshrined have exceeded 100,000 copies on July 14, 2022. A second exhibit of the game was shown Tokyo Game Show held at the Makuhari Messe between September 15 and 18, 2022. It was presented as part of an indie game corner.
Pocky & Rocky Reshrined was later released to Windows on February 24 and the Xbox Series X and Series S on December 7, 2023.
Reception
Based on nine reviews each for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined garnered "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator site Metacritic.
Todd Ciolek of the Anime News Network and Molley Patterson of EGM complimented the graphics. Ciolek said that Tengo's projects skill with 2D pixel art was on "nonstop display" while Patterson called it "easily the team's best visual work" Nintendo World Report's Jordan Rudek said the game featured "poorly-localized cutscenes", this was echoed by Jenni Lada of Siliconera who found these scenes dialogues a bit stilted due to storytelling decisions and the localization. Ruden added that as there was no way speed up dialogue without skipping it, the "lengthy cutscenes" became a chore.
Handley said the difficulty was slightly uneven with bosses being upstaged by some of the regular level enemies. While Tom Massey of Nintendo Life said it was easier than the 1992 Pocky & Rocky, new comers would find it challenging. A reviewer in Famitsu said that as the game has plenty of mid-way points for restarting, the high difficulty wasn't negligible. Ciolek said that since Reshrined was not relatively long compared to " today's mandatory 30-hour blockbusters" it's combination of challenge and it's refusal to let players go through a level or past a boss fight made it a "game that makes you remember it."
Ciolek wished there had been strafing ability in the game as it said it was a fairly standard feature in overhead shooters, while Push Square's Sammy Barker found the game's control scheme "archaic" and that it felt restrictive to control the game with a d-pad. Massey also found that it "plays a marginally slower game" than Pocky & Rocky, while a Famitsu reviewer said the speed was too slow when changing the characters directions and the bursts of invulnerability when getting hit.
A number of reviewers critiqued that the two-player mode was locked on initially playthroughs, with Lada saying that it was an especially baffling decision as a two-player mode was available from the start of Pocky & Rocky.
TRAILERS
STORES
Prices are cached from each storefront and may be out of date. Last checked 24 Sept 2026.
PRICE HISTORY
Every price change we know of, per shop. Flat means the price held; PC shops reach back through IsThereAnyDeal's archive, console shops start when this site started watching.
Steam low: $16.49 (26 Jul 2026) , Xbox low: $24.99 (26 Aug 2026)
REVIEWS
Published elsewhere, collected here. Every score is the outlet's own, on the outlet's own scale. Follow the link for the full review.
“Anyone looking for an arcade-style cooperative game definitely needs to check out Pocky & Rocky Reshrined.”
“Pocky & Rocky Reshrined successfully marries the charm of the original with contemporary gaming expectations. The dedication of the TENGO PROJECT shines through in every aspect, resulting in a game that feels both familiar and fresh. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the series or a newcomer to the world of shrine maiden shooters, Reshrined is a delightful experience that stands as a testament to the enduring appeal of classic gaming.”
“Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is what all fans of the Natsume franchise could expect, a remake of the Super Nintendo game that has been reimagined giving rise to something quite different from the original in terms of playability. New and experienced gamers alike will find this game a remarkable and satisfying experience that upholds the franchise's standards of entertainment and quality. For when a Pocky & Rocky 2 Reshrined?”
“For those who don’t mind a short runtime and a somewhat steep price tag, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined’s old-school cool is a retro revival that evokes nostalgia while still being new. For those that appreciate a challenge, its insistence on muscle memory and pattern recognition will be just what the shrine maiden ordered.”
“My Pixels Bring All The Boys To the Yard”
“Despite some strange design choices, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined captures the charm of the original game and still feels great to play all these years later. Added variety makes this the best version of Pocky & Rocky and makes me long for this dynamic duo to be given a truly original title now that they’ve fought their way out of obscurity.”
“Despite the impression of being an unpretentious and simple game, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined provides a great time. The gameplay is functional and challenging in the right measure. The graphics are good and the animations are excellent. The soundtrack is impeccable. The game delivered by Tengo Project is exemplary in many departments, but some questionable implementations and the lack of online co-op and content compromises the overall experience.”
