0.24 [?]
0.23 [Mirko Buffoni, Ishmair, Nicola Salmoria]
Artwork available
NOTE:
- In slow motion mode, press 2 to slow game speed. In stop mode, press 2 to stop and 1 to restart. In level selection mode, press 1 to select and 2 to restart.
WIP:
- 0.172: Farzeno and Rockman added clone 'Spartan X (Tecfri hardware bootleg)' (bootleg (Tecfri) 1987). Make this bootleg work. P2 controls don't work if the 'cocktail' dipswitch is set, but since I see nothing to flip the screen I suspect that mode simply isn't supported in this bootleg [David Haywood].
- 0.151: Use 8-way joysticks in Kung-Fu Master and clones [Phil Bennett].
- 0.150: hap changed description to 'Kung-Fu Master (World)' and clone (Data East) to 'Kung-Fu Master (US)'.
- 3rd September 2010: Smitdogg - We got a rare version of Kung-Fu Master. It's one that is mentioned in the top of the driver as to where one of the bootleg versions we have originated from. It had 3 bad roms but luckily these were all ones whose label/revision matched up to some already-dumped roms, so the set is complete. It was the dustiest board set I have ever bought. I cleaned most of the dust off.
- 0.133u1: Renamed (kungfud) to (kungfumd).
- 0.114u1: Fixed rom names and added 17x proms to clone Kung-Fu Master (bootleg set 1).
- 5th November 2006: Mr. Do - Ad_Enuff optimized Kung Fu Master bezel.
- 29th October 2006: Mr. Do - Courtesy of ClassicArcadeGrafix, added Kung Fu Master bezel. I need to revisit Kung Fu later, though, as one thing still needs to be fixed on it.
- 0.104u8: Replaced 8k cpu2/gfx2 roms with 16k in clone (Data East).
- 0.37b15: Changed 8-way Joystick to 4-way.
- 0.37b14: Changed parent and clone descriptions to 'Kung-Fu Master'.
- 0.37b6: Changed Z80 CPU1 clock speed to 3072000 and M6803 CPU2 and the 2x AY-8910 to 894886 Hz.
- 0.36b12: Changed description of clone (Japan) to 'Spartan X (Japan)'. Renamed (spaltanx) to (spartanx).
- 0.36b10: Added clone Spaltan X (Japan).
- 25th June 1999: Zsolt Vasvari fixed Kung Fu Master sprite priorities at the end of a level.
- 0.35b11: Added prom ($620 - video timing, same as Battle-Road). Changed M6803 CPU2 clock speed to 1.5MHz.
- 0.35b7: Changed visible area to 256x256 and VSync to 55Hz.
- 0.34b7: Nicola Salmoria added clones Kung Fu Master (Data East) and Kung Fu Master (bootleg set 1). Changed description of clone (bootleg) to 'Kung Fu Master (bootleg set 2)'. Renamed (kungfub) to (kungfub2).
- 0.33b7: Added proms ($0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600).
- 0.31: Control: In slow motion mode, press 2 to slow game speed. In stop mode, press 2 to stop and 1 to restart. In level selection mode, press 1 to select and 2 to restart.
- 0.29: Aaron Giles improved sound in Kung Fu Master. Fixed gfx rom loading.
- 0.26: Mauro Minenna introduced a new option (-dir4) that simplify the use of the joysticks to be connected on the keyboard. This modify resolves the problem of diagonal direction in games such as PacMan, Popeye, and Kung Fu Master.
- 0.24: Added 'Kung Fu Master' (Irem 1984). Nicola Salmoria fixed definitively Kung Fu Master driver which has now 100% perfect colors and sprite positioning. Thanks to Paul Swan for color scheme. Test mode doesn't work for bootleg version (as is right to be). Hi Score Support in each version as well. Mirko Buffoni finally fixed problems with ADPCM decoding, so now Kung Fu Master doesn't need separate samples anymore (he didn't distribute them because of copyright on sounds). The samples are now calculated during bootstrap of the game. Changed 'Kung Fu Master' to clone 'Kung Fu Master (bootleg)'. Renamed (kungfum) to (kungfub).
- 0.23: Mirko Buffoni added 'Kung Fu Master' (1984). Credits fly to Ishmair for the hardware information and to Nicola for fixing sprite bugs. Game is playable with wrong colors and no sound. Control: Arrows = Move around, CTRL = Kick, Alt = Punch and F1+F3 = Test mode.
- 15th April 1997: Dumped Kung-Fu Master.
