I love doujins. For those of you that aren’t familiar, they’re basically the Japanese version of indie games, only they’ve been around a lot longer. And I would have sworn Snow Battle Princess Sayuki was a doujin. Turns out it’s not. This is a game with a pedigree that reached much further back than I had anticipated. All the way back to the Super Nintendo, in fact.
Snow Battle Princess Sayuki was originally conceived as a direct sequel to Kiki KaiKai, much better known in the US when it’s sequel was released as the SNES classic Pocky and Rocky in 1992. However, it turns out there were some licensing issues with Taito being bought up by Square Enix while Starfish SD was developing Snow Battle Princess Sayuki, which was originally simply called Kiki KaiKai 2. Due to all the legal issues, the sprites in the game were altered, as was the storyline, and it was reimagined as a Japanese mythology shooter and renamed Heavenly Guardian. Yup. This is a port of a PS2/Wii title from 2007 which has been rereleased and retitled multiple times on PS2, Wii, PSN, Windows, and now finally the Nintendo Switch.
But what is Snow Battle Princess Sayuki, other than a mouthful of really Japanese-sounding words? Well, it’s a multi-directional shmup that’s incredibly similar to the old Pocky and Rocky series. There are some neat new mechanics and some clever enemies, but think Blue Rider with less bullets or Pocky and Rocky meet Touhou and you won’t be far off. Basically, you’re a Snow Princess trying to save the boy you have a crush on from a curse by gathering a bunch of magical items. To do so, you have to fight your way through multiple levels of grueling and unforgiving enemies with a mostly Japanese bent to their design (although I’m pretty sure the gelatinous cubes are straight up Dungeons & Dragons). You have homing bullets, rapid fire, bomb bullets, and a 3 way shot, and you can collect items to increase your life as well.
Sounds pretty standard, right? Well, it is. There are a few curveballs though. You also have the ability to call upon snowy winds that freeze all the enemies in their path. This allows you to do massive combo kills, slaughtering up to a hundred or more enemies at a time if timed perfectly. This in turn causes the enemies to drop powerups that power your wintery wind and keep the cycle going. The winds also slow down enemies, making bosses significantly easier. In addition, you also have a defensive dodge a la Snow Bros. (obligatory head nod to Toaplan for being awesome) where you hit the L or R button and roll into a snowball, dodging directly through attacks, even by bosses. This is a lifesaver, but it can also kill you, as you roll in whatever direction you are holding on the controller at the time, and you can end up dodging directly into an oncoming attack or enemy.
Ultimately though, there aren’t a lot of crazy surprises in Snow Battle Princess Sayuki. It’s a straightforward game with a high difficulty level that harkens back to an earlier era in gaming. Expect a grindfest with solid but simple controls and you won’t be disappointed. You will die. A lot. But hey, you’ll look pretty doing it! And you can play Sayuki on the go with the Switch too. In undocked mode, the game is a lot tougher, as enemies and bullets are both much smaller. I found it headache-inducing after about an hour of squinting and dodging, as the game really wasn’t designed for such a small screen. It’s playable, but it’s simply better on a regular TV.
Snow Battle Princess Sayuki has a couple of other modes too. Two player mode is prett self-explanatory, and the storyline actually changes as well. And as you play through the game and beat boss after boss, they slowly unlock in Boss Rush mode as well, adding a bit more depth to an overall shallow and simplistic title.
Honestly, the one thing Snow Battle Princess Sayuki is though is fun. It’s a fun game, even if it is challenging. The music is decent, the sprites are excellent, and controls are tight and responsive. It’s fun to force your way through masses of unyielding enemies and manage to slaughter a boss. It provides a solid sense of accomplishment without being too gimmicky or cheap (though some enemies are definitely cheap as all hell).
For 15 bucks it’s honestly hard to go wrong with this one, as long as you’re up for a challenge. It’s no Devil Engine or anything, but it’s solid and has held up well over the years, assuming you like to suffer a bit when you game. Check it out. If you like Japanese culture, freeform shmups, and challenging gameplay, this one might be right up your alley!
This review was written based on a digital copy of Snow Battle Princess Sayuki for the Nintendo Switch provided by the publisher and played in both docked and undocked modes.