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Pros A very challenging game Non-stop action Cons Nasty sights Mediocre sounds Not 100% Like the Movie or Series Fist of the North Star (the original Japanese one, not to be confused with the American release) certainly isn't a perfect game. In fact, it has been argued to be one of the worst games ever created. But if you can look past the trash talk and actually play the game, it can prove to be a worthwhile gaming experience. Sights I'll go ahead and say it. Fist of the North Star's backdrops look absolutely putrid. From beginning to end, they're an almost constant visual eyesore for you to look at. However, graphics do not necessarily make a good game, and one must keep this in mind. The character sprites certainly aren't perfect either, sporting only a few frames of animation for actions like punching, kicking, throwing, and being blown into bite-sized chunks. If you can only have fun in games with high-quality graphics, you'd best look elsewhere. You won't find them here. Sounds Again, Toei could have improved this area quite significantly before they released the game. The constantly- playing musical tracks are only slightly above the musical quality of a hundred nails on a chalkboard. Ryu's karate cries and the sound of an enemy's head swelling after sustaining a nasty blow to the head are the one saving grace of the sounds section, and while they may not save this game from the Mute button punishment, they are a nice touch. Controls Your character's controls are rather simple, falling in with the logical button choices for a game of this genre. The up arrow key causes your character to jump, the A button generates a punch, B designates a kick. Can't get much more comfortable than that. Enjoyability The story of Fist of the North Star follows that of the anime movie and manga of the same name. It follows the story of Ken, a powerful and nearly-invincible martial artist, as he does battle with his super-powered enemies. In fighting these enemies, the hero, Ken, utilizes his ability of striking at an enemy's weak points, which causes a violent reaction within his enemy's body, eventually causing them to violently explode. This is utilized quite well in the game, minus the massive amounts of blood and guts present in the anime. This rule is no different for the bosses, who become a part of the gruesome display when they, too, fall to Ken's skill. The number one complaint that I have heard about this game is that it consists of nothing more than wandering aimlessly about and punching enemies to a bloody pulp. I have found that these individuals all had one thing in common: none of them had ever seen, or possibly never bothered to, read the game's manual. Within its pages, it clearly states that one may proceed through the doors of each level by pressing the A, B, and Up keys simultaneously in order to continue on to a new area. Yes, folks, it IS possible to get somewhere in this game. You are not confined within an endless loop of glitchy buildings and endless waves of enemies. In fact, the game has five stages, each of which consists of battles with several varieties of attacking enemies, ranging from flying, jump-kicking enemies to large men who throw grenades. Oh, and another commonly heard complaint. Many have marveled about Ken's incredible durability, and the fact that no bullet, bomb, or other mechanism of destruction can destroy him, even when his life bar fades to zero.Read full review
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