Retro game review: Kung Fu (Nintendo Entertainment System)
The launch of the NES was filled with games representing many categories of games, from adventures to puzzlers. One of the well-loved games from the NES launch "Black Box" era is Kung Fu, the only launch game that was developed by a third-party. Originally an arcade game by Irem, Kung Fu was published on the NES by Nintendo. How does it stack up with other games of the era, and compared to the larger NES library?
Gameplay
Kung Fu was an impressive game for the time, featuring large sprites and fast gameplay. You take control of Thomas and the goal is simple. Fight your way through waves of enemies to save your girlfriend on the fifth floor of the enemy stronghold.
You begin the first stage scrolling from right to left, which is completely backwards from most sidescrolling games. Every other level changes direction, so you get the feeling that you're weaving your way up through the building. You're quickly assaulted by different types of enemies who will run at you, grapple you, throw knives and tumble into you. Additionally, some stages feature hazards like snakes, moths and explosive balls that will eat into your health bar.
Combat is fast and responsive and you have a handful of attacks available to you. Thomas can use crouching, standing and jumping punches and kicks and some attacks work better for some enemies than others. Trial and error will eventually train you to learn what attacks to use in different situations.
At the end of each level is a stage boss, who each has unique attacks they'll use to kill Thomas. They're tricky, even after learning their movement and attack patterns and can knock Thomas out in a few hits.
After reaching the final boss, Mr. X, on the fifth floor, the game starts over again at the first floor and bumps up the difficulty level. The entire game can be completed in under 15 minute for seasoned gamers.
Presentation
The visuals of Kung Fu are bright and colorful, though a bit on the garish side. Sprites are a very nice size and animated well for a launch game on the system. Enemy characters don't have much variety, but come at you so fast that you hardly notice. The stages themselves are dull and repetitive, using the same sprites over and over again so they feel like a single stage that you're playing through forwards or backwards depending on the level.
Music and sound effects are a mixed bag. The music is a single track that's only a few seconds long and repeats endlessly. It fits the theme well, but gets old very quickly.
Sound effects are excellent though. For an early title, the game is able to pump out some fairly convincing grunts, punch and kick effects and a wonderful, Bruce Lee inspired "hoo" with every lightning-fast kick.
Verdict
While the game was impressive for a launch title, the short length and repetitive gameplay make it hard to recommend. It can be picked up for well under $10, so if you're craving a quick and simple game Kung Fu is a solid pick, but for gamers who want a little more substance there are better choices on the system.
Score 4/10
Ahhh yeah I remember this game. I spent many hours with it when I was a kid.