Johnny Kung Fu
Publisher: UFO Interactive Developer: UFO Interactive Platform: 3DS Players: 1 Release: 2012 Genre: Action / Brawler Rating: 7.6 \ 10.0: Satisfactory
Above is Johnny battling a pack of thugs
Johnny Kung Fu is a pleasant, but not perfect, blend of the era of the Game & Watch, Nintendo's first handheld, and the age of modern brawlers. The plot has Johnny's girlfriend, Paula, get kidnapped by the Mr. Wang Gang (it's obviously a Donkey Kong reference, and Paula's name is obviously a reference to Pauline, the constant damsel in distress of the Donkey Kong series, but this guy capturing Paula for a reason far other then romance!) and you have a pressuring one-hour time limit to conquer all the floors of Wang's skyscraper and save her. There are several types of stages, some old-school and some modern, and one a combination of both-- as far as I know. I'm on floor 15 with approximately 40 minutes remaining. The first old-school stage takes place in a room with three floors (that only count as 1 floor in all). The first floor has a gangster rolling bombs at you that you must jump over. The second floor has another crook throwing cleavers at you. And the third floor has you activate the elevator and dodge a laser defense system to get to it. And all in frame-by-frame motion, dim color, and Game & Watch presentation! The second old-school stage type has you steer Johnny across the floor while juggling bombs and avoiding letting them hit the ground. And the last old-school stage I know of pits you against an individual thug. You're both armed with a sledgehammer. A countdown from three starts, and at zero, a number will appear over you and your opponent's heads. If your number is higher, attack by pressing A. If your number is lower, dodge by moving left. If the numbers are equal, act quickly and attack. The first modern stage has you dispatch a number of gangsters, and then a boss. Your foes will appear as weakened versions of the previous boss you faced in this stage type. The next type of modern stage has you face a single boss, which, as far as I know, is always a tall, bespectacled, crooked-nosed fighter who throws knives that you must punch out of the way. The retro / modern combo stage begins with a cut-scene showing a crook throw the switch on a circuit breaker, and when Johnny strolls into the room, the power goes out, and then the room reappears in black and white. You must refill a color meter in the corner of the screen by punching the crooks that appear. What makes this a crossover of retro and modern is the modern graphics and the vivid color that's restored as the meter refills, and what makes it also retro is the frame by frame motion and the type of challenge. This is fun, but the time limit encourages you to speed-run, leading to much trial and error. Plus, every time you die, you must sacrifice five minutes of your time limit to continue. At the same time, a lot of the stages are won by the skin of your teeth even if you're a pro gamer. Overall, though, Johnny Kung Fu is a fine homage to gaming's past.
Ups
Tons of retro references
Various stage types
Old school and modern blend
Downs
Very difficult
Lots of trial and error
Too much pressure from time limit
ESRB: E 10+ Content: Fantasy Violence Price: $5.99 (Download)
Above is Johnny battling a pack of thugs
Johnny Kung Fu is a pleasant, but not perfect, blend of the era of the Game & Watch, Nintendo's first handheld, and the age of modern brawlers. The plot has Johnny's girlfriend, Paula, get kidnapped by the Mr. Wang Gang (it's obviously a Donkey Kong reference, and Paula's name is obviously a reference to Pauline, the constant damsel in distress of the Donkey Kong series, but this guy capturing Paula for a reason far other then romance!) and you have a pressuring one-hour time limit to conquer all the floors of Wang's skyscraper and save her. There are several types of stages, some old-school and some modern, and one a combination of both-- as far as I know. I'm on floor 15 with approximately 40 minutes remaining. The first old-school stage takes place in a room with three floors (that only count as 1 floor in all). The first floor has a gangster rolling bombs at you that you must jump over. The second floor has another crook throwing cleavers at you. And the third floor has you activate the elevator and dodge a laser defense system to get to it. And all in frame-by-frame motion, dim color, and Game & Watch presentation! The second old-school stage type has you steer Johnny across the floor while juggling bombs and avoiding letting them hit the ground. And the last old-school stage I know of pits you against an individual thug. You're both armed with a sledgehammer. A countdown from three starts, and at zero, a number will appear over you and your opponent's heads. If your number is higher, attack by pressing A. If your number is lower, dodge by moving left. If the numbers are equal, act quickly and attack. The first modern stage has you dispatch a number of gangsters, and then a boss. Your foes will appear as weakened versions of the previous boss you faced in this stage type. The next type of modern stage has you face a single boss, which, as far as I know, is always a tall, bespectacled, crooked-nosed fighter who throws knives that you must punch out of the way. The retro / modern combo stage begins with a cut-scene showing a crook throw the switch on a circuit breaker, and when Johnny strolls into the room, the power goes out, and then the room reappears in black and white. You must refill a color meter in the corner of the screen by punching the crooks that appear. What makes this a crossover of retro and modern is the modern graphics and the vivid color that's restored as the meter refills, and what makes it also retro is the frame by frame motion and the type of challenge. This is fun, but the time limit encourages you to speed-run, leading to much trial and error. Plus, every time you die, you must sacrifice five minutes of your time limit to continue. At the same time, a lot of the stages are won by the skin of your teeth even if you're a pro gamer. Overall, though, Johnny Kung Fu is a fine homage to gaming's past.
Ups
Tons of retro references
Various stage types
Old school and modern blend
Downs
Very difficult
Lots of trial and error
Too much pressure from time limit
ESRB: E 10+ Content: Fantasy Violence Price: $5.99 (Download)
This is a well written review, Mason. Thanks for sharing it with us!
ReplyDeleteMrs. Law
Thanks!--Especially for becoming a follower!
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