Vimm's Lair: NES Reviews - Kabuki: Quantum Fighter

Nintendo
Kabuki: Quantum Fighter

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
8.18
8.09
8.36
8.55
Votes: 11
Reviews: 1


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Reviewer: Viski Date: Jun 13, 2004
I remember this game in the days of lore when only my brother would play it. I wasn't very good at games back then, but I remember loving the artwork. Now that I've inhereted my brother's collection of games, I managed to play through it myself.

The plot goes as such: a virus has infected the central computers of a military base, and to battle it someone has to download themselves into the computer system. Sounds cliché, but guess what--this game was a pioneer in that genre. Anyway, when you download yourself into the net, you obtain an avatar form, and the main character's is someone who looks like a Kabuki doll, thus the name.

Graphics: 7
The in-game graphics are average at best. There isn't much variety in the enemies (about 5-7 basic models recolored) and the backgrounds are bland (think R-Type but reduce the color scale). However, character image graphics in plot scenes are excellent, and the scene where you see the main character actually taking on the form of the Kabuki and entering the computer system is just plain awesome, so it gets a lot of points for the sheer creativity in that scene.

Sound: 6
The music is great in some levels, but bad in others from being too short and looping too much. It's appropriate to the levels, and brings a feeling of anxiety when there needs to be, but when you're frustrated from getting your ass kicked you don't want to hear some high-pitched squealing song in the background. It gets old FAST.

Gameplay: 9
For a sidescrolling action game, this handles beautifuly. There is a large variety in the way your character moves--he can jump, climb, grab on to latches on the roof, swing from those latches in beautiful animation, and do a wide variety of special moves--and there is no moment when the character doesn't react from the controls the way you want him to. The only reason this doesn't get a 10 is because of it's difficulty. There's a limited health supply, and a timer on top of that, and some levels that are near impossible to defeat without several times through.

Overall: 8
It's fun to play, at least once, just for the uniqueness of this game. Most Nintendo sidescrollers are very bland or just plain not fun, but this is rich in gameplay and, for the time it was created, an innovative concept.

If you've ever played Vampire the Masquarade, you will have a ball with this game, going on about how the main character is a Virtual Adept. If you haven't, you will still like the game anyway. =)