Hard Head is a platform game developed by SunA Electronics and released in arcades in 1988. The gameplay and visuals are similar to Super MarioBros., but with a more bizarre and offbeat twist.
Gameplay
Player take the roles of the game's titular twins, who can use a bubble gun to entrap enemies, then jump on their heads to defeat them. Enemies include monsters and ducks. Both twins can use their heads to break bricks, some of which contain power-ups, hence the name Hard Head. Levels are completed by finding a soccer ball and kicking it through a goal to finish the stage; there are 16 levels in total. The game can be played in either single player mode or cooperative mode, allowing Player 2 to control the second Hard Head twin whenever they choose to join the gameplay.
Reception
Advanced Computer Entertainment compared the game to Super Mario Bros. and called it "unoriginal but addicting fun." Your Sinclair also compared the game to Super Mario Bros., calling it a tribute to Nintendo's game. They also made note of the game's offbeat humor, saying that the game was a "good laugh" and "exactly the same as one of the funniest computer games ever." They rated the game an 8 out of 10.
Legacy
In 1991, a sequel was produced, titled Hard Head 2. It was released in North America by Space Age Electronics. Unlike the first game, Hard Head 2 based on Toki. In the game's story, Hard Head is dancing with his girlfriend when the devil captures her. In between levels, the devil chews on his girlfriend, and Hard Head says "I am going torescue you, may you being safe!...". Hard Head can take two hits from an enemy. After one hit from an enemy, Hard Head loses his overalls and runs around completely naked. Also, the function of the bubble gun has been changed: enemies can't be enclosed in the bubbles anymore, now it is just a regular gun. New weapons have been added: a club and a morning star. Also, now Hard Head can pick up wings, which make him able to glide by holding the jump button down.
