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Hany
in the Sky
はにい いん ざ すかい
(1989) |
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You've got to admit that sometimes the most nonsensical,
daft, and plain stupid stuff comes out of Japan. But
then again that's usually what makes so many Japanese
games so interesting.
There aren't many better examples of this than Hany
in the Sky, a bizarre PC
Engine curio of 1989 that pits cute little Hany
(a rocket-powered Haniwa idol) against a wrongdoing
and adulterous demigod. Sound weird? OK... Let's take
it from the top.
In Japan, 'Haniwas' are iconic figures of sorts, dating
back to the ancient Kofun Era (250-700 AD), a time when
the country's mixed populace (mostly settlers from the
Chinese mainland) were dominated by a highly aristocratic
society with militaristic rulers. As part of the new
emerging Japanese style of the period, Haniwas were
used as decorations for the enormous tombs constructed
for this ruthless elite - usually lavish graves covered
with earth mounds, and circled with a collection of
Haniwa statues.
Placed above ground for all the living to see, these
small, tubular figures constructed from coils of clay
function as attendants to the departed as well as guardians
of the tomb.
In Japanese, 'Haniwa' translates as 'clay circle'...
These curious statuettes are a distinctive sight in
Japanese museums and souvenir shops, and are highly
symbolic of the period, 'Kofun', which itself translates
as 'grave mound'. |
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Fast
Forward to the Japan of today, and like so many elements
of the country's rich and beutiful heritage these Haniwa
have become a distorted, 'cute' and over-commercialised
bouncy little caricature to be sold to braindead cretins
as a soft toy and/or as figurine to attach to their
fucking mobile phone.
Or cast as a star in its own videogame of course, and
that's just what Face did. Who can blame them? It's
weird, wacky, and to all extents a little disconcerting
- how can a gravestone idol be cute? Well, hey - it
has to be said that little 'Hany' is quite sweet, and
maybe that's why a distressed Buddha has called upon
him to sort out his rampaging wife who has gone on a
savage bender and distorted different plains of consciousness
without his knowing.
Well, the weirdness just keeps on coming. In fact the
'weird factor' is so strong here that it comes as a
pivotal accessory to the game itself, which to all extents
is a perfectly acceptable shooting game in which you
can rotate your weapon at different angles. Upgrades
can be purchased by spending your cash/score at the
end of every level - it is even possible to do certain
stages over again to save up extra $$$. The soundtrack
is catchy, the visuals are unique in their abstract
design, and the gameplay is faultless - really challenging
even, especially towards the later stages.
For Face, despite a semi-sequel Hany
on the Road (1990) and the sleeper hit that was
Alice (1990) this remains
their hour of glory on the PC Engine: a distinctive,
unique and charming little shooting game that became
a massive underground cult, marking one of the more
random highlights of the growing shooting game scene
of the late 80s. |
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Hany
In The Sky
はにい
いん ざ すかい
PC ENGINE |
DETAILS
| Format |
PC
Engine |
| Released |
1
Mar 1989 |
| Publisher |
Face |
| Product
ID |
FA64-0001 |
| Size
(cm) |
14.2
x 12.4 x 1 |
| Weight
(kg) |
0.10 |
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An
undeniably weird, twisted,
haunting, and refreshing shooting
game for the PC Engine.
Just look at that box art.
Brilliant.
Standard PCE case, 2Mbit HuCard,
booklet. |
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'Hany
in the Sky' and 'Face' are registered trademarks of Face Co., Ltd.
'PC Engine' and 'NEC' are registered trademarks of NEC Corporation
Hany in the Sky TM & © 1989 Face All Rights Reserved
Page content, design & layout © 2008 www.Jap-Sai.com |
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