Overview
Human Killing Machine, also known as H.K.M., is a fighting game developed by Tiertex and published by U.S. Gold (with the Amiga version by their sub-brand GO!) for the Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, and DOS PCs in Europe in 1989.
Developed by the studio behind certain home conversions of the original Street Fighter, Human Killing Machine uses a slight variation of those conversions' game engine with a new cast of characters in new locales. It is informally known as an "unofficial sequel" to Street Fighter and, despite the game's box art showing a geared-up commando, the game uses a similar martial arts story where the Korean kickboxer Kwon travels throughout the world to test his mettle against a bunch of unusual opponents (including a Soviet soldier and his dog, some prostitutes, a bullfighter and his bull, and terrorists).
The game is infamous for its gameplay, with a variety of unusual gameplay choices (including the lack of guarding, a regenerating health mechanic, a "lives"-adjacent round system, and the player's attacking power being significantly weaker than their opponents) and a very limited amount of attacks from both the player and their combatants.
Gameplay
HKM is a one-button single-player fighting game similar to the original Street Fighter. However, it is heavily slimmed down with no guarding of any kind and no special moves. It does have command moves, where the type of attack is determined by whether the joystick is held neutral (for upper punches), forward (for longer-reaching lower kicks), or backward (for stronger spinning kicks). Much of the game is determining which of these attacks can hit the opponent, whose attacks are more simplistic and more stronger.
Rather than winning a set number of rounds, HKM has a system where both combatants have a pool of eight "knockdowns" per match, which is distributed at the start of the match based on the player's performance:
- At the beginning of the game, and each time the player wins with 4-5 knockdowns remaining, Kwon is "strong" and gets a knockdown advantage (at 5-3).
- Each time the player wins with 2-3 knockdowns remaining, Kwon is "tired" and the knockdowns are distributed evenly (at 4-4). Players would have to win against their opponent without losing a knockdown in order to go back to "strong".
- Each time the player wins on their final remaining knockdown, Kwon is "weak" and gets a knockdown disadvantage (at 3-5).
The game has no round timer, and both combatants can regenerate their vitality by not walking, jumping, or crouching (which is easier for the opponent, as they barely do either).
Characters
Like some conversions of the original Street Fighter, HKM is a single-player game where players can only play as one fighter (the Korean kickboxer Kwon) and must travel through five different countries in a set order to defeat two opponents.
- Igor - A uniformed USSR soldier who fights by rifle butting.
- Shepski - A dog.
- Maria - A prostitute.
- Helga - A buff prostitute.
- Miguel - A bullfighter who fights with a cape and blade.
- Brutus - A bull.
- Hans - A man in lederhosen.
- Franz - A waiter who fights by throwing wine bottles.
- Sagan - A terrorist.
- Merkeva - A buff terrorist and the game's final boss.
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