Ludography
Kabuki: Quantum Fighter cover

1990 · Port · Human Entertainment · Cyberpunk · Platformer

Kabuki: Quantum Fighter

Nintendo exclusivePort

Kabuki: Quantum Fighter is a 2D action platformer released exclusively for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Released
21 December 1990
Platforms
NES
Genres
CyberpunkPlatformer
Developers
Human Entertainment
Publishers
HAL Laboratory
Modes
Single-player
Perspective
Side view
Themes
ActionScience fiction
Country
Japan

About

Kabuki: Quantum Fighter (Japanese: 地獄極楽丸, Hepburn: Jigoku Gokurakumaru) is a 2D platform game developed by Human Entertainment and published by HAL Laboratory for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released on December 21, 1990, in Japan and was released in January 1991 for the North American market before being released in Europe on February 20, 1992.

Keywords

  • side-scrolling
  • cheat code
  • nuclear holocaust

Media

Kabuki: Quantum Fighter screenshot 1

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The field is generally side-scrolling, with a single room with a boss at the end of each level. O'Connor uses his long hair and chip-based weaponry to attack enemies inside the computer. The chip-weaponry includes the Energy Gun, Fusion Gun, Quantum Bombs and Remote-Controlled Bolo.

Story

In the year 2056, a virus has appeared in the main defense computer of the planet Earth. The origin and nature are unknown. Players adopt the persona of 25-year-old Colonel Scott O'Connor, a military agent who has transferred his brain into raw binary code using experimental technology in order to combat a rogue program in the main defense computer. When O'Connor enters the system, his body forms the self-image of his great-great-grandfather, who was a kabuki actor.

The virus in the virtual world takes on properties of an actual virus-it leaves behind debris, mutant creatures, and parasite environments of a biological nature. At the final level, it is revealed that the virus is of alien origin, having been picked up by the lost Hyperion probe launched to a neighboring planet. O'Connor stops it before the virus can order the Hyperion to fire its laser weapons and destroy the human population.

Reception

Nintendo Power described the game as sci-fi action. It received a rating of 3.6 out of 5 for Graphics and Sound, 3.6 out of 5 for Play Control, 3.5 out of 5 for Challenge, and a 3.7 out of 5 for Theme and Fun.

Paul Glancey and Paul Rand of Computer and Video Games magazine gave an overall score of 82 out of 100 in their review. The reviewers praised the detailed graphics but criticized the sound. Despite some initial skepticism, they found the game enjoyable after getting used to its difficulty and peculiar storyline. The game's ratings in specific categories were as follows: 85 for graphics, 53 for sound, 79 for playability, and 84 for lastability.

Releases by platformdates and regions as published

Releases by platform
PlatformReleasedRegions
NES21 December 1990Japan · North America 1 January 1991 · Europe 20 February 1992

Title IDsone per regional release, with its latest update

Title ids and disc serials by release
PlatformTitle IDRegionLatest update
NESNES-3KEurope—
PAC-9ZJapan—

Box artone per regional release we hold art for

Editions and related releases

Part of
Jigoku Gokurakumaru
Port of
Jigoku Gokurakumaru

Games like this

Collections2 collections

Platform libraries

Publishers

Description adapted from its source, CC BY-SA 4.0.