Hokuto no Ken (Sega Mark III)
Hokuto no Ken
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| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Platform(s) | Sega Mark III PlayStation 2 Wii |
| Release date(s) | Mark III: July 20, 1986 PS2: March 25, 2004 Wii: February 26, 2008 |
| Genre(s) | Action |
| Mode(s) | Single Player |
| Rating(s) | CERO-B |
| Media | 1Mb ROM Cartridge |
| Input methods | Gamepad |
Hokuto no Ken (北斗の拳) is a video game released in Japan on July 20, 1986 by Sega for the Sega Mark III gaming platform. It is a side-scrolling action game that follows the events depicted in the first television series from Kenshiro's battle against Shin and his gang to his final showdown with Raoh. The game consists of side-scrolling levels where the player must reach the goal while defeating numerous enemy grunts and sub-bosses along the way, each leading to a one-on-one battle with the stage's boss. Despite featuring similar gameplay, this game is unrelated to Toei's video game version of Hokuto no Ken for the Family Computer released a few months later. The game's lead programmer was Yuji Naka, who would later be known for his work on the Sonic the Hedgehog game franchise. Despite appearing on the cover artwork, Rei does not actually appear in this game.
The original Mark III version game is included along with an enhanced remake in Sega Ages 2500 Hokuto no Ken for the wikipedia:PlayStation 2 in 2004. The gme was later re-released for the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on February 26, 2008. An overseas version of the game was produced for the western Master System titled Black Belt, which lacked the Hokuto no Ken license of the Japanese version and featured altered graphics as a result.
Characters
Listed by order of appearance.
- The Hero
- Kenshiro - The player's character. The successor of Hokuto Shin Ken.
- Chapter 1 - Southern Cross Town (サザンクロスタウン)
- King's Soldiers (KING兵 King Hei) - The enemy grunts of Chapter 1. Soldiers loyal to Shin.
- Spade - The first sub-boss of Chapter 1. He attacks by throwing axes.
- Diamond - The second sub-boss. He attacks with a bo.
- Club - The third sub-boss. He wields large claws on both hands and can attack while jumping.
- Heart - The fourth sub-boss. He can only be defeated by throwing four consecutive punches on his belly.
- Shin - The boss of Chapter 1. His weak spot is his chest. After delivering the final punch, Kenshiro will perform the Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken (北斗百裂拳) on him, knocking him dead.
- Yuria mannequin - A life-like doll created by Shin after Yuria's likeness.
- Chapter 2 - God Land (ゴッドランド)
- Golan Recruits (GOLAN訓練生 Golan Kunrensei) - The enemy grunts of Chapter 2. Newly recruited Golan soldiers trained by the Mad Sarge.
- Captain of the Elite Guard (親衛隊長 Shin'eitaichō) - The first sub-boss of Chapter 2. A whip-wielding Golan commando. Likely the same character as the Major.
- Mad Sarge - The second sub-boss. He attacks with a combat knife and blood-sucking needle knives.
- Colonel - The boss of Chapter 2. He attacks with boomerangs. His weak spot is his face. After delivering the final blow, Kenshiro will perform the Hokuto Kaikotsu Ken (北斗壊骨拳) on him, causing him to explode afterward.
- Chapter 3 - Devil Rebirth (デビルリバーズ)
- Jackal's lackeys (ジャッカルの部下 Jakkaru no Buka) - The enemy grunts of Chapter 3. Members of Jackal's gang.
- Fox - The only sub-boss in Chapter 3. He attacks by spinning his blade around while jumping.
- Devil Rebirth - The boss of Chapter 3. He uses Fūsatsu Kongō Ken (風殺金剛拳) technique to create flames. He can also defeat Ken by merely jumping over him. His weak spot is his head. When finishing him, Kenshiro will perform the Hokuto Shichi Shi Sei Ten (北斗七死星点). The battle with Devil is the only boss battle in the game where Kenshiro remains in his regular size instead of using the large sprite used in every other boss battle (presumably done in order to properly convey the large size of Devil).
