Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage
Encyclopedia
Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage, originally released in Japan as , is a 3D beat 'em up
for the PlayStation 3
and Xbox 360
developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei
. It is a spin-off
of the Warriors
series based on the manga
franchise Fist of the North Star
by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara
. It was first released in Japan
on March 25, 2010, and it was released in North America on November 2, 2010 and in Europe on November 5.
series. While a K.O count is still present, enemies do not necessarily swarm the players and appear in certain sections within an area. Enemies are killed in a similar manner as the original manga
, including the series' unique death cries, blood, and exploding bodies.
titles, this is the story segment which faithfully follows the original manga. The official mode follows the first half of the series, starting with Kenshiro's beginnings until he faces Raoh for the right of the Hokuto Shinken succession. Kenshiro, Rei, Mamiya, Toki, and Raoh can be played in this mode.
Clearing this mode with Rei also unlocks an alternate "white haired" Rei model for players.
Clearing this mode with Kenshiro unlocks an alternate torn clothes version for him at the character select screen.
). Its story and characters are based on the famous Japanese comic and anime Fist of the North Star. Tetsuo Hara and Buronson, the illustrator and writer respectively of the original comic, have expressed their support and enthusiasm for the title.
Hisashi Koinuma, the game's producer said that the staff aim to create a "new realistic feel" for the Fist of the North Star series while still being faithful to the original's roots. During this process, he mentioned his concerns for the characters' body structure, muscles, and other minute details (such as perfecting the model for Raoh's wrinkled forehead). He noted that the official mode for this title carries more action adventure tones than other Warriors titles thus far yet gave his assurance that Warriors fans can easily feel at home in the game's original story mode. He personally spoke his thoughts regarding the game at Yodobashi-Akiba, Biccamera Yurakucho, and Biccamera Ikebukuro on March 22 and March 25. He also played a rock-paper-scissor game for attendants, the winner of the crowd obtaining an original T-shirt signed by the game's voice actors.
On October 21, it was announced that pre-order customers who order their game from GameStop
stores would receive the playable character 'Heart' as a bonus, as well as two additional missions.
performed two theme songs for the game, "Far Away" and "Believe You" during the October 14, 2009 press event. It will be used during promotional videos and will be used during the game. Tanimura herself dresses up as the game versions of Yuria and Mamiya while performing these songs in live Koei sponsored events. The single, titled "Far Away/Believe You", which contains both songs, was released on March 24, 2010. While both "Far Away" and "Believe You" are present in the original Japanese release of the game as end themes during the credits for the Legend and Dream modes they were replaced in the American, European, and International Edition releases with stock music from the games soundtrack.
The first opening song of the Fist of the North Star anime, "Ai o Torimodose!!", can also be heard in the game as background music. It was given a special heavy metal
arrangement for the game and plays during important events.
and was given a score of 32 (9/8/7/8) out of 40, saying that "The game recreates the manga's world pretty well, from the heavy-handed Hokuto moves to the speedier Nanto attacks," one writer said. "It's not all that exciting at first, but things change once you start stringing strong attacks together." Another editor had more serious issues with the game's controls, saying that "The throwing animation is too slow, and you stop for a moment after each strong attack," the reviewer wrote. "Maybe it adds to the effect, but it cuts down on the momentum a bit. The rest of your moves are pretty quick and speedy, too, which makes it seem all the worse."
American reviews of the game have been mixed, with an average score of 62% at GameRankings. IGN
awarded the game 5.0 out of ten and said "There are different stories to play through and plenty to unlock, but it's nothing special." Edge
magazine awarded it 5 out of ten and said "It all adds up to an uneven brawler, a game with the resources and technology to break through the walls of the developer's lineage but one unprepared to fully let go and take a chance." GamesTM
awarded it 7 out of ten. PalGN
awarded it 7 out of ten and said "If you like beat 'em ups, you will appreciate this one, but ultimately Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage is a love letter to fans of the original series."
Hokuto Musō sold about half a million copies in Japan alone prior to its first release.
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
for the PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
developed by Omega Force and published by Tecmo Koei
Tecmo Koei
Tecmo Koei Holdings Co., Ltd. , is a holding company created in 2009 by the merger of Japanese video game developers and publishers Koei and Tecmo....