STORY:
- A Kung-Fu master, Thomas and Silvia were suddenly attacked by several unknown guys. Silvia was kidnapped by them.
LEVELS: 5
Other Emulators:
* FB Alpha
* JAE
Recommended Games (Asian Fighting):
Samurai
Sasuke vs. Commander
Chinese Hero
Kung-Fu Master
Kung Fu (PlayChoice-10)
Kung-Fu Taikun
The Legend of Kage
Ninjakun Majou no Bouken
Ninja-Kid II / NinjaKun Ashura no Shou
Vs. Ninja Jajamaru Kun
Chanbara
Ikki
Kicker
Konami 80's AC Special (Kicker)
Lady Master of Kung Fu
Onna Sansirou - Typhoon Gal
Samurai Nihon-Ichi
Sega Ninja
Kid Niki - Radical Ninja
KiKi KaiKai
Kiki Kaikai (Tourvision PCE bootleg)
Mr. Goemon
Garyo Retsuden
Kozure Ookami
Ninja Mission (Arcadia)
The Ninja Warriors
Tiger Road
China Gate
Kabuki-Z
Kuri Kinton
The Masters of Kin
Mirai Ninja
Ninja Spirit
Saigo no Nindou - Ninja Spirit (Tourvision PCE bootleg)
Shingen Samurai-Fighter
Jinmu Denshou (Tourvision PCE bootleg)
Mystic Defender (Mega-Tech)
Ninja Combat
The Ninja Kids
Jackie Chan (Tourvision PCE bootleg)
Lightning Swords
Sengoku
Sengoku 2
Sengoku 3
Hangzo
Mazin Wars / Mazin Saga (Mega Play)
Mystic Warriors
Shadow Force
Zunzunkyou No Yabou
Ganryu
The Legend of Silkroad
Age Of Heroes - Silkroad 2
Legend of Heroes
Tsurugi
$vgmplay=kungfum,
Arcade Video game published 35 years ago:
Kung-Fu Master (c) 1984 Irem Corp.
For more complete information on the game itself, please see the original Japanese version entry; "Spartan X".
- TRIVIA -
Kung-Fu Master was released in December 1984 outside Japan. Originally known in Japan as as "Spartan X".
Licensed to Data East for US manufacture and distribution. Kung-Fu Master was the first game that Irem licensed to Data East and was also the first of two genre-defining fighting games released by Data East that year; the other being 'Karate Champ', the world's first one-on-one fighting game.
A bootleg of this game was released by O.K. corp. in 1985.
Mike Sullivan holds the official record for this game with 1,349,040 points.
- UPDATES -
Differences between Spartan X and Kung-Fu Master :
* During the demo screen the word Kung-Fu (in 'A KUNG-FU MASTER, THOMAS....') is spelled 'KANFU' in Spartan X.
* Spartan X has an additional copyright notice that is not in Kung-Fu Master : '(C)1984 Paragon Films Ltd., Towa Promotion'.
- SERIES -
1. Kung-Fu Master (1984, Arcade)
2. Vigilante (1988, Arcade)
3. Spartan X 2 (1991, Famicom)
- PORTS -
* CONSOLES:
Nintendo Famicom [AS] (1984) "Kung Fu"
[US] Atari 2600 (may.12, 1987) "Kung-Fu Master [Model AG-039]" by Activision
[US] Nintendo NES (oct.1985) "Kung Fu [Model NES-SX-USA]"
[EU] Nintendo NES (apr.15, 1987) "Kung Fu [Model NES-SX-NOE]"
[US] Atari 7800 (1989) "Kung-Fu Master [Model AM-039-04]" by Absolute Entertainment
* HANDHELDS:
[EU] Nintendo Game Boy (1991) "Kung Fu Master [Model DMG-SX-NOE]"
[US] Nintendo Game Boy (feb.1991) "Kung Fu Master [Model DMG-SX]"
* COMPUTERS:
[US] Apple II (1985) "Kung Fu Master"
[US] Commodore C64 [EU] (1985) "Kung Fu Master"
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1986) "Kung-Fu Master" by U.S. Gold
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1987) "Kung-Fu Master"
PC [MS Windows, Online] [EU] (dec.9, 2011) "IREM Arcade Hits" by DotEmu
Apple MacIntosh [Online] [US] (aug.21, 2011) "Irem Arcade Hits" by DotEmu
PC [Desura] [US] (nov.2, 2013) "IREM Arcade Hits" by Plug In Digital
- CONTRIBUTE -
Edit this entry: https://www.arcade-history.com/?&page=detail&id=1331&o=2