Today I'll be looking at some fighting games for the NES; most of these titles are pretty simple with only a few modes of attack, but some of these games laid the foundations for our modern idea of a fighting game.
Game: Urban Champion
Console: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 1984
Urban Champion is a one-on-one fighting game based on Game & Watch boxing where players fight an attempt to knock their opponent down a manhole by forcing them backwards across 3 screens. After winning a fight, the next fight will begin straight away and players will have earned a symbol at the bottom of the screen for winning. On average fights take around a minute or so to complete, sometimes less. After winning 145 fights, the player will be declared the champion, although why anyone would want to play for that long, I'm not entirely sure.
At their disposal, players have a heavy and a light punch. The first is more difficult to land, but does more damage and the second is easier to land but won't knock the opponent back as far. Players must choose carefully between these punches as well as practising a good defence themselves in order to win. It's a shame there's not more ways to attack, as after a while it's pretty repetitive. Every now and then a flowerpot is thrown out of a top window towards the fighters below, which will stun them if it hits.
Graphically the game isn't particularly innovative; the buildings behind the fights swap only in colour and name, and the two fighters are palette swaps of one another. Musically it's also pretty dull and while the game has been released on many virtual console type platforms, and is generally considered a classic NES title, there's really little substance to like about it.
Overall Urban Champion is a disappointment as a fighting game, with an obvious lack of attacking and defensive options, even for the NES, the same opponent each time, a repetitive concept and no real incentive to play through 145 fights other than to be crowned champion. The stamina system only really serves to stop obvious button mashing, but in doing so slows down any action that was there in the first place.
Rating: 28/100
Grade: F
Game: Karateka
Console: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Jordan Mechner
Release Date: 1984
Karateka is an interesting fighting game; firstly it was developed by a single student of Yale University, secondly players make their way through the game towards the boss as fast as possible, stopping only to fight enemies with their karate before continuing, and lastly because a single defeat means starting all over again. The game can be finished in around 6 minutes if players are skillful enough to finish their fights quickly.
With each dispatched enemy, a short cutscene is shown as they come into range of the player's character. As far as I can tell there's an infinite amount of enemies who will come at you, until you reach certain points in the game, so the best strategy is to keep moving as fast as possible. Players can move into a regular stance which is best for running, or a fighting stance which allows them to not die instantly when hit. Attacks can be landed on the head, body or legs, and consist of punches and kicks.
Graphically the game has some nice 3D effects with its buildings and gates, but the backgrounds and fighters are very basic and lack detail. There's some pretty awful music that starts the game, but other than this it's only sound effects. Progressing through the game becomes a little harder as the skill level of enemy fighters increases, but there's a nice little bonus where players can damage a hawk, sent by the boss with well timed attacks and in turn do damage to the next opponent before they arrive to fight.
Overall Karateka has some good ideas, and the flow of enemies lining up to fight is fairly unique for the time. It can be frustrating when the game sends you back to the start, after a good run, or when getting hit in the standing position for an instant death. Having been developed by one person, it was never going to be the most polished game ever, but it's a good effort in many respects.
Rating: 45/100
Grade: D
Game: Kung Fu
Console: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Nintendo
Release Date: 1985
Kung Fu has a fairly interesting origin story, as it was originally an arcade game called Kung Fu Master, which was then ported to home console as Spartan X, a tie in to the Jackie Chan movie 'Wheels on Meals' which had been retitled Spartan X in Japan, and was finally released as Kung Fu on the NES. While the game had no real ties to the film, as with most NES movie-tie in games, as long as it looked vaguely like anything that might have happened in the film, it could be licensed.
Players fight their way through five floors of a building using punches and kicks, with the ability to crouch and jump if needed. Several different types of enemies stand in their way including knife throwers, enemies who grab on and drain health, and on even numbered floors, falling pots, dragons and other fantasy style creatures. At times the game can be a little challenging, but the controls are pretty great, and overall it's a fun, if slightly basic concept.
Graphically the game isn't the most complex thing ever, and about 1/3 of the screen is taken up with the player and boss health bars, overall progress meter, lives, scores and time remaining, but nonetheless it works well enough. There's some simple music behind gameplay and it works well with the Beat 'em Up style of the game as the player makes their way through the building defeating enemies.
Overall Kung Fu is a tight game control and concept-wise, featuring a range of enemies and enough attacks to implement at least a little strategy. There's not too much difficulty in the initial stages, and things only really get harder on the even numbered stages with falling pots and other hazards to deal with. For the NES this is a pretty enjoyable and replayable game.
Rating: 60/100
Grade: D
Game: Yie Ar Kung Fu
Console: Nintendo Entertainment System
Developer: Konami
Release Date: 1985
Yie Ar Kung Fu is a one-on-one fighting game which pits players against 5 opponents, each with a different style and surprisingly good AI. Players have use of kicks and punches which can be used in conjunction with jumping and crouching as well as jumping off walls and over their opponents in order to win. While the controls can be a little temperamental, when they do work it's a pretty smooth experience and definitely one of the better fighting games for the NES, and something that was influential to later fighting titles.
Enemies have a range of attacks, depending on the level being played; in the first round there's a bo staff wielder, later there's a guy who shoots fireballs and even someone armed with an extendable chain weapon of some sort. This is a great contrast from games with multiples of the same enemy or simple palette swaps.
Graphically the game is pretty clear with some nice detail on the environments. The fighters have distinguishable features, and are animated nicely. There's some generic 'asian fighting' sounding music, but after a while it seems to accompany the game well enough. Getting to the end of all 5 stages is fairly tough and should require a few tries at least, but it's more rewarding than most games of its time, though the game simply loops once players win the last fight.
Overall Yie Ar Kung Fu impressed me as a fighting game with its range of player movement, attacks, enemy variation and programming and general appearance. Perhaps if this much effort had been put into all the fighting games of the day, the genre in the early-to-mid 80's wouldn't have been so hit and miss.
Rating: 62/100
Grade: C
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