The cotton releases just keep on coming! Cotton 100% sees yet more Willow brought to the west. Originally released in 1994, Cotton 100% hasn’t been that easy to get outside of Japan. Just like Cotton Reboot which we reviewed a few months back, this adventure is a side scrolling 2d shoot-em-up with plenty of cute charm. 

The port itself is solid and I have had no technical issues while playing the game. However it is a bit on the simple side with only really the ability to rewind and a slightly modded version of the game added. The menus have been translated to English, but that is it. Better dust off your Japanese if you want to understand what is going on in the story. However, I have read that an English translation will be patched in soon fortunately. 

Cotton 100% does not deviate from the series standard gameplay formula. Shoot your way through enemy packed levels, whilst dodging all-sorts of projectiles and gathering power ups. It’s very simple gameplay that gets deceptively challenging as all manner of pixelated baddies fill the screen. As per other Cotton games, the bosses are a highlight and while are a bit on the bullet sponge side of things are uniquely designed enough to make reaching the end of each level enjoyable. 

As is customary with the Cotton series, the charming visuals make for an incredibly colourful and eventful ride. The themes of all the levels are well designed and visually beautiful, this is matched with a great musical score and sound effects. 

Compared to the other entries Cotton 100% does feel a bit short. With the rewind feature you might find yourself completing this one quite quickly. If you are new to the Cotton series like much of the West, it’s probably a good starting point and will ease you into the more complex Cotton Reboot. As a final note, it’s great to see these types of games being made available in the West and I hope we continue to see more be made accessible.  

Cotton 100% is made available by ININ games, and is out now alongside Panorama Cotton, which we have also reviewed here : Panorama Cotton

Reviewed on Nintendo Switch