I finally got around to writing another Neo Geo review and guess what it is? Yep, it’s another fighting game. The system was after all a perfect replica of arcade hardware, and it was released at a time when the genre was just taking off. It’s fair to say that if you don’t like fighting games you probably won’t like the Neo Geo. With that aside, the topic today is a very interesting one to me. The game in question is a title called Tengai Makyo Shinden (or Kabuki Klash as it’s referred to in this part of the world) and it was published by none other than Hudson of Bomberman fame. What makes this title particularly interesting is that it’s a spin-off to the RPG series Far East of Eden which has never seen a release in English aside from this. It was a popular franchise in Japan, and I’ve always wanted to play one of the mainline games. Kabuki Klash I had to settle for as it’s a mish mash of characters from the series thrown into a fighting game. This title had the misfortune of being an arcade only release in this part of the world, but thankfully Hudson released it on the Neo Geo CD and due to that system’s region free nature I was able to procure a copy. Kabuki Klash has often been called a less fun Samurai Shodown, and while that’s true I still found a lot to enjoy about it.
I’m not really sure about the story in this game to be honest. It takes place in the land of Jipang (an obvious reference to Japan) and you have a host of samurai and other over the top characters battling it out. The roster is a little small with only eight characters but that’s not a big deal to me. There’s very little exposition and because it includes characters from a few different Tengai Makyo games (and I really don’t know the plots of those) I’ll just jump right to the gameplay. Kabuki Klash is a two dimensional one-on-one fighting game that may look like just a pretty face, but it has a few twists (though they’re borrowed from other series). This is primarily a weapon based fighter (which is why comparisons to Samurai Shodown are inevitable) where you have four different attack buttons. Two slashes and two kicks, but you can perform a strong attack by pressing two of these in tandem. The basic gameplay system is fine but pressing two inputs at the same time to make a heavy strike is a little cumbersome in my opinion. There aren’t a lot of options for play; you have single player and multiplayer. That’s perfectly fine for an arcade game like this but it’s a little disappointing that more wasn’t included in the home version because it was full priced.
The fighting engine is fairly well done but it’s highly derivative. Aside from using your weapons and kicks to damage foes each character has a lineup of special attacks performed in typical fashion with sweeps on the joystick combined with button inputs. It’s very Street Fighter II in this regard with almost no major change ups. This isn’t a problem because the basis is a solid one. The game takes a non-realistic over the top approach with projectiles and screen filling attacks that are quite impressive to behold. Each character has a ‘magic’ meter at the bottom of the screen that, once filled, allows you to perform a super move. The action is fast and frenetic, and I found that matches are especially short here. The pacing isn’t quite on the same level as Street Fighter II Turbo, but that’s a plus because it allows you more time to plan each move. Strike range is also a big aspect to take into consideration here given how big each character’s weapons are. I liked the focus on this element and it made some characters (Tsunade for example) that you wouldn’t expect to be useful real powerhouses. There’s a decent combo system hidden in the fighting engine but I found it a little more difficult to grasp than usual. The game is easy to learn but figuring out how to counter attacks and chain strikes and special moves together has a pretty decent learning curve.
Okay so I know I said the gameplay is a bit generic but there is one element that separates this one from the rest of the pack. Items appear at random throughout each match and they offer a variety of effects. Some merely increase your point value, but others will raise your health which can be the difference between success and failure. The most interesting items however will raise your offense, defense, or movement speed. These make huge differences in the gameplay, and I found this aspect as a whole rather refreshing. It also harkens to the RPG genre which is pretty cool in my opinion. I’m sure that more experienced fighting game fans will scoff at this feature because it takes some of the pure skill out of the equation and replace it with chance. I found that it made me more adaptable and changed the focus of each fight which is pretty cool by my standards. It keeps you on your toes more than usual and ensures that you will be constantly scanning the battlefield during each skirmish for bonuses.
Kabuki Klash is one of the prettiest games on the Neo Geo arcade system. Sure, it can’t compare with Mark of the Wolves or the Last Blade, but you have to remember that this was released much sooner than those. I really like how colorful this game is. The characters and backgrounds really pop, and it helps make each intricate detail more noticeable. The sprite work is absolutely insane here. The character sprites aren’t gigantic as are those in many other fighting games of this era, but everyone is chock full of detail. It’s really a sight to behold. The most impressive part of the graphics engine however is the many frames of animation. Everything flows with surprisingly fluidity. I absolutely love the idle animations; few developers even now put in so much work. Every special move uses a ton of frames that all look very distinct from one another. There’s almost a hand drawn style to the art here that really works in its favor. While I’m not always the biggest fan of anime style characters the ones in this game are quirky and fun. There’s a distinct style that belongs only to this game (and the rest of the Tengai Makyo series) and it helps make this one memorable. The soundtrack is a bit forgettable to be perfectly honest. The stage themes are fun and bouncy, but this isn’t a soundtrack I would listen to outside of actually playing the game. The sound effects however are on point and really make you ‘feel’ each strike. It’s pretty immersive in this case.
Kabuki Klash is a pretty fun game. It follows the fighter formula very closely with a few quirks here and there, but honestly it isn’t quite as fun as Samurai Shodown. I would usually avoid direct comparisons but in this case it’s inevitable because the mechanics are so close to it. With that said Kabuki Klash is fun but it will most be remembered by the fact that it’s the only game in the Tengai Makyo series that was ever translated into English. For that fact alone it’s worth playing, and I’m hoping that we get the rest of the series playable someday even if it’s just on the mobile platform. Kabuki Klash did a fine job of whetting my appetite for the franchise, but at this point it’s just a tease. Still, this is a bit of a hidden gem on the platform and importing a copy won’t break the bank. Fighting game fans will find a lot to enjoy in this title.
