Jackie Chan's Action Kung Fu

"O_o... How'd this one make it to the US anyways? And why is it less popular than Double Dragon?"

Hrm... Contrary to popular belief, this game was released in the United States. Not really a surprise, considering there are only 2 or 3 phrases to translate anyway. Why it didn't take off like Double Dragon (ugh...) did is beyond me...

Graphics 10/10
Truly impressive. The graphics from this game remind me of anime. The characters are large and delightfully detailed. There are few games on NES that can rival this one. This game is truly pushing NES to its limits.

Sound 10/10
The music of this game is perfect. It completely fits the mood of the game. Not only that, but it is enjoyable. As I write this review I am humming some music from the game. I don't think many GENESIS games had music this good. Off the top of my head, I can think of... 2. As for the sound effects... they're not great, but again, not many NES games can rival the sound effects in this game.

Control 10/10
Effortless. You won't die as a result of some control factor. Well... unless your NES control is broken, in which case you're out of luck...

Story 1/10
I don't remember exactly what happened.... But it goes something like this. An evil sorcerer has kidnapped Jackie's sister, and now how has to save her and all of China... Ah well, who needs a story?

Mood 10/10
Hrm... maybe it's just because I'm too stupid to tell the difference but this game feels Chinese to me. Everything from the music to the backgrounds. Not to mention the overall funniness of your opposition.

Gameplay 10/10
All this would mean nothing if the gameplay sucked. Luckily, it doesn't. The gameplay is the best hybrid beat-em-up/Platformer stuff I've ever played. In fact, I think it's NES's best in both categories. This game left my other NES games collecting dust... not to mention my DC, PSX, N64, Saturn, SNES, and Genesis games. It's just THAT good. Something about beating up fish and guys who hide behind vases, I guess. :Þ

Challenge Medium-High
This game is pretty hard. Granted, not Contra, Glover, or Mega Man hard, but hard. It will take you a few tries to progress..

Replay Value High
I don't see why you wouldn't want to play this game again. It doesn't tire very quickly, if you ask me.

Buy/Rent/Ignore
So I guess the last question is should I buy it or rent it? I strongly recommend buying it. Even if you can rent it, it's only $7, and will provide lots of unusual gaming fun.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/20/01, Updated 12/24/02