Sutte Hakkun

Infobox VG
title = Sutte Hakkun


caption = Front cover of Sutte Hakkun package.
developer = Nintendo R&D2, Indieszero
publisher = Nintendo
designer = Masayuki Uemura (producer)cite web | title=N-Sider.com: "Sutte Hakkun" | format= | work=N-Sider | url=http://www.n-sider.com/gameview.php?gameid=515&view=credits | accessdate=2007-06-06]
Masayu Nakata (director)
Akito Nakatsuka (music composer)
Keiji Hara (programmer)
Nobuaki Tanaka (graphic designer, game designer)
Nozomi Kitsuta (graphic designer)
Kazuki Hirose (technical supporter)
released = ^JPN August 1, 1998
genre = Platform/Puzzle
modes = Single player
platforms = Nintendo Super Famicom, Nintendo Power flash RAM cartridge, Nintendo Satellaview
media = Cartridge

nihongo|"Sutte Hakkun"|すってはっくん is an action puzzle game featuring a character of the same name released for Super Famicom by Nintendo and written by Indieszero. The game was first released for Satellaview datacasting on November 2, 1997, and three sequels involving new puzzles were released from 1998 to 1999. The game was never released outside of Japan.

eries

Five versions of the game exist; four of which were released over Satellaview, and one in game cartridge format. Of the four games for Satellaview, the event version and BS version 2 were broadcast up until June, 2000, when Satellaview service ended permanently.

* Sutte Hakkun Event Version - broadcast started November 2, 1997.:The game was first released as the November portion of the Satellaview monthly game contest, and consisted of 50 levels with 5 additional bonus levels. The game data takes all of the 8M memory pack for Satellaview; a large amount of memory for a data broadcast. The game was re-broadcast later with a rankings system. This was the first game ever created by Indieszero, but the company name never appears in the game itself.
* Sutte Hakkun (for Nintendo Power) - broadcast started August 1, 1998, discontinued February 28, 2007.:This new version was released exclusively for Nintendo Power. Initially offered for 3,000 yen, the price was lowered to 2,000 yen the following year. This commercial version featured considerable improvements in graphics and a large increase in length (110 levels). The end credits showed the Indieszero logo and name for the first time.
* Sutte Hakkun BS Version 2 - broadcast started October, 1998.:This version was also released for Satellaview, and was a remake of the event version with new puzzles. It consisted of 30 levels and 3 bonus levels. There was no rankings system included in this release.
* Sutte Hakkun '98 Winter Event Version - broadcast started December 20, 1998.:This was the last version released for Satellaview. Similar to the BS version, it was a remake of the first with new puzzles (30 levels + 3 bonus levels). The graphic themes center around Winter and Christmas.
* Sutte Hakkun (for ROM cassette) - released June 25, 1999.:The final release was a cassette version of the 1998 Nintendo Power release, which sold for 4,200 yen. The content of the game is identical to that of the previous release, but a detailed instruction manual with various tips and tricks was included with the game.

toryline

Once upon a time, there was an island somewhere in the sea, where a "Rainbow of Happiness" stretched across the sky. One day, this rainbow suddenly broke apart, and its shards were littered around the island. Sutte Hakkun (simply known as Hakkun) is given the task of retrieving these shards to reconstruct the rainbow.

The above was the story given for the first release of the game (Sutte Hakkun Event Version). In BS Version 2, it is explained that the rainbow broke apart a second time "Due to popular request from Satellaview users." In the '98 Winter Event Version, Hakkun travels to an unnamed neighboring island to restore its "Rainbow of Friendliness."

In the commercial version, Hakkun ventures across four different islands, but the relationship between these and the previous two islands is not made clear. The graphics for the "Happiness Island" in the commercial version differ significantly from Hakkun's home island in the original version. In the rom cassette version, the storyline was included in the instruction manual, and the four islands were grouped together as the "Peaceful Islands.

Gameplay and rules

Sutte Hakkun falls into the category of a side-scrolling, level-based action puzzle game; a genre best represented by the Lode Runner series. The player controls Hakkun, and attempts to gather up the rainbow shards distributed across each level. A level is completed when the player finds all of the shards hidden in the level. Levels are arranged simplistically at the start of the game, but become highly complex and difficult near the end. The final goal is to find all of the shards hidden in the game.

Hakkun's actions consist of three movements; running to the left or right, jumping, and absorbing or depositing blocks. A combination of these is required to complete each level. The player must restart the level if Hakkun falls into a hole or touches spike traps, but there is are no other impediments, such as time limits or enemy characters, towards completing each level. There are also no lives or game over screens, and the more difficult later levels are completed by repeatedly searching the level for the solution to the puzzle. Completion of the game requires a combination of puzzle-solving ability and precise control of Hakkun by the player.

Several types of traps and characters are prepared in each level, some of which help Hakkun, and others which may obstruct his path. The most important of these are the red, blue, and yellow bottles and transparent blocks. Hakkun can suck out colors from each bottle, and insert them into the transparent blocks to make them move in different directions.

Point system

The player begins each level with a set amount of points viewable on screen, which decreases whenever Hakkun moves. The game continues even if the counter decreases to 0, but the points are added up to an overall score as bonus points when a level is completed. In order to rack up a high number of points, the player must only make the minimum amount of moves required to solve each puzzle. This differs from other games, where bonus points are usually awarded based on the amount of time it takes to complete the level, rather than the number of moves the player takes. Points were recorded in a rankings system in the original Satellaview broadcast, and is continued even today on Nintendo's website. [Cite web|author=任天堂
url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/shvc/bshj/iben.html|title=すってはっくん おまけ ポイントアタック!!|language=日本語|accessdate=2008-06-06]

Differences between versions

The Satellaview version and commercial version are not only different in terms of level design. The Satellaview version includes a story demo, viewable when the player starts the game without a saved file. The game's instructions and storyline are displayed in text following an animation of the rainbow breaking apart. Additional bonus levels are also included in the Satellaview version. Players enter a bonus level after completing 10 regular levels, and are given a time limit to complete certain tasks, such as moving all of the blocks into a framed area, or inserting color into every box.

References

External links

* [http://www.nintendo.co.jp/n02/shvc/bshj Sutte Hakkun on the Nintendo homepage] ja icon
* [http://www.indieszero.co.jp/work/discography/products/sutte.html Sutte Hakkun on the Indieszero homepage] ja icon