Kung-Fu Master (1989). Play online

Summary

Kung Fu Master arrived on the Atari 7800 as a faithful conversion of Irem’s arcade hit. The game’s design came from Takashi Nishiyama, who blended shoot‑em‑up rhythm with pure martial‑arts action, drawing heavy inspiration from the Hong‑Kong film Wheels on Meals and the Bruce Lee classic Game of Death. Even though it kept the same fast side‑scrolling pace, the console version preserved the eight‑way joystick tricks that let Thomas punch, kick, jump or even crouch while fighting the five floor‑spanning Devil’s Temple.

The title wasn’t just an arcade darling; it topped Japanese charts and became America’s second‑largest grossing arcade title in 1985, cementing its reputation as the first true beat ’em up. Its influence rippled forward, shaping early platformers like Super Mario Bros., inspiring the combat style of Street Fighter and even echoing in the Red Ribbon Army saga of Dragon Ball. The Atari 7800 cartridge remains a nostalgic bridge between arcade action and home gaming history.

Storyline

Kung‑Fu Master on the Atari 7800 drops you into the shoes of Thomas, a disciplined kung fu master clad in a sleeveless white keikogi. One night he finds a cryptic note from his missing girlfriend Sylvia: “Your love Sylvia is in custody now… come to the Devil’s Temple at once.” Determined to rescue her, Thomas storms the five‑story pagoda known as the Devil’s Temple, battling waves of thugs on each level.
The game mimics the structure of Game of Death: after clearing regular enemies, Thomas faces a floor‑guardian in a one‑on‑one duel, each side equipped with its own health meter. The final showdown on the fifth floor pits him against the gang leader “Mr. X,” who captured Sylvia. Defeating all five bosses frees her and ends Thomas’s perilous climb.