Sutte Hakkun is a puzzle action game in the shape of a platformer. The playing character is an abundant-beaked bird resembling a penguin, named Hakkun, that is able to walk and jump but not to fly. The Rainbow of Happiness shined in the sky above Peaceful Islands: one day it broke apart and now Hakkun has to track down, collect, and put together all rainbow crystals to relive it. The gameplay hinges upon two elements: blocks and potions, the latter of several colours. Hakku makes its way through levels by changing the position of blocks — that will be done by swallowing them to release them on an other place then — and sucking potions — that are to be injected to blocks by the beak, endowing them with new properties consequential to the colour of the fluid — from jars. A level is cleared when the rainbow shards in it are collected. Neither a time limit nor enemy characters are there impeding Hakkun's way. Equally distinctive is the score system: a set number of points is given at the beginning of each level, and a decrease happens with any move made, thus rewarding the player for completing levels with as little moves as possible. This version would later get re-released as the expanded "Event Version", which added a ranking system, followed by other two "Event Versions" released for the Satellaview. Another expanded version of the game, called Sutte Hakkun as well, was released as a Nintendo Power downloadable game, containing many levels left out of the Satellaview broadcast due to the Satellaview 8MB Memory Pak size. That version was also released later as a Super Famicom standard cartridge and for the Wii and Wii U Virtual Consoles.
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This is an addicting and very well designed puzzle platforming game, the game fully explores it's mechanics and almost never reuses a puzzle or course layout, it's extremely creative. The main mechanic is storing and placing blocks to reach platforms, as the game goes on it introduces new mechanics that all add to the core platforming.
This is also one of the hardest games of it's kind you will find, for me it was refreshing to find a game that simply did not hold back, no idea or precise movement was considered too much by the developers, the game takes it's time training you to be the best at it, then expects you to be the best, I was able to fully complete it without any hints or guides and it was one of the most satisfying game experiences I've had with a SFC/Snes game.
Still I have to mention that this game will not be enjoyable for everyone, if you don't have the patience or time for it you will likely get frustrated and give up on it, and if you aren't into precision platforming with puzzles it does not offer much else.
This game being extremely difficult might sound like it will lead to frustration and overly punishing difficulty and it can get close at times, but don't let it intimidate you.
This game is accommodating for less skilled players and casual play. If any puzzle is too much there are hints that give you the info needed to solve the course, for the game to be this difficult you need responsive and intuitive movement and it has that as well.
The game is designed around using a built in save-state so you can save right before a precision jump or possible softlock and retry as much as you like (and you definitely should!)
it's balanced around perfecting every step so you can replay without saving or checking hints, and doesn't have any real penalty for using it.
In addition to everything I've written the game is full of content, an amount that I found surprising, not counting optional tutorials there are 120 levels to play through and some secrets to search for, along with extra endings for meeting certain requirements.
It will keep you busy for awhile, I've had this game for over 5 years and I still replay it while trying to get faster completion time.
You'll be spending up to an hour or more per level when the game starts getting really difficult so it's good that there's catchy and calm cheery sounding music playing it's enjoyable, but not something I'd search for outside of the game.
Lastly you would expect a game form 1999/2000 on the SFC to look great and the game has very nice detailed visuals, the backgrounds use lots of color and are highly detailed the in-game characters are smoothly animated and the environments look good too.
The backgrounds are static images some animation or layers would've been nice but that's the only negative I have with presentation. overall it has a polished presentation.
All of this adds up to being what i consider to be one of the Super Famicom games that I have enjoyed the most, play this however you can especially if you like this genre, it is something special.