Kung Fu Kid

Overview

Kung Fu Kid is a side scrolling beat 'em up that was originally developed and published by Sega for the Sega Master System platform.

Brazilian Release Changes

In 1995 a version of Kung Fu Kid was released in Brazil with the main character changed to Sapo Xulé. The title of this version is Sapo Xulé: O Mestre do Kung Fu, which means Sapo Xulé: the Master of Kung Fu. Sapo Xulé was a popular toy line in Brazil in the 1980's. This release was developed by Tec Toy.

The Sapo Xulé toy that the character was based off of is a frog wearing tennis shoes. The toy came with a satchel of a smelly substance that was placed in the shoes. The reason for this was that when the shoes were removed the feet were supposed to smell bad.

Gameplay

The player can jump, leap off of walls, kick, and throw explosive talismans that are collected and powered up. Thugs, animals, and supernatural beings that the evil Madanda has released upon waking from his slumber must be defeated. The game plays as a side-scrolling platformer/beat-em-up, with an agile character that controls very tightly but has a limited move set.

There are seven colorful levels of various lengths and difficulty including one level where the player must fight a series of new bosses in rapid succession. Most bosses follow predictable patterns. Talismans, talisman power-ups, health power-ups, and jugs of water that provide protection against fire-breathing enemies can be found when enemies are defeated or when specific hidden areas are discovered. Like most games of the era, the player is sent back to the beginning of a level upon death.