. It is a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of the Warriors
Dynasty Warriors
is a series of tactical action video games created by Omega Force and Koei. The award-winning series is a spin-off of Koei's turn-based strategy Romance of the Three Kingdoms series, based loosely around the Chinese classical novel of the same name. The first game titled Dynasty Warriors,...
series based on the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
franchise Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star
is a Japanese manga series written by Buronson and drawn by Tetsuo Hara that was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1983 to 1988, spanning 245 chapters, which were initially collected in a 27-volume tankōbon edition by Shueisha...
by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara
Tetsuo Hara
is a Japanese manga artist famous for drawing the series Fist of the North Star , which he co-authored with Buronson...
. It was first released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on March 25, 2010, and it was released in North America on November 2, 2010 and in Europe on November 5.
Gameplay
The basic controls and mission system are the same as most games in Warriors series. Players can also evade like the characters in the Samurai WarriorsSamurai Warriors
is the first title in the series of video games created by Koei's Omega Force team based loosely around the Sengoku period of Japanese history and it is a spinoff of the Dynasty Warriors series...
series. While a K.O count is still present, enemies do not necessarily swarm the players and appear in certain sections within an area. Enemies are killed in a similar manner as the original manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
, including the series' unique death cries, blood, and exploding bodies.
- Players can play under three different styles found among characters: the Hokuto, Nanto, or Unique Type.
- Hokuto style users can pinpoint their opponent's secret pressure points at various times, allowing their character to deal critical damage.
- Nanto fighters can use a unique technique called Mikiri Kougeki, which allows the characters to see openings in their opponent's attacks. When the player and their opponent simultaneously perform a strong attack, a select button may appear on the screen within that instant. If players successfully press the correct button within the moment it appears, the Nanto fighter will instantly evade the attack and perform a counter. Afterward, for a short time, the Nanto fighter will be in a powered-up state that increases their attack power and replaces some of their standard attacks with more powerful ones.
- Unique types, like Mamiya and Jagi, rely on a technical perspective and can use weapons for special attacks against their foes. They are made for veteran players who want to use more difficult characters.
- A skill point system similar to recent Warriors titles also appears in the game. The main difference with Ken's Rage is that players need to equip particular skills in order to expand their character's learning curve. As more battles are cleared, players can choose to learn whatever techniques, legendary techniques, and secondary abilities they desire for each character based on their own choices. Skill points are earned by collecting glowing balls, or "karma", found after defeating opponents in the field. They can also be earned by correctly performing a Musou Ranbu, trashing objects for scrolls, completing missions, or by finishing a stage with a sound performance.
- Players can perform an instant guard, or "Just Guard", against an opponent's blows to open opportunities for more combos. It require precise timing to pull off the technique.
- Characters can also grab opponents, climb walls, or pick and throw items. They may also need to destroy objects to clear alternative paths through an area.
- Each character can perform, Touki Kakusei, which momentarily increases the powers of their characters by sacrificing the "Touki" gauge.
- Players can use their character's various techniques from the comic. These deadly techniques (or ougi) act as the character's type of "musou" in this game, allowing limited invincibility and massively damaging a target. When a technique is used, the game will momentarily freeze the action on the field until the move is completed. The nature of implementing a technique varies with each character.
- Characters are allowed to have multiple techniques at once and they can be rotated. There are several new techniques for characters that were made solely for this game.
- Each character has their unique legendary technique, or Shin Denshou Ougi, which can instantly kill crowds of weak opponents if performed correctly.
- Another skill available to each character is the Musou Ranbu, which is a special finishing blow that can only be used against weakened opponents in duels. During the sequence, players will need to input buttons that flash on the screen to pummel their foe with Fist of The North Star flare. The feature is executed in a similar manner as Duels in Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2Dynasty Warriors: Gundam 2, originally released in Japan as , is a tactical action video game based on the Gundam anime series, and the sequel to 2007's Dynasty Warriors: Gundam. It is developed by Koei/Omega Force and is published by Namco Bandai...
, except that players need to input a longer series of button combinations for a successful finish. Causing a mistake lowers the player's health as punishment, though this can be blocked. - Players can also taunt in the game with their characters. Taunting a foe too many times can make them to become enraged and tougher to defeat; however, taunting causes all nearby enemies to swarm to one location on the field, allowing the player to easily and quickly dispatch them with one well-placed combo or signature move. Taunting does not work on "boss" characters with visible health bars at the bottom of the HUD.
- When a character is damaged, their model may change to reflect the changes in their life gauge. If Kenshiro is wounded by an explosion, for instance, portions of his shirt will be blown away. His clothing gradually regenerates over time.
