Details
- Original title
- 北斗の拳
- Genre
- Action / Beat'em all
- Publisher
- Toei Animation
- Developer
- Shouei System
- Release date
- August 10, 1986
- Platforms
- Famicom
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Hokuto no Ken (Famicom) (北斗の拳)
Gameplay
The first in a long line of Hokuto no Ken games on Famicom, this title is a side-scrolling action game where Kenshiro advances while striking down waves of enemies. A peculiarity of the era, progression moves toward the left side of the screen. Its most recognizable mechanic lies in its power-up system: defeated enemies sometimes drop onomatopoeia from the manga, the “abeshi.” Collecting seven of them causes Kenshiro’s jacket to burst off and brings him to his most powerful form.
Notes
The game was developed by Shouei System and published by Toei Animation, the studio behind the TV series. It was released one month after the Sega game on Mark III, which led to the two titles being constantly compared, often to the detriment of the Famicom version. Where the Sega game managed to showcase Hokuto Shinken combo sequences during boss fights, the Toei version could not replicate those finishing moves. It retailed for 4,900 yen.
The Famicom series nonetheless continued with three sequels, up to Hokuto no Ken 4 in 1991, and the combined Famicom versions sold approximately 1.5 million copies. In 2018, when the Nintendo Classic Mini edition released to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Weekly Shōnen Jump, this first installment could not be included due to licensing issues.
