Hebereke Enjoy Edition

Hebereke Enjoy Edition is a remastered re-release of the classic NES Metroidvania Ufouria: The Saga, where the quirky penguin-like creature Hebe awakens in the bizarre fantasy world of Ufouria and must explore interconnected side-scrolling areas, befriend strange allies with unique abilities to gain new powers, collect fruits and treasures, and unravel the mysteries of this whimsical realm.

Hebereke Enjoy Edition: Review

Introduction

Imagine tumbling through a rift in space-time into a warped, surreal landscape where penguins waddle on ice, bizarre ball creatures with googly eyes serve as ammunition, and your only hope of escape lies in recruiting a quirky cast of animal-like allies through Popoon-tossing duels. This is the whimsical yet unforgiving world of Hebereke, Sunsoft’s 1991 Famicom obscurity—now resurrected as Hebereke Enjoy Edition in 2024 by City Connection. As a game historian, I’ve long championed under-the-radar NES titles that punched above their hardware’s weight, and Hebereke stands as a proto-Metroidvania masterpiece, predating Super Metroid by three years with its interconnected exploration, ability-gated progression, and navigational aids. This “Enjoy Edition” doesn’t just emulate the original; it polishes it into a modern essential, blending faithful recreation with quality-of-life miracles like rewind and speedrun leaderboards. My thesis: Hebereke Enjoy Edition is a triumphant revival that cements the original’s legacy as the NES’s finest licensed Metroidvania, accessible yet challenging, proving retro ports can evolve classics without diluting their soul.

Development History & Context

Sunsoft, the visionary Japanese studio behind NES icons like Blaster Master and Batman: The Video Game, unleashed Hebereke in 1991 amid a crowded Famicom market dominated by linear platformers and RPGs. Developed by Sun Electronics Corp. (Sunsoft’s formal name), the game emerged from an era of technological constraints: the NES’s 2KB RAM and primitive scrolling demanded clever design to craft a sprawling, non-linear world. Director Naoaki Yamamoto and composer Naohisa Tamura (implied through Sunsoft’s signature sound teams) envisioned a “comical universe” blending action-maze exploration with surreal humor, contrasting the console’s gritty action fare like Contra. Hebe’s unique “pyooooo”-inflected speech and the Popoon enemies captured Japan’s kawaii aesthetic, while the game’s action-maze structure echoed The Legend of Zelda but leaned into platforming.

The global landscape was bifurcated: Japan got Hebereke with its original cast and story, while Europe and Australia received Ufouria: The Saga—a localized Nordic release with altered visuals, characters (Hebe became “Hebe no Pyokopyoko Monsuki”), and a more somber tone to appeal to Western tastes. No U.S. release meant it languished in obscurity until Virtual Console ports. Fast-forward to 2024: City Connection, Sunsoft’s modern partner in retro revivals (e.g., Gimmick! Special Edition), handled the port using Unity for pixel-perfect emulation. Released March 27 on Windows and March 28 on Switch ($9.99 digital), it arrived alongside Hebereke 2 hype, featuring post-launch patches (e.g., Ver. 1.10 for Switch). Constraints like no PAL ROM inclusion led to innovative workarounds, but the result mirrors City Connection’s “Memory Clip” style—UI borders with achievements, box art scans—despite self-porting differences from Empty Clip Studios collaborations. In a sea of lazy ROM dumps, this edition respects 1991’s ingenuity while arming 2024 players against its era-specific frustrations.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

Hebereke‘s plot is deceptively simple yet thematically rich: a cataclysmic war warps reality, hurling protagonist Hebe—a speedy, wall-climbing creature with a penchant for exclamatory “pyooooo!” dialogue—into a fractured fantasy realm. Heartbroken yet resolute, Hebe quests to restore the original world, recruiting allies amid environmental puzzles and boss duels. Dialogue is sparse but iconic: Hebe’s childlike verbosity (“My name is Hebe. I am the main character of this story! I’m fast, and I can also climb walls!”), Ochan’s haughty laugh (“Ha ha ha ha”), Sukezaemon’s earnest boasts, and Jennifer’s confident swagger infuse personality into what could be generic platformer fare.

Thematically, Hebereke juxtaposes whimsy and desolation: a “peaceful place” shattered by war evokes post-apocalyptic undertones akin to Zelda II, but subverted by cute critters and Popoons (eyeball orbs dropped by foes). The Enjoy Edition’s “Special Snap” elevates this—unlocking bilingual screenshots comparing Japanese Hebereke events to Ufouria‘s altered narrative (e.g., different character designs, toned-down surrealism). Play Hebe’s “unique and expressive” lingo in English translation, then flip to Ufouria‘s Japanese-localized equivalents, revealing localization’s cultural alchemy: Japan’s absurdity becomes Europe’s muted fantasy. Mysteries abound—why the rifts? What became of Hebe’s world?—fueling replayability. No overt moralizing, but themes of camaraderie shine: solo starts yield to team synergy, mirroring real-world cooperation amid chaos. Flaws persist—the in-game text remains Japanese (menu English/Japanese only), forcing Special Snap checks—but it doubles the story’s enjoyment, turning passive cutscenes into interactive historiography.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