“Though at times it plays things too closely to the original game for its own good, that’s in testament to how rock solid it was to begin with. Even 35 years after the fact, this game is still unlike anything else you’ll find in the bullet hell genre. While the restrictions to multiplayer hold back its fullest potential, Pocky & Rocky: Reshrined is otherwise the golden standard for how to do remakes.”
“Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is a great comeback of the series, featuring new characters, an interesting plot, a very crunchy pixelart, and fast, varied and very rewarding gameplay that gets really addicting especially when played in co-op. The only points that may leave something to be desired are some boss fights being kinda unforgiving, and some levels that can feel a bit repetitive, aspects that usually can be expected in bullet hell-like experiences, but still bringing a very fun game to play.”
“For fans of the shooter genre, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined offers something a little different, and it’s well worth jumping into. Despite being almost 30 years old, it still feels fresh and compelling – helped by its wonderful visuals and soundtrack. Throw in a cast of great characters, each with a unique set of moves, and various modes to jump into, and there’s a lot to love here. We just wish the easy mode was unlocked from the outset.”
“Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is definitely the best entry in the long-running albeit sporadic KiKi KaiKai series. It may have its shortcomings but the modernized gameplay and lovely presentation make it a must-have if you enjoy classic games that are off the beaten path.”
“Solid and definitely have an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.”
“Despite a few questionable design choices, Pocky & Rocky Reshrined delivers a thrilling and satisfying experience. The blend of nostalgia and modern polish makes every stage a visual and mechanical extravaganza. New characters and stages keep replays fresh, while the core gameplay loop of dodging, shooting, and surviving remains as addictive as ever. It’s not quite as refined as it could be, and the difficulty spikes and locked modes may alienate newcomers. However, for those who relish a challenge and adore retro shooters with a unique cultural twist, this is a worthy revival of a beloved cla”
“Still, as a solo experience, and as an overall package? Reshrined still manages to be incredibly fun, and while I’ll never get why Natsume-Atari insists on making the multiplayer experiences as inaccessible as possible, the core gameplay loop is still outstanding enough that I can at least recommend this for a solo playthrough or two, and especially for the sake of those online leaderboards. Once this game finally clicks, it’s a whole lot of fun, and I am relieved that I managed to get it to finally click once I spent a good amount of time on it solo.”
“If you’re a fan of retro shooters, there’s a lot to like in here. If you’re a fan of the 16-bit era of gaming, you’ll love these slightly revamped graphics. The game is cute as all hell, I can’t deny that. Sadly, there’s a fine line between challenging and frustrating and Pocky & Rocky Reshrined loves to mentally torture me by jumping between these two states, all due to some questionable (and dated) gameplay mechanics.”
“Pocky & Rocky Reshrined provides a lot of nostalgia towards the titles that came before, especially the first one on SNES. This sentimental longing towards the past has merits, but when put side by side with the new things it offers, it doesn't feel like it's enough of a package to people who never heard of the duo of youkai hunters. The different characters add some cool replay factor to the game, but in the end, I'd recommend it more to those who experienced the series' beginnings on consoles [back in the day].”
“Pocky and Rocky Reshrined is a gorgeous run-and-gun shooter, lovingly and faithfully reimagined. It’s just as much fun as it was back in the nineties, but little in the way of extra content and decidedly old-school controls hold it back from greatness.”
“There's certainly nothing wrong with the gameplay, which remains just as enjoyable now as it did almost 30 years ago, but Reshrined feels like a missed opportunity to add in new elements or mechanics. While the inclusion of an online leaderboard is welcome, the lengthy, poorly-localized cutscenes are not. If you go in not expecting anymore more than what the Super Nintendo games did and can tolerate some odd design choices, then busting these ghosts might make you feel good. Otherwise, wait for a sale or light some incense in hopes that one of the original Pocky & Rocky games shows up on NSO.”
“Coming to the Reshrined experience without any dog in the fight, Pocky & Rocky is an SNES classic I've heard quite a bit about but haven't experienced for myself...”
“Pocky & Rocky Reshrined is a honest new take on a classic from the 16-bit era bringing back that desire to play a challenging and fun game with a friend for many hours. However, for modern standards, it doesn't offer enough content to keep you engaged for long. It lacks the multiplayer option at first, doesn't offer extras to keep you coming for more and it may even feel like there isn't much to do after completing it once. It's nostalgic but that isn't enough nowadays.”
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