Home Computing Weekly


The Way Of The Exploding Fist
By Melbourne House
Commodore 64

 
Published in Home Computing Weekly #117

Launching The Hobbit on the Japanese market seems to have gone to Melbourne House's head with the release of this excellent Karate simulation.

The game's graphics are extremely sophisticated and the range of moves ensures a battle which would do justice to any Bruce Lee movie. Aggressive kicks, punches, sweeps and defensive crouches and somersaults are all possible in every imaginable combination, making full use of the joystick. Defensive moves are obtained using the eight joystick positions but pressing the fire button at the same time causes the sparks to fly with a range of eight kicks guaranteed to floor your opponent if used correctly.

A perfectly executed move which makes contact with your opponent gains a full 'yin-yang' symbol, a move which at least makes contact only gaining half a symbol. A numerical value is obtained also which takes into account the difficulty of the move. In the single player option two yin-yangs win the game, the two player game being the best of four timed bouts.

In the single player game against the computer, you start as a novice but winning the contest gains you a First Dan, and a more skillful opponent takes over. This continues until you reach Tenth Dan but what happens next I cannot say, the best I managed was Second Dan after playing for two hours!

The only gripes I have relate to the awful shouts emitted by the combatants and a niggling doubt as to the lasting enjoyment of the game. At the moment I'm hooked and the sounds can be switched off if desired.

E.D.

Other Commodore 64 Game Reviews By E.D.


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    Karateka
  • Skyfox Front Cover
    Skyfox
  • Orm And Cheep: The Birthday Party Front Cover
    Orm And Cheep: The Birthday Party
  • Elite Front Cover
    Elite
  • Lands Of Havoc Front Cover
    Lands Of Havoc
  • Amazon Warrior Front Cover
    Amazon Warrior
  • Chickin Chase Front Cover
    Chickin Chase
  • Stealth Front Cover
    Stealth
  • International Tennis Front Cover
    International Tennis
  • Theatre Europe Front Cover
    Theatre Europe