BODY: For fans who spent the mid-90s clutching a Super Famicom controller while a drunken penguin spun out on a banana peel, the wait is finally over. Gravity Game Arise has confirmed that "Hashire Hebereke EX" โ an enhanced revival of Sunsoft's beloved racing-action oddball โ launches on Nintendo Switch and PC on September 3, 2026.
The standard edition and digital version are priced at 3,300 yen, while a limited collector's edition will run 11,000 yen. Pre-orders for both the limited and standard Switch packaged versions opened today through major Japanese retailers, with the publisher leaning into the franchise's signature wordplay by describing the launch as kicking off with a characteristic "hebe" wobble.
The original "Hashire Hebereke," released in 1994, was a top-down racing-action title starring Hebe the penguin and his bizarre menagerie of friends โ O-chan, Sukezaemon, and Jennifer โ competing across surreal courses littered with traps, weapons, and absurd hazards. The "EX" tag signals upgraded visuals and modern conveniences while preserving the chaotic, item-throwing kart-style gameplay that made the original a cult favorite.
The limited edition is expected to include physical bonuses aimed squarely at long-time Sunsoft collectors, who have watched the publisher's classic IP slowly return to circulation through a series of revivals and the "Sunsoft is Back!" initiative over the past few years.
The insider take
Sunsoft's catalog has become quietly fashionable again in Tokyo retro circles, particularly after Akihabara shops began stocking reissued Famicom cartridges and Super Potato dedicated more shelf space to Hebereke merchandise. The "Hebereke" series occupies a peculiar niche here โ affectionate but never blockbuster โ so a full revival rather than a digital-only port is a meaningful bet. Gravity Game Arise has been steadily positioning itself as the go-to publisher for these mid-tier nostalgia projects, and the 11,000-yen limited edition pricing suggests they're confident collectors will show up in force.
Originally reported by GAME Watch (Japanese).