Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! Review (Nintendo Switch)

Review code used, with many thanks to PR Hound

Umihara Kawase One of My Favourite Indies

To begin, the Umihara Kawase (created by Kiyoshi Sakai) is probably, for most, an unheard-of series of sidescrolling platform video games. Entries weren’t released outside of Japan until 2015 with Sayonara Umihara Kawase + on the Playstation Vita. Strangely called Yumi’s Odd Odyssey in the Nintendo 3DS eShop. Kawase + was fantastically bundled with the original 1994 Super Famicom game Umihara Kawase. Sayonara Umihara Kawase + absolutely hooked me to the point that I even double-dipped on it for my Nintendo 3DS. Thus in 2019, I immediately snagged the next entry Umihara Kawase Fresh! for my Switch.

Fish(ing) Out of Water

Likewise, her Lure stuns and reels in enemies. Enemies also can stun then knock off Kawase to her watery doom. Into the brutal mix, insta-kill spikes, a death-dealing timer, sometimes random enemy spawns, conveyor belts, moving platforms, and unconventional boss battles await her too.

Meanwhile, the trailers for Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! from developer Success with publisher ININ Games (responsible for Fresh!) gave off a Super Smash Bros. vibe. A Nintendo series I’m totally a fan of. Said affinities to Umihara Kawase and Super Smash Bros. are what absolutely drew me towards reviewing Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! in the first place. Is Umihara Kawase‘s transition from a single-player experience to multiplayer madness as equally alluring? Let’s find out if the 1.5 GB game is worth it!

New Wave Boss Nova

Additionally, a player can dive into Challenge Mode alone. Or with someone else in tow. Instead of the classic Umihara Kawase sidescrolling platforming, the versus game BaZooKa!’s focus has turned into waves of eliminating increasingly difficult enemies followed by a boss battle. As a result, levels have transformed from expansive potential solvable puzzles to in comparison cramped one-room affairs.

Moreover, with a partner, I’m currently stuck in Stage 3-4 thanks to underground skeleton sharks. The time clock being reintegrated into BaZooKa! keeps making Stage 3-4 extremely challenging. Still, choosing Friend Mode absolutely heightens Challenge Mode’s overall fun rate.

Alone how I’d fare y’all ask? Well! Despite enjoying Challenge Mode I couldn’t get past the World 1 Boss. Yes, it is the, ugh, series staple jerk Tadpole.

The Wrong Way to Fish

In addition, Rival Mode is included in BaZooKa! It is exactly what y’all think it is. Play Challenge Mode with enemies, the timer, and another person threatening the other player’s three lives at the same time. Basically, it utterly sucks.

Umihara Kawase LadiesGamers — You toxic slimeballs free Marian first before y’all have an unnecessary asinine sibling fight!

Besides the seemingly outdated damsel in distress trope, friendly fire remains one of my most despised creations in the entirety of video game history. The forced fighting of twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee for the prize of a kidnapped Marian (established as Billy’s girlfriend earlier) in an ending for 1987’s Double Dragon still makes my blood fiercely boil.

Ahem, anyways, Umihara Kawase BaZooKa! having Rival Mode didn’t magically extinguish those longtime burning flames of hatred for video game-friendly fire either. I tried regardless. Caused solely aggravation for everyone when playing.

A Myriad of Lure Styles

As well, the Umihara Kawase trademark Lure in BaZooKa! has three selectable control types: Beginner, Semi-Auto, and Technical. Beginner’s for Umihara Kawase newcomers with an Automatic Lure function. Concerning Semi-Auto, the Lure automatically reels in when attached to a surface. For Technical (the trickiest), manual controls mirror that of the Umihara Kawase series. To be frank, I didn’t expect any options in the slightest. Their existence was deeply appreciated.

Somehow the Perfect Cast?

On top that, joining veterans Kawase Umihara, Emiko, Nokko Yokohama, Silvy, and Gin, are characters from the Cotton Akai Ito, Ring Dream, and Doki Doki Poyatchio video game franchises. Plus a Youtuber I’ve never heard of called Dozle. Did I mention there’s a playable dog named Pochi too?!

Similarly, the entire roster’s move set is jump, double jump, throw the Lure, and fire the Bazooka. The Bazooka becomes usable after reeling in an enemy, a player, or items on the ground. It fires in a straight line, but potentially bounces prior to ultimately exploding.

Truly, what’s cool is how the roster varies via their L and A Skill buttons. However, Skill usage depletes a character’s blue bar that refills over time. In short, groovy skills cannot be cheaply used repeatedly.

For example, Sonic Cat has a damaging L dash that allows her to pass by enemies the Bazooka only hurts otherwise. Her Skill A button is a forward leaping evade. Kawase’s skills involve bombs and health-replenishing hamburgers. Uzuki specializes in close-range sword techniques. I’m personally fond of the summoning trio skills Ariel, Queen, and Emiko possess.

There’s honestly enough skill variance between everyone, creating encouraging experimentation for players of the game.

No Bait Worth Biting

On the other hand, my fun got dampened by duking it out with the characters in BaZooKa!. Y’all know Stamina Mode from Super Smash Bros. Melee? In a one versus one match, the moment a fighter’s HP drops to zero, the remaining individual wins. I’ve had quite a few memorable exciting tactical matches on Melee.

Of course, BaZooka! attempts this with their equivalent mode named Battle Royale. They’re pretty much overly drawn out brawls. I don’t advise ever tying. Unless every player is fine with essentially replaying from when the timer starts again. Afterwards, a winner finally emerges from the continued fracas.

Solid Rod, Looser Line

Conversely, Star Match didn’t hook me either. Steal stars by pummeling your opponents while a clock winds down. The player with the most stars obtains the victory. Admittedly, I found it less aggravating than replaying Battle Royale Mode. At least.

However, like Battle Royale Mode, I’d still deem Star Match a catch one releases back into the wild waters. To my chagrin. For the versus gaming genre, there’s just tastier choices already in the Switch Sea.

Conclusion

All in all, Umihara Kawase BaZooka! being built from Fresh!’s charming revolutionary base is a tale of two halves. Developer Success inverting the Umihara Kawase formula post-Fresh! for a second time wasn’t asked for. Yet the creative team aimed for popular untested franchise waters. Understanding BaZooka!’s real hook is the spiritual to the Umihara Kawase core series Challenge Mode for 1-4 players when buying the game. The less refined Battle Royale half, er, not so much.

Look, I’m just ecstatic two Umihara Kawase games are on the mainstream console Nintendo Switch when I feared the series would sink into the depths of obscurity!

Final Verdict: I Like It

On a side note, to all you readers out there: it is okay to be just okay. Mentally. Emotionally. After all, we’re stuck in an unprecedented killer pandemic together.
*Departs to play the familiar, beloved, and comforting Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy’s Kong Quest on their Switch*