Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal (Kakutou Choujin: Fighting Super Heroes ^{http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/xbox/data/475158.html} as known is Japan) is a fighting game

Fighting game

Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...

 exclusively made for Microsoft

Microsoft

Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

's Xbox

Xbox

The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...

 gaming console

Video game console

A video game console is an interactive entertainment computer or customized computer system that produces a video display signal which can be used with a display device to display a video game...

 published in 2002

2002 in video gaming

The year 2002 in video gaming saw the release of many games to sixth-generation video game consoles, predominately, the Nintendo GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox.-Events:...

 by Microsoft Game Studios

Microsoft Game Studios

Microsoft Studios is the video game production wing for Microsoft, responsible for the development and publishing of games for the Xbox, Xbox 360, Games for Windows and Windows Phone platforms. They were established in 2002 as Microsoft Game Studios to coincide with the release of the Xbox, before...

. The game was the sole product of developer Dream Publishing, a studio created from members of Dream Factory

Dream Factory (game developer)

DreamFactory Ltd. is a Japanese video game developer founded in 1995 and based out of Tokyo. They are best known for the Tobal fighting game series and the high-profile PlayStation 2 launch title The Bouncer, both developed under Square Co...

 and Microsoft. It was originally created as a tech demo to show off the graphic capabilities of the Xbox, before the decision was made to turn it into a full game.

Gameplay

Kakuto Chojin is a fighting game generally set in a three-dimensional arena. There are thirteen fighters, each with their own arena. Each character has two styles of fighting; the "Kakuto" style is the only one available at first, with the "Chojin" style acquired after beating Story mode with a character. Kakuto Chojin attempts a different fighting system in that it lacks buttons meant specifically to punch and kick, instead assigning controls to high, middle and low attacks, along with the ability to unleash a special attack. The left trigger allows for free movement around an arena, while the right trigger is used for blocking and an attack modifier. Besides the Story mode, there are the standard Practice and Vs. modes. Kakuto Chojin allows for a Battle Royale with four players at once.

Reception and controversy

Kakuto Chojin, though heavily hyped and praised for its graphics, received unfavorable reviews from both critics and gamers, who citied its shallow gameplay, weak Story mode, and lack of bonus material. The game averages a 52.54% rating on the aggregate game review website Game Rankings

Game Rankings

GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...

. Game Informer

Game Informer

Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...

magazine described it as a Tekken

Tekken (video game)

Tekken is a fighting game and is the first of the series. It was released at arcades in late 1994 and on the PlayStation in 1995. A simplified "arcade" version of the game was later released in Tekken 5s Arcade History mode. It was developed and published by Namco...

ripoff

Ripoff

A ripoff is a bad financial transaction. Usually it refers to an incident in which a person overpays for something. A ripoff is distinguished from a scam in that a scam involves wrongdoing such as fraud; whether or not something is a ripoff, on the other hand, is a matter of opinion.In a related...

; ironically, a portion of the Kakuto Chojin development team were indeed ex-Tekken developers.

The game was pulled off the shelves in early 2003 due to accusations of containing offensive religious content. Verses from the Quran were allegedly being chanted in the background of the song "Love/Hate Chant", which serves as theme song for the character Asad (a Muslim himself). To date, Kakuto Chojin has not been re-released. The initial intent may have been to reissue the game without the chant, but its sales were so poor that Microsoft presumably decided a reissue would not be profitable. In fact, Kakuto Chojin is not found on any official game list published by Microsoft, further suggesting that there was no reissue and Microsoft has decided to erase the game from its records. Ironically, the game was touted as the first first-party fighter developed for the Xbox.

Characters

• Asad - A well-respected Muai Thai Fighter and deeply religious man, Asad joined the Tournament to gain revenge on Daeva for setting his village ablaze. Unknown to Asad, his village's destruction was used to goad him into entering the tournament for the purpose of being studied by Daeva and her organization.

• Vittoria - An fighter from Spain, she works for Interpol and studied in criminology and Combat. Enters Drasuka to find her missing Brother who she believes has also entered the 'Fist of Fire' Tournament.

• Sabre - A brute force fighter, well known in Drasuka for his strong style and the crowd love it. Deava enters him in the Fist of Fire tournament so he can prove him self for an top place in Deava's inner ring.

• J.D. Stone - Even though he appears to be a "nice guy," Stone has a definite mean streak and ruthlessness when it comes to pit fighting. Leaving the Military after an ambush killed his best buddies, he enters the Fist of Fire tournament after hearing rumors Daeva was behind the attack.

