Shaq-Fu

"Shaq-fu... Shaq surely doesn't know kung-fu!"

Introduction

Arg, I remember the last time when I was playing some games that closely resemble Shaq Fu, and that was Michael Jordan in Chaos in the Windy City, a game featuring another basketball player. This got me thinking, because duh, the marketing department of the productor of Shaq Fu is just using Shaq's name to sell this game.

Is this game really good? Or are they using the name to sell it to the raging basket ball fans all over the world again. You know, the same marketing tactic.

Well, yes and no. Shaq Fu isn't your typical basketball game, but Shaq, a basketball player who is a fighter, all mean and round edged that knows some martial arts on his own and that he is fighting all the evil entities around the world.

In a way, Shaq Fu is different from Michael Jordan in Chaos in the Windy City, but that doesn't make this game better then Jordan's game because its... bad, horrible and mediocre is the word that describes this game.

Game Play

The game play for this game is a two player fighting tournament game that you're playing the role of Mr. Shaq, the basketball player. And that you're fighting... other monsters in this game, in a two player tournament style type of game. Now, doesn't this sound familar... didn't I see these types of game play before... oh yeah, it's Michael Jordan in Chaos in the Windy City Note that you can only select the only playable character Shaq, and not one else.

Well, since the translation for Mr. Shaq into Shaq-fu, he knows a bit of kung-fu in the game to fend off the monsters. He knows how to punch and kick and throw and jump around a bit... and some special moves such as dashing and stuff. That's it; to me, he's a pretty mediocre fighter.

Now, the monsters, the opponents that he faces are different; they're pretty hard, evil entities with varies marital art skills. They become harder, stronger and faster when you progress in the game and that you can see the different in difficulty. Those monsters know special abilities that Shaq should envy, such as teleporting and shooting projectiles.

Graphics

Graphics for this game is ... nah, ok for the SNES console.
The animation and characters design for the game is done ok... and the back grounds in this game is varies; there are alot of nefarious looking places that are the stages in this game.

Conclusion

Shaq-fu tried to learn kung-fu in this game... and that the game developers used nothing more then his name to sell this game. Well, it surely doesn't sell me.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 12/07/03