Kung-Fu Master , known in Japan as Spartan X ( ス パ ル タ ン X Suparutan X ), is a 1984 beat 'em up arcade computer game developed and published in Japan by Irem . It was later published in North America by Data East . The Japanese version is based on Jackie Chan 's movie "A Diner on Wheels, " also known as Spartan X in Japan, and mentioned in the credits Paragon Films Ltd., Towa Promotion, which released the film on which the game was based. The game is considered one of the first in the beat 'em up genre.
| Kung-fu master | |
|---|---|
| Developer | Irem (arcade) Nintendo (NES) |
| Publisher | Irem (Japanese arcade version) Data East USA (North American Arcade Version) Nintendo (NES) |
| Part of a series | Spartan X / Kung-Fu Master |
| Date of issue | Arcade:  December 1984 NES : June 21, 1985  October 18, 1985 Atari 2600 : 1987 Amstrad CPC :  1987 Apple II : 1985 Atari 7800 : 1989 Commodore 64 : 1985  1985 ZX Spectrum : 1985 |
| Genre | Beat 'em up |
| Creators | |
| Game designer | Takashi Nishiyama |
| Composer | Koji Kondo (version for NES) |
| Technical details | |
| Platforms | Arcade , NES , Atari 2600 , Amstrad CPC , Apple II , Atari 7800 , Commodore 64 , ZX Spectrum |
| Game modes | single-user and two players (in turn) |
| Control | joystick (4 directions) and buttons |
| Display | raster , horizontal, 4: 3 |
| Arcade platform | Specification
|
Content
Story
The player acts as Keiji Thomas, a man in keikogi and slippers. Thomas’s girlfriend, Sylvia, was abducted by Mr. X, and Thomas must make his way through five scrolling floors filled with enemies to save her.
Roughly summarizing the essence of the game can be the phrase "hit people, save the girl." The American and English versions of the game open with the phrase "Thomas and Sylvia were attacked by several unknown guys ...".
Gameplay
In this early game of the beat 'em up genre, a player can force a character to strike with his hand (button A) or foot (button B). Each of the movements can be done standing, in a squat or in a jump. Hand punches inflict damage twice as much as kicks (and bring twice as many points), but they have a shorter damage distance.
The first floor of the temple, in which the action takes place, contains grabbers and throwers of knives. Tom Tom, poisonous butterflies, fire-breathing dragons , snakes, and confetti balls appear on subsequent levels.
Each of the five floors ends with a special boss who needs to be defeated before moving to the next level up the stairs. A certain time is given to complete the level.
After completing all five levels, the game starts first with increased complexity, however, the main features of the gameplay remain unchanged.
Notes
Links
- Kung-Fu Master (arcade version) (Eng.) On GameFAQs
- Kung-Fu Master on arcade-history
- Spartan X on arcade-history
- Kung-Fu Master Remake for Windows
- Kung Fu Master on Flash