58 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
58 lines
3.4 KiB
Plaintext
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BUDOKAN: THE MARTIAL SPIRIT
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Electronic Arts has indeed captured the spirit of martial arts in BUDOKAN: THE
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MARTIAL SPIRIT, combining all the elements needed to produce a fine game.
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BUDOKAN brings practice, skill, cunning, and the true feel of competition to the
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world of computers. (This review is based on the Sega Genesis version.)
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In BUDOKAN, you're a student who's studying four of the most deadly martial
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arts. Mastering karate, bo, nunchaku, and kendo takes much time and patience.
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Each art has over 25 unique moves that you can learn. At the start of the game,
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you find yourself in the middle of the courtyard. Surrounding you are the dojos
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in which you can practice the martial arts skills to be mastered. Every art has
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its own dojo. While in the dojo, you have the option of practicing the moves
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alone, or against a teacher. If you're sparring against a teacher, the teacher
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will back off when he senses that you're growing tired. The instructors never
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try to push you too far; remember, they're here to teach. At the end of each
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sparring match, Tobiko-Sensei gives you helpful advice on your technique and
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ablities. He often recommends ways in which you can improve your skills.
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When you tire of sparring with your teachers, you may go to the upper left of
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the courtyard, where you'll find the free-spar mat. You can now face fellow
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students of the same or different arts. Students will not be as easy as your
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instructors: They do not back off if you tire. At the free-spar mat, you may
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also spar with another player. This is a feature I really enjoy in the game.
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Playing against a human opponent can be much more gratifying (at times) than
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playing against the computer. When you're beaten, some words from the wise
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Tobiko-Sensei might help to soothe your mood. At the top of the courtyard are
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the Sensei's living quarters, where you may speak with him. Sensei will recount
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numerous Japanese philosophies to you. This adds to the overall flavor of the
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game.
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What is all this training leading up to? As you walk through the gates of the
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dojo, you will board a train and be taken to the Budokan. Here at the Budokan,
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you must show what you have learned in the dojo. People from around the world
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gather at the Budokan to demonstrate what they know, and to see who is the most
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skilled in the martial arts. There are several different arts you will find at
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the Budokan. Most of the participants use weapons you have never seen at the
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dojo. Tonfa, shuriken, and naginata are just a few of the arts you will come up
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against.
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BUDOKAN comes with a very well-written manual. It offers you a brief history of
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all the martial arts, including the ones you'll encounter at the Budokan. The
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graphics and sound don't set any new standards in computer art and music, but
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they work well with the game.
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Gameplay is wonderful: This is a program that should keep you busy for quite
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some time. Controlling the character consists of occasionally _very_ complex
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set-direction key moves and button pushes. Thus, I wouldn't recommend BUDOKAN to
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someone who lacks good eye-hand coordination: Mastering the moves in each art
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can be very difficult. (It takes practice, but it can be done.) All in all,
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Electronic Arts has done a great job of capturing the martial spirit in BUDOKAN.
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BUDOKAN is published and distributed by Electronic Arts.
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*****DOWNLOADED FROM P-80 SYSTEMS (304) 744-2253
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