Kiki Kaikai / Pocky and Rocky

[reiwamale]

Have you played these games? Do you love them? I think they're extremely cute. What do you like about them? Kiki Kaikai thread

 

[Action_Hank]

Never heard of her but do all Shrine Maidens look like her?

 

[happymasksalesman happymasksalesman]

I don't know them much. I didn't play Japanese game had tanuki in them after Mario tanuki lore.....

 

[Stare best girl]

yep, I played the first one in PC-Engine and both SNES games they were fun

 

[Bonkers225]

Played the first one abit years ago, I enjoyed it, but never played it again after that.

 

[DanVzare]

Yep, I've played some of them. Specifically the two Pocky and Rocky games on the SNES.
Fun games, although very VERY difficult. I didn't finish a Pocky and Rocky game until last year, and even then I had to cheat a lot.

That music though. It plays in my head non-stop whenever I see anything that reminds me of the games. Which usually happened when I see anything related to Japanese shrines or Tanookis. So in other words, it plays in my head a lot.

 

[UnDubious]

I beat Pocky & Rocky 2 a few years ago. It's a game I'd thought looked cool for years, but in the end I found it disappointing. Nice graphics, I like the mini-RPG elements, but the shmup gameplay is lacking. The levels are kind of slow and boring, the bosses are a drag because of how you need to throw your partners at them to really hurt them. Oh yeah, and there's a long-ass final level on a dragon that's a real pain. It's frustrating, it never ends, it controls differently from the rest of game, and then if you lose to the final boss you have to do the whole thing again. Probably why the game left a sour taste in my mouth.

In the same genre, I think Twinkle Tale on the Genesis is a lot better.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

I really like these games, but can't really play them too much for some reason.

 

[FTLOTG]

I tried the first one on PC Engine, it's ridiculously challenging. I have played the Super Nintendo one but never completed it.

 

[UnDubious]

The first game is terrible because enemies literally never stop spawning. You can hardly ever walk forward. Each successive game is easier.

 

[bjork]

I think I've played all of them, owned Pocky and Rocky on SNES and the version on GBA "with Becky" but getting through them is another story, heh. Oh, I also have that newer version that came out in the last couple of years, and I feel that it's somehow even tougher than the original? But I love the aesthetic so I give them a whirl every so often, die quickly, then go do something else with my itch scratched.

 

[UnDubious]

I think I've played all of them, owned Pocky and Rocky on SNES and the version on GBA "with Becky" but getting through them is another story, heh. Oh, I also have that newer version that came out in the last couple of years, and I feel that it's somehow even tougher than the original? But I love the aesthetic so I give them a whirl every so often, die quickly, then go do something else with my itch scratched.

That's the thing, they look cool but aren't that fun to play. The aesthetic is way above the gameplay.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

That's the thing, they look cool but aren't that fun to play. The aesthetic is way above the gameplay.

Well no, they are very fun to play
It's like a goofier and less complex Guwange or what would happen if our old friend Takamaru actually left the Famicom

 

[UnDubious]

Well no, they are very fun to play
It's like a goofier and less complex Guwange or what would happen if our old friend Takamaru actually left the Famicom

A lot of people seemed to be saying "I like them but for some reason I can't play them for too long", etc... I used to think I liked them before I actually decided to beat Pocky & Rocky 2, and yeah, not really that fun after all. That's my opinion though, if you have fun playing them more power to you.

 

[legsrjust4show]

I enjoy the Pocky and the Rocky and the shooting and the shrine maidening

I think yeah it's Real Tough

There's also that new remake they did on modern platforms that's really good. All of the remakes that team has been doing is some of the best.

Go in expecting to die.

 

[bjork]

That's the thing, they look cool but aren't that fun to play. The aesthetic is way above the gameplay.

Fun is always a ymmv thing

 

[Retro Doomer]

I like Dark Soul...I mean Pocky Rocky just mixed those two up for some reason ;)...Anyway i like them mostly there art style but its also quite difficult for me.I bough just one for my Ps4 especially got the Japanese Version Version because i hate Censorship and before that i played the Snes version a couple of times.

 

[UnDubious]

Fun is always a ymmv thing

Yes, but it's odd when most people who seem to like a series never beat any of them. I'm suggesting there's a reason for that. People like the aesthetic and the idea of those games more than they like the games themselves.

 

[bjork]

Yes, but it's odd when most people who seem to like a series never beat any of them. I'm suggesting there's a reason for that. People like the aesthetic and the idea of those games more than they like the games themselves.

I'm not sure I agree. I think you can be a fan of something without mastering it.

 

[Retro Doomer]

Yes, but it's odd when most people who seem to like a series never beat any of them. I'm suggesting there's a reason for that. People like the aesthetic and the idea of those games more than they like the games themselves.

probably most people see the Aesthetic and think its going to be a cute easy shooter just to be turned off by the Difficulty.But its mostly just muscle memory to learn what enemies come where and there movements and sure i die a lot this juts means i have to better memories there movements.

 

[Tonberry]

I grew up with playing at least the first one on emulator, and I remember it being really fun but hard as balls. It was one of the few games we actually learned how to bind two input schemes on snes9x for so that we could play together. I don't remember if we ever beat it but we sure as hell tried out best because I have pretty vivid memories of some levels.

It didn't click for me until much later that they're kind of shoot-em-ups except that you can control your character freely.

 

[UnDubious]

I'm not saying they're too hard to be fun, most shmups are hard. I'm saying the gameplay gets dull pretty quickly, the boss battles in 2 are riddled with massive slowdowns (a pretty common problem with SNES action games), and the challenging parts are designed in a way that's more frustrating than stimulating. 2 isn't really that hard overall, only the final level is.

 

[Potapota]

I like the genre, style and setting of pocky & rocky but for some reason I just can't "get into" them. Something about it just does not click with me.
Actually bought the Pocky & Rocky Reshrined on sale recently just to see if a modernized take would help me get into it.

 

[Cantarella]

Yes, but it's odd when most people who seem to like a series never beat any of them. I'm suggesting there's a reason for that. People like the aesthetic and the idea of those games more than they like the games themselves.

Art and music is wrapped up in what the 'game' is. I like em. Never beat one though, yeah. but, as a SaGa fan, that doesn't seem odd to me.

We had the first one as a kid. lot of warm memories playing it with my cousins/brothers. I think we never got past the cave. Don't mind if it's a herculean task that demands precognition and robot reflexes or if the enemies are spammy. If the package is pleasant enough, it's just fun to try and exist in that world for a while.

 

[stealthRUSH stealthRUSH]

Yes, I grew up playing the localized Pocky & Rocky (1 & 2) back in the day on SNES. They were some of my most rented games, since I never finished them as a kid lol. Love the graphics, art-style, and cooperative gameplay. Once you get the style down it remains challenging but becomes more enjoyable.

In 2021 I've completed P&R1, but still need to finished the second SNES game. I casually played PC Engine game Kiki Kaikai, that's now sitting on my backlog. The GBA game With Becky is another one I need to get around to playing one of these days.

Heavenly Guardian (Legend of Sayuki) on PS2/Wii/Windows is a spiritual successor having similar graphics, gameplay and cooperative mode. It was planned to be part of the series until legal issues forced them to change the main title and character designs, but it still retains its core gameplay.