Target Acquired: UmiharaKawase

UmiharaKawase was originally released as a Super Famicom exclusive in 1994. Since then, the game has gone on to see a number of updates and sequels, eventually leaving its home country of Japan. Gameplay is centered around the use of a grappling hook, but it works unlike any other game, offering a wildly bouncing elastic grapple instead of a rigid one. This opens up a number of gameplay possibilities and allows for some advanced techniques... which comes with a steep learning curve. Players are expected to grapple up walls and around corners, and perform high-flying leaps with very little margin for error, all while dealing with infinitely spawning enemies and bottomless pits. There are 49 levels to experience, and a number of branching paths that let you skip ahead, but you'll need to get good at the game in order to see them all.

UmiharaKawase was ported to the PC by Studio Saizensen, including work by the game's original developer, and is now available on Steam. Check our coverage here.