Cotton is a franchise that has earned a place in our hearts and is always waiting to give us a good time shooting. Although its peak popularity occurred during the 32-bit era, Cotton is an essential figure for understanding Japanese shoot ’em ups.
Perhaps because of this, Cotton remains a key presence at every edition of the Tokyo Game Show. Whether with 3D games, classic 2D versions, or new releases, Cotton never misses an event. And at this Tokyo Game Show 2025, we even saw the series in duplicate. However, its main game, the one that stole the show, was Cotton Rock with You, which was at the Success booth accompanied by the company’s usual cosplayers.
Cotton Has New Friends
If you like Cotton’s games, you’ll have noticed that Cotton Rock with You is a sequel to Cotton Rock ‘n’ Roll, a game that was released first in 2021 and then in 2023 on more platforms. In the West, it was known as Cotton Fantasy and had the distinction of including a good number of playable characters.
This sequel continues along those same lines and, once again, surprises us with the introduction of more heroines. For our test, we couldn’t resist going straight to play with Izuna, the protagonist of two Nintendo DS games we loved back in the day. The humor of Izuna, the unemployed ninja, is very present in Cotton’s game. And, since the heroine fires shurikens and kunais relentlessly and uses her sword at close range, it fits perfectly with the franchise’s gameplay.
Inspired by Japanese Culture
As you can see from Cotton’s appearance in the artwork for this new game, Cotton Rock with You’s inspiration lies in Japanese culture. The protagonist has an instantly captivating oiran look that stands out not only because of the heroine’s clothing but also because of her hairstyle. Players will also appreciate the small detail of Cotton’s abandoning her shoes and going barefoot in the artwork, which adds a more adorable touch to the design, while playing she will wear classic Japanese shoes.
The colorful environments are also inspired by Japanese folklore, while the enemies feature some of the main elements of Japanese culture. For example, players must face all kinds of yokai demons, as well as figures characteristic of this culture, such as a giant crane that becomes a powerful level boss.
This style is very flattering to Cotton and gives her a lot of personality. So far, we’ve only been able to play for a few minutes due to the limited availability of the demo at Tokyo Game Show 2025, but we can say it’s left us wanting more.
Shooting nonstop
For shoot ’em up fans, Cotton is always a sure thing, and this time, he’ll have compelling reasons to generate extra interest. Izuna’s presence will also be joined by other characters, such as Psyva Ria from Psyvariar and Ruffee from the classic Dokidoki Poyatchio.
The gameplay remains classic, featuring high speed, many enemies and gunfire on screen. You have to dodge while collecting items, earning points, and gaining experience. The character accumulates experience points that, once the rank bar is filled, allow you to level up. This guarantees enhanced shooting and allows you to continue attacking with greater skill while more powerful opponents appear.
The controls are very fluid and have the advantage of offering spacious stages where you don’t have to worry about collisions that could complicate the game. There are various elements that can divide the stages you move through, but never in a way that makes the game difficult. In fact, even after just a few minutes, we’ve found it to be an instantly enjoyable game.
Coming in 2026
Cotton Rock with You is expected to be released in Summer 2026 on Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, PC via Steam and Arcade. It will be a shooter where we won’t be able to stop dodging bullets, using different types of attacks, special moves, and other items to survive all the dangers. It’s great news to see that Cotton remains in great shape and that its developers continue to deliver new installments to a franchise that is a benchmark in its genre.
