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> Results: Kung Fu Chaos
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In the 70s, Kung Fu films were the hot. It seemed like everybody was Kung Fu fighting. Looking back, it all looks like kitsch. Dated, clich￩d, hilarious, most are still watchable now. These days, what with Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonﾒs impact still being felt, new Matrix films on the horizon, the popularity of Lone Wolf & Cub on the comic book front, the enduring popularity of Bruce Lee, and a new (and an old) Jackie Chan flick hitting Cineplexﾒs and rental houses every couple of months, it seems like the perfect time to make a game (loosely) based on all that. Microsoft and the humorously named Just Add Monsters development studio have done just that. Theyﾒve made Kung Fu Chaos, a really silly arcade-style combat game based on the idea that youﾒre making a chop-socky film with little concern for budget, quality, and originality, but an emphasis on weirdness and action, reflexes, and fun.You pick a protagonist from a list of martial arts film and comic book clich￩s. Thereﾒs the wise old kung fu guy (Sho Yu), a lady armed with knife-fans, the samurai lone wolf (with baby, or cub, in tow), a Mexican wrestler, a Sumo, a blaxploitation badass babe reminiscent of Foxy Brown, a fighting monkey-man, and many more. Each has his or her own style of combat and special moves, hilariously each has their own one-liners and voice acting. There are nine total, with three locked up from the get-go. The plot concerns a chubby and exuberant auteur that guides your actor through each chop socky genre locale (the wooden multi-level restaurant, the moving junk, the factory, etc.,) and bids you to knock out the various ninjas, toughs, and bad guys while facing a time limit. Success nets stars and without three stars per level (easy to do at first, impossible to do later) unlocks the next ﾓscene.ﾔ The auteur is laugh-out-loud funny too some (my friendﾒs kids loved him), in a not-quite mean yet almost offensively stereotypical way, and quite boorish to others (my friend hated him), but skippable if that sort of thing isnﾒt your cup of oolong tea. There are six modes of play. In Ninja Challenge, you must choose an actor and fight through each movie set against furious ninjas. In Battle Game you must fight your co-stars in whatever scenes (levels) you like. Championship is a multiplayer game where you can play co-op or against each other and Variety Game and play a random group of scenes. Freestyle lets you choose a single scene and opponents and Rehearsal is the perfect place to practice the moves and get used to new characters. The modes put you in control of the experience.  The location variety is stellar. Thereﾒs a Jurassic Park themed level, one taking place on junks sailing down canals, a challenge level that has you jumping and smacking a turning pole against your foes, at least one where you have to rescue falling stuntmen with a portable trampoline (hilarious) and much, much, more. In single player this is madcap fun, but itﾒs really just the warm up for multiplayer action where each of these levels is available from the start. In multiplayer the game is reminiscent of the GameCubeﾒs excellent Super Smash Brothers Melee, if not quite as deep in terms of special moves. The controls are good. Itﾒs easy and essential to get the timing down, as itﾒs the only way to beat some hyper-blocking foes. Early levels do a good job in teaching you how to time the moves and when you get it down, executing a surprise combo to knock out a persistent enemy, itﾒs great fun. The graphics are terrific, with smooth animations and tons of style. The characters look like Weebles (70ﾒs era round and squat figurines) and are just plain goofy. The settings and levels feature so much breakable furniture, falling debris, and other surprises; itﾒs a visual treat. The audio features so good voice acting, even if it does become tiresomely strident after a while, kids will love it long time regardless. The music consists of some Bruce Lee move tunes, other stuff from 70ﾒs martial arts pictures, and, of course, the tune ﾓKung Fu Fightingﾔ itself. There are 21 scenes to deal with and each is tougher than the last. Youﾒve got to fight the bad guys as quickly and efficiently as possible (kung fu fighting) while jumping obstacles and onto new areas (expert timing) and doing so to beat the clock (fast as lightning) and itﾒs even better in multiplayer playing with or against multiple friends or foes. Itﾒs the ultimate laugh out loud party game. Is Kung Fu Chaos a hit? Hi yaaa! Kid Factor Thereﾒs no denying that the narrator/film director is an offensive Asian stereotype. Iﾒm not ignoring or forgiving that and it should give a parent pause. Iﾒve seen little kids imitate him and itﾒs ﾖ mortifying. But the game is so kid friendly and laugh-out-loud funny it could be worth it. Oh, itﾒs also violent, in a cartoony way. Reviewerﾒs Recommended Ages: 10+ ESRB: T-Teen Publisher: Microsoft Developer: Just Add Monsters Format For Printing | Tell A Friend | Digg | Slashdot | del.icio.us Home > Review Archive > Video Games > Results: Kung Fu Chaos |
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