Kung-Fu Heroes Review
This review marks my first time playing Kung-Fu Heroes, although, it’s a game that has recently set off an old memory. Most gamers my age fondly remember visiting their local video rental store and perusing the video game section. At the time, before I could even read, I relied on box art - as I’m sure many others did - to choose my weekend rental. Some games were obvious choices such as Ultra’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, or Sunsoft’s Batman. This wasn’t because of their gameplay, but because of their immediately recognizable box art. Picture my surprise when I saw the box art for Kung-Fu Heroes on the Nintendo Switch NES library. Seeing this brought back a memory of seeing it on the shelf all those years ago. For whatever reason, as memorable as the art is, I can’t recall ever renting the game. Fast forward to the present and I finally get my chance to play the game. So, what are the joys and cons of Kung-Fu Heroes?
Gameplay is Decent, But Isn’t Without Issues
#KungFuHeroes isn't all that bad. Has collision issues, but I'm starting to have fun. #NES #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/BTRksxDD1B— Joy-Con Reviews (@JoyConReviews) August 31, 2019
The first thing I noticed is that the game has wonky collision detection. It takes some getting used to, and can be frustrating as hell even when you do. You have to be dangerously close to the enemy to actually hit them, even though it seems like they have no issues hitting you. One thing that helps here is one of the game’s power-ups, which essentially works like throwing fireballs in Super Mario Bros. These power-ups aren’t easy to come by, so you’ll have to resort to skill most of the time. The second thing that I had a problem with was the sword. I was aware of the item before playing the game because of the instruction manual, but I had no idea on how to use the damn thing. Neither the game or its manual tell you how to use the sword, which is frustrating seeing as some enemies can only be defeated with it.
The final thing that I must mention is the game’s difficulty during its final few levels. It goes from manageable for most skill levels, to nearly impossible. Part of this is due to the wonky collision detection, the other part is due to the number of enemies on-screen. Not only do you get swamped by enemies, but they also use projectile attacks making it hard to get close enough to attack them. You especially get swamped in the final level, which I was only able to complete using the NES app’s save state function.
Mediocre Presentation Comes with Surprising Sound Effects
One interesting thing about the game’s presentation are its sound effects. Some of these are ripped straight out of other popular Nintendo games. Such as the sound when getting hit, which is of Link grunting when taking a hit in The Legend of Zelda. The other is the 1-UP sound from Super Mario Bros. that occurs when punching blocks.
Conclusion
Final Score: 0
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