Reviews

Posted by: jkdmedia

The theme is familiar, and yet those campy kung-fu movies draw viewers back time and again to witness the action.

Give Artificial Mind & Movement credit, though, for they captured the essence of the movies – from the retread storyline to the musical score – and transforming it to a platformer on the PlayStation Network. Revenge of the Wounded Dragons is not unique, by any stretch. The story line involves a family trained in kung-fu who is bullied. The elderly patron of the family is shot, the sister is kidnapped. That leaves the brothers out to rescue their sibling and avenge the death of the father. And that is all you need to know about the story.

From that point on it is a series of levels built in side-scrolling fashion. The protagonist can pick up items – tossing barrels or bottles or knives, clubbing with baseball bats or shooting with handguns (though each item has limited uses) – or can find potions to replenish health. There are even collectibles throughout the levels to add a bit more to the adventure.

The game keeps a running score between the levels for leaderboard tracking. The game is actually broken down into four chapters (six levels per chapter) that are themed through the use of the environment (the village, forest, red district and monastery). There are four mini-games and there is also the ability for two-player action and some player-versus-player game play.

Each of the levels features a boss battle.

One of the nicer elements is the comic-style storyboard that reveals the basics of the story arc. It is nice to look at and adds to the overall style of the game. Generally speaking, the visual elements are handled very well. The animations are not innovative but still nice and the overall design sports a lush quality that pops the game off the screen.

When it comes to the gameplay mechanics, though, Revenge is very typical of old-style beat ‘em-up arcade titles. There are the standard jump mechanics, as well as ducking using the thumbstick. Skills can be combo’d and if an opponent is dazed, finishing moves are available. And the story mode is available for either a single player or as a cooperative venture.

For those with long arcade memories, think back to 1987 and the game Double Dragon and you will know precisely what you are in for with this PSN downloadable title. The game, though, comes in at a price of $10, but replayability is a bit sketchy. Sure, there are scores to beat and achievements to garner (12 in all), but there is not enough variation with the base game to make a replay that compelling.

Revenge of the Wounded Dragon is a throw-back game – a tribute to arcade games of old, and as such it can be fun. It is not compelling enough to spend hours upon hours in, but for smaller doses, it does provide solid entertainment.

Gameplay: 6.5
Easy controls to learn, but not much that is original or innovative.

Graphics: 7.0
The title looks really good for a platform arcade tribute. The animation is smooth and the environments are rich in color with nice variations between the chapters.

Sound: 6.5
Cheesy, but considering the flavor of the game, the musical score and accompanying sounds are very apropos.  

Difficulty: Easy

Concept: 6.0
Yes, it’s been done countless times before, and while done well here, it is not innovative in the least.

Multiplayer: 7.0
Cooperative play is available and while the single-player game is fine, there is more value gleaned from tag-teaming kung-fu-wannabe minions with a buddy. Ever see a ping-pong game with a henchman as the ball? You can in this title.

Overall: 6.5
A solid PSN title with good entertainment value. Don’t expect to be captivated for hours, though. Revenge of the Wounded Dragon is one of those titles that is fun unless too much time is spent playing it and then it becomes more tedious and repetitious than enjoyable. Taken in small doses, the game is entertaining.