Hong Kong 97 (video game)
Hong Kong 97 is an unlicensed shoot 'em up video game developed and published by HappySoft, a doujin game developer, for the Super Famicom. It was released in Japan in 1995, being sold as cartridges and floppy disks. Designed by the Japanese game journalist Kowloon Kurosawa, who said the game is a satire of the video game industry, Hong Kong 97 was made in seven days with the help of his friend.
| Hong Kong 97 | |
|---|---|
The cover for the release contains cut images of Bruce Lee and Deng Xiaoping. | |
| Developer(s) | HappySoft |
| Publisher(s) | HappySoft |
| Designer(s) | Kowloon Kurosawa |
| Platform(s) | Super Famicom |
| Release |
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| Genre(s) | Bullet hell |
| Mode(s) | Single-player |
The game takes place in China in 1997, during the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom. Facing an increased crime rate due to immigration from Mainland China, the Hong Kong government hires Chin, a super-powerful relative of Bruce Lee, to kill the entire population of China. At the same time, the deceased Tong Shau Ping is resurrected by a secret project conducted by the Chinese government as an "ultimate weapon". After defeating Tong Shau Ping, the game is repeated indefinitely until Chin dies. Hong Kong 97 sold around 30 copies due to its underground bootleg release, and it has since gained a cult following for its notoriously poor quality. In retrospect, it is considered by critics and journalists to be among the worst games ever made.