NES Games by Image | SNES Games by Image | Genesis Games by Image | Game Boy Games by Image
Nintendo 1985
Beat 'em Up
NES
1 Player | 2 Players Alternating

 


Kung Fu

Kick, jump and punch your way to victory; knock-out the knife thrower, stop the stick fighter, and trip-up the evil Tom Tom Brothers in this action-packed martial arts contest. Beat your opponents and rescue the fair Sylvia who's held captive on the top floor. Just when you think you've got your enemies licked, there's always a Giant, a Snake or a Fire-breathing Dragon to contend with in Kung Fu!

Thomas's girlfriend Sylvia has been captured by "Gang X" and its mysterious leader, Mr. X. It's up to you to fight through 5 action packed floors full of henchmen, each with their own bosses.

Your two main attacks are punches and kicks. Punches have a shorter range, but will award more points for defeating enemies. Quickly change direction and stances to fend off enemies that will attack you from both sides.

 

In addition to moving, the D-Pad can also be used to crouch and jump. Crouch under throwing knives, jump over snakes, or use diagonal jump attacks to get the drop on an advancing enemy.

If an enemy gets close, he will begin to grapple you, slowly draining your energy. Rapidly press the attack and direction buttons to shake him off as soon as possible.

Don't forget to keep pushing forward - the enemies are limitless and if the timer runs out, you will be defeated. You will be awarded an extra life for every 50,000 points you collect.

 

Besides henchmen, the lair is also filled with dangerous hazards. Dragon Balls will fall from the ceiling and will break open to reveal a fire-breathing Dragon. Snake Baskets will similarly drop to release a Snake that can be jumped over. And finally, Poisonous Moths will emerge from the walls and fly towards you.

Game A is for beginners while Game B is for experts. With more enemies to fight, you will need to watch the clock more closely than ever before.

 

Gang X's lair will be filled with endless waves of henchmen standing between you and Mr. X:

The Gripper
Though not dangerous on their own, these expert grapplers will restrain you while other enemies close in

Points: 100 (kick) | 200 (punch) | 300 (jump kick)

Knife Thrower
Often behind other enemies, they will halt your advance by throwing knives high or low that can be ducked under or jumped over

Points: 500 (kick) | 800 (punch) | 1000 (jump kick)

Tom Toms
These unpredictable enemies can only be hit with low attacks and will sometimes launch a jumping attack towards you

Points: 200 (kick) | 300 (punch)

Each floor will be guarded by a boss that has his own special techniques:

Stick Fighter (Floor 1)
He can hit you at range with high and low attacks using his staff. Close the distance quickly and take him down with crouching kicks.

Boomerang Fighter (Floor 2)
He can attack high or low, with the boomerang returning to him at the opposite height. Crouch or jump over his attack then hammer him during these openings.

Giant (Floor 3)
This slow moving monster will crush you with massively powerful strikes. Stay evasive and move in with a jumping kick followed by a flurry of crouching punches.

Black Magician (Floor 4)
This strange fighter is immune to all of your attacks — except for the crouching punch. Striking too fast will leave you stunned so leave a moment between punches.

Mr. X (Floor 5)
A master of all techniques that will really put you to the test without the right approach. Sweep his legs with the low kick repeatedly to keep him at bay.

 

SUAAXA Unlimited Lives Both Players Game Genie
PEZELG 1 Life Both Players Game Genie
PEZELK 9 Lives Both Players Game Genie
GZVKIYSA
ATVKYNGG
Won't Die When Time Reaches Zero Game Genie
AEVXLSPT Enemies Easier to Push Off Game Genie
ZEVXPIGE Enemies Harder to Push Off Game Genie
LEEXSYPA Regular Enemies Hit Harder Game Genie
GZLATG Player 1 Resumes Last Level After Game Over Game Genie
GZLEPG Player 2 Resumes Last Level After Game Over Game Genie



 


Kung Fu

In Kung Fu, your enemies will constantly attack you from both sides of the screen as you fight your way to the stairs leading up to the next floor. If they reach you, they will begin to grapple and quickly cause you to lose health. Much of this game's challenge comes from you needing to quickly switch between high and low kicks and punches to fend off different combinations of attacking enemies. Some enemies will even have ranged attacks that you will need to duck under or jump over while closing the distance. Don't straggle too long though — the clock is always ticking and you only have a limited time to reach the next floor.

All in all, Kung Fu is a solid action game that helped establish Beat 'em Up as a genre. Because of its strong focus on responsive controls and fast paced action gameplay, it has held up better than many of its more complex successors and is still enjoyable to play to this today.