Kung Fu Kid for Sega's Master System very much carries with it the look and feel of classic Sega arcade side-scrollers like My Hero and Teddy Boy. It's a side-scrolling action-platformer in which you, the bravest kid on the planet, must infiltrate the palace of the demon king Madanda and exact your revenge for his killing your kung fu master. Armed with exorcism talismans and two bad-ass legs, it's up to you to kick the shit out of Madanda and his demons.
In Kung Fu Kid, you hop and kick your way through seven stages with great looking backgrounds. You can jump, wall jump, kick, dropkick, foot sweep, and toss talismans at your enemies. You move faster when you hop, and most enemies go down with ease in the first few stages. Talismans are useless against bosses, but can really tear through the undead monsters in stages 4, 5, and 7. Some may complain that the controls are "reversed" from the Super Mario standard, but they are really very responsive even with an actual Master System pad, and it's your own fault when you die.
This is a short, easy, fun little game that reminds me of Irem's Kung Fu, but with more vertical platforming elements and varied enemies like zombies, kyonshis, monks, frogs, and more. Stage six is a neat series of boss fights that aren't recycled from the rest of the game, and they look pretty solid. The music has a very asian flare, as do the outstanding backgrounds. It's all pretty simple, but it's a fun, inexpensive playthrough that's catchy and colorful. I dig it.
Any fans of this one?