A cute, demanding Taito vertical shooter with Japanese folklore mood. Short but charming, savored by arcade fans.
Your verdict
Category
Action Adventure1 player7+
Description
Action-adventure featuring shrine maiden Sayo battling evil spirits in Japanese temples and villages. Published by Taito, released in Japan in 1992. Top-down movement through traditional Japanese environments, spirit wands and Shinto powers and yokai enemies. First Kiki Kaikai on Super Famicom.
Kiki Kaikai - Nazo no Kuro Manteau review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
4/5
Music
★★★★★
"Excellent"
1/5
Story
★★★★★
"Anecdotal"
The Japanese edition lays down the visual foundations of the series: a shrine maiden in red and white, a tanuki in a blue jacket, and a parade of yokai borrowed from folklore, kappa, tengu, one legged umbrellas. The shrine settings, bamboo groves and night villages are painted in bright colours, which makes those creatures funnier than frightening.
The original score rests on a call and response principle: a flute phrase, a drum stroke, a broader answer, as in processional music. The boss themes break that swing with irregular rhythms, and the whole stays drier and more rustic than in the later instalments, which gives it a particular charm.
Gameplay
"Excellent"
Fun
"From the very first minutes"
Addictiveness
"Engaging"
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Average"
Technical info
💾0,68 MB📅31/07/1992
Published by Natsume
Kiki Kaikai - Nazo no Kuro Manteau (SNES) price, value & rarity
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
The first Kiki Kaikai on Super Famicom, this Taito port of the folkloric arcade classic remains a Japan-only title with a solid cult status among retro vertical-shooter fans. Shrine maiden Sayo, the Shinto aesthetic and the arcade difficulty earn it a sought-after aura that reaches well beyond a mere niche import. As the original home version, it is worth clearly more complete with SFC cardboard box and spine card intact; overseas demand for the series keeps its value steady.
An underrated gem
Blending multidirectional shooting with good-natured Japanese folklore, this adventure follows a priestess and her tanuki companion through temples and haunted villages. Rather tough and long confined to a narrow audience, it remains little known. Its colorful charm and frantic two-player co-op make it a gem for fans of friendly run-and-gun.
Is Kiki Kaikai - Nazo no Kuro Manteau still worth playing in 2026?
The SNES follow-up to Taito's Kiki Kaikai series, direct ancestor of Pocky & Rocky, this top-down action shooter mixes shooting, melee and Japanese folklore with delightful liveliness. The colourful art, brisk pace and two-player co-op make it a little gem too often forgotten. The game has aged very well thanks to direct, readable play. A discovery for anyone who loves demanding, charming arcade action.
