China Warrior
China Warrior, known as (THE 功夫) in Japan, is a beat 'em up video game created in 1987 by Hudson Soft for the TurboGrafx-16. The game received mixed reviews upon release, with praise for its large sprite graphics but criticism towards its gameplay. The game was ported to mobile phones and the Hudson Channel for the PlayStation 2 exclusively in Japan with redone graphics, audio, and gameplay.
China Warrior
- Date
- 1987
- Publisher
- Hudson Soft
- Genre
- beat 'em up
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Documentary summary
China Warrior, known as (THE 功夫) in Japan, is a beat 'em up video game created in 1987 by Hudson Soft for the TurboGrafx-16. The game received mixed reviews upon release, with praise for its large sprite graphics but criticism towards its gameplay. The game was ported to mobile phones and the Hudson Channel for the PlayStation 2 exclusively in Japan with redone graphics, audio, and gameplay.
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In this article
The object
The object
The PC Engine version was also released for the Wii's, Nintendo 3DS's, and Wii U's Virtual Console and on the Japanese PlayStation Store.
Key facts
Key facts
• Title — China Warrior • Developer — Hudson Soft • Publisher — Hudson Soft • Composer — Daisuke Inoue • Platforms — TurboGrafx 16, mobile phone • Genre — Beat 'em up • Modes — Single-player
Plot
Plot
A Chinese martial artist named 王（ワン）, whose style resembles that of Bruce Lee, embarks on a mission to bring down opposing enemies and the Dark Emperor, who stands atop the castle Luo Yang Ge in China.
Gameplay
Gameplay
The object of the game is to walk through each stage while throwing punches and kicks at enemies and objects, which also can be done in midair. There are four levels which are broken down into three stages each, for a total of twelve stages. When Wang gets knocked out, the game starts over at the beginning of the stage in which he got knocked out. Players can memorize the object/enemy pattern in order to get through the stage more easily whenever Wang gets knocked out. At the end of each level, there is a boss fight. The gameplay and controls are similar to Irem's arcade game Kung-Fu Master (1984), with gameplay also similar to Taito's Gladiator (1986) without the sword or shield held in hand. The graphics utilized very large character models that fill up the screen. They were capable of moving without any graphical flickering.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
- Japan
Named but not plotted · 1
China Warrior is associated with Japan.
Country
Reception
China Warrior received a 16.68/30 score in a 1993 readers' poll conducted by PC Engine Fan, ranking among PC Engine titles at the number 474 spot. The game garnered generally unfavorable reviews from critics. Computer and Video Games reviewed Drunken Master for the PC Engine, giving it a 58% score. They praised the "giant-sized sprites" as "very impressive on this horizontally scrolling kung-fu game" but said "only three moves result in the game becoming ultimately dull". Electronic Gaming Monthly criticized its simple gameplay and Bruceploitation but praised for the large character sprites. Upon its release for the Wii Virtual Console in 2007, IGN denounced the game for its overly limiting gameplay, forcing the player to constantly move right. In addition, while the graphical advancements of the game were prominent, many felt that they were not substantial enough to pardon the game's critical flaws. In the game's review for Wii's Virtual Console, IGN and GameSpot gave the game an abysmal review, citing bad graphics and repetitive gameplay, among other things. The game was also featured in 1UPs "Broken Pixels", a show dedicated to mocking bad video games. Michael Plasket of Hardcore Gaming 101 said it is "probably best treated as little more than a tech demo for the potential of the TurboGrafx-16 instead of a legitimately entertaining game".
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.PC Engine Software List 1987-1988. GAME Data Room.
- 2.The Kung Fu (China Warrior) | Retro Gamer. 11 February 2009.
- 3.Nintendo - Official Site - Video Game Consoles, Games - Nintendo - Official Site.
- 4.The 功夫 | ニンテンドー3Ds | 任天堂.
- 5.Nintendo Store – Nintendo Official Site. www.nintendo.com.
- 6.Sony. THE 功夫. PlayStation.com (Japan). 2010-01-20.
- 7.EMAP. The Complete Games Guide. Computer and Video Games. 1. 46–77. October 16, 1989.
- 8.EMAP. The Complete Games Guide: PC Engine. Computer and Video Games. 4. 40–57. November 1990.
- 9.Harris, Steve. Turbo Champ: China Warrior. Electronic Gaming Monthly. Sendai Publishing. 5. 57. December 1989.
- 10.Parkin, Simon. Virtual Console Roundup: Kid Mega Warrior Fight. Eurogamer. Eurogamer Network. June 23, 2007.
- 11.GameStop. Classic GI: Classic Reviews. Game Informer. 108. 106. April 2002.
- 12.Provo, Frank. China Warrior for Wii Review. GameSpot. CNET Networks. July 5, 2007.
- 13.Thomas, Lucas M. China Warrior (Virtual Console) Review. IGN. IGN Entertainment. June 28, 2007.
- 14.McFerran, Damien. China Warrior (Wii Virtual Console / TurboGgrafx-16) Review. Nintendo Life. Nlife Ltd. June 22, 2007.
- 15.Newsfield Publications. Reviews: A Smashed Hit. The Games Machine. 14. 57. January 1989.
- 16.Dennis Publishing. Console Countdown: PC Engine. Game Zone. 1. 99. November 1991.
- 17.Bulíř, Petr. Super Engine II: Recenze Na Hry. Excalibur. PCP. 17. 12. May 1993.
- 18.Gaksch, Martin. Aktuelles: Wertungen für PC-Engine-Spiele. Markt & Technik. 8. 54–55. November 1988.
- 19.Tokuma Shoten. PC Engine All Catalog '93 10月号特別付録. PC Engine Fan. 6. 10. 13. October 1, 1993.
- 20.Marylou Badeaux. TurboGrafx-16 Software: China Warrior. Computer Entertainer. 8. 16. November 1989.
- 21.Nauert, Donn. TurboPlay Rates the Games. TurboPlay. Larry Flynt Publications. 5. 24–28. February–March 1991.
- 22.www.gamevideos.1up.com.
- 23.Plasket, Michael. China Warrior. Hardcore Gaming 101. September 27, 2017.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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