The flyer fails to capture the absurd levels of insanity this game contains. No flyer can do that.
And just when you think it's impossible for Japanese video games to get any weirder.
Zunzunkyou no Yabou is an arcade action game made by Sega for the Sega System C2 system, following a single-screen Run-and-Gun format similar to Smash TV, except you're an animated Buddhist statue on a killing spree.
…wait, let us start over.
For a better elaboration of the plot; mankind's faith in the gods is challenged, and in order to restore their faith, a Jizo statue (or two if you're on two-player mode) is brought to life to spread the word across a number of stages set in Japan, China, Europe and America. You shall be in control of an animated Jizo statue as you battle punk rockers, cape-wielding matadors, hostile chefs, businessmen in suits, Indian dancer ladies, the Yakuza, before fighting what was supposed to be some unnamed God of Evil.
Nope, the game doesn't really attempt to make any sense about all these. And there's not much of a plot either. This whole mess is to Run-and-Gun action games in the same way Parodius is to spaceship shooters, and to it's credit, it's awesome.
"Zunzunkyou!"
- Acrofatic:
- The Captain America-lookalike who serves as the boss of the US is clearly overweight with a bulging belly, but that doesn't stop him from moving all over the place at high speeds.
- The Chinese Chef isn't exactly skinny, with a pot belly, but he can still hop all over the place with ease.
- Bilingual Bonus: The chef boss fight takes place in his kitchen, and the floor tiles are actually a plethora of multiple names of dishes, in Chinese Mandarin: 水晶桃包 (Crystal Peach Dumplings)，干贝珍珠球 (Scallop and Pearl Balls)，杏仁冻豆腐 (Frozen Almond Tofu)，中式煎饼 (Oriental-Style Fried Biscuit)，蟹肉鱼翅汤饺 (Crab and Sharkfin Dumplings)，西兰花炒带子 (Fried Scallops with Broccoli)，芝麻球 (Sesame Balls)...
- Black Knight: One serves as a boss for Europe. Who can spam a Doppelgänger Attack on you splitting up to two and three copies of himself, as well as using his electrified shield to rain thunderbolts at you.
- Chef of Iron: One of the four bosses is a kung fu-fighting Chinese Chef who repeatedly spam dumpling projectiles at you.
- Circus Episode: A level in Europe is set in a travelling circus, with Monster Clowns as enemies.
- Corrupted Character Copy: America's boss is a blatant Captain America clone (likely based on Captain America (1990) since the MCU isn't a thing yet) wearing an identical blue headgear with a star on the forehead, spandex outfit with the Stars and Stripes, the stage's background being a blown-up American flag. But he's absolutely not on your side.
- Covers Always Lie: Those sinister-looking black silhouettes who appears in the loading screen and some of the flyers? They're not in the game. Also the promotional materials hardly prepares the player for the insanity this game actually contains.
- Dance Battler: Several of your enemies use dancing moves to attempt side-stepping your attacks while taking potshots at you, including Disco Dan(s) in the disco area and Flamenco dancers in Europe.
- Faceless Eye: One serves as the game's Final Boss after defeating the four bosses in four countries. It initially appears as the world itself, before an eye opens up in it's center, and then it attacks.
- Fake Longevity: Defeating the four regional bosses and taking down the floating eyeball God of Evil doesn't end the game just yet - instead, you're sent back to the region select screen and told to replay all the stages, all over, including fighting the same floating eyeball. Defeat all of them a second time and you get the real ending of the game, which turns out to be... rather underwhelming to say the least. (see A Winner Is You)
- Flipping the Bird: The intro screen for America depicts a punk flipping his middle finger at the intro screen.
- Incredible Shrinking Man: One of the power-ups actually shrinks your character... without changing the power of your projectiles. It makes you a more difficult target to hit, but you're back to normal size after a few seconds.
- Living Statue: You play as an animated Jizo statue for the entirety of the game. There's also evil statues in the area before the Final Boss.
- Money Mauling: The boss of Japan is, for some reason, a monk who flings Koban-style coins at you.
- Noodle People: The Indian dancer enemies are hilariously skinny, and moves across the stage on ridiculously stringy limbs. Though they're not exactly human in nature, since some of them who need two hits to kill lose their flesh and continues attacking as animated skeletons.
- Smart Bomb: An available (but rare) special attack summons Buddha's help in rooting out infidels by spamming Buddha-shaped projectiles all over the screen, wiping out all onscreen enemies and damaging bosses.
- Spread Shot: Collecting a power-up scroll turns your projectiles into spreads of three.
- Stripped to the Bone: Some of the Indian dancer-ladies serving as enemies in the desert will lose their flesh after getting hit, only to continue attacking as an animated skeleton.
- Time Stands Still: One of the power-ups causes the area's time to freeze for several seconds, allowing you to shoot down enemies easily.
- Title Drop: At the beginning of each stage, the game's announcer will herald starting of gameplay with a loud "Zunzunkyou"!... the cue for you to start kicking ass.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Somehow none of the game's human enemies have any reaction at an animated Jizo statue with the powers of shooting energy bolts from it's hands attacking them.
- A Winner Is You: If you somehow manage to complete the game (completing all four regions and taking down their respective boss, then take down the Final Boss before repeating the first four regions and fighting every single boss enemy all over again), you're then treated to the ending cutscene - a clip (consisting of two frames) of your Jizo statue looking at the sunset before turning around and flashing a thumbs-up gesture. THE END.
- Weaponized Headgear: Enemies resembling dancers in suits from the disco will throw their hats as a ranged projectile attack. And they somehow gain a new one instantly after each throw.
- Words Can Break My Bones: The boss of America, being a Captain America spoof, shouts the words "JUSTICE!" in an arc. Which can hurt you on contact.
- Yakuza: Japan have Yakuza enemies dressed in stereotypical black suits.
