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When Kung Fu came out in 1985 it
was a landmark game. It was an arcade
translation that was actually pretty good and contained what were clearly
the second best graphics (well behind Super Mario Bros.). In the original run of games that were
released there was no game like Kung Fu.
Included were a bunch of basic sports titles, some one screen
games that were akin to Atari games and of course Super Mario Bros. Kung Fu was the lone “violent” game
among the pack. In Kung Fu you
have to make your way through 5 levels of a dojo to save your gir lfriend Sylvia from Mr. X. You can punch, kick, sweep kick or jump
kick your way through each level.
You have an energy bar that goes down each time you get hit. Along the way you will fight lots of
ninjas, annoying birds, pesky snakes and dragons and of course everyone’s
favorite villain – the clinging little person. At the end of each level is a
boss. Each boss is substantially
different than the one before them; giving this game some points for uniqueness
(we are talking 1985 here).
Kung Fu has been fondly
remembered over the years because it is a very simple yet finely executed
beat ‘em up (not to mention the first of about 100 on the NES). The game is very quick and therefore
very fun to pull out for brief spurts.
Positives:
Kung Fu succeeded completely in
its mission. It is a simple action
game in which you will beat up hundreds of bad guys to save your
girl. The graphics are very good
for it being a launch title and the controls are spot on. Your guy even makes a different sound
depending on whether he punches or kicks.
The variety of bad guys is fun, I especially like the little
person who just clings to you and slowly takes away your energy. Each boss is different and fun to
discover your first time through the game. The 4th boss is by far the
coolest since his head can disappear.
Also after the third stage you get to see Sylvia tied up to a
chair, which give you the necessary energy to continue on your
journey. There is a fun little ending
scene that even provides a twist ending.
Glaring
Negatives:
The game is insanely easy to
beat. Of course, the game just
loops back around with added difficulty each time you beat it in classic
early Nintendo style. That means if you are a hardcore Kung Fu player you
will probably take the challenge and try to defeat this game multiple
times. Also, it is very
basic. Now, I like basic but I’m
sure that this game is not for everyone.
Graphics
and Sound: OK
There is nothing special in
either of these departments. Back in
1985, these graphics were hot and they never really became bad but they
do look basic. The sound is
serviceable – there are a couple of tunes that play in the background and
 your guy makes funny grunts each time he
kills someone. Mr. X’s laugh is
pretty bad…
Gameplay
and Controls: Good
You press up to jump, down to
duck, A to punch and B to kick.
They all respond well and your guy moves around incredibly
quick. I didn’t complain once
about the controls while playing.
Features:
2 Difficulty Levels
Like most early NES titles, you
can choose difficulty A or B. B is
more challenging but is pointless since the game just repeats itself on a
harder setting anyways. One neat
thing is that each time the game repeats your dragon count (found next to
your life count) goes up by one.
Since it only has one digit, you start getting cool symbols after
you get into the double digits.
There was a rumor that if you beat the game 50 times you get to
fight Sylvia but that has been proven false.
Fun?:
For a few minutes
Kung Fu is fun to bust out every
now and then because it is easy to beat and is actually fun to play.
Challenge:
No
It really depends though. If you are like me, then beating it
once will satisfy you. If you want
to become a Kung Fu legend and map out all of the symbols that can appear
in the dragon counter then the game becomes more challenging.
Replay:
Some
Kung Fu is a game that will get
busted out a couple times a year but you aren’t going to play it for
weeks at a time.
2
Player: Yes
There is a 2-player alternating
mode.
Online
Manual?: Yes
http://www.nintendoage.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=NES.Manual&Game_ID=865
Bottom
Line: Good NES launch title
If you want a bare bones but fun
early NES game, then this is one to pick up. It is very simple to play but is
definitely a lot of fun for about 15 minutes.
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