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Platform: NES
Developer: Taito
Publisher: Taito
Players: 1 Player
Release Date: 1991
Genre: Action/RPG
Saving Option: Password Feature
Kick Master. The title alone rocks, in it's own simplistic way. This game takes an element or two from RPG's and slaps it into an awesome action/platformer. The RPG element is, of course, an experience system; something in which would make nigh unto all games better, in my humble, RPG loving opinion. When playing, you swear to yourself that you're playing a Zelda game or Ninja Gaiden, or maybe a Castlevania game, but it ain't. The sad thing is that when this game was made back in 1991 (around the start of the 16-bit era) it was basically hidden from the sights of many gamers by stuff like Sega's Golden Axe and Nintendo's The Legend Of Zelda: A Link to The Past.
Storyline: The story starts when the kingdom of Lowrel is invaded by the witch Belzed. Hamlets are burned, peasants are murdered along with the king and queen and the princess is kidnapped. The knight Macren is summoned to save the day, but When he faces the first bunch of enemies he gets stabbed…and dies. Not everything is lost, though, since Macren’s younger brother, Thonolan, decides to accomplish the task and avenge the death of his brother. Thonolan is a kick master (some sort of kung fu expert), who must now test the maximum of his abilities against Belzed and her minions.
Graphics: Visually, Kick Master is quite awesome. The backgrounds are a bit blurred and uninspired, but the characters, despite being somewhat small, look great and have a swift animation. The bosses, in particular, are extremely well done (the last boss of the fifth level, an octopus bigger than the screen, is of a 16-bit caliber.
Sound: AWESOME. The music seems at times to be like tunes from Ninja Gaiden... it's that good! There's something there that reminds you of the times... nostalgia and its got this ass-kicking mood to it. The sound effects are good enough for this type of game; sounds for Thonolan getting hurt is reasonable, the jumping is yet again Ninja Gaiden-fair, etc. The only sound that really gets me pissed off are the Sirens (half lady/eagle monsters) that let out these screeches... but I guess that's the point isn't it?
Gameplay: You travel through the land all the way until you reach Belzed's fortress, in fact the screen the game shows when you begin/finish a level is familiar to Ghost 'n' Goblins. The monsters you destroy will explode into three icons that fly down the screen. Some heal you, some replenish magic, and some hurt you. The best of them, however, increases your experience. As your level grows, you gain new kick moves. These are easy to execute, usually involving holding down a direction and hitting the attack button. Sometimes you may confuse an enemy dropped item for a good one, and hurt yourself by mistake. It happens. They only look quasi similar anyhow. When you destroy a boss about 18 or so items will fall, so hurry on and grab 'em!
Control: The control is pretty simple. A is jump, B is kick, down on the d-pad + B is a lower kick, up on the d-pad + B is an upper kick... you get the point. Start makes the menu of spells come up, highlight one, press A, then start and press select to use it.
Fun Factor: How can you NOT like kicking furry jumping gnomes and have them explode into goodies? A boss may get frustrating every now and then, but it will not detract from the overall enjoyment of this classic game. I thoroughly enjoyed running around killing the Grim Reaper wannabes and harpy or whatever they were. Good fun.
Frustration: One problem is how Thonolan moves! He moves kind of slow and then when you jump forward you're still going the same slow pace! Another problem is that one move Thonolan learns at Level 3 I think. The move is you doing a Mega Man-like slide that hurts enemies as well... but if you're by close ledges you will probably do the move by mistake and slide right into a pit! Goddamn! At the last level where every small ledges have spikes that grow out of it and that move can really make you send your controller through the screen!
BOTTOM LINE: Taito’s Kick Master is a great action/platformer game. Unfortunately, as it was released in the late life of the NES, it went pretty much unnoticed. In case you are a NES collector like moi, you should take a look at this one. In its genre, it is one of the best titles of the system.-Jason Hogan
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