• Rena - Daughter of a wealthy Japanese family, Rena was raised in São Paulo. As a child she studied the Brazilian art of Capoeira and grew to master the martial art form. A child of wealth, she had the luxury of traveling with her father across the world as a young girl. Always wishing for independence, Rena has been forced to follow her father's will her entire life. Having to move back to Japan with her father, she began to grow restless. Hearing about a secret tournament where the winner can have anything they want, Rena came up with a plan: win the tournament and gain independence from her father. "Borrowing" some cash from her dad, Rena snuck off to Drasuka Bay to fight in the tournament, and with luck, gain the freedom she so desperately seeks.

• Kahn - Serving as Davea's right hand man, Kahn is a sadistic and, quite cleary, insane man who almost seems to enjoy his occupation and his ability to inflict pain on anyone he is ordered to deal with.

• Crusher Ramirez - A professional wrestler who has fought in virtually all parts of the world. However, given the fact that suspended from every major wrestling federation because of his viciousness, he has earned a reputation that no wrestling promoter would willing touch. But now he's found a new home of wrestling in Drasuka where he can release his boundless anger and willingness to do anything to get the win.

• Shadow - Genetically enhanced, a cyborg, or something far darker? Shadow's origins are clouded in mystery. Displaying incredible Ninjitsu skills and incredible strength, whatever Shadow is, it's clearly not fully human. With a mask concealing his features, Shadow is a faceless, heartless, merciless force in combat. He is a killer, having slain more fighters than anyone in Drasuka. Whatever the truth is behind Shadow, it's been made abundantly clear he's not one to trifle with.

• Roxy - Roxy's father, a political militant, urged her at an early age to study a variety of martial art forms with the best masters all over the world. Khan, her kung fu sensei in Hong Kong, betrayed he trust and tortured her. She escaped, becoming an assassin and mercenary. Currently employed by a Japanese businessman who is actually a crime lord from Maladinia, she still hungers for revenge against Khan. Roxy recently volunteered to search for her boss' daughter in Drasuka, discovering Khan was also there. Entering the tournament, she seeks vengeance against her former master.

• Reiji - Adopted by a Jeet Kune Do Master, Reiji fights in the style of the famous Bruce Lee. Growing up learning martial arts from his adoptive father, he never understood why this man had left the city for the countryside. Following his twenty-sixth birthday, Reiji returned home to discover his father being assaulted by a mysterious group of men. His father was brutally murdered before him, Reiji was hung up and cut sacrificial animal. Surviving, though barely, his purpose became vengeance against his attackers. With the police offering no help, Reiji set off on his own. After a year of traveling, Reiji found the picture of the man who had tortured him and murdered his father in a newspaper article describing an underground fighting tournament in Drasuka.

• Vegard - Born into an upper class Norwegian family, Vegard enjoyed a privileged childhood. His father practiced ancient rituals in the belief that it would help him become even more successful. During his studies, a fortune-teller predicted his son would one day face a great evil that would arise from within. Fearful of his safety, Vegard's parents put him through rigorous academic and physical training. He excelled in Tae Kwan Do, though no other students dared face him for fear of injury due to his brutality. Unfortunately, the pressure of his parents' expectancy and the dark destiny foretold caused him to withdraw from the world around him, leaving nothing but his dark thoughts. Vegard became fascinated with a mask kept in his father's art collection—an iron mask depicting the face of a violent, confused soul. Stealing the mask, he wandered the world, wearing it to the point of only being at "peace" with it on. Eventually he found himself in Drasuka, eagerly accepting an invite to an underground tournament.

• Yin Kai Li - Rasied by a traditional Chinese Family, soon falls for the street/gang life after they moved to a northern province. Run's away to join the FIst of Fire tournament after Rebelling against his father, in hopes of meeting 2 fighters, Reiji and Sabre for whom he is jealous of.

• Daeva -

Sources

• Ahmed, Shahed. Spring TGS 2001: Microsoft reveals Project K-X. Yahoo! Video Games. March 30, 2001.
• Kakuto Chojin recalled
• Microsoft pays dear for insults through ignorance
• A Kakuto Chojin FAQ and walkthrough
• Kakuto Chojin's Fight Club #2
• Kakuto Chojin's Fight Club #3
• Kakuto Chojin's Fight Club #4
• Kakuto Chojin's Fight Club #6
• Kakuto Chojin's Fight Club #8