- Chapter 4 - The Legacy of Cassandra (カサンドラの伝説)
- Cassandra Guards (カサンドラ衛士 Kasandora Eishi) - The enemy grunts of Chapter 4. Members of Raoh's army assigned to watch over Cassandra.
- Eagles (鷲 Washi) - Enemy creatures who will descend from the sky and attack Kenshiro.
- Uighur - The first sub-boss of Chapter 4. He attacks with a body ram and his whip.
- The King of Fist's Royal Guards (拳王親衛隊 Ken'ō Shin'eitai) - The second sub-bosses in Chapter 4. A pair of swordsman who also attack with throwing stars.
- Toki - The boss of Chapter 4. Toki can only be defeated by literally exchanging blows with him until his life gauge is almost empty. During the battle, Kenshiro will learn the Fist of Softness (柔の拳 Jū no Ken) from Toki.
- Chapter 5 - The Holy Emperor Cross Mausoleum (聖帝十字陵)
- The Holy Emperor's Army (聖帝軍 Seiteigun) - The enemy grunts of Chapter 5. Souther's army of loyal warriors.
- Flamethrower Troops (火炎放射隊 Kaenhōshatai) - The sub-bosses of Chapter 5. The player will fight three groups of two throughout the stage.
- Souther - The boss of Chapter 5. His weak spot changes places between hits and the player must strike his head, chest, waist and legs in that very order to defeat him. Kenshiro will finish him with the Hokuto Ujō Ken (北斗有情拳)
- Chapter 6 - Raoh the King of Fist (拳王ラオウ)
- Raoh - The final opponent. He has a very orthodox fighting style compared to other bosses, but has greater strength. His weak spot is his chest. After defeating him, he will ascend to the heavens.
- Yuria - Kenshiro's girlfriend. She was originally captured by Shin, but managed to escape before Shin's defeat by Kenshiro. Kenshiro is reunited with her after defeating Raoh.
Overseas version
Sega released an overseas version of their Hokuto no Ken video game for the American and European markets titled Black Belt, which lacked the Hokuto no Ken license from its original Japanese release. All of the game's graphics underwent extensive modifications as a result in order to distance it from the Hokuto no Ken franchise. Some of the game's music was also changed and the difficulty was altered as well with the inclusion of more power-up items in Black Belt.
Name changes
| Hokuto no Ken | Black Belt | Character/Technique |
|---|---|---|
| Kenshiro (ケンシロウ) | Riki | Hero |
| Yuria (ユリア) | Kyoko | Heroine |
| Shin (シン) | Ryu | 1st Boss |
| Colonel (カーネル) | Hawk | 2nd Boss |
| Devil Rebirth (デビル・リバーズ) | Gonta | 3rd Boss |
| Toki (トキ) | Oni | 4th Boss |
| Souther (サウザー) | Rita | 5th Boss |
| Raoh (ラオウ) | Wang | Final Boss |
| 北斗百裂拳 (Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken) | 鉄拳制裁 (Tekken Seisai) | First finishing move |
| 北斗壊骨拳 (Hokuto Kaikotsu Ken) | 悪党撃破 (Akutō Gekiha) | Second finishing move |
| 北斗七死星点 (Hokuto Shichishi Seiten) | 闘魂一発 (Tōkon Ippatsu) | Third finishing move |
| 柔の拳 (Jū no Ken) | 懺悔無用 (Sangen Muyō) | Fourth finishing move |
| 北斗有情拳 (Hokuto Ujō Ken) | 極意炸裂 (Gokui Sakuretsu) | Fifth finishing move |
External links
- Black Belt/Hokuto no Ken at Hardcore Gaming 101
- Black Belt at GameFAQs
- Black Belt at MobyGames
- SEGA AGES 2500シリーズ Vol.11 北斗の拳
- 北斗の拳（バーチャルコンソール）
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