Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

BoBoBo~Bo Bo~BoBo: Hajike Matsuri! delivers a combat system as outrageous as its premise. Players step into the oversized sandals of BoBoBo, mastering the titular True Fist of the Nose Hair to dispatch foes in a flurry of oddball combos. Controls are intuitive yet deep, allowing you to chain light and heavy attacks, launch airborne assaults, and unleash devastating special moves that reference key moments from Yoshio Sawai’s manga.

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The game strikes a fine balance between platforming challenges and beat-’em-up brawls. Each stage is packed with environmental traps—shaving lasers, runaway hair clippers, and precarious platforms—that force you to stay on your toes. Meanwhile, mid-level minibosses and pseudo‐random hair-snatching ambushes keep the pace frenetic and inject plenty of variety into each playthrough.

Power‐ups and collectibles abound, ranging from “Golden Nose Hairs” that boost your strength to “Shampoo Shields” that absorb damage. Secrets hide behind breakable walls and in destructible scenery, granting extra lives or art galleries with character designs. A cooperative mode invites a second player to join as Beauty or Don Pachi, turning solo mayhem into a chaotic duet.

Difficulty can spike late in the game, but multiple save points and a generous checkpoint system prevent frustration from derailing your fun. For completionists, time-attack challenges and hidden boss rushes extend replay value, ensuring you’ll be shaving hair—and racking up high scores—long after the credits roll.

Graphics

The visual style faithfully channels the manga’s zany spirit, using bold outlines, exaggerated expressions, and a color palette that pops with neon pinks, electric blues, and sunburst yellows. Characters look like they’ve stepped straight off the page, complete with comically large noses and gravity-defying hair—even if their follicles are under constant siege.

Stages range from the chrome-plated corridors of the Maruhage Empire’s dreadnought to sprawling outdoor arenas where hair-covered giants tower overhead. Despite the absurd scale, environments feel cohesive, with parallax scrolling and dynamic lighting effects adding depth. Cutscenes are rendered in anime-style still frames with expressive speech bubbles, reinforcing the storybook feel.

Animation is fluid during combat, with bone-rattling impact frames and camera shakes that underscore every punch, kick, and nose-hair whip. Occasional slowdown occurs when multiple enemies—and their attendant particle effects—clutter the screen, but this minor hiccup rarely hinders gameplay. Overall, Hajike Matsuri’s graphics turn every stage into a vibrant carnival of chaos.

Story

Set in the satirical world of 300X, the Maruhage Empire under Emperor Tsuru-tsurina IV has declared war on hair, pledging to “Shave the World Bald!” As the Hair Snatcher Army spreads its balding tyranny, only one unlikely savior stands between follicle freedom and total scalpel supremacy.

BoBoBo~Bo Bo~BoBo emerges as the defender of all that grows, wielding the ancient True Fist of the Nose Hair and backed by a ragtag team: the deceptively graceful Beauty, the machine-gun-mouthed Don Pachi, the stoic android Softon, and the chameleon-like Heppokomaru. Their witty banter and over-the-top personalities capture the humor and heart of Yoshio Sawai’s original manga.

Each chapter unfolds like an episodic manga installment, with humorous dialogue, cliffhanger boss encounters, and playful fourth-wall gags. Though the plot rarely takes itself too seriously, it manages to build momentum through escalating stakes—culminating in a final showdown atop the Emperor’s giant pair of barber shears.

Overall Experience

BoBoBo~Bo Bo~BoBo: Hajike Matsuri! stands out as one of the most delightfully weird action titles in recent years. Its fast-paced gameplay, colorful visuals, and tongue-in-cheek storytelling make it a must-play for fans of quirky anime adaptations and arcade-style brawlers.

While newcomers to the manga might find some of the humor eclectic, the game’s infectious energy and variety of combat options quickly win over even the most bewildered player. The inclusion of local co-op and a slew of unlockables adds significant replay appeal, ensuring that you’ll return to the battlefield of follicles again and again.

For anyone seeking a break from conventional action games, Hajike Matsuri offers a refreshing, hair-raising adventure. Grab your controller, prepare your nose hairs, and join BoBoBo in shaving the odds—one snip at a time!

Retro Replay Score

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