Fist of the North Star gubbins

[QualityChimp]

"You're already dead!"

For some reason, I'm in a Fist of the North Star/Hokuto No Ken mood at the minute. I think it's because I've just finished the 20th Century Boys manga where a pretty basic story was stretched out over 8 years!

Anyways, I've found the PS2/arcade game in Flash form. It's pretty thorough with all of the sprites sampled, special moves and animation from the Sega/Arc System Works game! You can even use joypads on it!

http://flashkof.fr/hokuto/game.html

You can read the manga online at One Manga here.

http://www.onemanga.com/Fist_of_the_North_Star/

There's only 30 chapters, but I don't know how many there were.

Here's a demo of Hokuto no Ken: Hokuto Kami Denshoumono no Michi on the DS:

http://game.spike.co.jp/game/hokuto/hokutonoken.html

It's tougher with a mouse than a DS stylus though!
Think of it as an ultra-violent Elite Beat Agents!
Reviewed by MattyD as:

It is made of WIN and AWESOME. In the manga / anime, Kenshiro kills his enemies by attacking their acupuncture points... So in this game you attack them with your stylus!

Finally, here's a deadly serious live-action version of the series:


"Hatatatatatataaaaaaa!!!"

[Friction]

Superb stuff! Thanks for sharing!

Always loved North Star!

[112]

can you explain to me the series of Fist of the North Star please?

I have the original manga video relase. Then i got the series and now i have a new fist of the north star. Whats the difference? Cos they all have the same parts in them which is totally confusing!

Good thread by the way! I remember playing FOTNS on the Gameboy back in the day lol..........

112

[MattyD]

"Omae wa mo shinderu!"

Funnily enough I started watching the original anime series a few weeks back. You can't get it on DVD (besides bootlegs on eBay) that I know of and the VHS tapes are stupid expensive second hand, but I know where to download fansubbed originals. You'll have to hit me up with a PM for the link obviously.

You can see in the series where they've added 'filler' or dragged out some of the battles / story cycles to make it fit the season but it's still pretty good fun. My Mrs even enjoys watching it which surprised me a little.

That vid is awesome BTW Chimp, you've made my day with that

can you explain to me the series of Fist of the North Star please?

I have the original manga video relase. Then i got the series and now i have a new fist of the north star. Whats the difference? Cos they all have the same parts in them which is totally confusing!
112

The Manga video release is the 1986 feature-length one, right? The story in that is very different from the original manga or even the anime series. They took some of the important plot points from the mangas, droppped a few others and compressed it all to fit into a movie.

Also, New Fist of the North Star is a stand-alone OVA (straight to vid) series that doesn't really fit into the 'canon' storyline. So I can see why you're confused!

Mostly it's just Kenshiro wandering around the post-apocalyptic wasteland, beating down people who prey on the weak. The main story cycles concern firstly Kenshiro trying to find and defeat his rival from the Nanto Seiken (Southern Cross Fist) school, who stole Kenshiro's fiancee Yuria after defeating him in battle. The first battle with Shin is where Kenshiro got his seven scars.

Later on (after many random villains) there's also a story arc where Kenshiro must hunt down his three 'brother' students from the Hokuto school. Once a successor is chosen the remaining students are forbidden to use their knowledge, but two of them are abusing their powers and the eldest has the third (who pledged to use his powers for good) locked up as bait for Kenshiro.

All in all, plenty of ball-rippin manly action. It's all good.

[112]

Thanks Matty D, makes more sense now!

I luved the sound track to the manga vid and had to get it for the tune near the end where Ken is on the way to fight Raul the conquerer and they have a lil montage (sp).

but damn......... Kens caterpiller eye brows are legendary.......... lol!

btw now wonder you like attacking aggressively!

112

[QualityChimp]

Right, I'm not 100% on all this because both Viz Media (not the Sid the Sexist comic...) and Gutsoon! Entertainment failed to publish all of the manga and I saw the film before the television series, of which Manga Entertainment only released 36 of 109 episodes.

