The friends of Ringo Ishikawa has plenty of beat-’em-up DNA in its makeup. You’ll often get into scraps while roaming the streets of its Japan-inspired setting. You’ll throw rival gang members over you shoulder, deliver roundhouse kicks to the face and land jab after bloody jab. But those little skirmishes are only one small part of its whole, a rich tapestry of ideas that isn’t content to simply be one thing or another.
In fact, ‘TfoRI’ has more in common with Street Gangs (or River City Ransom as its known outside of the EU) than Streets of Rage. If anything, it’s a simulator for the rigmarole, angst and perennial boredom of your teenage years. Sure, there’s an RPG levelling system. There are survival game-esque metres tracking your hunger. You can even string combos together to knock back enemies when you’re being swarmed in a brawl. But it’s the way it embraces the mundane that makes this indie offering so unusual.
As a teenager whittling away the final months before high school graduation and the looming expectation of college, the titular Ringo finds himself battling a perpetual sense of boredom. There are classes to go to at high school - where you’ll increase your XP in return for attendance - but you can just as easily play truant and hang out with your friends instead. It’s a game purposefully designed to shed the normal questlines of an RPG, instead it’s a snapshot of a young man’s life where there’s very little guidance of what to do next.
Your hometown is full of things to do, and which ones you try first are entirely up to you. You and your gang might wander the streets looking for trouble, holding ‘R’ to enter ‘Delinquent mode’ so you slow down your walk, slouching your posture, hands in pockets, eyes waiting for an invitation to throw down. You might head to the local cafe to get a bite to eat, or stroll home and fire up your games console. There are also a slew of mini-games to try out (including ping-pong and poker) around town. In the end, you might just prefer to hand out on a park bench, smoke a cigarette or two and attempt to look cool in that way very few of us every truly succeeded at during those years.
There’s a conscious decision on behalf the developer to make The friends of Ringo Ishikawa less of a traditional ‘game’ and more of a collection of activities filling the life of a certain character. There are a handful of prompts on-screen to explain the basics of combat - one button for punches, one for blocks, another for kicks and a fourth for grappling/throws - but other than that there’s very little in terms of hand-holding. What do classes actually entail, do they involve any mini-games and how do they benefit your character? You have stats, but how do you affect them and what benefit do they provide? It’s a game that purposefully does away with traditional signposting and it’s both a positive and negative.
With its fragmented story - which flits between different parts of the summer months - it makes a point of subverting the traditions of the RPG by doing away with more obvious quests templates and simply sending you off to seek conversations, with the focus more on what you do with the rest of your time making up the meat of your experience. It’s more like the Persona games or Shenmue in this regard, with the option to attend a gym to increase your stats or the chance to get a part-time job (which you can also lose, should you decide to avoid your shifts).
It’s refreshing to see a world given a little more life than simply asking you to scroll from left to right, brawling your way through enemies until an arrow flashes on screen to tell you to proceed. But that lack of direction can sometimes make understanding the minutiae of how its mechanics fit together more of a drag than it should. Once you get how The friends of Ringo Ishikawa comes together, it’s Breakfast Club-esque romanticism of delinquent youth makes for something truly engaging, but even without something as simple as a map to consult, you’ll really need to stick with it to find that connection.
Conclusion
Screenshots really don’t do The friends of Ringo Ishikawa justice. What looks like a traditional side-scrolling brawler is actually something far more intricate. It’s more of a teenage simulator than anything, and with some really well-written dialogue (filled with the kind of malaise and sense of directionless rebellion we all experienced in our formative years) there’s a really interesting story to be found. Its everyday activities will remind you more of Bully or Shenmue than Street Gangs/River City Ransom, just don’t expect to have your hand held as you head out into the world to discover them.
Comments 29
Definitely intrigued with this one,
Based on the text, this seems like a very positive review, but the game's only scored a 6/10?
Either way, I'm definitely interested. This one is getting a download from me for sure.
Eh? Is that 6 the wrong way round?
I feel a connection with this game since the beginning. I like the fusion of "Delinquents-Japan-Retro-Fight" plot.
Might get it been thinking about it for a while now🤔
This is in my backlog currently. As a fan of River City Ransom and life sims, as well as an appreciator of Shenmue, this game is definitely up my alley and this review confirmed it. As pointless as it may seem, it would've been nice if this had at least the option for multi-player to get into some existential teenage hijinks with, but I get that is meant to be a solo experience too. Regardless, I will await a sale for now and look forward to picking it up.
The review score seems to mimic the lack of direction of the game protagonist, a masterpiece of video journalism if it's a sign of homage - however I think not.
The game clearly sounds interesting.
I'm really interested in this one. Seems to be different and captivating
Isn't that the guy from Mob Psycho?
Waiting for more reviews. This one seems off the mark. I agree with others here who said they were surprised by the 6 after reading the review. I was expecting an 8 since the only negative things said was the game doesn't hold your hand or explain how some tasks affect your character. Sounds to me like someone doesn't enjoy games like River City Ransom, Shenmue and Persona which is fine but those games are all gems in my eyes.
