Review Crew #5: Shaq Fu (Genesis)
11Full review: http://www.defunctgames.com/review/1153/shaq-fu
This week, Defunct Games reviewed Shaq Fu for the Sega Genesis. This is one of those fighting games that gets a lot of abuse, but I found it perfectly fine. I ended up giving it a B-, impressed by the animation and fully invested in the story. The gameplay is a little questionable, but I found myself getting into something of a rhythm.
But who cares what I have to say? What do the old school critics think of Shaq Fu? Let's take a trip back in time and find out. I think it's safe to say that critics were split on this Electronic Arts' fighter. Some loved it, others hated it. Let's start with the good scores.
GamePro came out loving it, giving it one of the highest scores of the year. Slo Mo rightly notes that the Genesis version is better than the Super NES game. He also mentions that Shaq Fu is close to the level of Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat. He gave it a 4.5 out of 5.
Takahara at Die Hard Game Fan had a similar reaction. Although he complained about fighting game fatigue, he was ultimately impressed by the graphics and animation. If you're looking for a quality title that is well thought out, then EA has delivered once again. Takahara gave the game an 80%.
The rest of the reviews aren't nearly as kind to Shaq. Next Generation concludes that "Shaq Fu includes everything a good fighting game needs, with the exception of good fighting." They noted the amazing animation, but hated the gameplay. They gave it two out of five stars.
Electronic Gaming Monthly echoed Next Gen's concerns. Ed liked the animation and graphics, as well as the music, but wasn't won over by the gameplay. He gave Shaq Fu a 6 out of 10. Sushi-X was even less generous. Giving the game a four out of ten, he concluded that "the characters aren't anything special and the game play doesn't provide the tight control for a good challenge."
If we average all of the old school reviews together, then Shaq Fu gets a 59%. While not great, that's slightly above average. No matter what this score says, I say Shaq Fu is worth seeing for yourself.
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