[Hokuto no Ken] Afterthoughts

This game is just awesome. I finished it a week ago and I just kept playing it again and again to enjoy the scenes and the story. It is really a text-book example of how to reuse materials from comics or established franchise in a game. You don't need superior graphics. You don't need 3D. You don't always need online elements. All you need is to be faithful to the core of the materials. You need a good presentation and execution of of your game play to match the materials.

BTW, check out this Japanese online game for Hokuto no Ken - http://www.hokutonoken-online.jp/. It is a MMORPG in which the player can experience the world of the comic. The idea seems awesome but somehow it kind of illustrates my points above.

[Hokuto no Ken] Details on the Special Edition Keychain

I actually bought the special edition of the game and it comes with a special gift. I talked about this gift before and you can look up the details here. But check out the actual size of this thing. It is huge and thick! Probably too large as a keychain. But may be good as an ornament on your bag.


Also there is a demo version of the game. Here is the link.

[Hokuto no Ken] First Impressions

I actually got this game while travelling in Hong Kong on 02/10. A whole four days before its official release (02/14). I asked the salesman and they said the shipment is always made much earlier than the official release date and they really don't bother to keep the official relase date from the publisher.

Anyway, this game is quite awesome. It follows the story of the comic in the most faithful way. I finished the first two episodes already. The first one is about the introduction of Ken Shio and the second is about his encounter with King. I found that you have to follow the story very closely because the tapping can really happen at any time. And some of the tapping can be quite tricky. However, it does merge faithfully with the story and the kungfu style of the comic.

There is another mode in which the player can use the wireless connection to play some tapping challenges against another player. Also there are character info and famous dialogs to unlock as well.

The only problem I have is that the first two episodes are quite easy. I hope the pace will pick up a little bit more in the later episodes. Another problem is that blood and violence are really the trademark of this comic. And this game is really trying to block them all out. I know that it might not be too good for some of the kids to see all these violent behaviors but still it is like chicken noodle soup without the noodle.

[Hokuto no Ken] Special Edition Comes with Special Gift

The special edition of the game will come with a special gift. Check out the picture to the left. It is a key chain imprinted with the image of Raoh's legendary horse - the "Dark King" or "Kokuoh-Go". When you press a button on the key chain, you can hear the frightening roar of the "Kokuoh-Go". It is a pretty cool gift for the fan of the manga. I have not been able to find a store that sells the special edition. Both play-asia.com and yesasia.com do not say they sell the special edition of the game. The only online store that sells it is Amazon Japan. Here is the link.

[Hokuto no Ken] Game Play Screenshots

Hello again! Here are some screenshots of the game play. Hopefully they will explain the actual "Secret Hole Piercing" game play a little bit better.

For the original preview, please click here

[Hokuto no Ken] The Legend Reborn on DS

This is a highly anticipated action game based on the legendary Japanese comic called "Hokuto no Ken". It is also widely known as "Fist of the North Star". The comic is serialized in the famous Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in the 80s. It is co-created by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. The story centers around a guy named Ken Shio, who mastered a style of martial arts called "Hokuto Shinken". It is a special style for assassins and Ken Shio is the best of the best in this style.

The web site for the game is here. The game will be divided into episodes. Each episode will consist of a bit of story-telling, followed by game play. Some of the most famous scenes of the comic will once again be presented to the player. There will be 22 episodes altogether and it will tell the story of Ken Shio up to the death of Raoh, who is his nemesis of the first part of the comic story.

And of course the game play is the real fun part here. And the publisher of the game called it "Secret Hole Piercing" action. During the game play, the player will be shown the some legendary "Koma" of the comic, with special instructions for the player to follow or tap using the stylus. There will be a special marker around the "Koma" and the player is required to perform those instructions before the marker reaches its end. When the player correctly performs the requirements, the characters (either Ken Shio or others) will be able to perform their famous moves in the story and it allows the storyline to move on. Just take a look here.

Now this kind of game play is truly utilizing the strength the NDS platform. And the player can now really engage in the amazing martial arts world with the touch screen and stylus.

There will also be a bunch of collectibles like character introductions and famous dialogues. There will also be a quiz mode but of course it will be all in Japanese. The publisher also said there will be some mini-games included as well.

This game will be released at the end of February, 2008. And it can be pre-ordered by clicking the game box arts above.