Previous Next

We've had California Games, World Games, Winter Games, and we now go to the Orient to say 'Konnichi Wa' to the Oriental Games and to participate in four events, Kendo, Kung-Fu, Freestyle and Sumo Wrestling. You are up against some of the toughest opponents in the area, so it's best to get some practice in first. Only when you feel like a turbo charged Bruce lee is it time to enter the contest.

If in two player mode, chances are that at some point you'll be fighting a friend (each contest is in heats), or it baffling alone, the computer stands in as your opponent. Each event has its own style of fighting: Kendo sees the combatants whacking one another with large bamboo sticks, Kung Fu and Freestyle are no holds barred martial arts action, and if you imagine two Bernard Mannings in tea towels, that's Sumo Wrestling. Each combatant has an energy level, and it is this that must be depleted by using all the moves at your disposal.

Get through the quarter finals and you enter the semis with the other survivors. If you win the finals you go through to the next event, and the next until you're given the chance to become 'Grand Master'. It's a while since the last oriental beat-'em-up on the Speccy, and Oriental Games has been in the works a long time, and worth the wait. Unlike a lot of oriental style games the sprites are capable of some quite complicated moves, and they don't look like wooden puppets in the process. The four quite different events add a lot to the long term playability.

Oriental Games is no pushover - and recommended to tough nuts.

MARK ... 85%

'Take a normal computer, add some detailed graphics and atmospheric sound, a dash of soy sauce and what do you get? Oriental Games of course! This is really good. It's like having four beat-'em-ups rolled into one. Each of the events has its own detailed backdrop and characters, ranging from masked warriors in Kendo to large (to say the least) players in Sumo wrestling (who mentioned my brother!). They all have their own movements to allow the player to kick, swipe and pull at his opponent, generally doing the most damage possible. The whole game is accompanied by an oriental tune (surprisingly) and the odd effect in the events. Throw away that punch bag and get a copy of this instead.'