BATTLE K-ROAD
Developer: Psikyo Year: 1994 Genre: Fighting
Psikyo is a developer known for its shoot-’em-ups, and although this fighting game is certainly an interesting experiment, you can see why it didn’t spend much more effort on the genre. Battle K-road is a visually bland game that pits 14 fighters against each other, with seven different styles: karate, boxing, kickboxing, sambo, sumo, jujitsu and mixed martial arts.
What’s interesting about Battle K-road is that it dispenses with most of the genre’s conventions. The game concentrates on providing a realistic combat experience, so there are no projectile attacks or super moves, and what special attacks exist are all performed by momentarily holding and releasing the hard punch or kick button. Damage is dependent on how strongly and cleanly you strike your opponents, rewarding good timing, and if you’re knocked down the fight is halted to allow you to get up. If you find memorising move lists and stringing together combos frustrating, this alternative style might suit you.
Strangely, though Battle K-road is mostly realistic (save for the two cyborg fighters), the game discards this conceit at the end of the game, pitting you against Mr Bear – an actual bear – before rolling one of many odd ending sequences.