Legend Mode
Similar to the Dynasty Warriors: GundamDynasty Warriors: Gundam
On the first day of its release, Gundam Musou sold over a 100,000 copies, making it the first PS3 title to do so on its first day. Also, the game sold about 70 percent of its 170,000 -180,000 launch day shipments, making it rank third in overall sales — after Ridge Racer 7 and Mobile Suit Gundam:...
titles, this is the story segment which faithfully follows the original manga. The official mode follows the first half of the series, starting with Kenshiro's beginnings until he faces Raoh for the right of the Hokuto Shinken succession. Kenshiro, Rei, Mamiya, Toki, and Raoh can be played in this mode.
Clearing this mode with Rei also unlocks an alternate "white haired" Rei model for players.
Dream Mode
An original story for the game which lets other characters become playable. The basic outline of the mode has the four Hokuto brothers interacting with the "Nanto army". Each character offers a different perspective or story arc within the mode. Completing character scenarios in this section is needed to unlock more characters for this mode.Clearing this mode with Kenshiro unlocks an alternate torn clothes version for him at the character select screen.
Challenge Mode
Unlocked once Kenshiro's official mode is cleared, it pits the players against a continuous string of opponents. Players can simultaneously face the four Hokuto candidates, the six Nanto Seiken, and other challenges as the players continue playing. It acts as the game's survival mode.Introduction Mode
The game's tutorial mode for anyone unfamiliar with the game's system, starting with Kenshiro (Hokuto Type). Includes Rei (Nanto Type) and Mamiya (Unique Type) once the second chapter of Kenshiro's official mode is cleared.Settings
Players can arrange the buttons, adjust the sound, or turn off the gauges on the screen. There are three difficulties: easy, normal, or hard. An option to adjust the game's violence level can also be done: "Hard" keeps the blood and gore while "Mild" turns it off. In the western versions, there's also a option to switch between English or Japanese language voices.Playable characters
- KenshiroKenshirois the main protagonist of the manga franchise Fist of the North Star by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. According to Buronson, Kenshiro's character design was inspired by the character of Max Rockatansky from the Mad Max film series and martial artist Bruce Lee.In the story, Kenshiro is the rightful...
(Katsuyuki KonishiKatsuyuki Konishiis a Japanese voice actor from Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Ken Production. His debut role was Volfogg/Big Volfogg in GaoGaiGar....
) (Eng - Kaiji TangKaiji TangKaiji Tang is an American voice actor working primarily out of Los Angeles.Kaiji transitioned from screen acting to voice acting when had his first major role as the unusual character of Sputnik in Kite Liberator...
) - RaohRaohis a fictional character in the Fist of the North Star manga franchise by Buronson and Tetsuo Hara. He is the eldest of four honorary brothers who trained alongside the protagonist Kenshiro in the ancient assassination art of Hokuto Shinken...
(Fumihiko TachikiFumihiko Tachikiis a Japanese voice actor and narrator.-Career:Formerly a blues singer and known for his low voice, Tachiki is best known as the narrator for the pre-fight movies for Pride Fighting Championships and currently for Dream...
) - Toki (Tomokazu SekiTomokazu Sekiis a Japanese voice actor. He formerly worked for Haikyou and is now the head of Atomic Monkey.-About:Some of his most notable roles include Shinichi Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, Gilgamesh from Fate/stay night, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Gundam characters Domon Kasshu and Yzak Joule, from G Gundam...
) (Eng - Lex LangLex LangWalter Alexis "Lex" Lang is a two-time Emmy Award–winning American voice actor, producer and entrepreneur. He is the cofounder of The Love Planet Foundation, a non-profit organization which creates educational materials for children on the importance of recycling, world water awareness, and the...
) - Jagi (Wataru TakagiWataru Takagiis a Japanese seiyū and stage actor from Chiba Prefecture. He is currently affiliated with Arts Vision.He is best known for his roles in Detective Conan , After War Gundam X , Slayers Try , the Beast Wars: Transformers series , GTO , Hajime no Ippo (July 25, 1966 - ) is a Japanese seiyū and stage...
) - Rei (Takehito KoyasuTakehito Koyasuis a Japanese voice actor.-Career:Koyasu is part of the voice actor quartet Weiß consisting of Weiß Kreuz voice castmates Shinichiro Miki, Tomokazu Seki, and Yuuki Hiro...
) (Eng - Matthew MercerMatthew MercerMatthew Mercer is an American voice actor, script writer, and independent film maker.-Biography:...
) - Shin (Tomokazu SugitaTomokazu Sugitais a Japanese voice actor employed by Atomic Monkey. Best known for his role as Gintoki in Gintama, he also voices Kyon in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. He is also one of the three hosts on the radio show Bururaji promoting the videogame Blazblue which is produced and released on Nico Nico...
