The Incredible Real-Life Story Behind The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa

Vadim was returning from school with his grandmother when he noticed, at the entrance to his home, blood had been spilled. As they climbed the staircase, more and more came into view, their front door a disturbing preview of what was inside. Pushing it open and stepping into the apartment, they saw their bathroom floor was absolutely covered.

“I really got scared that time. It turned out that my father was outside using a street phone when some guys tried to rob him. He knocked out one of them but the other one cut him with a knife. He can’t clench a full fist with his left arm since then, but it was OK… since his best punch was a right overhand.”

Such experiences were some of the influences that would many years later pour into Vadim’s self-developed indie title: The Friends Of Ringo Ishikawa.

Born in Moscow in 1981, Vadim (known as Yeo) describes it as not an easy time and place to live. Growing up as a teen through the mid 90s in a hard neighbourhood, he fought a lot. When a schoolyard fight escalated into him breaking his assailant’s jaw and the police getting involved, he was saved by unbiased witnesses who were able to corroborate the story and have the file closed: “after that I was quite scared to fight in the streets.”

Age 15, he took a keen interest in kickboxing at his local gym, over time switching to boxing due to medical issues with his legs and a bad eye injury sustained in a losing fight. “Two guys worked on me on the ground and my buddy was just standing there, watching…”

It’s perhaps no surprise that The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa’s ( TFORI) opening launches the player jumping and kicking straight into a scrap with a rival gang. Their train trundling back towards town, this flurry of tightly controlled movement sits in front of a beautifully realised, pixel-art cityscape sunset. It merely hints at the atmospheric depth the game exudes as you grow to be immersed in this side-scrolling world, and “world” is the key.

At a cursory glance, TFORI is a clear cousin of the best of 80s and 90s side scrollers unleashed during the 16-bit era, its combat arguably equalling or even surpassing its retro cousins. However, as you freely explore these locales, complete with hands in…