Ufouria: The Saga

Overview

Ufouria is a Metroid-style exploration game developed by Sunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1992 in Europe and Australia, the game puts players in the shoes of amnesia-laden Bop-Louie, who must locate his equally forgetful friends and find a way back to their homeland, the titular Ufouria, by collecting keys to open up a gate. Although the game is mostly the same as its Japanese release Hebereke, Ufouria does feature some alterations in character designs and names, among other things.

Gameplay

Much like the original Metroid, the game starts off with Bop-Louie being placed in a desolate landscape. The objective is to explore the surrounding areas in search of Bop-Louie's friends, as well as power ups and upgrades.

The main form of attack is jumping on the enemies by jumping and pressing the down button over them. This turns them into either projectiles the player can pick up and throw against other enemies, or into life energy pick-ups. If the down button is not pressed when landing on the enemy, the player will take damage. Every character has a unique secondary attack as well. To use the secondary attack, the player must first find the character's "secret weapon". See the Characters section below for more info on the secret weapons.

Once Bop-Louie locates one of his companions, he must fight them so that they can regain their memory and join the party. Doing so allows the player to play as that character. Every character has some unique abilities. When the player has found and battled all the characters, the game requires Bop-Louie to fetch three keys scattered throughout the world to open a locked door where the final boss resides.

The game uses a password system, much like the ones in the Mega Man games. To use this system, the player must first find the "Crystal" item and select it on the menu. Thankfully, it is the first item found in the game.

Characters

(As presented in the European release)

Character	Details
	The default character, and also the one who gets used the most frequently. His secret weapon allows his head to spring out and attack the enemies. He walks fast on land but cannot swim. He also cannot walk on icy surfaces. His power-up, "SUCTION CUP", allows him to climb walls.
	His secret weapon allows him to blow icy winds to freeze enemies into cubes that can be stood on. He can swim on the surface of water but not underneath. He can also walk on ice without falling over.
	Used mainly for jumping over long or high jumps. He floats in the air for a while before landing, making him easier to control in the air. He is the slowest walker on land in the game. His secret weapon causes his eyes to pop out and attack the enemy. Like Bop-Louie he can't swim.
	Can walk underwater, and therefore access otherwise unreachable areas. His secret weapon lets him spit out a bomb that can destroy some walls that are obstructing the path. His other attributes are not very good though. He walks very slowly on land and can't jump very high.