Kung Fury the film has become somewhat of a cult hit, mocking the cop action films of the 80s in glorious fashion. It’s been critically well received, is a must see, and has received a surprise video game adaptation via Hello There AB devs. Kind of.
Kung Fury: Street Rage, coming it at a pedestrian $1.99, has an art direction that reflects the film but also will remind many of the old school brawlers such as Streets of Rage and Double Dragon. The retro styling of the film’s music is also in place and “retro” as theme overall is the strength of this game.
Music, style, gameplay, and graphics all scream retro. The experience is even treated as if you’ve walked up to a machine at your local arcade. If this were a legit cabinet, tons of quarters would be sunk in.
The game itself forgoes intricate and complex controls for literally two inputs: left or right. Timing and enemy pattern awareness is key as you lay the beatdown on an endless wave of enemies in pursuit of the high score. Once you understand the classic high score appeal of the game, it is a treat to play. The simple controls still end up with some pretty awesome events happening on screen when you get timing down well enough to string together hundreds of attacks without getting hit.
Kung Fury: Street Rage wouldn’t be out of place in a classic arcade with a long line of players and spectators as each brave soul tries to top the high-score. It even leaves you wanting for a full blown side scrolling brawler. Fingers crossed we get it but, for now, grab this game ASAP and see which of your friends has the strongest Kung Fu(ry).
This review is based on a digital copy of Kung Fury: Street Rage for Steam purchased personally.
