Summary
- Release Year: 1995
- Genres: Shooter, Strategy, Turn-based strategy (TBS)
- Platforms: Super Famicom
- Developers: Kowloon Kurosawa
- Publishers: HappySoft
Hong Kong 97: The Room Where It Happened
Released in 1995 for the Super Famicom, Hong Kong 97 is a multidirectional shooter video game developed by HappySoft Ltd., a Japanese homebrew game company. The game was designed by Kowloon Kurosawa, a Japanese game journalist who claimed to have made the game in about a week.
Gameplay
Hong Kong 97 is a top-down shooter in which the player controls a spaceship that can move in eight directions. The player must shoot down waves of enemy ships while avoiding their fire. The game features a variety of power-ups that can enhance the player’s ship, such as increased firepower, speed, and invincibility.
One of the most distinctive features of Hong Kong 97 is its notoriously poor quality. The graphics are crude and pixelated, the sound effects are repetitive and annoying, and the gameplay is repetitive and uninspired. However, it is this very badness that has made Hong Kong 97 a cult classic among fans of “so bad they’re good” games.
Development
According to Kowloon Kurosawa, Hong Kong 97 was developed in about a week. He has said that he was inspired to create the game after playing the 1994 Super Famicom game Star Fox. Kurosawa has also said that he was not trying to make a good game, but rather a game that was “so bad it was funny.”
Reception
Hong Kong 97 was a commercial failure upon its release, selling only a few thousand copies in Japan. However, the game gained a cult following in Japan and Taiwan for its notoriously poor quality. It has been ranked as a kusoge, which literally means “shitty game”, a game considered “so bad that it’s good”.
Hong Kong 97 has been featured in multiple parody treatments, including a 2004 fan game called Hong Kong 97: The Movie. The game has also been featured in episodes of the video game TV shows Wez and Larry’s Top Tens and Angry Video Game Nerd.
Legacy
Hong Kong 97 is considered one of the worst video games ever made. However, the game has gained a cult following for its unintentionally hilarious qualities. It is a reminder that even the worst games can find an audience, and that there is often more to a game than its technical merits.
The Room Where It Happened
In 2014, Kowloon Kurosawa revealed that the development of Hong Kong 97 was inspired by a real-life event. He said that he was working on another game when he was interrupted by a group of gangsters. The gangsters demanded that he make a game for them, and threatened to kill him if he refused.
Kurosawa said that he was terrified, but he also saw an opportunity. He realized that he could make the worst game possible, and the gangsters would be so disappointed that they would let him go.
And so, Hong Kong 97 was born. It is a game that is so bad, it’s almost brilliant. It is a testament to the power of human creativity, even in the face of adversity.
Conclusion
Hong Kong 97 is a one-of-a-kind video game. It is a game that is so bad, it’s good. It is a game that has inspired countless parodies and tributes. It is a game that will continue to be enjoyed by fans of “so bad they’re good” games for years to come.
Review Score
1/10
Art
Cover Art
Screenshots
