Bad Street Brawler

"Duke: The Man, The Myth, The Legend........"

Somewhere out there, a scream is heard. The gritty city takes another victim. Citizens rush into their houses. Children are picked off the playground by their worried moms, who know and fear what lurks in the city's streets and back alleys. But in the shadows, one man has had enough, and decides to take matters into his own hands. Only one man can make a change. Only one man stop them. Only one man can save the city from a formidable army of.......midgets, dogs, and banana-throwing apes?!? Ok, who spiked the Kool-Aide with LSD?
Bad Street Brawler holds a special place in the museum of NES oddities. Our hero, Duke, is like a 98 pound version of Duke Nukem, only decked out in a yellow shirt, yellow underwear, yellow boots, and a cheap pair of K-Mart sunglasses. The story states Duke is an ex-punk rocker turned vigilante. After taking a look at the way he's dressed, one may conclude he was kicked out of the punk rock academy.
Duke faces some of the most bizarre urban-dwelling bad guys ever to grace a videogame system. Midgets who propell themselves through the air with ball and chain maces, overweight pitbulls who look like they had a little too much Alpo, punk rock baddies who dress way more punker than Duke (no wonder Duke is pissed), and banana throwing gorillas, who escaped the zoo, and decided to hang out in the local slums, parks, and streets of the 8-bit metropolis which Duke calls home. This game is a perfect example of how drugs rot your brain.

Graphics: 3
Duke moves about the screen as if he were holding in a load, and can't walk fast enough to the comforts of his bathroom. The stages are made up of the same bland trees-buildings-benches-fence. Each stage is a stroll through the park- literally. The baddies resemble an Oompa Goompa, after you have eaten some of Willy Wonka's secret LSD- laced candy. Dogs look chubby and even cute. I actually felt sorry for beating up the lil pups. Boy, they sure are cute.

Sound: 3
Ever used the mute button on your new TV? Now it's the chance! Bland tunes that really irritate you after the first 10 seconds. Do yourself a favor: turn down the music and crank up some punk rock. Duke will thank you for it.

Gameplay: 4
At the beginning of each stage, you can practice your moves on a punching bag, that withstands all the abuse from Duke's flying fists of fury. After each stage, you are given a new set of moves, ranging from punk/kick, to choke/strangle/maim/dropkick. Guess this is where Duke starts paying attention to all those voices in his head. Typical button layout: A for kick, B for punch. No super homocidal combos. No secret moves. Just the Ancient Chinese Art of the Two Buttoned NES Pad.

Fun Factor: 3
I guess watching a grown man in yellow underwear and K-Mart sunglasses taking out apes and midgets can make for a wholesome family experience. Also worth a mention are Duke's wise, proverbial sayings. They can really put a bounce in your step (or totally make you distraught with confusion).

Overall, this game makes weirdness an art form. Duke is such an awesome hero, I'm thinking of starting my own religion: The Disciples of Duke. Hail Duke!

Reviewer's Score: 3/10, Originally Posted: 10/21/02, Updated 10/21/02