Developer: Pixel Publisher: Romstar Release: 01/92 Genre: Action
Konami’s Goemon series has been running since the Famicom era with more entries than you can count. In the West we would not be introduced to it until Legend of the Mystical Ninja hit the SNES in 1992. Even the Famicom titles were interesting and unlike anything else at the time. Unknown to most a similar title hit the NES in America the same year as that underrated SNES classic. Cowboy Kid is the western version of Goemon and while not as good is still solid.
Cowboy Kid places you in the shoes of either Cowboy Sam or Little Chief depending on if you play solo or with a friend. The brief introduction sees you elected as sheriff and tasked with hunting down six wanted criminals. You can tackle them in any order like Mega Man although that is not advised as certain levels are near impossible since you do not start with the pistol. The choice is therefore moot. Luckily the game has more going for it.
Gameplay is very similar to Ganbare Goemon 2 on the Famicom to the point you might think it is a rom hack. The game uses a belt scrolling field like a brawler as you explore town, kill enemies for cash and talk to townsfolk. There is plenty to do in town like play mini-games such as practice at the shooting range, play blackjack, and test your might. The shops have a rotating series of items like life restoring food, bulletproof vests, and maps. There are only a few mandatory items which the game at least tells you about first. You are free to explore to your heart’s content although each stage is not that long. You can skip these activities but it robs the game of its flavor. Inevitably you will either stumble on the critical path or pursue it when you tire of the fun and games.
Combat in Cowboy Kid is rough in the early stages. You begin the game with a simple knife that sucks in terms of range. Most of the time you will trade damage trying to stab enemies. The hit box for enemies is fairly generous but due to the perspective lining up attacks or even dodging is hit or miss. Once you receive the pistol it becomes the game it should have been from the start. Here’s a hint: play the game in the order the posters are lined up. Because the game is clearly designed around the pistol and musket it undermines the level select feature. Unless you are a masochist there is a clear order to play through the game.
Just like the series that inspired it skipping out on all the side activities does the game a disservice. A lot of work went in to appropriately nailing the setting and the localization does an excellent job of reinforcing it. Speaking to townsfolk will often reveal the location of hidden items that can potentially save you money. The game tries to play it straight but it can get a bit wacky. If you are short on cash the cheapest hotel is a horse stable. There are also wild animals, samurai, semi naked highwaymen, and ghosts wandering around in this world and no one bats an eye. It is on the same level as Konami’s the Lone Ranger which is also similar to this title.
The game does an excellent job of varying its levels and no two are really the same. It gets its typical highway robbery sequence out of the way initially but that is not all it has up its sleeve. You must ascent a dark mountain to face the Mad Brothers in one of the game’s more frustrating boss battles. Wild Wolf Chief is hiding out in his Indian Reservation and has some of the game’s more perilous platforming segments. The biggest diversion is the chase against Coyote Jim which takes place in an auto scrolling horseback ride. My only gripe with the level design is the final maze which exhibits the worst of NES era level design.
Overall Cowboy Kid is not particularly difficult so much as it can be frustrating. Because of the perspective lining up attacks can be tricky. Meanwhile the viewpoint works against you as you will take many cheap hits from enemies and bullets it looked like you avoided. Stores sell life restoring food and the time limit allows you to grind. But I would be lying if I did not feel the balance could be better. This especially goes for the too long boss battles. What should be the game’s highlight are dreadfully long and boring.
In Closing
Cowboy Kid is a great game that has flown under the radar and deserves your attention. The action is solid and let’s be honest, westerns were rare and good ones even rarer. Speaking of rarity unfortunately this is one of the pricier games on the system due to a low print run and late release. If you find it cheap go for it, you won’t regret it.
