Shin Onigashima

From robots to text-based, mythology-inspired romps: equally Japanese, yes, yet on the complete opposite side of the Nintendo universe. For better or worse, no incarnation of Shin Onigashima (literally translated, “New Island of the Demons”) has ever made it outside Japan. It’s probably a result of the sheer awkwarness in translating a wordy game so deeply rooted in Japanese mythology into something palatable for non-Japanese-speaking audiences. Sure, complete Japanese-ness would be a major plus for many a Nintendo nut, but the company’s execs have apparently never seen it this way.

For the English-only, Shin Onigashima is probably most familiar through the presence of the Donbe and Hikari joint-custody trophy seen in Super Smash Bros Melee and Brawl. The game’s leads — Donbe, the slightly caveman-looking brawns of the duo, and his sister Hikari, the mentally stronger half — are the adopted children of an old couple who apparently couldn’t produce children though non-magical means. As the Wikipedia article on the game explains, Donbe was born from a rice bowl and Hikari from a “glittering bamboo tree.” Like I said, it’s hard to explain for non-Japanese audiences… especially when the game was first released in 1987.

In the original Famicom Disk System adventure and in the Super Famicom Satellaview System and Game Boy Advance remakes in 1997 and 2004, respectively, Donbe and Hikari take it upon themselves who defeat Ankoku no Keshin, a dragon who transforms the residents of their peaceful, rural village into soul-sucking demons. They do so principally through talking, with any given interaction with character or environment differing depending upon whether the player enters a given scenario as one or the other.

Below is the only video of Shin Onigashima I could find, but be warned: it’s from the Satellaview version, which apparently unfolds from the perspective of three minor characters in the original game — a dog, a monkey and a pheasant. I’m guessing this clip stars the pheasant, Ohana.

Here’s the clip of Brawl’s musical nod to Shin Onigashima, redone in a decidedly more “hard rock” fashion by the same musician who did “Marionation Gear.” It combines the game’s main theme with the theme of the fourth chapter.

It’s fitting that the song plays on the Ice Climbers’ stage, as it seems to be the depository for other such classic Nintendo ditties as the themes from Balloon Fighter and Clu Clu Land.

Where to find it: Online auction sites or even the Japanese Virtual Console, if you want a version of the game in complete Japanese. Hey, you might learn something through playing it.

Chances for the next Smash Bros? Pretty good, considering that Donbe and Hikari’s relationship with Hal Laboratories goes back to their cameo in Kirby’s Dreamland 3. However, given that their special powers seem limited to talking, I wouldn’t expect them to do anything more than they’ve done in the previous two games — serve as trophies.

Drew also writes on his pop culture blog, Back of the Cereal Box. And watch for the next installment of Brawl Files!

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