) - Mamiya (Naomi Shindō) (Eng - Laura BaileyLaura Bailey (voice actress)Laura Dawn Bailey is an American actress, voice actress, Singer, Line Producer and ADR Director. She has provided voices for a number of English language versions of Japanese anime films, television series, as well as video games...
) - Thouzer (Nobutoshi CannaNobutoshi Cannais a seiyū who was born on June 10, 1968 in Tokyo. Canna is currently affiliated with Aoni Production.He is most known for the roles of Tasuki , Ban Mido , Nnoitra , Basara Nekki , Kabuto Yakushi , Guts , Knuckles the Echidna Lee...
) - Heart (Takahiro FujimotoTakahiro Fujimotois an actor and a retired male medley swimmer from Japan, who represented his native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics, starting in 1988. His best Olympic result was the 8th place in the Men's 400m Individual Medley event at the 1992 Summer Olympics.Fujimoto started his career as an actor...
)(Eng - Matt Lasky) (DLC only) - Outlaw (DLC only)
Other characters
- Yuria (Hōko Kuwashima)
- Bat (Umeka ShōjiUmeka Shōjiis a Japanesevoice actress from Kanagawa Prefecture. She is affiliated with the studio Aoni Production and has starred in a number of voice-over roles for various anime, video games, and television shows since beginning her career in 2005.-Anime:...
) (Eng - Debi DerryberryDebi DerryberryDebi Derryberry is an American voice actress, singer, composer and kids' entertainer who won an American Anime Award.-History:...
) - Rin (Kanae Itō) (Eng - Stephanie ShehStephanie ShehStephanie Ru-Phan Sheh is a Chinese-American voice actress, a writer, and a story editor who has worked for Geneon Entertainment, Bang Zoom! Entertainment, Bandai Entertainment, Media Blasters, NYAV Post, FUNimation Entertainment, and Viz Media...
) - Zeed (Shunzō Miyasaka) (Eng - Richard EpcarRichard EpcarRichard Epcar is an American actor voice actor / director, mostly specializing in the field of voice acting in games, animation and anime. He is the husband of voice actress Ellyn Stern, with whom he owns and operates Epcar Entertainment, Inc., a voiceover production service company based in Los...
) - Boss Fang (Kōhei Fukuhara)
- Amiba (Tomokazu SekiTomokazu Sekiis a Japanese voice actor. He formerly worked for Haikyou and is now the head of Atomic Monkey.-About:Some of his most notable roles include Shinichi Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, Gilgamesh from Fate/stay night, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Gundam characters Domon Kasshu and Yzak Joule, from G Gundam...
) (Eng - Steve StaleySteve StaleySteve Staley is a voice actor who is also known as Steve Cannon. He is represented by Arlene Thornton & Associates.When he is not working in the booth, he teaches a voice acting class at Kalmenson & Kalmenson in Burbank, California....
) - Juda (Keisuke Baba)
- Uighur (Ryūzaburō ŌtomoRyuzaburo Otomois a Japanese voice actor, actor and narrator from Tokyo. He is currently affiliated with Aoni Production as of December 2006, and was formerly affiliated with 81 Produce and the Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society....
) - Juza (Masaya TakatsukaMasaya Takatsukais a Japanese voice actor .-Voice acting roles:*Niwa Nagahide in Kessen III*Arthur, Girardot Argezas, and Li Long in Soulcalibur III*Gawain Grandheart in Dragon Shadow Spell*Krueger in Langrisser IV...
) - Fudo (Hiromu Miyazaki)
- Shew (Takahiro Yoshimizu)
- Airi (Umeka ShōjiUmeka Shōjiis a Japanesevoice actress from Kanagawa Prefecture. She is affiliated with the studio Aoni Production and has starred in a number of voice-over roles for various anime, video games, and television shows since beginning her career in 2005.-Anime:...
) (Eng - Dorothy Elias-FahnDorothy Elias-FahnDorothy Ann Elias-Fahn is an American voice actress who is the wife of Tom Fahn . She is also known as Dorothy Melendrez and Annie Pastrano...
) - Ryuga (Takeshi Mori)
- Narrator (Norio WakamotoNorio Wakamotois a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
)
Development
Hokuto Musō was originally announced as a "mystery title" during the 2009 Tokyo Game Show and was publicly unveiled during a staged media event on October 14, 2009 (broadcast live to the Japanese movie site, Nico Nico DougaNico Nico Douga
is a popular video sharing website in Japan managed by Niwango, a subsidiary of Dwango. Its nickname is "Niconico" or "Nico-dō", where "nikoniko" is the Japanese ideophone for smiling. Nico Nico Douga is the thirteenth most visited website in Japan...
