Kung Fu Chaos

Kung Fu Chaos is a 3D fighting party game developed by Just Add Monsters and published by Microsoft Game Studios. It was released worldwide for the Xbox in 2003.

Kung Fu Chaos
Developer(s)Just Add Monsters
Publisher(s)Microsoft Game Studios
Designer(s)Tameem Antionades
Nina Kristensen
Mike Ball
Artist(s)Antonio Paliman
Writer(s)Kami Back
James Richardson
Composer(s)Andrew Barnabas
Paul Arnold
Platform(s)Xbox
Release
  • NA: 24 February 2003
  • EU: 11 April 2003
  • JP: 29 May 2003
Genre(s)Fighting, party
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Plot

Kung Fu Chaos often breaks the fourth wall. The entire game is about the player controlling a selection of characters making a kung fu film. The actions of these characters are then processed as films and the player can watch them. Although the game is centered on a classic kung fu film, it has certain characters and levels that do not belong in a martial arts film (such as a city under attack by aliens).

Characters

Original main
  • Master Sho Yu: An elderly martial arts master.
  • Ninja Fu Hiya: A blue ninja. Prized possession is his signed poster of Bruce Lee.
  • Monkey: A parody of the Monkey King from Journey to the West. Became immortal after urinating on the Mountain king's favorite tablecloth.
  • Lucy Cannon: A parody of blaxploitation heroines such as Foxy Brown and Cleopatra Jones. Prized possession is Babydoll, her shotgun.
  • Xui Tan Sour: A young martial artist who seeks to avenge her parents, who were killed by members of a rival circus, parodying the idea that in martial arts films, the hero/heroine is avenging their families' death from a rival, often a rival clan.
  • Chop & Styx: A samurai and baby pair that parodies Lone Wolf and Cub.

Original recurring
  • Candi Roll: A roller-skating blonde.
  • Captain Won Ton: An overweight luchadore. Wrestler by day, justice avenger by the rest of the day.
  • Shao Ting: The film's loud and obnoxious director. He also serves as the final boss of the game. He sees himself as a womanizer, and after creating Kung Fu Chaos the Movie, with no plot whatsoever, he creates an experimental art film where he runs around naked for two hours chased by zombie nurses.

Development

Kung Fu Chaos is the first game developed by the Cambridge-based developer Just Add Monsters. The game's concept was co-created by design director Tameem Antoniades, producer Nina Kristensen, and technical director Mike Ball once the company was founded.[1] According to Antoniades, the game was prototyped in three months using four to eight people.[2]

In early 2003, Just Add Monsters began working on a more mature sequel to the game titled Kung Fu Story. However, realizing it would be a difficult idea to sell an existing intellectual property (IP) to prospective publishers, they shifted their focus on developing for the next-generation of consoles. Specifically, they started work on a new IP, Heavenly Sword for the PlayStation 3.[2] The company resurfaced in 2004 under the name Ninja Theory after it was purchased by former Argonaut Games CEO Jez San.[3]

Reception
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic68/100[4]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame[5]
Edge7/10[6]
EGM5/10[7]
Eurogamer8/10[8]
Famitsu30/40[9]
Game Informer6.5/10[10]
GamePro[11]
GameRevolutionB[12]
GameSpot6.5/10[13]
GameSpy[14]
GameZone6.6/10[15]
IGN6.3/10[16]
OXM (US)6.9/10[17]
Maxim8/10[18]
The Village Voice8/10[19]

Kung Fu Chaos received "average" reviews according to the review aggregation website Metacritic.[4] In Japan, where the game was ported for release under the name Kung Fu Panic (カンフーパニック, Kan Fū Panikku) on 29 May 2003,[20] Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, one seven, one eight, and one seven, for a total of 30 out of 40.[9]

The game was included among the best Xbox party games by IGN in 2005.[21]

References
  1. Wright, Gavin (1 March 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos: Just Add Monsters Interview". Gaming Target. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  2. Reed, Kristan (3 September 2004). "This Sword's Gone To Heaven". Eurogamer. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  3. Wilson, Andrew (15 November 2004). "Just Add Monsters Morphs Into Ninja Theory". Gamasutra. UBM plc. Retrieved 5 June 2012.
  4. "Kung Fu Chaos for Xbox Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  5. Marriott, Scott Alan. "Kung Fu Chaos - Review". AllGame. All Media Network. Archived from the original on 15 November 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  6. Edge staff (April 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos". Edge. No. 122. Future plc.
  7. EGM staff (April 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 165. Ziff Davis. p. 128.
  8. Reed, Kristan (14 April 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos". Eurogamer. Gamer Network. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  9. "Latest Dorimanga/Famitsu reviews". The MagicBox. 22 May 2003. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  10. Mason, Lisa (March 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos". Game Informer. No. 119. GameStop. p. 88. Archived from the original on 1 December 2003. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  11. Dan Elektro (26 February 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos Review for Xbox on GamePro.com". GamePro. IDG Entertainment. Archived from the original on 4 February 2005. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  12. Gee, Brian (March 2003). "Kung-Fu [sic] Chaos Review". Game Revolution. CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  13. Kasavin, Greg (28 February 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  14. Nutt, Christian (24 February 2003). "GameSpy: Kung Fu Chaos [words missing are "Other levels involve basic", and "A Toad in a Liquidizer"]". GameSpy. IGN Entertainment. Archived from the original on 30 December 2005. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  15. Valentino, Nick (8 March 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos - XB - Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 1 January 2007. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  16. Goldstein, Hilary (19 February 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos Review". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  17. "Kung Fu Chaos". Official Xbox Magazine. Future US. April 2003. p. 85.
  18. Boyce, Ryan (26 February 2003). "Kung Fu Chaos". Maxim. Biglari Holdings. Archived from the original on 13 April 2003. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  19. Catucci, Nick (25 March 2003). "In Da Fight Club". The Village Voice. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  20. "カンフーパニック [Xbox]". Famitsu (in Japanese). Enterbrain. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
  21. Perry, Douglass C.; Clayman, David (7 July 2005). "Life of the Party". IGN. Ziff Davis. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
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