CES 2009: Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic Updated Impressions

LAS VEGAS--Our last look at Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic came at the 2008 Tokyo Game Show and consisted of little more than standing in an extremely long line, eventually making our way to a PS3, and playing a match or two while a pretty Japanese hostess explained to us in a language we couldn't understand what was happening onscreen. It wasn't the easiest way to figure out the game, but nonetheless, we came away charmed by this remake of Mark Healey's 2005 game--before the developer left Lionhead studios to form Media Molecule (the folks behind Little Big Planet). Today, at the Sony booth on the show floor of CES 2009, we got a chance to see Fists of Plastic again, and we're happy to report that the game still has the wacky charm we first noticed back in Tokyo.

As you might expect from the title, Fists of Plastic is a brawler for up to four players. What sets the game apart from a typical fighter, however, is the fighters themselves--plastic brawlers that look and behave like puppets on string. Immediately noticeable, too, are the game's sophisticated physics, which result in the characters' arms, legs, and bodies flopping about as you move them through the level.

The basics of movement in Fists of Plastic are as straightforward as can be: You move your fighter with the analog stick and perform moves such as punches, kicks, and leaps with the face buttons on the PlayStation 3 controller. What sets Fists of Plastic apart, beyond the flying flapping fighters of course, is the chi powers, which make full use of the PS3 controller's Sixaxis capabilities. By moving the controller in one direction or another, you can add chi force to your strikes, resulting in extra damage. You can also bring up a shield that will temporarily protect you from damage or, if you flip the controller upside down, regain health by floating your character into the air and meditating.

When in battle, you'll have access to various objects you can use. Breaking a vase will give you a health power-up, for example; periodically, weapons like bo staves and nunchaku will fall out of the sky. If you grab them, you'll be able to use them against your foes. The game's stylized look made us smile, with heavily plasticized fighters that look like mutated GI Joe action figures battling it out in levels that are often intricately detailed and beautiful to look at. If Little Big Planet mated with Super Smash Bros., it might look something like Fists of Plastic.

The game will come with five premade characters that you can edit using a flexible character-editing tool. As you progress through the game's challenge mode, you'll unlock new heads, body parts, and accessories for your fighter, which you can then apply to any of the premade characters for a stable of fighters all your own.

Up to four players can duke it out in Fists of Plastic, either online or offline, and if what we saw of the game is any indication, you can expect the unexpected out of each fight you take part in. Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic will be available for download on the PlayStation Network in the coming months.