One of the big surprises at the start of the year is the return of one of the most forgotten, but at the same time most fun games I ever played during the era of Nintendo’s 8-bit console, the NES: Ufouria: The Saga 2 (or Hebereke 2).

Bringing the franchise to the present, with an eye on the original title

The game came out for PC and consoles through Sunsoft at the end of February 2024 and combines references to the classic maps of the first game, original from 1991, with new graphics reminiscent of the style of the most recent games in the Yoshi franchise, as well as a Roguelike system that encourages you to revisit areas you’ve already explored in order to collect items, coins, cans that unlock power-ups that help you advance to more advanced areas, among other things.

Compared to the original title, this sequel is much easier, much more linear, but still has plenty of exploration and challenges, as well as bringing back the four original playable characters: Hebereke, Oh-Chan, Sukezaemon and Jennifer, each with a different ability. While Hebe can climb walls, Oh-Chan can swim shallowly, while Jennifer can dive and Sukezaemon floats to jump between large holes and platforms far apart.

Ufouria: The Saga 2 is fun and easy, but will it work for a live stream?

Ufouria: The Saga 2 is so called in the occident because it is the name of the NES port to Europe of Hebereke in 1992, originally released only for Japan in 1991, as already mentioned in this text, but it can also be referred to as Hebereke 2, obviously.

The game has a small replay factor, it’s fun, easy and has charisma, making it a good game to present on a live stream because it’s a straightforward platformer with retro roots, but it will probably be best enjoyed in short sessions and will be completed very quickly.

However, the game doesn’t have many localization/translation options apart from English, Japanese, French and Italian. You also have to consider the game’s short journey, which can be completed in around 5 hours despite the roguelike factor, but has very repetitive mechanics that don’t necessarily give rise to a great replay factor, perhaps for platform game lovers, but it’s certainly not a game to generate long hours of content on a live stream.

Ufouria: The Saga 2

PC, PS5, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch (2024)

Performance

Streamability

Audience Engagement

Replayability

Summary

The quality of Ufouria: The Saga 2 is truly incredible, in terms of graphics, gameplay, level design and even its roguelike elements, strange at first, which make the progression very dynamic and fun, as it’s part of a short game. It’s a game with great qualities and does justice to an established Sunsoft franchise, which I really recommend to those who want to play it. However, when it comes to content production, I can’t say whether the game will appeal to all audiences and whether it’s the right cost/benefit bet for the little content it offers.

STEAM

Ludovicoluka

I have 25 years, I produce content to internet for 4 years and I like retro games, indies and I’m an enthusiast for new launches. I have as my favorite games Donkey Kong Country 2, Super Mario World, Hollow Knight and Red Dead Redemption II, per example. I like to experiment everything and the more, the better, but I never get sick of my comfort games!