ryan_shepard's Full Review: Wu Tang Shaolin Style for PlayStation 1
If you've read my other reviews, you know I'm a big fan of kung fu flicks. You also may know that I dig rap music. So when I saw that the infamous Wu-Tang Clan was releasing a video game for the PlayStation, my gut instinct was "Hells YEAH!"
Then I thought for a second. Would this be the same sort of release where a video game is based on an artist, a la "SPICE WORLD" or whatever that Shaq Fu game was? Did these even remotely sell?
Well, I was making decent money at the time, so I figured, why not. I read a couple of reviews, saw the screenshots, and purchased the game. Tossed it in the old PS, and away we go.
The concept is a good one. The Abbot of the Wu-Tang (whom I thought was RZA; apparently he's the Vice-Abbot or something) is kidnapped by evil monks in China. Your goal is to rescue him; meanwhile, beat the tar out of everybody who stands in your way.
You have the original 9 Wu-Tang members to choose from. Select one, and off you go. The level sequence is interesting; you progress through "levels", which consist of separate areas and fights. You don't need to solve an entire level to get to the next one; you can partially finish it and move on, such as the elevation process in Tony Hawk Pro Skater.
Along the way, pulling off certain moves and fulfilling certain tasks earns you "Chambers", of which there are 36. (Go figure. 36 Chambers.) The more Chambers you earn, the more secrets get unlocked in the game - hidden levels, arenas, powers, and costumes.
You also will encounter fights where you either fight with another Wu-Tang member, or protect one that's already injured. The game allows fights of up to four people, which makes for an interesting set of combinations: two good vs. two bad, three vs. one, and so on.
So, you'd think with all this complexity, and an interesting plot (for once), that the game would be the sickest thing out there, right?
Well, it falls short.
Firstly, the graphics are blocky and pixelated. I don't know if this is due to the system being taken up with the 4-person combat scenario; hopefully a sequel (?) will fix this problem.
Some boards are just plain hard. You'll encounter a three-on-one fight where you get creamed over and over again, and that takes away from the game play.
Plus, achieving the 36 Chambers is going to be a task for a lot of people. The maneuvers for each character consist of a lot of timed button-pushing, which will wear down the thumbs and eventually bore you.
Understand that it's not hard to learn the basics; it's hard to learn the intricacies, and that's what makes up most of the game.
Is this a cool game? It tries to be. Are there weak spots? Sure are. Ultimately, it's not worth the retail price; wait til it goes on sale. It's a good game, and challenging - so the experts will dig it. But for the majority of the game-playing populace, you may want to start hunting for those cheat codes now.
collectiongames Store PLAYSTATION GAME WU-TANG : SHAOLIN STYLE BRAND NEW AND FACTORY SEALED!!! RARE GAME GOOD OFFER COLLECTIBLE ITEM AT A VERY LOW PRI...More at eBay
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.