Ufouria: The Saga (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of Sunsoft's 1992 action-adventure game for the NES, Ufouria: The Saga.

This recording is of the original PAL-only English-language version of the game.

Released around the same time as Super Spy Hunter (   • Super Spy Hunter (NES) Playthrough  ), Batman: Return of the Joker (   • Batman: Return of the Joker (NES) Pla...  ), and Mr. Gimmick! (   • Mr. Gimmick (NES) Playthrough  , Ufouria: The Saga wasn't just another gem to be set in the gleaming crown that was Sunsoft's late-gen NES line-up. It holds an especially important, sentimental place in the company's history: it marked the star debut of Hebereke, their much beloved, adorably bug-eyed mascot.

(Though I should mention that this wasn't his first "public appearance." A year earlier, Hebereke was credited as a graphic designer in Journey to Silius's closing staff roll.)

Ufouria, or "Hebereke" as it was called on the Famicom, is a happy-go-lucky, open-ended action-adventure starring "Bop-Louie" (Hebereke's localized alter-ego) and friends. One day the gang stumbles upon, and subsequently into, a giant hole in the ground that suddenly opened up in their neighborhood. When Bop wakes up and finds himself alone in an alien world, he sets out to find his friends and a way home.

The Blaster Master influence also bleeds into the world structure and the game's mechanics, but Ufouria devotedly marches to the beat of its own drum. It's a Metroidvania, but it wants to make you smile more than it wants to frustrate or kill you, and there's a good amount of variety to the action.

At any time you can switch between Bop and the friends he's rescued, and they all have unique traits that'll come in handy while you're out adventuring:

Bop-Louie (Hebereke), a snowman dressed as an elf, is the well-rounded hero who climbs walls and can hurl his detached head at enemies. (In the Famicom version, Hebereke is a penguin.)

Freeon-Leon (O-Chan), a bipedal lizard with a gormless look on his face, can float in water, freeze enemies with his breath, and walk on ice without falling over. (In the Famicom version, O-Chan is a little girl wearing a cat costume.)

Shades (Sukezaemon), a ghost who rocks sunglasses and a wing cap, can jump long distances, attack by popping his eyes out, and escape notice by laying down to "play" dead.

And finally, my favorite of the crew, Gil (Jennifer) is an angler fish who swims well and barfs bombs that can destroy weak walls.

The ability to choose your character allows for a solid range of options, and it contributes a welcome dash of Mario 2's zest to the freeform feel of the adventure.

Speaking of zest, Ufouria's cup totally runneth over. The off kilter character/enemy designs and animations are some of the most endearing I've ever seen in a game, let alone an 8-bit platformer, and the soundtrack is packed with top notch tracks decked out in catchy hooks and Sunsoft's signature sampled bass.

Ufouria: The Saga feels like a game that was made by people who love games and who invested themselves completely in their art. It's an amazing game that really should not be missed by any NES fan.

Has anyone tried out the new sequel yet?
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

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