Right, here we go!

I've based this all on Wikipedia's information:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fist_of_the_north_star

1. 1983 - Pilot manga printed this one-shot in Fresh Jump. Different plot to the one we know.

Present-day Japan story of a teenager, Kenshiro Kasumi, the successor of the "Hokuto Shinken" martial arts style, a deadly style which kills or cripples opponents internally by striking pressure points. Kenshiro's main adversaries in this incarnation of the story were a rival martial arts school known as the Taizanji Kenpo ("Taishan Temple Martial Arts"), a secret organization of assassins with influence over the Japanese government. Kenshiro's girlfriend, Yuki, becomes a witness in one of the organization's hits and is subsequently killed by the culprit, with Kenshiro being framed for the crime. This event serves as a catalyst for Kenshiro's war against the Taizanji organization.

2. 1983 - Hokuto no Ken II. Another one-shot that follows the pilot.

3. 1983?1988 - Manga series published in Weekly Shonen Jump. 27 Volumes (245 chapters) - (The main series set in the Mad Max-esque future.)

4. 1984?1987 - TV anime (109 Episodes)
This was shown late night on Channel 4 and Sci-Fi
Watch the first episode here:

http://uk.media.anime.ign.com/articles/880/880513/vids_1.html

5. 1986 - Animated film (the one we saw as impressionable teenagers...)

6. 1987?1988 - TV series Hokotu no Ken 2 (43 Episodes)

7. 1995 - Live action movie (Gary Daniels as Kenshiro)

8. 2001-ongoing - Fist of the Blue Sky. Prequel manga set in 1935

9. 2003-2004 - New Fist of the North Star OVA series (set after the manga and 2nd TV series)

10. 2006-2007 - Tv anime of Fist of the Blue Sky

11. 2006-2008 - Shin Kyūseishu Densetsu movie series
1. The Legend of Raoh: Martyred Love Arc - Theatrical film released on March 11, 2006. A retelling of Kenshiro's battle against Souther, the strongest of the Nanto Roku Seiken masters, with a sub-plot involving Raoh and Reina.
2. The Legend of Yuria - OVA released on February 23, 2007. The story of this OVA centers around Yuria and how she became the Last Nanto General.
3. The Legend of Raoh: Fierce Fighting Arc - Theatrical film released on April 28, 2007. A retelling of Kenshiro's final battle with Raoh. The theatrical release of the movie was promoted by a mock funeral for Raoh.
4. The Legend of Toki - OVA released on March 26, 2008. Centers around the character Toki.
5. Zero: The Legend of Kenshirō - Theatrical film scheduled to be released nationwide in Japan on October 11, 2008. A prequel set between Kenshiro's defeat at the hands of Shin and the beginning of the manga.

12. Manga being published in Comic Bunch magazine:

2006-2007 - Manga: Ten no Haō: Raoh Gaiden (also a TV anime, see 13)
2006-2007 - Manga: Yuria Gaiden: Jibo no Hoshi
2006 (pilot) 2007-ongoing (serialization) - Manga: Rei Gaiden: Sōkoku no Garō
2006 - Manga: yūken Gaiden: The Judgement Day
2007-ongoing - Manga: Shirogane no Seija: Toki Gaiden

13. Fall 2008?ongoing - Raoh Gaiden: Ten no Haoh
A 26-episode TV anime based on the manga by Youkow Osada.

*gasp* and I'm spent.

[QualityChimp]

Nice to see you here, MattyD! I saw your post enthusing over the DS game!
It looks like it's about £30 on play-asia at the moment though.

112, I thought I was the only person to have the Gameboy FotNS game! I don't think I even knew what it was at the time. I just remember the best tactic was always to hide and shoot shurikens. I think Jagi was best because he had 3-way shots and even if they tried to jump out the way, they'd hit the higher shuriken!

[MattyD]

Nice to see you here, MattyD! I saw your post enthusing over the DS game!
It looks like it's about ?30 on play-asia at the moment though.

