Shaq-Fu

"Good Game, Interesting Concept"

Shaq Fu, a 1994 side scroller/fighting game from Electronic Arts, takes Shaq and turns him into a video game hero. You play Shaq, who is transported to a weird fantasy land. In Story Mode, you help save a royal child from an evil mummy, Sett Ra, and his cohorts.

You can also choose to play in Duel Mode, where one or two players can go at it in a best of three matchup. Additionally, eight players can battle in a tournament. Shaq Fu has controls and moves similar to Street Fighter - punches, kicks, fireballs and the like. You can adjust the game speed to normal or fast, but both require quick reflexes.

The controls, however, are very sharp and accurate, which is a very good thing. You can block just by pressing the away button, but if you throw in an attack you can do a cool counterstrike move. There are different types of shields and powers that you can earn in the game, as well.

The animations in Shaq Fu look quite well done, but the small sprites bring the graphics category down a little bit. The sound is well done, with good music and sound effects.

If you're a fan of this genre and you've played everything else, give Shaq Fu a try. If you're not a fan, you might like the game anyway.

(All ratings are assigned as if they had been given when the game was first released)

Graphics: 8
Sound: 9
Gameplay: 8
Replay Value: 7

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/99, Updated 11/01/99