Kung Fu Strike is a pretty good looking game. It’s not a huge title with a big budget, by far, but it does just what it needs to do with lighting and 3D effects. Most stages are simply big, traditional Japanese rooms, but sometimes you’re taken to old rooftops and other varied locations. It’s kind of funny to note, but there is some obvious homage to Street Fighter IV in this game. There are inky outlines on much of the artwork, as well as traces of ink splatters after some moves.

There’s plenty of styles among the varied fighters you’ll encounter. One boss is particularly confident, and likes to hold his hands behind his back as he fights. There’s a wandering swordsman, a gigantic mountain of a guy, and plenty of other character types. As for the sound, it’s a bit predictable, but well done. The music has an Asian theme with a bit of rock and guitar thrown in to make it more exciting and fast-paced.

Kung Fu Strike follows the quest of one determined warrior named Loh as he tries to stop a rebellion. Ok, that’s what I think is going on, but it takes a while to get to any sort of story. Most of the beginning of the game is spent with Loh just doing a bunch of chest-puffing and fighting his way through a bunch of warriors. Let’s just call the story unimportant, but there is a story if you’re interested.

Kung Fu Strike really does make you feel like you’re in a Kung Fu movie when you become proficient at it. There’s all the classic enemies like monks and ninjas, as well as big boss characters that are closer to your skill level. You’ll be throwing punches and combinations, followed by quick deflects and blocks. When everything is moving at a fast pace, you can really get the feeling you’re in a Kung Fu movie.

Though this is mostly a pure button-mashing fighting game, there are some elements of strategy involved. You can collect and buy items that will build your character up, and later on you can even summon your own army of fighters to aid you. And in the heart of the gameplay, you’ll benefit from learning how each enemy behaves, and how to effectively counter that. The dynamic changes even more and becomes more challenging when multiple enemies requiring different tactics are thrown at you at the same time.

There is a simultaneous multiplayer option available as well. It’s quite refreshing in a world full of online multiplayer. In this game, it’s especially nice, since you can really use the help of a live friend to take some of the heat off when it gets hectic. Plus, these kinds of games are just a heck of a lot more fun with a second player to add to the chaos.

On Normal, Kung Fu Strike is a nice challenge that requires timing and practice in order to advance. I did say button-mashing earlier, but on higher difficulties, you do need to master the moves and tactics of this game, or you’ll soon hit a wall when the enemies become too difficult to deal with.

The difficulty of this game is really comparable to the difficulty of many old school beat-em-ups. They are fun to play around with, but when you really get serious about mastering them, they can be a great challenge, and give you a real feeling of accomplishment. This is a game that rewards practice, skill, and reflexes. There are, of course, plenty of time challenges as well as other achievements you can work toward if you want to keep the game going after you’ve beaten it.

Kung Fu Strike plays quite nicely. The controls are simple, but responsive. You don’t feel like there are extra buttons just for the sake of buttons. Really, this is a game with an old school heart. I can’t say that this game would benefit from any kind of control changes, since that would probably fundamentally change the game at this point.

I might sound perfectly happy with Kung Fu Strike, and for the most part I am. It’s not a game that tries to reach anywhere beyond its beat-em-up core. But if I had to pick anything I’d like to change, it would be to have more interesting characters (and character choices) and story. Still, the game is a good, solid arcade style game. It’s a good, non-stop action game that is a nice way to kill a little time.