Aw that's a shame. I got mine for ?11 shipped in the summer sale. It's definitely worth picking up if you can find a cheap copy on eBay or something.

I had no idea there was a GB game BTW. Is it an RPG? I ask because of the stat screen and also because of the four or five HNK games that came out on the Famicom, all but one of them were RPGs. They're all incredibly bad

Interesting fact: if you've never played God Hand, watch the opening cut scene, where you first see the protagonist Gene, here. Then compare it to Kenshiro's first scene in the anime.

Your mind, it is blow!

On a similar note, compare Agni and Rudra from Devil May Cry 3 with Raiga and Fuga from HNK (episode 39 in the anime series). It's a wonder Capcom didn't get sued for that one!

[SuperBeatBoy]

Opening from the last PSX game. Which is awesome btw, a scrolling beat-em-up thats acually really good. The opening is all in realtime. I still own this game, one of the few good anime games.

[MattyD]

Holy ****. WANT!

[QualityChimp]

Although it's not an RPG, it is incredibly bad. Isn't that the law with FotNS games?

Last Battle is universally hated!

The Gameboy version is a really weak 1-on-1 beat 'em up. I was reading about it in a nice article on how the genre evolved before Street Fighter II.

Zero9X, is the game you've linked the side-scrolling fighter in Sega Ages Volume 11, which looks like the most amazing game ever... for about 17 seconds. Then it just repeats ad nauseum!



I think the Arc System Works game is the closest to bucking the trend. Has anybody tried the flash version from my first post? It's very slickly done!

[SuperBeatBoy]

No, it isn't mate. This is it



Whoever is playing it kind of sucks though. Its hard to find some good gameplay vids of this though, as there are great qte's where you tap the buttons in sequence like Kenshiro's ultimate attacks.

[Soundwave]

Although it's not an RPG, it is incredibly bad. Isn't that the law with FotNS games?

Last Battle is universally hated!

The Gameboy version is a really weak 1-on-1 beat 'em up. I was reading about it in a nice article on how the genre evolved before Street Fighter II.

Zero9X, is the game you've linked the side-scrolling fighter in Sega Ages Volume 11, which looks like the most amazing game ever... for about 17 seconds. Then it just repeats ad nauseum!



I think the Arc System Works game is the closest to bucking the trend. Has anybody tried the flash version from my first post? It's very slickly done!

That Sega Ages version is pretty much boring as sin.

I finally tracked a version down a little while ago on Egay & fired it up for about 10 minutes then turned it off becuase it is as dull as dishwater & it now resides gathering dust in my unplayed pile.

It's quite pretty but so very very dull.

The Arc game though is so many kinds of awesome it's difficult to count I love it
Easily one of my best fighters ever.

I love the Fist of the North Star movie never really got on with the Anime series itself but it is an awesome movie & the Raoh Side Story is pretty darned good too.

Does anyone remember the Live Action movie with Malcom Mcdowell???



Neil

EDIT - Hmmm vid doesnt seem to be working here's the link anyway...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KotAqjjwYvU

[NeoStuey]

Wow!

I was scouring the net at the start of the week looking for Hotuko no Ken on both the Gameboy and SFC to buy.

Having dusted down my Gameboy for Double Dragon, I started thinking about the games I used to own on the system and Hokuto no Ken is one I poured many hours into, bought it from a now long gone electronics store on TCR. I remember you got EXP points for victories which made your character stronger. I mainly played as Kenshiro and even my friends then to be brother in law got a copy of the game. We played link up VS games but my character was too powerful really, I don't think I lost to him. It might be crap but I liked it's crapness.

Happy days.

Quality chimp thanks for that opening video that was fantastic, loved it so much I've downloaded it for prosperity.

Also zero9x that PS title looks brilliant, the videos seem to press all the right buttons for me, not sure if it's enough for me to pull my PS2 form sale and source a copy but you never know.

[NeoStuey]

I think I'll watch the movie again at the weekend, it must be about 6 months since I last watched it.