The friends of Ringo Ishikawa

The friends of Ringo Ishikawa is a stylish and melancholic pixel art game that blends beat 'em up action with a mature, character-driven story — you fight, study, and wander through a fading youth, searching for meaning as you realize that nothing lasts forever.

After what was 3 years ago of discovering the game and not knowing what I'm doing, to finishing in my opinion one of the more better games I've played as of recently, The Friends Of Ringo Ishikawa has left a very distinct taste in my tounge, one that seems familiar from its core mechanics as a beat em up and other more unfamiliar experiences akin to visual novel or FMV rpg's of the past. I originally went into this game with the expectation of it being another faux Nekketsu-Hen game with its own unique twist to the formula and structure that made those games so good, and I was so wrong. There are small yet little immersive things you can interact with or participate in that makes it feel like you aren't just controlling Ringo but you are Ringo, from playing pool, to ruffling through pages of a book, fueling a gambling addiction, or losing a job, or even something so simple as taking a seat on a bench and having a cigarette. The minimalist approach in handholding or guiding you toward anything gameplay-wise like many other games of today really puts you in the shoes of someone at a precipice in their life who has no clue what's in store for them, yet still has only but one option: to keep going forward .
Everything about this game from its open ended formula, hidden secrets or small detail things you'd have to discover after a subsequent playthrough, to the ending that calls back to the introduction of our player character Ringo makes for a game uniquely melancholic that carries weight in its story beats, yet action packed enough to keep you on your toes.
If there were truly a complaint I had about this game it would be the simple fact that there wasn't more of it, more of Ringo and his friends and their paths moving forward, but perhaps that's the point. In my interpretation of the game the Ringo Ishikawa I started playing as and the Ringo Ishikawa I ended the game as is not only the same person but always truly had the capability to do what was needed to be done, by himself, with or without his friends. I would not hold my breath for a sequel or a follow-up to Ringo's life moving forward but if his story were ever re-explored or expanded upon I would be one of the first to know about it. To yeo, and his various life experiences and anyone else that has influenced him at any point in life, a big thanks for this game. As for the person reading this very winded review, The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa, try it out.

Unbelievable amount of gas in this one. Starting out lost, bruised and confused. Getting your footing and finding yourself overwhelmed with how much you want to do with such finite time. Then settling into routine and finding every day exactly the same as you throw yourself into work and drift away from your friends. Cutscenes give direction, but the feeling is ultimately rooted in the gameplay, and it's tremendous. I read Ulysses and got an achievement.

This is not what I expected. It's confusing at first. But after playing for an hour I realized that the game didn't have any linear story. This game is actually high school gang leaders life simulator with stories progressing as random events. The concept is brilliant.

This game is something really special. It's been over a day since I beat it and I'm still thinking about it. Minor spoilers ahead I suppose. My listed playtime isn't accurate, I played most of this without an internet connection. I probably spent about 14 hours or so in game. It's not a long game.

The feelings this game evokes are intimately familiar, and if you've gone through high school and watched friends drift apart and fade away you'll know it too. It's a sort of detached melancholy, as you go through your day to day life, going to school, hanging out with your bros, finding yourself as an adult.

At the start of the game, you rely a lot on your friends. They have your back, and you can always depend on them to watch your butt in a brawl or just play a game of ping pong with you. As the game progresses, your character gets stronger, better. Your grades improve, you get in shape, you pull your life together, and as you do so you start to notice that your friends aren't in their usual spots anymore. They get girlfriends, hobbies, problems of their own, and you start having to rely on yourself more. You are probably so wrapped up in your schedule and goings on you don't even really notice at first, as one by one they start to slip away.

Near the end of the game, before things went to hell, I managed to get the gang together for one last romp around town, although I didn't know it at the time. We had some burgers, kicked some butt in the forest, and then we went to my place. I'd bought a new famicom with some scholarship money, and we sat up until 1 am playing. Last time the gang was ever together, and it was a good one. You'll be avenged, Goro-kun.

It was a vibe. A bit like Persona in the way you choose your activities every day, week for the protagonist. Completed the game without being close to getting 100% on all subject. I was around 70%, so some events happen when you show up in certain areas at specific times. It can be a bit random, slow, hard to figure out how to get into it. I usually do not have patience for this kind of thing bc I don’t want to research a game when it should explain what the objective is better. Somehow, the vibe, the music and art kept me hooked enough to overcome the “what am I doing?” first couple hrs and I felt I knew pretty much all of what you can do by the end.

The friends of Ringo Ishikawa is a game unlike many I've played before. It's a blend of a beat-em up and a slice of life take on mid 80's Japan. While I don't regret my time with the game, I came away with a less than stellar appreciation for the game. It's something that I won't regret playing, but it's a one time experience that I'll move on from.

The idea of delinquent students in their relatively final semester of secondary school is not new, but it's nice to take control of this group and tentatively lead them through their lives. My biggest problem is the disconnect between what the player can do with Ringo and what the game has in store with its story. Much of what you might sink time into will only payout in the form of an achievement. The most manifest example of this disconnect was when I found myself pretty regularly running into story sequences that pulled me out of a routine. Half annoying, and half a fun little way of the game throwing unexpected life curveballs at the player.

When I moved on from that, I was getting enjoyment out of this game. I began to get immersed in the dealings between the titular friends and took joy in picking up details from story sequences. Even if they were unexpected. My only critique in this area is that the ending came along rather rapidly. It lacks a little bit of emphasis, but I am impressed that all of this came together all the way back in 2018. As far as releases on Steam, this makes and made for an impressive first title for developer Yeo.

I also want to express my appreciation for Yeo in that they never left this game by the wayside. Around the middle of January 2025, Yeo released the EX update which added achievements, trading cards, and reworked systems for quite a lot. I was a bit disgruntled that it came two days into my first playthrough and replaced my progress, but I could have always have grabbed the beta files if I wanted to. Impressive work, Yeo.

At times this game is pretty rough around the edges, but I think that for a product that came out in 2018 and has had Yeo's continued support even now, 7 years later, this game is really good. I'll leave it as a one time playthrough for now, but I am glad this game came my way.