Heiankyo Alien didn't begin with aliens. It began with a cockroach, crossing someone's living room floor.
In 1979, five students in a University of Tokyo circle called TSG built a small computer game. It started with a sticky trap sold as gokiburi hoi-hoi. The cockroach became an alien. The trap became a pit dug into the ground. The living room became the ancient capital of Heiankyo, patrolled by kebiishi, the peace officers of the era. They showed the game that November at the university's Komaba festival, and hobbyist computer magazines wrote it up as something made by students. An arcade cabinet followed in January 1980, and the Game Boy cartridge still carried two versions side by side — the original 1979 layout, and a redesign. What a player does, in 1979 and on that cartridge eleven years later, is dig a hole and wait for something to fall in. Of everything in that living room, the hole is what got out.
About this game
Heiankyo Alien is a 1979 digging-and-trapping game built by five students in a University of Tokyo circle, later adapted into arcades and home machines. The Game Boy cartridge, released by Meldac on January 14, 1990, packs two versions of the maze into a single cartridge: a cramped Old Version modeled on the 1979 original, and a redesigned New Version with randomly opening pits. Nearly four decades later, the circle that made it is still active at the University of Tokyo, and an official remake reached Steam in 2017.
The Story Behind
In 1979, home computing in Japan was still a hobbyist's world of kit-built machines, alongside imports such as the Apple II. Five members of the University of Tokyo's Theoretical Science Group (TSG) wrote Heiankyo Alien across several of these machines and unveiled it that November at the university's Komaba festival. Hobbyist computer magazines picked up the story of university students who had made a game, and an arcade version followed in January 1980, published by Denki Onkyo. In 1983, TSG members went on to found the company Hyperware, which still holds the rights to the game today.
Tricks & Tales
The idea that became Heiankyo Alien reportedly started as a plan to catch a cockroach in an apartment living room using a sticky trap called gokiburi hoi-hoi. The Game Boy cartridge holds two versions in one: an Old Version built to the cramped screen of the 1979 original, and a New Version with randomly opening pits. Nintendo's own official Game Boy Player's Guide rated it among the console's weakest titles, comparing it unfavorably to Pac-Man. TSG, the University of Tokyo circle that made the original in 1979, is still active today; in 2017 an official remake, Neo Heiankyo Alien, was released on Steam.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The original Game Boy is fully region-free. A cartridge manufactured for Japan, North America, or Europe will run on any DMG unit from any region with no adapters, no modifications, and no lockout chip to defeat. The game's language is determined entirely by the software on the cartridge — the console hardware applies no restriction. The only notable caveat is that cross-region link-cable multiplayer may not function correctly in all titles. If you are buying Japanese-market Game Boy software to play on a non-Japanese DMG, or vice versa, hardware compatibility is simply not a concern.
Maintenance Tips
Vertical lines on the LCD are the Game Boy's signature aging defect. The cause is delamination of the ribbon cable that connects the LCD panel to the board. The standard repair is to apply heat along the ribbon cable near the LCD edge -- a soldering iron (at low temperature) run slowly along the ribbon cable reflows the connection and usually clears the lines. This repair has a documented success rate and requires no replacement parts. The speaker can be replaced with any 8-ohm 0.5W speaker of similar dimensions; audio quality often improves noticeably with a new unit. Clean battery terminals with vinegar and a cotton swab if corrosion is present. The contrast dial uses a potentiometer that can be cleaned with contact cleaner if the image is unstable at certain positions. Use fresh alkaline AA batteries -- rechargeable NiMH cells run at lower voltage and may cause erratic behavior.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Heiankyo Alien copies regularly.
Will a Heiankyo Alien cartridge still save my progress?
Heiankyo Alien for Game Boy uses an internal coin battery to keep your high scores and game progress alive when the power goes off. That battery was built to last fifteen or twenty years; most copies are now past thirty-five. If a cartridge forgets your progress the moment you turn it off, the battery is likely tired and can be replaced — though replacing it clears any saved data, so back up anything precious first. When buying, it's worth asking whether the save battery has already been changed.
Is the Game Boy version of Heiankyo Alien region-free?
Yes. The Game Boy has no region lock, so a Japanese Heiankyo Alien cartridge works on any Game Boy or Game Boy Advance anywhere in the world. Only the text printed on the box and label differs by region — the game inside is identical.
My Heiankyo Alien cartridge won't start — should I blow into it?
Please don't. The trouble is almost always dirty contacts, and the moisture in your breath slowly corrodes them further. Clean the gold pins gently with a cotton swab and 90%-or-higher isopropyl alcohol instead. Blowing only ever seemed to work because you also took the cartridge out and put it back while doing it.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Heiankyo Alien
A short checklist for buying a used Game Boy cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Good news — Game Boy is region-free
Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges are not region-locked, so a Japanese copy plays on any Game Boy worldwide.
Just confirm the hardware family — original GB, Color, or Advance — matches the cartridge.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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