Pocky & Rocky 2021 confirmed for western release

The new Pocky & Rocky game announced for Switch earlier this week is getting a western release. Natsume Atari and Natsume confirmed that Pocky & Rocky 2021 (tentative title) will arrive next year.

Today’s announcement notes that “Pocky & Rocky 2021 is a multi-directional scrolling shooter in the classic 16-bit style with improved graphics, sound, and fun”. This will be the third installment of the original shrine maiden shooting series. It’s being made by the original development team, Tengo Project.

We have the following comments regarding today’s announcement:

“We are very excited to be working together with Natsume Atari and its Tengo Project team to bring the latest chapter of the series to the West! Pocky & Rocky 2021 is a sequel that will be released more than two decades after the release of the original title for SNES. We hope that Pocky & Rocky 2021 will not only cater to fans who used to play the game, but also to new players!” – Hiro Maekawa, President and CEO of Natsume

“It is a joy to continue Pocky and Rocky’s adventures over twenty-five years later with the same development team. We are excited to be developing Pocky & Rocky 2021 to reach a new generation of gamers and reconnect with players who are already familiar with the bold pair, Pocky and Rocky, and their fun adventures. Stay tuned in the coming months as we reveal more about the mystery that awaits!” – Toshiyasu Miyabe, a programmer in the Tengo Project team

As previously noted, Pocky & Rocky 2021 will be exhibited at Tokyo Game Show 2020 Online between September 23 and September 27.

Source: Natsume PR