Touting full EGA graphics, Budokan is a classic fighting game that precedes games such as Street Fighter - and actually provides much more depth and fun than the modern equivalent. Gameplay: 8/10 In Budokan, the player has the option of using one of several martial art forms. Karate, Kendo, Bo, Nunchaka, are among the options. The game can be played in 3 different ways. One can practice each style seperately with varying levels of difficulty. One can also play versus another human player. And ultimately, a player can enter the tournament to try to take the Budokan Championship. Through the championship, the player is allowed to chose the style of fighting they will use. But once the choice is made, the player must stick to that choice until he/she loses a match. At this point, the player loses that style and much chose another style to fight with. Once the player has no more options, he/she is eliminated from the tourney. The overall gameplay is quite fun, with different meters for strength and energy (Xi). In the end, the game is a little to difficult to beat - it takes countless tries to be able to win the tournament. Graphics: 8/10 Considering the year this was released, the graphics are quite an accomplishment - complete with full color, shading, and even shadows under the player's character. The main menu screen is extremely pixelted. But the fighting scenes, practice scenes and the rest are all done very well. Sound: 6/10 The sound quality is PC Speaker quality - which means this game was released before the use of Sound Blaster technology. Given the restraints of the technology, the sound is not bad. The simulated sounds mimic the attack noises of martial artists. While a bit muffled, the sound is serviceable. Reviewer's Tilt: 8/10 Despite its drawbacks, Budokan is a fabulous game that is a classic on many levels. It is worth playing if for no other reason that to have a good piece of fighting game history. But more, it is a challenging game that can be fun to master.
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