How to play Kung-Fu Master online
- Walk left and right: left and right arrow keys
- Jump / crouch: up arrow / down arrow
- High kick: left or right arrow + Space
- Low kick: down arrow + Space
- High punch: up-left or up-right diagonal + Space
- Low punch: down-left or down-right diagonal + Space
- Break free from a Henchmanās grip: tap left and right quickly
- Start a one-player game: F12 (the consoleās Reset switch)
- Start a two-player game: F11 (Select), then F12
For the diagonals, hold two arrow keys at once.
Gameplay
In the 2600 version Princess Victoria is held by an evil wizard at the top of his temple. Each of the five levels is a long corridor full of enemies, and at the end of each one waits a stronger boss. Beat all five and the game starts again, only harder. You have three lives, an energy bar and a countdown timer. A warning sounds when the timer reaches 200, and if it runs out you lose a life. In two-player games the players take turns, switching when a life is lost.
The regular enemies are Henchmen who grab you and drain your energy, Knife-throwers who take two hits to beat, and small tumbling fighters. Some levels add falling snake baskets whose snakes cannot be killed, Dragon Balls that release a fire-breathing dragon if you donāt destroy them, and stinging Killer Moths. Punches usually score more than kicks.
| Level | Boss | Points per hit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fist Fighter | 2,000 |
| 2 | Boomerang Thrower | 3,000 |
| 3 | Giant Kicker | 3,000 |
| 4 | Lightning Magician | 5,000 |
| 5 | Gang Master | 10,000 |
At the end of each level, the time left is multiplied by 10 and your remaining energy by 100 and added to your score. You earn an extra life at 75,000 points.
Tips
- Donāt let Henchmen reach you. A grab drains energy, so hit them before they close in, and tap left and right quickly if one does get hold.
- Keep moving. The timer is the enemy on every level, and leftover time is worth points at the end.
- Save energy for the boss. Every point of energy you keep also becomes bonus points after the boss falls.
- Destroy Dragon Balls quickly. One is worth 2,000 points, and leaving it lets a dragon out.
The story behind Kung-Fu Master
The arcade original was made by Irem in 1984 and designed by Takashi Nishiyama, and Data East handled it in North America. It drew on two films: the five-floor pagoda of Bruce Leeās Game of Death, with a different fighter on every floor, and the rescue story of Jackie Chanās Wheels on Meals. In the arcade, the hero Thomas climbs the temple to save his girlfriend Sylvia from a crime boss called Mr. X. It is widely regarded as the first beat āem up.
Activisionās 2600 cartridge came out in 1987. The single fire button meant some arcade moves had to go, but the corridor fights, grabs and bosses all made it in. The game was also converted to the NES, the Atari 7800, the Commodore 64, the ZX Spectrum and several other systems.
