Watatsuy Another

Editorial Review

★3.8 / 5 — henhenta editorial rating (our own assessment, not the DLsite official user score)

Watatsuy Another positions itself as a standalone entry in what appears to be an established retro action franchise, leveraging the accessibility of side-scrolling mechanics while signaling narrative independence for newcomers. The shift from the expected protagonist Shisona to new leads immediately establishes this as a soft reboot rather than direct sequel, a structural choice that defines the work’s approachability.

The retro horizontal scrolling framework here operates within a cardinals-based world structure—east, west, north, south expansion rather than linear progression—which suggests deliberate departure from conventional level design. Built with Action Editor 4, the game prioritizes accessible tooling over bleeding-edge custom engines, a pragmatic choice common in doujin action development that typically correlates with tighter, more focused gameplay loops. The emphasis on enemy variety (“one trick or two tricks each,” per the synopsis) indicates the developers are compensating for mechanical simplicity with encounter design depth, a proven formula in retro action circles.

The tonal shift from predecessor—replacing Shisona’s assumed narrative prominence with ensemble antagonists and a fresh cast—suggests the developers are experimenting with character dynamics and possibly comedic framing, though the synopsis remains deliberately vague on actual story substance. This narrative opacity is typical of action-focused doujin works prioritizing mechanics over plot scaffolding.

Watatsuy Another will resonate most with players who value precise hitboxes and enemy pattern recognition over narrative complexity, and specifically those comfortable with the intentional limitation of retro toolsets as creative constraint rather than technical shortcoming. The game explicitly makes no demands on series literacy, clearing a genuine barrier for standalone consumption.

A competently executed retro action title that understands its own scope—worth the time of anyone still hungry for side-scrolling design after the industry largely abandoned it.