A tengu, by the way, is a spirit of the forests and mountains that’s usually depicted in traditional art as either a mixture of human and bird or, as in this case, with bright red skin and a nose that would give Pinocchio’s a run for its money. The remaining fox turns to the local tengu for help, and this fierce supernatural warrior immediately takes to the skies to set things right. The tanuki promptly spill out and tear the seal into twelve pieces before departing to cause more trouble with one of the poor foxes in tow as their prisoner. Hana Taaka Daka!? opens with a cut scene showing two adorable foxes unwisely removing the magic seal that’s been keeping a gang of mischievous shapeshifting tanuki trapped in a cave. Taito did their usual first-rate job here, resulting in a perfect companion piece to the likes of the better known Air Zonk and Magical Chase. I’m compelled to assume that this is why it was never adapted for release on the PC Engine’s American counterpart, the Turbografx-16, because it certainly wasn’t down to any lack of quality. It’s nothing less than wonderous that I’m over five years into exploring PC Engine shooting games and still discovering gems like Taito’s Hana Taaka Daka!? This 1991 horizontal scrolling “cute-’em-up” is thoroughly, unapologetically Japanese in its presentation, even more so than Konami’s TwinBee and Parodius franchises.
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