At its core, Hebereke Enjoy Edition is a side-view 2D scrolling Metroidvania/platformer hybrid, deconstructing exploration via ability unlocks in a vast, interconnected map. Hebe’s baseline kit—swift runs, wall-climbing (eased by “Rapid Jump” auto-fire)—handles basics, but progression demands recruitment: duel Ochan (water/ice walking), Sukezaemon (high jumps with float), and Jennifer (diving/sinking). Combat loops elegantly: stomp enemies downward for damage, grab Popoons for throwable projectiles. Ally bosses are rhythmic Popoon-toss volleys depleting health bars; environmental foes demand landing atop then hurling. Unlockable “special techniques” (e.g., area-clearing blasts) add depth, gating paths without backtracking hell.

The Enjoy Edition bifurcates modes brilliantly:

Enjoy Mode

Beginner paradise: rewind (toggleable), quick save/load (12 slots, no passwords), achievement overlays (35 total), Rapid Jump for finicky climbs/dives. Death respawns at start screens with respawning health potions (full-heal flasks), minimizing frustration versus Metroid‘s brutality.

Speedrun Mode

Purist challenge: no aids, global leaderboards track total/checkpoint times, incentivizing 2-hour 100% runs.

UI shines: the NES’s best map auto-marks locations/items post-discovery, rivaling Super Metroid. No sequence breaks brick progress—hints via items/landmarks guide blindly. Flaws? Bosses spike unfairly (underwater nadir demands pixel-perfect throws; finale’s multi-phase frenzy). Popoon scarcity forces conservation, but QOL mitigates. Short length (2-4 hours) ensures “short and sweet,” with Unity’s smooth input (gamepad optimal) and scaling options preserving 8-bit charm.

World-Building, Art & Sound

Hebereke‘s fantasy setting—a post-war labyrinth of icy caverns, watery depths, floating platforms, and thorny mazes—builds immersion through surreal cohesion. No named hubs; seamless scrolling fosters discovery, with Popoons and hazards populating a “huge interconnected world” evoking Dizzy‘s egg-hunt vibe over rigid Metroidvania gates. Atmosphere blends comedy (googly-eyed foes) and peril (spike pits, insta-kill traps), the Enjoy Edition’s crisp emulation (varying screen sizes, Steam Deck tweaks) enhancing pixel art’s vibrancy.

Visuals: Sunsoft’s signature palette pops—Hebe’s pink fuzz, Ochan’s smug penguin strut—scaled flawlessly, UI borders framing like a museum piece. Sound design excels: Tamura’s “down-to-earth” soundtrack (menu’s orchestral Hebereke remix evokes later Sunsoft bass) contrasts surrealism, chiptunes looping hypnotically. NES audio fidelity trumps Wii U VC’s muddiness; no distortion, pure bliss. Extras—box/manuals for JP/EU versions, in-game instructions—deepen world lore, making every pixel/ note contribute to nostalgic euphoria.

Reception & Legacy

Launch reception averaged 80% (MobyGames): Seafoam Gaming’s 90/100 hailed it “the best officially licensed NES Metroidvania,” praising QOL and prefiguring genre standards (map, open sequencing). TouchArcade (90%) lauded its “spectacular” entertainment despite translation quirks; Way Too Many Games (60%) critiqued “barebones” scope amid series abundance (Hebereke 2, NSO ports). Klardendum appreciated uniqueness but found it replay-unfriendly sans aids. Commercial? Modest—6 MobyGames collectors—but patches (e.g., Special Snap fixes) and events (speedrun tournaments, “Enjoy Week”) sustain buzz.

Legacy endures: Hebereke birthed a Sunsoft series (Popoon, Amazing Hebereke on NSO), influencing forgiving exploration (Ufouria 2). Predating Super Metroid/Symphony of the Night, its map/nav aids shaped Metroidvanias; Enjoy Edition ensures preservation, outshining costly originals. Sunsoft’s cult status (Gimmick!) amplifies it—City Connection’s port rivals Limited Run’s polish, influencing retro compilations.

Conclusion

Hebereke Enjoy Edition masterfully revives a 1991 gem, fusing Sunsoft’s surreal action-maze brilliance with 2024 enhancements that democratize its challenges without eroding depth. From Special Snap’s bilingual historiography to rewind’s mercy and leaderboards’ competition, it transforms obscurity into essential play. Flaws—Japanese text, absent Ufouria ROM, boss spikes—pale against its proto-Metroidvania innovations, catchy sound, and joyful brevity. In video game history, it claims pole position as NES’s top licensed explorer, a must for retro enthusiasts. Verdict: 9/10—buy it, explore it, pyooooo!