When the term Kusoge is mentioned, a number of things come to mind. Unbalanced fighting games, bizarrely programmed games, the Sunsoft game Ikki ( which got a great revival as Ikki Unite) are among these, but another game that should come to mind is Feudal Bros Tonosama #1. This odd beat em up has recently received a release on modern consoles along with a localization for the first time thanks to Ratalaika and Shinyuden, but you may need to ask yourself if this one is worth it.
The best way to describe Feudal Bros Tonosama #1 is as a beat em up version of Pocky and Rocky, but nowhere near as fun. You take control of either or both Lord Bakka or Prince Bouffon, two dimwitted nobles from different backgrounds as you take on enemies across Japan. You have a support character to call upon and both protagonists have a different set to call on that is unique to them in terms of appearance, but they have the same functions.
There is no other way to say it, Feudal Bros Tonosama #1 is not a good game at all. The controls are finicky at best, and plain awful at worst, and when combined with the awkward platforming sections that show up in some stages, you can expect to die over and over again. Yes, there are the usual Ratalaika cheat options to help you with the experience, and a rewind option, but they feel almost necessary to get anything done in this game and the experience still comes off as a frustrating mess.
There is a story of sorts in Feudal Bros Tonosama #1 but it lacks the charm of something like the Goemon games or even Justice Ninja Casey, which despite having minimal plot, came off far better. If anything, Feudal Bros Tonosama #1 feels like an awkward blend of so many things that just do not go together and does not work as a result. There is poor collision detection, the hitboxes do not make any sense, and enemies respawn at an annoying rate. Add to this, some enemies can swarm you too easily and you will see why the cheats become essential to getting anything done.
I was very curious about Feudal Bros Tonosama #1, but came off very unimpressed with the game. I have played many titles that have poor reputations and came away liking some, but not this one. I think this was a game that could have been left in Japan and we would not have missed anything in the west.
Feudal Bros Tonosama #1 wants to be a fun alternative take on Pocky and Rocky with beat em up elements and ideas from the Goemon series, but nothing works here. If there is anything to note it is that you should not judge Ratalaika and Shinyuden’s re-releases by this title as many of them are actually amazing. Sadly, Feudal Bros Tonosama #1 earns its crap game reputation and just remains something that is best avoided.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
