Yes, that Sanrio, as in "Hello Kitty Sanrio". Originally debuted in 1993, "Sanrio World Smash Ball!" is often described as a pong, table tennis, air hockey, or a Windjammers like game. While this game never saw a release outside of Japan, it’s developed a cult following over the years.

You can play as one of four of the most popular characters from the Sanrio franchise, those being Keroppi (a frog), Tabo (or, Minna no Tabo, a human boy), Pokopon (a tanooki), and Hangyodon (a fish). While you’re unable to play as Hello Kitty herself, she’s the referee in this game. You’ll face off against one of the other characters as well as a boss character known as Everlybuu (or, Ebaribuu, a pig), a character exclusive to this game.

There isn’t a story to be told in this game, but don’t let that draw you away. With 30 different stages in the singleplayer there’s always something new to be seen. Gameplay involves you and the opponent hitting a puck back and forth until it lands in someone’s goal. With plenty of obstacles like blocks, bumpers, and fans, it can be hard to actually score a goal. You’re also able to charge up your "smash gauge" which will allow you to send the puck flying! Be careful as this can definitely backfire as you’re stuck in place for a few seconds. One thing you’ll quickly notice is that there isn’t any music during gameplay, however this is almost never a problem because of how intense games can get.

The big appeal of this game is definitely the multiplayer. Playing against another person on the couch with you, this game will immediately have you at each other’s throats. With just three buttons used for hitting the puck, and the D-pad for movement, nearly anyone can pick up this game and play. It’s one of those games that’s easy to play but hard to master. Combine that with how addictive it can get with the fast paced matches, it’s a staple game for parties.

There are however some issues with this game. The game was exclusive to the Super Famicom, and while you don’t need to really read anything in this game, it’s entirely in Japanese. You’re also not allowed to pick the same character as your opponent in multiplayer, and while there are 30 maps in the single player, there are 20 multiplayer exclusive maps.

Lucky for us, there exist some incredibly well made ROM hacks for this game. While there is an English patch, it pales in comparison to the "Tournament Edition" hack. " Sanrio World Smash Ball! - Tournament Edition" is a ROM hack made by "Omnigamer" and pretty much solves these issues. All 50 stages are selectable in multiplayer, you can play as the same character, and you’re even able to play as Everlybuu in both single and multiplayer!

Check out the translation and the Tournament Edition!