Ufouria

Why, Sunsoft? Why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why why oh why didn't you bring this game out in North America?


Ufouria is the English translation of a Famicom game called Hebereke, which is a great platformy adventure game. The Japanese game had the cast of original Hebereke characters, but they were mostly changed in the translation, probably because of licensing problems. So a little of the character of the game is lost in its voyage from Japan, but the rest of the game is left intact, and we get a translation into English to boot!


Put simply, Ufouria is a fantastic game, in all respects. The graphics for the characters and enemies are bright and cartoony, while the level graphics are colourful, detailed, extremely varied, and atmospheric. The music is classic Sunsoft, of course, with hummable tunes, great sound effects, and a jammin' bassline. The gameplay is superb. Your characters each have their own moves and actions, and the control of your character is very easy to learn and master.


The action of the game takes place in the land of Ufouria, a sprawling world with every kind of terrain imaginable. There are grassy plains, underground tunnels, ice caverns, snow-covered hills, lava-filled mines, golden temples, giant sinuous trees, water-filled conduits, and platforms high in the sky. The graphics for each section are distinct and colourful, making great use of the NES' limited palette. While not the largest game of its kind, and not the most difficult, this game still impresses with the huge scope of the world that you have to explore, and the interconnectedness of the sections. You really do feel as though you are travelling around in an actual physical space. The closest comparisons to Ufouria, then, would be Metroid and the Goonies II.


Passwords are accessible to you at any time, and there are many items and abilities to pick up which are scattered over the map. The bosses start out easy, and get somewhat harder as you progress. The final boss seems difficult, as every collision with him takes away a lot from your health supply, but once you learn the pattern (jump on the enemy in his hands, pick up the blue "head", and throw it at his gut when he makes a circular sweep with his hands) he shouldn't be a problem. Especially if you have a full complement of potions.

The catch? Oh, yes, there was one, wasn't there? Well, Sunsoft translated the game, put it into an NES cart, and then... sold it only as a PAL game in Australia and European countries. What did they think, that North Americans don't appreciate fantastic games? What did they do, spin a globe in one hand and decide to sell Ufouria only wherever their finger landed? Grrr!!! This made it much harder for me to acquire the game. I remember seeing previews and even ads for Ufouria in the game magazines back in 1991, but I never saw it in the stores. That's a shame, too, because Ufouria is one of Sunsoft's best games ever, ranking up there among Blaster Master and Batman.

So, Ufouria isn't exactly rare, by my definition, since it was widely available for sale in some countries. But on a worldwide scale, this game is highly sought after; hence the craze surrounding it. I wonder what other masterpieces those game companies had fully translated, boxed, and ready for release, never to be released. Earthbound, anyone?

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