Shocked at the score. Every RCR fan and their mom has been going crazy over this. Its supposedly very well done, and quite fun. Havent played it myself, but after seeing a lot of fans loving it, it went onto my asap list.
@Lordplops @spirit_flame @EXP @Painkiller_Mike. The score definitely doesn't read like a 6, but either way the score isn't what we should be concerned about. If what he describes hits all the notes of what interests you or it's right up your gaming alley then I would base a purchase off that. Not the score.
@MaSSiVeRiCaN Yup, agreed. I don't trust the scores on here. Game deffinately is on my radar, though looks like May will a bountiful month of interesting releases.
I've been hanging out with Ringo and his friends for a couple weeks, trying to dig in, and it's been some experience. A delinquent teenager trying to figure out life, a player trying to figure out how to live that life, or to change it. There are definitely some parallels to be drawn here. The official trailer almost does the game a disservice because yeah, fighting is a part of the game, but it's not everything.
The 'Friends' part of TFoRI are kind of doing the same thing, as told by the fragmented story. The game practically asks it's characters, on multiple occasions, "How long can we keep living this lifestyle? What does life have to offer me once we leave school?"
You can reflect on all that while you press 'B' to light a cigarette.
For those who want a tiny bit of guidance or structure in trying to see everything this game has to offer, I got you. Everyone else, stop. These might be considered gameplay mechanic spoilers. I also made some points to be as cryptic as possible, in case you do read on. But definitely no story spoilers!
-The minimum run time, I feel, is about 32-33 in-game days. Certain events will unfold themselves at least once a week that progress the overall story (usually between Sunday through Tuesday, or if possibly some hidden triggers got...well, triggered) And once you go to a usual location at an ordinary time, that'll trigger the final end sequence. That said, I'm currently on day 60. Attend school super early like your typical Dean's list, straight A student. And make sure you visit him on the 1st floor starting the Monday after your Saturday tests in order to see how well you did. Hard work pays off. Wink, wink.
-You can go around starving. I try not to because that's just me. I can take the part time job because I'm a straight A student. Heck, after reading some books at the school library, you'll see how easier it becomes to study, even from home! Wink, wink, wink.
-The café is currently broken. You can order but you'll never finish your meal. Buy food from the convenience store or the Fast Food place. No scratch that, the fast food is not as filling. (I wonder if that's intentional?)
-Persistence is the key to a better body. You might even be able to pay a single session rate. Before then, some horizontal and parallel bars at the playground will do (wink, watch the trailer, wink).
-Of course there are other ways to learn new methods of mayhem. One of your friends may have given up his dream, but that doesn't have to stop you from picking up the gloves. Remember, persistence.
-(EDIT)There is a hole in the fence one screen right of the school entrance and through the forest path.
-Oh, and the Mechanic teaches kick moves, but you'll have to pretend you're Daniel LaRusso from the 1st Karate Kid movie. No, not the part at the end, but the part where Spider-Man has to step in. And not at school, but at the underpass.
-Throw moves are taught at school, have a look at the schedule on the ground floor. You'll have to learn the punches and kicks first. Also, you might have to 'quit' your job to pursue this. (I'm currently going to experiment by skipping Wednesdays, wish me luck).
-Once you get a TV/VCR Combo, you might want to check out a couple movies from the video store. Martial Arts flicks are great! Inspiring, even! Too bad, you'll have to slog through some boring stuff first before the dude gets them in stock.
-You can get a cat. You don't have to go far outside, but since cats are mostly nocturnal... You can also pet the cat.
-Reading books, watching movies, and owning pets are great conversation starters.
-You can only talk to Ken on Sundays, at his house, which is the only one with a speakerphone outside.
-You need to sit down to read a book, then press R to read your 'currently equipped book' (books automatically go to your bookshelf at home when bought). Sit anywhere but your desk at home/shcool. Those are for studying.
I'm going to see how far I can go with this. I've already seen a couple events I would have missed if I stopped playing once the credits roll. On that note I realized, WOW, that is one telling ending if the meaning, or should I say framing, doesn't go over your head. It might be cliché, I imagine, if I was more versed in Japanese literature.
This game is great, though it has some flaws. One, no confirmation button at the shops. Worse, the bookstore and pawn shop gives you info about the items first when you select them, and you can accidentally buy things even if you wanted to read the description again. Two, typos and grammar problems. Yeah it's a minor issue, but when your proofread ending credit actually says "Proofreaded by" well... Three, food provides no other benefit other than satisfying your hunger stat. Even when you've been beat down to a couple HP, you think "Oh, let me eat that convenience store sushi!". And then...nothing but "FULL". You'll have to sleep off your wounds.
There was something else I was thinking was wrong but I can't remember it right now. Watch this space in case I edit it in later.
