Fist of the North Star (NES video game)
"Fist of the North Star" is a single-plane beat-'em-up in which the player (as Kenshiro) proceeds through the game by walking from left to right, using his martial arts of Hokuto Shinken to defeat enemies. Similarly to "Kung-Fu Master", jumping is performed by pressing the d-pad upwards instead of having a dedicated button, leaving the A and B buttons solely for attacks. To enter a door, the player must press the d-pad right while holding A and B simultaneously, which is a requirement to proceed through certain stages. In addition to the regular enemies, the player must also defeat sub-bosses and bosses to proceed in the game. Each boss in the game has a weak point that will result in massive damage if the player strikes it with the proper attack before hitting any other part of the body, along with a greater bonus after the stage is cleared.
Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage
IGN awarded the game five out of ten and said "There are different stories to play through and plenty to unlock, but it's nothing special." "Edge" magazine awarded the PlayStation 3 version five out of ten and said "It all adds up to an uneven brawler, a game with the resources and technology to break through the walls of the developer's lineage but one unprepared to fully let go and take a chance." "GamesTM" awarded the same version seven out of ten. PALGN likewise awarded the same version seven out of ten and said "If you like beat 'em ups, you will appreciate this one, but ultimately "Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage" is a love letter to fans of the original series."