Developer: Tamtex Publisher: Irem Released: September 27, 1991 Genre: Action
Kung-Fu was one of my first NES games. I’m pretty sure I am not alone in that either. As an early adopter it was slim pickings for the first year or so which led many to pick up everything available. Though it was simple Kung-Fu taught me a lot about structure and game design. Plus it beat the pants off Urban Champion. In Japan Kung-Fu received a sequel called Spartan X 2 which surprisingly was passed over for a US release. Although it improves on many aspects of its predecessor it still lags behind many of its contemporaries during its 1991 release.
Unbeknownst to western gamers Kung-Fu was more than just a simple arcade port. In Japan it was also a licensed title, based on the Jackie Chan movie Wheels on Meals. The sequel ditches the karate story for some good old fashioned police work. Hero Johnny Spartan is a police officer on the trail of a drug smuggling syndicate infesting the city. The syndicate runs an international drug ring which will take Johnny all over the world to bring them down.
The story is fluff but it at least gives a reason to change settings frequently. The adventure no longer takes place in a single pagoda and goes all around the world. Every level is a different setting, be it city streets, a factory, a castle and even the outside of a plane (!). The sprites are smaller but more detailed than the first game and better animated as well. There is some ugly slowdown late in the game as numerous enemies attack at once but these sections are brief. The soundtrack is pretty decent as well although it is repetitive. That is mostly because each level is so short however.
Not much has changed in terms of your basic move set. Johnny is armed with your standard array of punches and kicks with a few additions. When crouching you build up power which can be used to unleash a few new moves. The quickest and most useful is the uppercut. There’s an over the shoulder throw that is powerful but useless. The precise timing and positioning required make any successful use of it a happy accident. While these moves are cool they are completely unnecessary. The standard kick has great range and is more than adequate in nearly every situation.
If there is any one aspect that is disappointing it would be the moment to moment gameplay. While everything looks and moves smoother the gameplay is simpler. Most enemies are idiots who will blindly walk into your attacks at rapid speed. While it was a simple game Kung-Fu did a lot with very little. The subtlety that came with different enemy combinations that forced you to prioritize or deal with them in different ways is gone. Spartan X 2 trades variety for spectacle and suffers as a result.
Without the challenge that comes from varying enemy combinations and their attacks Spartan X 2 is incredibly easy. Your life bar is ridiculously long; it nearly stretches across most of the UI! I do not see why; most enemies inflict so little damage you are rarely in danger. You can make a lot of mistakes with little consequence as the game also has stamina potions as well. The enemy AI is incredibly stupid as I mentioned before. This is in stark contrast to its predecessor. Prioritizing enemies and using specific attacks on certain types was the only way to get far. You won’t find any of that here, at least initially.
The second half of the game is so different it feels like a separate game. Thugs become soldiers who will attempt to tackle you as well as give a bear hug of death. On the plane you deal with jet pack wielding bad asses as well as a gorilla who will hold you in place so others can deliver a beating. Later you fight ninjas and assorted level hazards. Even the otherwise boring boss battles become more complex. If the entire game showed the same level of energy Spartan X 2 could have been a fantastic game.
In Closing
I have been a bit harsh but Spartan X 2 is enjoyable to an extent. Overall it is disappointing as it had potential to be better. I enjoyed the brief time I spent with it but at the same time can acknowledge that we did not miss out on a lost classic.