This is definitely not a game for everyone. A 7 would be my user score. Great dialogue, a story that moves forward with time and involvement, freedom to do what you want with a good amount of things to do, TONS of moves to learn (which can actually put some beat-em-up move sets to shame, IMO). However, there's no direction, money is very limited unless you get lucky at the Poker machine, farm unconscious thugs all day, or do some time management and creative class-cutting. And the game can literally end before you've got a chance to do everything. This game definitely earns it's "RCR x Shenmue x Persona + time management" archetype to a T, only on a much smaller, Indie, scale.
(EDIT)My To-Do list right before I "finish" this game:
-Try drinking a lot of beer
-Try knocking someone out and take their bag to the Pawn Shop
-Finish reading all the books from the book store then see if that one girl in class has any more dialogue
-Watch all the movies from the video store.
-Find out if the gold chain belongs to anyone
-See if I can pick a fight with the special move trainers
-Pick a fight with EVERYONE
-(EDIT) Finish that Famicom game and see if it gives me anything
-(and the very last thing) Don't feed the cat...
@masterLEON Thanks for the staggering amount of info you put here, genuinely appreciated. YOU should have reviewed the game, quite obviously giving it the justice and attention it deserves. Well done.
@EXP Yeah, gotta say, that was my thought exactly. Kinda the cardinal sin of review writing to be honest, like an author introducing the murderer in the last chapter. Either don't do scores or try your damndest to make them at least a reasonable reflection of your (written) thoughts and opinions.
If you can't decide on a numerical ... hell, leave it be or resort to stuff like 'recommended for/if ...' Never ever make people question your ACTUAL review by way of a out-of-nowhere scores.
@spirit_flame LOL, thanks It's a mishmash of a list but the parts at the beginning and end are my writing style. Wish I had the time to do more stuff like this, though. I clearly spent more time than was necessary in this game, LOL. And definitely, spending a cursory extra 5 minutes loading up the autosave after the credits roll and messing around yielded some interesting finds. Understandably, game reviewers usually can't spend all that extra time on one game, even one so unassuming, yet hiding much more, as The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa. So it would be horrible for me if my livelihood depended on how many articles/reviews I could write. Now if there was such a thing as a "super casual/yet hardcore minded, and so occasional that everyone wonders if he's still a working editor" then that kind of job would be right up my alley XD
Another detriment, I've back edited that post, and this one, more than a few times. Which can't really be done in the professional world. I've stopped for now only because I have a dinner to go to, lol. But in reality, I'd pore over something I wrote 20 times and finally be ok with it, and then find something after it'd be published
Also surprised to see a 6/10 after that review since there doesn’t seem to be anything “wrong “ with the game. I’m glad to hear it’s not just about fighting since I’ve had my eye on this- now I’m even more interested.
Count me among those who were surprised by the score. However, I already decided a while ago that I was gonna get this, so it doesn’t change anything. The content of the review mainly reinforced why I want to get it anyway. Will try to wait it out for a sale though.
@masterLEON thanks for dedicating some of your time to give us this amount of info on the game. Be sure you've been hugely helpful! Thanks, man!
Why is the score so disconnected from the tone of the text?
@masterLEON Quick someone give this man a medal.
Extremely interested in this game, especially since I'm a fan of RCR and similar games. The problem is, every time I buy one of these RCR-inspired games, I end up being pretty disappointed. The latest example being RCR: Underground, which I didn't care for much at all. This one sounds more like someone took RCR and put some Yakuza and Persona into it. Still on the fence for now, though. The 6/10 isn't helping me make up my mind.
@Venus_Adept @John_Deacon Aw, thanks I try.
User score here is currently 9.7, albeit only based on 3 submissions so far
Remember regarding the score that Nintendo Life officially has a system of grading that resembles my college's English department: C is "good college work" and A's are absolutely amazing work. I've been here a while, and I suspect that like my college English department, some confusion stems from different professors choosing to use the department's unique system where C is pretty good or to use what most people in America are more familiar with, that C is average, B is good, A is great. So a game that would deserve an 8 on the normal person scale could get a 6 or an 8 depending on the reviewer. And balancing multiple writers is complicated.
Of course, that's probably part of why people suggest to focus on the content of the essay on the game you're considering buying, not the score. And like with grades, people perpetually focus on them when they're told not to anyway.
Also, games with interesting, but clunky mechanics are notoriously difficult to review and score, and this sounds like one of those. Vaguely artistic, a clever spin on a genre, but not necessarily intuitive. It comes down to what you value. Pikmin is a good example: Pikmin 1 is among my most replayed games. It is a short, unintuitive game with a number of serious glitches that you will encounter. It also is a charming, atmospheric game with clever ideas that is a blast once mastered. Depending on what I decided to focus on, I could give Pikmin a 6 as a short glitchy frustrating mess (which it is), or an 8 as an atmospheric and challenging real time strategy game. What would matter most though, is that I say all the relevant information in the review. So I think for this reviewer to deserve the critique he is getting from some in the comments, there would need to be clear examples of information he should have provided, but didn't.
Sounds like my type of Jazz. I'll buy it!
At least it isn't yet another Mega Man/Castlevania clone.
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