Erika and Satoru naughty naughty

Despite the country currently being completely bewitched by the new-fangled gadgetry that is the Nintendo Wii U, Erika to Satoru no Yume Bouken (Erika and Satoru’s Dream Adventure), a game released for Nintendo’s Famicom games console more than 20 years ago, has managed to find its way into Japanese headlines this week after hidden messages alluding to sex, poor personal hygiene and one developer’s most disliked co-workers were discovered after the end credits roll.

Kids’ game or not, this disgruntled developer pulls no punches…

Developed by Atlus and released in 1988 by Namco, the company behind Pac-Man and modern-day classics like Tekken and Soul Calibur, Erika to Satoru no Yume Bouken was a menu-driven adventure game designed for young audiences and features all manner of fairy tale-like characters. Although the offending content is highly unlikely to be stumbled upon and required a series of complex button presses to see it, the game shot to infamy a few years ago when the messages, seemingly from disgruntled staff, were discovered.

Little did we know that there was even more filth yet to be uncovered…

The original Famicom Erika and Satoru box-art

Erika and Satoru

After the game’s ending has played, pressing a series of buttons on the controller in the correct order unlocks the hidden game code, wherein this sunglasses-wearing man, perhaps a member of the coding team, appears and starts spouting obscenities about his co-workers.

Erika and Satoru screen

“Aah, this is a nice song, isn’t it? Those were good old days, when people in this industry knew what they were doing. How did we find ourselves surrounded by these worthless individuals?

As for you, you shit, you ran away with Mr. XX while we were making this game. Yeah, you know who you are. Don’t you dare come to work unwashed in the morning after having sex six times in one night!

Next up it’s you, Mr. XX, you bastard. You stroll in here and joke about, not giving a damn about this job. The day we’re supposed to submit the ROM you roll in late and don’t care a bit. No matter how many porno mags you give me, I’m not letting this go any more.

With your fat gut sticking out, wobble wobble wobble, you still wonder why you don’t get any further than kissing even after spending 18,000 yen (US$200)!

And hey, Namco debugger XX, let me tell you this: keep your opinions to yourself. You’re just a part-timer here, so stop interfering. You stuck your nose in more than anyone else in this project. If I had a time machine, the first thing I’d do is send you back to the Edo period. You can set people your stupid little riddles there instead.

Man, I hate you. Why don’t you just get lost.”

Oh dear. There’s nothing like a good grumble about your co-workers, but we’re not entirely sure that the end credits of a children’s game is the best place for it…

[ Read in Japanese ]