Hokuto
No Ken
STORY:
Set in a
post apocalyptic world where the Earth is barren and the strong survive
by preying on the weak, the series follows the journey of Kenshiro, the
successor of Hokuto Shinken, "Divine Fist of the North Star", a secret
martial arts style that allows its practitioner to destroy an opponent's
body from within by striking into their secret channeling points, often
resulting in a violent and gruesome death. Kenshiro uses his skills to
protect the weak and innocent against the numerous villains that threaten
their survival.
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Hokuto
No Ken character selection screen.
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ABOUT: Based
on the iconic manga and anime series, Hokuto
No Ken (known as Fist of the North Star in the West) is a 2D
fighter made by Arc System Works, perhaps best known for their amazing work on the Guilty Gear
series. The game is based on
the first half of the original manga (vol. 1-16), using the characters
as they were depicted in the 1980's anime series. The voices of the playable
characters are all performed by the original voice actors from the anime,
with the exception of Kenshiro and Rei, whom are both played by new actors.
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High-res
2D sprites from the
team that brought you Guilty Gear.
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Every player
has a Seven Stars Gauge. By performing attacks, the gauge can be lowered and
once empty, a final "death star" will light up and the enemy player can
perform a "Fatal KO technique" that finishes of the opponent similar to
the "Instant Kill" moves from Guilty Gear. Unlike in Guilty Gear, where
you could boost any number of times, Hokuto no Ken has a gauge that limits
the number of boosts a player can perform, however, the boost is much more
powerful than the one in Guilty Gear.
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| Page Updated: |
April
30th, 2026 |
| Developer(s): |
Arc System Works |
| Publisher(s): |
Sega |
| Platform(s): |
Arcade,
PlayStation 2 
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| Release Date(s): |
Dec. 2005
Arcade
Mar. 29th, 2000
PS2 |
| Characters: |
Kenshiro, Raoh,
Toki,
Jagi, Rei,
Shin,
Juda, Souther, Mr.
Heart, Mamiya
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Featured Video:
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| Related Games: |
Hokuto No Ken: Raoh Gaiden ~ Ten no Haoh, Sengoku Basara
X, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Heritage For The Future,
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, Battle Fantasia, Guilty
Gear X, BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger, AquaPazza,
Saturday Night Slam Masters, Dragon
Ball FighterZ, Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves |
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Gameplay Engine
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Story / Theme
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Overall Graphics
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Animation
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Music / Sound Effects
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Innovation
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Art Direction
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Customization
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Options / Extras
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Intro / Presentation
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Replayability / Fun
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"Ouch" Factor
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Characters
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BOTTOM LINE
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| Final
Words: |
As a casual fan of the series,
I'd say Fist of the North Star character are undeniably cool and the artwork is
excellent. Even though I never followed the series very closely, it's clear to
me that the the setting and character designs make it perfect for a fighting
game. Hokuto No Ken the fighting game seems like a dream come true for
any fan of the series and 2D fighting games alike. The artwork and animation
shines with Arc System Works' trademark Guilty
Gear XX style aesthetic (and who would complain), with flashy gameplay mechanics
and ridiculous combos making this title a head-turner.
However (and a big however)... this game is
notoriously BROKEN! 
It's broken on the level of X-Men Vs. Street Fighter,
but that doesn't mean that people won't play and enjoy the game... as
history has proven. This Hokuto No Ken fighting game has some of the most hilarious and ridiculous infinite combos and
glitches. A better name for this game? HOKUTO NO BROKEN.
Kidding aside, it's a very cool game to watch whether you're a fan of the manga
/ anime or you're a fighting game combo enthusiast. I personally haven't gotten around to
playing this one for any considerable length of time... but I have played
through arcade mode a few times and watched some high-level gameplay. Yeah, it's definitely
got some jank and is one of the most broken fighting games I've ever seen. Aside
from the obvious gameplay complaints... on bright side, the 2D character sprites are charismatic
and intense. I'm very surprised this
game never got a localized English release, but I'm glad to see this game still
appearing at fighting game tournaments!
~TFG
Webmaster |
@Fighters_Gen
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