Kensei: Sacred Fist
| Kensei: Sacred Fist | |
|---|---|
 North American front cover of Kensei: Sacred Fist. | |
| Developer(s) | Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo |
| Publisher(s) | Konami |
| Composer(s) | Akira Yamaoka Kyoran Suzuki Norikazu Miura |
| Platform(s) | PlayStation |
| Release date(s) | PlayStation
|
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Normal, Vs, Time Attack, Survival, Training, Watch |
| Distribution | 1 CD-ROM |
Kensei: Sacred Fist, known in Japan as Bugi (武戯 -BUGI-), is a 1998 3D-based fighting game developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo and published by Konami. It was first released in Japan on November 19, 1998, in North America on November 30, 1998, and in Europe the same year. It was later re-released in 2001 under the reissue title Kensei: Sacred Fist Value Series. The game is a straight-to-console release, without an arcade counterpart.
Gameplay
Kensei uses a button distribution style, separating them into punch, kick, throw and guard. The system provides the player with a large array of moves and combos, and multi-step throws are available, though both normal and multi-throws can be countered by pressing a button that flashes on the screen. Game speed is rather slow (one of the reasons for it not to become an arcade game), and relies more on timing, strategy and accurate knowledge of attack ranges to land successful combo strings and juggles. Button-mashing is often a bad tactical choice, since the characters remain vulnerable for long times after performing an unsuccessful combo. Jumping is realistic, albeit for some extra height. Sidestepping is allowed but is a much slower move, aside from some characters who integrate special sidesteps in their movesets.
The guard button acts rather as a "dodge" button, as the characters' animation shows them avoiding the attacks rather than taking them on their guard. Characters may assume rapidly a counter-offensive position or be "bounced back" to dodge, and the recovery time relies on the player's ability to press the guard button with sufficient time. Low attacks must be guarded by pressing Down + Guard Button, while pressing Up + Guard Button may allow the character to sidestep at the end of a combo.
The Arcade game structure of Kensei comprises 10 stages, with the first eight being made up of random opponents. The specific playing character will encounter a sub-boss that is somehow connected to them in the ninth stage while the tenth one will have them facing off against the crime lord Zhou and the eleventh (and final) one will have the playing character battle against Kaiya. Alongside with the classical Survival, Training, and Time Attack modes, a special mini-game can be activated once all characters have been unlocked: it's a "racing" mode where the player controls a character and makes it run through a circuit, using button mashing to gain speed.
Playable Characters
The game features 9 initial playable fighters from around the world with their own varied fighting styles and 14 hidden characters that can be unlocked through the completion of the game. Most of the unlockables share a moveset with one of the main characters, with slight modifications regarding the attacking range and combo length.
The following is a list of the 9 main characters, with their unlockable counterparts:
- Yugo Sangunji (Karate, Japan): A young Japanese man who specializes in Karate. Yugo was forced into fighting his older brother Akira as a result of their parents' disagreement over training methodologies. Now, Yugo finds himself leaving home and embarking on a journey in a bid to test his own strength. His surname is actually 三軍司 ("Sanguuji") in the original Japanese version.
- Akira Sangunji (Karate, Japan) Yugo's older brother.
- Hong Yuli (Drunken Fist, China): A young Chinese woman who specializes in the Drunken Fist style of Kung Fu. Yuli became curious about the true art of Drunken Fist Fighting while training under a Drunken Kung-Fu master named Su Qingtao. She is determined to prove herself as a first-class Drunken Kung-Fu artist. Also...Yuli seeks to avenge her parents' deaths at the hands of Kaiya.
- Su Qingtao (Drunken Fist, China): An elderly Chinese man who specializes in the Drunken Fist style of Kung Fu. Qingtao is the teacher of Yuli.
- Douglas Anderson (Jeet Kune Do/Koppo, USA): An American narcotics officer who specializes in Jeet Kune Do and Koppo. Douglas has spent years trying to hunt down a global crime syndicate known as The Tsubaki Corporation and after a major breakthrough in the case, his partner and old friend Jim was gunned down in cold blood at the hands of an unknown female assassin. Douglas is looking for a little payback. (Note: Douglas' character design is strongly based on real-life actor and martial artist Steven Seagal.)
