Difference between revisions of "Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu"

From TheAlmightyGuru
Jump to: navigation, search
(14 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
[[Image:Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu - NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American NES box art.]]
 
[[Image:Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu - NES - USA.jpg|thumb|256x256px|North American NES box art.]]
  
'''''Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu''''' is a platform beat-em-up developed by [[Now Production]] and published by [[Hudson Soft Company]] for the [[NES]] in 1990 and the [[TurboGrafx-16]] in 1991. In the game, you play Jackie Chan who is trying to rescue his sister (or girlfriend in the TG16 game) who has been kidnapped by a Sorcerer. Although the NES port was released first, it seems pretty clear that the game was first made on the TG16 and then ported to the NES.
+
'''''Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu''''' is a platform [[beat 'em up]] developed by [[Now Production]] and published by [[Hudson Soft Company]] for the [[NES]] in December 1990 and the [[TurboGrafx-16]] on 1991-01-18. In the game, you play Jackie Chan who is trying to rescue his sister (or girlfriend in the TG16 game) who has been kidnapped by a Sorcerer. Although the NES port was released first, it seems pretty clear that the game was first made on the TG16 and then ported to the NES.
  
I first heard about this game because it was a prize on a children's game show, I think [[Masters of the Maze]], but I never saw it played until years later using an emulator. While the game looked good and seemed interesting, I first dismissed it as just another NES platformer. Years later, while looking for video game music to record, I played the game's [[NSF]] file and was impressed by the music. Wanting to know where in the game a particular song was played, I took to playing the game through and got to the third level. This was more than enough to impress upon me how enjoyable the game is, so I decided to play the game for real. I beat it on my second attempt on 2018-01-02.
+
I first heard about this game because it was a prize on a children's game show, I think [[Masters of the Maze]], but I never saw it played until years later using an emulator. While the game looked good and seemed interesting, I first dismissed it as just another generic NES platformer. Years later, while looking for video game music to record, I played the game's [[NSF]] file and was impressed by the music. Wanting to know where in the game a particular song was played, I took to playing the game through and got to the third level. This was more than enough to impress upon me how enjoyable the game is, so I decided to play the game for real. I beat it on my second attempt on 2018-01-02.
  
 
==Status==
 
==Status==
Line 11: Line 11:
 
* '''Overall:''' 6/10
 
* '''Overall:''' 6/10
 
* '''Best Version:''' TurboGrafx-16
 
* '''Best Version:''' TurboGrafx-16
 +
 +
{{Spoilers}}
  
 
===Good===
 
===Good===
 
* The game has really attractive graphics. The characters are well animated and feature some of the best cartoon drawings on the NES. Many of the sprites are also hilarious.
 
* The game has really attractive graphics. The characters are well animated and feature some of the best cartoon drawings on the NES. Many of the sprites are also hilarious.
* The music is also very impressive. It uses a coherent timbre throughout the game and several songs have a wonderful traditional Asian sound which fits the game. The NES audio makes especially good use of the hardware.  
+
* [[Masakatsu Maekawa]]'s music is quite impressive. It uses a coherent timbre throughout the game and several songs have a wonderful traditional Asian sound which fits the theme. The NES audio makes especially good use of the hardware.  
 
* The controls are very responsive and fluid.
 
* The controls are very responsive and fluid.
 
* Each stage has a unique set of backgrounds, enemies, music, and a boss.
 
* Each stage has a unique set of backgrounds, enemies, music, and a boss.
 
* I like how there are multiple secret stages, each which requires a new set of skills to master.
 
* I like how there are multiple secret stages, each which requires a new set of skills to master.
* Unlike many NES titles, the game isn't too difficult, which is a nice change of pace. Rather than kill you, areas with tricky jumps punish you by setting you back or merely injuring you. However, the TG16 game is considerably harder.
+
* Unlike many NES titles, the game isn't that difficult, which is a nice change of pace. Pitfalls, rather than killing you outright, punish you by setting you back or injuring you. However, the TG16 game is considerably harder.
 
* The game includes a lot of interesting Chinese and Japanese mythology.
 
* The game includes a lot of interesting Chinese and Japanese mythology.
  
Line 25: Line 27:
 
* The NES port eliminates large sections of the levels, and, with only five total, the game is too short. I would have loved to see another two or three levels or at least the rest of the TG16 levels.
 
* The NES port eliminates large sections of the levels, and, with only five total, the game is too short. I would have loved to see another two or three levels or at least the rest of the TG16 levels.
 
* The NES port also eliminates a lot of the enemies and eliminates complexity for the rest, especially the bosses.
 
* The NES port also eliminates a lot of the enemies and eliminates complexity for the rest, especially the bosses.
* The NES port gives you too many lives for the game to be a real challenge, the TG16 is more appropriate as it is harder and gives fewer lives. In fact, the NES manual even gives you a cheat code to get 99 lives.
+
* The NES port gives you too many lives for the game to be a real challenge, the TG16 is more appropriate as it is harder and gives fewer lives. The NES manual even gives you a cheat code to get 99 lives, pretty much guaranteeing victory as long as you're tenacious.
* Although the NES manual doesn't make Josephine a boring damsel in distress and suggests that she is a Kung Fu master with abilities comparable to Jackie, she shows no skills whatsoever, so it's just window dressing.
+
* Josephine is described in the manual as being a Kung Fu master with abilities comparable to Jackie Chan, which is progressive, but, in the game, she shows no skills whatsoever, so her title is just window dressing.
  