). Its story and characters are based on the famous Japanese comic and anime Fist of the North Star. Tetsuo Hara and Buronson, the illustrator and writer respectively of the original comic, have expressed their support and enthusiasm for the title.
Hisashi Koinuma, the game's producer said that the staff aim to create a "new realistic feel" for the Fist of the North Star series while still being faithful to the original's roots. During this process, he mentioned his concerns for the characters' body structure, muscles, and other minute details (such as perfecting the model for Raoh's wrinkled forehead). He noted that the official mode for this title carries more action adventure tones than other Warriors titles thus far yet gave his assurance that Warriors fans can easily feel at home in the game's original story mode. He personally spoke his thoughts regarding the game at Yodobashi-Akiba, Biccamera Yurakucho, and Biccamera Ikebukuro on March 22 and March 25. He also played a rock-paper-scissor game for attendants, the winner of the crowd obtaining an original T-shirt signed by the game's voice actors.
Downloadable content
Upon release of the game, Koei plans for downloadable content for the game, including additional costumes and characters. Players can also gain access to download Kenshiro's original costume from the manga and the anime for 300 yen, originally available for the first print editions.Bundles
The game comes in four different variations; a standalone copy of the game, the pre-order version, the First print edition and the treasure box edition. The first print edition comes with the access to download download Kenshiro's original costume, the pre-order version comes with the Metal Card Case and the treasure box edition includes the character voice Alarm Clock, an original soundtrack CD and an original story book with strategies and artwork.Promotions
Pokka Coffee was performing a collaboration event with Fist of the North Star in which they had specially printed cans on their products. These same drinks were present during the March 3rd Premium play test for Ken's Rage.On October 21, it was announced that pre-order customers who order their game from GameStop
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
stores would receive the playable character 'Heart' as a bonus, as well as two additional missions.
Theme song
Female Jpop artist Nana TanimuraNana Tanimura
, is a Japanese pop singer.- Background :Tanimura was raised mainly in Osaka. She moved frequently between Osaka and Hawaii between the ages of 3 and 8, after which she also stayed for an extended period of time in Los Angeles....
performed two theme songs for the game, "Far Away" and "Believe You" during the October 14, 2009 press event. It will be used during promotional videos and will be used during the game. Tanimura herself dresses up as the game versions of Yuria and Mamiya while performing these songs in live Koei sponsored events. The single, titled "Far Away/Believe You", which contains both songs, was released on March 24, 2010. While both "Far Away" and "Believe You" are present in the original Japanese release of the game as end themes during the credits for the Legend and Dream modes they were replaced in the American, European, and International Edition releases with stock music from the games soundtrack.
The first opening song of the Fist of the North Star anime, "Ai o Torimodose!!", can also be heard in the game as background music. It was given a special heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
arrangement for the game and plays during important events.
Reception
The game gained positive reviews from FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
and was given a score of 32 (9/8/7/8) out of 40, saying that "The game recreates the manga's world pretty well, from the heavy-handed Hokuto moves to the speedier Nanto attacks," one writer said. "It's not all that exciting at first, but things change once you start stringing strong attacks together." Another editor had more serious issues with the game's controls, saying that "The throwing animation is too slow, and you stop for a moment after each strong attack," the reviewer wrote. "Maybe it adds to the effect, but it cuts down on the momentum a bit. The rest of your moves are pretty quick and speedy, too, which makes it seem all the worse."
American reviews of the game have been mixed, with an average score of 62% at GameRankings. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
awarded the game 5.0 out of ten and said "There are different stories to play through and plenty to unlock, but it's nothing special." Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
magazine awarded it 5 out of ten and said "It all adds up to an uneven brawler, a game with the resources and technology to break through the walls of the developer's lineage but one unprepared to fully let go and take a chance." GamesTM
GamesTM
GamesTM is a UK-based, multi-format video games magazine, covering many video game platforms including PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii, GameCube, Xbox, PlayStation 2, PC games, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS and Arcade machines...
awarded it 7 out of ten. PalGN
PALGN
The PAL Gaming Network is an Australian based video game news and reviews website that focuses on the videogame industry and culture in PAL territories, particularly Australia and the UK. It was launched in 2003 by a group of PAL forum members on the IGN message boards who were disenfranchised by...
awarded it 7 out of ten and said "If you like beat 'em ups, you will appreciate this one, but ultimately Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage is a love letter to fans of the original series."
Hokuto Musō sold about half a million copies in Japan alone prior to its first release.