- Yoko Cindy Matsudaira (Koppo, USA): An elegantly dressed Japanese-American young woman who specializes in bone-breaking techniques.
- Allen (Muay Thai, raised in Asia): An enigmatic youth who specializes in Muay Thai. Parentless since infancy and raised in an orphanage, his Muay Thai expertise was acquired to defend himself against a dangerous and pitiless world. Allen fights only for survival, one day at a time. He has extremely pale skin, sports Gothic-like eye makeup, and has spiky black hair.
- Steve Laettner (Kickboxing, USA): An afro-haired American black man with sunglasses who specializes in Kickboxing.
- Ann Griffith (Amateur wrestling, Great Britain): A young British woman who specializes in Amateur Wrestling. Ann loves amateur wrestling and plans to expand public interest in the sport by staging a street fight event.
- Arthur Stewart (Amateur wrestling, Great Britain): A dapper, suit-clad British youth who specializes in Amateur Wrestling.
- Hyoma Tsukikage (Ninjutsu, Japan): A young Japanese man who specializes in Ninjutsu. He was left as an infant at the Oomiwa Temple, along with his older sister Kazane, by their parents who subsequently disappeared. Raised by a Ninjutsu master named Sessue, Hyoma has been in training at the temple since his arrival. but one day, he comes across a clue to his parents' possible whereabouts and decides to go search for them.
- Sessue Kanoh (Ninjutsu, Japan): A middle-aged Japanese man who specializes in Ninjutsu.
- Heinz Streit (Pit fighting, Germany): A young German man who specializes in Pit fighting. He was born into a family of known aristocratic ancestry but quickly grew tired of his wealthy and pampered life, as well as his parents' strict control over him. Running away from home at the age of 19, Heinz now spends his days as a street brawler, picking and joining fights for the thrill of it.
- Natsuki Kornelia (Pit fighting, Germany): A young Japanese-German punk-looking woman who specializes in Pit fighting.
- David Human (Professional wrestling, USA): A popular American pro wrestler who specializes in Professional wrestling. One day, David hears rumors that his old friend and rival Mark has associated himself with a criminal organization known as The Tsubaki Corporation and decides to go on a personal mission find out the truth. (Note: David is one of the few notable characters in 3D gaming that uses male breast physics.)
- Mark Galeon (Professional wrestling, USA): An American pro wrestler who specializes in Professional wrestling. He sports silver shoulder-length hair and a purple sleeveless turtleneck shirt with a white vest and rich maroon pants. An old friend and rival of David.
- Saya Tsubaki (Kenpo, Japan): A young Japanese girl who specializes in Kenpo. Saya had a father (Kaiya) who walked out five years ago, and a family who avoids answering her questions about him. After her grandfather is badly injured by Kaiya one day and learning the truth about her father from him while spending her time with him at the hospital, Saya is determined to confront her father so that she can defeat him and put an end to his evil ambition.
- Genya Tsubaki (Kenpo, Japan): An elderly Japanese man who specializes in Kenpo. The father of Kaiya and grandfather of Saya, Genya is an expert Kenpo fighter who wants to stop Saya from getting into danger.
Other unlockable characters are:
- Zhou Leimeng ("Original Style", Hong Kong): The first boss of the game who specializes in his own original style of fighting. A Hong Kong Chinese man dressed in a business suit who rules the evil corporation behind the tournament. He is far shorter than the other characters in the game, therefore moves that target at his head's height usually fail against him.
- Kaiya Tsubaki (Kenpo, Japan): The second and final boss of the game. A middle-aged Japanese man who specializes in Kenpo. The father of Saya and son of Genya, the manual implies that Kaiya serves as Zhou's bodyguard.
- Jelly Thomas/Billy Thomas ("Original Style", USA): Two American brothers who wear animal masks over their heads: Jelly (presumably "Jerry") wears a parrot mask while Billy wears a penguin mask. The two of them share the same character slot, much like Kuma/Panda in the Tekken series. Their own fighting style is a combination of other moves present in the game.
- Kazane Tsukikage (Ninjutsu, Japan): A young Japanese woman who specializes in ninjutsu. Kazane is the older sister of Hyoma. Her name was mistranslated as "Fuune" in the American manual, and entirely changed to "Kimiko" in the European manual.
Reception
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