Jackie Chan in Fists of Fire (arcade)
Categories:
[blog]
Tags:
[video games],
[review],
[arcade]
Release Date: 1995
Ah, the mid-90s fighting game - who wasn't stealing from both Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat? What do we have in this one? Digitised actors and fatalities, what a surprise.
But it plays far more fluidly and "Street Fighter"-like than a Mortal Kombat game, however in this case, more like Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game than Street Fighter Alpha 2 or Super Turbo - no great thing. Except somehow it is a great thing. Perfectly embodying a Jackie Chan game, it doesn't take itself too seriously (either in competitive spirit or in tone), but delivers a truckload of FUN. Simple enough to pick up and do some kickass stuff right off the bat - any fighting game player will develop some seriously devastating combos inside 5 minutes - but also giving enough options and expressive power to keep players entertained for hours.
Fists of Fire is actually an arcade 'upgrade' from the 'Kung Fu Master' game released earlier in the year, and boy are there some weird changes added. Half the cast now look like zombies, which added with the firey explosions and bizarre effects in general, make this game seem like some kind of drug induced fantasy land of a fighting game. Which fits the bonkers game system to a T.
A balanced masterpiece vying for tournament time? Absolutely not. But I'd absolutely rather have crazy memories laughing at this gem of an experience than sweating over frame data and practicing lengthy, difficult combos.
And how many games can you play that are designed and produced by Jackie Chan?