Rose & Camellia is essentially a variation of Punch-Out but with slapping instead of punching, and mixed with a visual novel about a woman rising to the head of a noble household. It sounds silly, yes, but surprisingly it has a lot to it. The first two Rose & Camellia were localized in the past, but this is the first time the third and fourth games are getting a localization. The gameplay across all the games is rather similar, being a rhythm fighter with slight puzzle elements like in Punch Out, as mentioned before, but the star of the games is actually the writing.
The games offer a variety of scenarios in which Rose must enter fights to assert her dominance, and the writing really helps sell it all. The scenarios are varied and voice acting is done with both Engish and Japanese audio, and the voice acting gives the game a distinct feeling, as if you are watching a classic anime from years gone. There are different characters to fight in each scenario, with around thirty in all, each with their own introduction and win scenario, and this all leads into a fully realized world.
The gameplay in Rose & Camellia will be instantly familiar to those who enjoyed Punch Out, especially the Wii Version. To slap, you need to hold A and flick your wrist, while dodging requires you to hold R and flick your wrist. When it is your turn, you can raise your hand to slap and you can even try and fake out your opponent to keep them from dodging when you actually attack. the player’s turn, they can raise their hand to slap the opponent; you can also try to fake them out so they don’t dodge. Conversely, your opponents will typically have a tell or timing gimmick that will allow you to figure out when to dodge.
It all sounds good, but the controls are not as responsive as they could be and there was some delay on movement. This did not happen all the time, but when it did, it typically interfered with the dodges, which ended up making the game harder than it needed to be. One thing that did cut down on it was putting the whole body into the movement, which helped the game recognize the dodge a bit better, but this still was not 100% perfect.
Still, the overall game is pretty fun and as stated, the writing is top quality. There is even a new bonus scenario in the form of Rose & Camellia vs La-Mulana, which can be unlocked from the beginning. This of course features a crossover with the heroines of that series and it works surprisingly well with the Rose & Camellia gameplay and writing.
As mentioned before, the audio feels like a throwback to a classic imported anime, especially when it comes to the voice acting. This is not a bad thing at all and really helps Rose & Camellia Collection stand out more. The visuals also work to help give that feeling and the smooth animations leave you satisfied when you land a blow.
I was not sure what to expect really with Rose & Camellia collection, but I was constantly surprised with what the game threw at me. There was always a twist in the story, a surprise with an opponent and so on. Even if the gameplay was not the most innovative or responsive, the narrative really helped to cary the games here.
Rose & Camellia Collection is an excellent excample of what WayForward can do for indie developers. Take a series that has a cult following and unlocalized entries and bring them to a modern audience with some news bells and whistles and various improvements. Wayford took the time to preserve these games and added some excellent audio direction for the latter gamers and helped tweak and refine the game to perfection, and even if the experience was not something that will appeal to everyone in terms of gameplay, the storytelling alone is enough to sell one on Rose & Camellia Collection.
Disclaimer: A review key was provided