 
===Ugly===
 
===Ugly===
Line 71: Line 73:
  
 
==Links==
 
==Links==
* [http://www.mobygames.com/game/jackie-chans-action-kung-fu mobygames.com/game/jackie-chans-action-kung-fu] - MobyGames.
+
{{Link|MobyGames|http://www.mobygames.com/game/jackie-chans-action-kung-fu}}
* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Chan%27s_Action_Kung_Fu en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Chan%27s_Action_Kung_Fu] - Wikipedia.
+
{{Link|Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Chan%27s_Action_Kung_Fu}}
* [https://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/563426-jackie-chans-action-kung-fu gamefaqs.com/nes/563426-jackie-chans-action-kung-fu] - GameFAQs (NES).
+
{{Link|TCRF|https://tcrf.net/Jackie_Chan%27s_Action_Kung_Fu}}
* [https://tcrf.net/Jackie_Chan%27s_Action_Kung_Fu tcrf.net/Jackie_Chan%27s_Action_Kung_Fu] - The Cutting Room Floor.
 
  
  
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 
[[Category: Video Games]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Prime Order - Action, Adventure, Strategy]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Beat 'Em Up]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Martial Arts]]
 +
[[Category: Video Game Genre - Tie-In]]
 +
[[Category: Game Mechanic - Playable Non-White Character]]
 
[[Category: NES Games]]
 
[[Category: NES Games]]
 
[[Category: TurboGrafx-16 Games]]
 
[[Category: TurboGrafx-16 Games]]
[[Category: Action]]
+
[[Category: Trope - Damsel In Distress]]
[[Category: Beat-Em-Up]]
 
 
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]
 
[[Category: Games I've Beaten]]

Revision as of 10:54, 25 September 2019

North American NES box art.

Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu is a platform beat 'em up developed by Now Production and published by Hudson Soft Company for the NES in December 1990 and the TurboGrafx-16 on 1991-01-18. In the game, you play Jackie Chan who is trying to rescue his sister (or girlfriend in the TG16 game) who has been kidnapped by a Sorcerer. Although the NES port was released first, it seems pretty clear that the game was first made on the TG16 and then ported to the NES.

I first heard about this game because it was a prize on a children's game show, I think Masters of the Maze, but I never saw it played until years later using an emulator. While the game looked good and seemed interesting, I first dismissed it as just another generic NES platformer. Years later, while looking for video game music to record, I played the game's NSF file and was impressed by the music. Wanting to know where in the game a particular song was played, I took to playing the game through and got to the third level. This was more than enough to impress upon me how enjoyable the game is, so I decided to play the game for real. I beat it on my second attempt on 2018-01-02.

Status

I do not own the game, but I have beaten the NES version.

Review

  • Overall: 6/10
  • Best Version: TurboGrafx-16

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

  • The game has really attractive graphics. The characters are well animated and feature some of the best cartoon drawings on the NES. Many of the sprites are also hilarious.
  • Masakatsu Maekawa's music is quite impressive. It uses a coherent timbre throughout the game and several songs have a wonderful traditional Asian sound which fits the theme. The NES audio makes especially good use of the hardware.
  • The controls are very responsive and fluid.
  • Each stage has a unique set of backgrounds, enemies, music, and a boss.
  • I like how there are multiple secret stages, each which requires a new set of skills to master.
  • Unlike many NES titles, the game isn't that difficult, which is a nice change of pace. Pitfalls, rather than killing you outright, punish you by setting you back or injuring you. However, the TG16 game is considerably harder.
  • The game includes a lot of interesting Chinese and Japanese mythology.

Bad

  • There isn't much to explore in the game. Once you discover the hidden bells, you've found everything the game has to offer, and it's just a matter of honing your skills.
  • The NES port eliminates large sections of the levels, and, with only five total, the game is too short. I would have loved to see another two or three levels or at least the rest of the TG16 levels.
  • The NES port also eliminates a lot of the enemies and eliminates complexity for the rest, especially the bosses.
  • The NES port gives you too many lives for the game to be a real challenge, the TG16 is more appropriate as it is harder and gives fewer lives. The NES manual even gives you a cheat code to get 99 lives, pretty much guaranteeing victory as long as you're tenacious.
  • Josephine is described in the manual as being a Kung Fu master with abilities comparable to Jackie Chan, which is progressive, but, in the game, she shows no skills whatsoever, so her title is just window dressing.

Ugly

  • Nothing.

Media

Box Art

Documentation

Maps

Videos

Titles

Language Native Transliteration Translation
English Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu
Japanese ジャッキー チェン Jakki Chen Jackie Chan

Links

Link-MobyGames.png  Link-Wikipedia.png  Link-TCRF.png