Kung Fu II was created for the Retro Remakes Competition of 2008. KFII is a remake of the NES classic Kung Fu, which is actually a port of the arcade classic Kung Fu Master by Irem. The original game had hero Thomas fighting through a multi-level dojo to save his girlfriend Sylvia from the clutches of Mr. X. The game mechanics were pretty basic; Thomas could punch, kick, foot-sweep, and crouch punch his opponents. While the game was basic in execution, it had a certain charm that made it a classic. KFII stays faithful to the original. While the developer, The Games Page, staid faithful to the classic look, everything has been redrawn. Everything moves very smoothly compared to the old classic.
Kickin' ass and takin' names
The original dojo stage is present for those wondering. The same mindless thugs run down the hallways to grab you. They’ll latch on to you, stab you with knives, and they will chase you to the end of the level. Thomas, just like in the original, can punch and kick his opponents. Ideally, Thomas can also learn special attacks after defeating a boss. The first move learned is a massive, blue fireball that can wipe out everything it touches. The list of moves grow as you continue to defeat each boss. Some of the other movies include a spinning kick and a flying uppercut. Believe it or not, this is all executed quite well.
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Yes, there is blood
Once you have completed the dojo stage, you can forget everything you know about Kung Fu Master. Everything afterwards was created from scratch with just enough borrowed from the original game to keep its familiar look . The forest level, while very different in construction to the dojo stage, still feels like the original game. The gameplay is still the same so the classic feel never diminishes.
The only complaint I have about KFII is the lack of joystick support. The keyboard works well in this case, but again, a joystick would have enhanced the experience. This is a small complaint considering the type of game this is modeled after, but the more complex moves would execute better with a joystick.
KFII is a great little game worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of Kung Fu Master. It’s simple, fun, and it revives a timeless classic.
Score 6 out of 10
Mike ‘STGuy1040‘Pittaro
Developer– website
