The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa
Steam header
Designer(s)Yeo
EngineGameMaker Studio[1][2]
Platform(s)Windows, macOS, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One
ReleaseMay 17, 2018 (Win)[3]
October 17, 2018 (Mac)[4]
April 4, 2019 (Switch)[5]
April 14, 2021 (Xbox One)[6][7]
Genre(s)Beat 'em up
Mode(s)Single-player

The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is a beat 'em up developed by Yeo for Windows on May 17, 2018. Port for macOS, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One were released later. The game forms a series called Existential Dilogy with the follow-up game Arrest of a Stone Buddha (2020).[8] Another similar game by the same developer, Fading Afternoon, is to be released in 2023.[9][10]

Plot

The game takes place in a small-town in Japan.[11] The player takes the role of a high school delinquent.[3]

Gameplay

The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is a story driven beat 'em up using 16-bit-style pixel art.[11] The game has a freeform structure where the player can decide what to do between story sequences. These include going to school and studying, reading at the library, working out at the gym, or beating rival gang members for cash.[11] The game's combat system draws influence from Konami's Kensei: Sacred Fist and Rockstar's Bully.[11]

Development

The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa was developed by one person from Moscow, Russia named Vadim Gilyazetdinov, better known by his handle Yeo.[12][2] All backgrounds in the game were made by Artem "Wedmak2" Belov and animations were made by Yeo's father who learned pixel art in his 60s especially for this occasion.

Release

The game was announced for PC release on April 18, 2018.[13] The Switch release was announced on October 10, 2018.[14]

Reception

The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa received "mixed or average" reviews according to review aggregator Metacritic.[15]

Kohei Fujita of IGN Japan said that "The game's systems aren't well explained, which will catch many gamers off-guard at first, but its climax has a lasting impact that is worth experiencing."[16]

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln of Nintendo Life summarized: "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."

Matt S. of Digitally Downloaded summarized: "The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is one of the best examples of subversion within the brawler genre since the mighty Lollipop Chainsaw. Given that the genre is best known for being loud and boisterous, as well as straightforward, linear and providing players with explicit direction (going as far as to have flashing arrows to show players where to move next), the fact that Ringo Ishikawa is subtle, reflective, and directionless, makes it a brilliant bit of subversion. It also means it's the most surprisingly thoughtful game I have played in quite some time."

Time Extension included the game on their top 25 "Best Beat 'Em Ups of All Time" list.[19]

References

  1. ↑ "Showcase - The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa". GameMaker. Archived from the original on 26 October 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 Hosking, Jeremy (30 May 2019). "The Incredible Real-Life Story Behind The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa". Kotaku. G/O Media. Archived from the original on 31 May 2019. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Glagowski, Peter (13 July 2019). "Review: The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa". Destructoid. Gamurs Group. Archived from the original on 15 January 2023. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  4. ↑ Yeo (17 October 2018). "MacOS version is alive!". Steam. Valve Corporation. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  5. ↑ Romano, Sal (28 March 2019). "The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa for Switch launches April 4". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 8 November 2021. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  6. ↑ "The friends of Ringo Ishikawa". Xbox.com. Microsoft. Archived from the original on 28 July 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023. Release date 4/14/2021
  7. ↑ Romano, Sal (14 April 2021). "The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa now available for Xbox One". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 17 June 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  8. ↑ L., Harvard (26 May 2020). "Review: Arrest of a Stone Buddha (Nintendo Switch)". Digitally Downloaded. Archived from the original on 28 May 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  9. ↑ Romano, Sal (6 July 2021). "The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa developer Yeo announces Fading Afternoon for PC". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  10. ↑ Yeo. "FAQ". Fading Afternoon. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Byford, Sam (19 June 2019). "The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is a free-form 2D brawler with a unique sense of melancholy". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on 3 October 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  12. ↑ "高校生不良ACT『The friends of Ringo Ishikawa』「キャラを描く人が見つからなかった時、名乗り出たのは58歳の父でした」【注目インディーミニ問答】". GameSpark (in Japanese). 19 May 2018. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022.
  13. ↑ yeonoblues (18 April 2018). "The friends of Ringo Ishikawa". YouTube. Google. Archived from the original on 13 October 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  14. ↑ Romano, Sal (10 October 2018). "Open-world beat 'em up The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa coming to Switch". Gematsu. Archived from the original on 10 April 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  15. 1 2 "The friends of Ringo Ishikawa for Switch Reviews". Metacritic. Fandom. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  16. 1 2 藤田, 幸平 (18 April 2019). "The friends of Ringo Ishikawa - レビュー". IGN Japan (in Japanese). Ziff Davis. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  17. ↑ Reseigh-Lincoln, Dom (22 April 2019). "The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa Review (Switch eShop)". Nintendo Life. Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on 14 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  18. ↑ S., Matt (11 April 2019). "Review: The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa (Nintendo Switch)". Digitally Downloaded. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
  19. ↑ Banks, George (14 February 2023). "Best Beat 'Em Ups Of All Time". Time Extension. Hookshot Media. Archived from the original on 18 February 2023. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
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