KUNG FOOD

1 player, horizontal game
Atari Corp., for the Atari Lynx
$34.95
Stereo? No

OVERVIEW:
    Okay, how's this: For some crazy reason, your boss at the video-game
company wants to put the unstable mutagen Rynoleum into the next batch of
games. Acting on your conscience, you steal the toxic waste, haul it home, and
put it for safekeeping in the freezer. Unfortunately, you've been contaminated
into a six-inch-tall, naked, green version of yourself. Worse, your groceries
have gained sentience, and are now planning to take over the world! Can you
fight through your leftovers, cure yourself, and stop this plan cold?

    That's KUNG FOOD for the Lynx, the video game with a plot that's an
instant finalist in the "Goofiest Idea of 1992" award. You play the samaritan
in the refrigerator who kicks, jumps, and punches through five levels of
killer groceries and other hazards to save the day. You start with three
lives, and can take a limited number of hits, but the vegetables still
outnumber you. There are no continues, but power-up icons along the way will
help even the odds. Sure, it's silly, but it's no weirder than ninja-trained
terrapins, right?

GAMEPLAY:
    There's no surprise here -- KUNG FOOD is your generic "beat everything in
sight" video game. You walk left to right, up and down, and after a few steps
encounter a pack of hopping peas, potato men, or ice demons that have to be
destroyed before you can go any farther. You take hits pretty easily, and
there's not much warning that you've been hit, so watching the health gauge is
very important.

    There are a number of small quirks that may bother some players, however.
Controls are a little awkward; button A and the control pad activate punches
and kicks, which is tolerable, but it's impossible to turn quickly in the heat
of battle. Actually hitting an opponent requires a fair amount of precision,
and, depending on where you're standing, it's possible to be hit by an enemy
who you can't hurt. Working around these limits isn't difficult, but veterans
of video street battles will be caught flat-footed at first.

GRAPHICS/SOUND:
    The graphics on KUNG FOOD are among the most elaborate ever on a Lynx
title. There's great use of color, detail, and animation, and some fairly
elaborate opening and closing sequences, which mesh together with a consistent
level of high quality. Game sounds are pretty good and match the action
appropriately, but the background music and title theme are repetitive and
grating. Fortunately, pressing OPTION 2 lets you turn the music off while
keeping the sound effects.

SUMMARY:
    Take away the story, and KUNG FOOD comes across as a very average fighting
game that breaks no new ground. The game's controls and minor quirks may
irritate some players, but fight fans with Lynxes should look past the
silliness and give the title a try.

                GAMEPLAY:        6
                GRAPHICS:        8.5
                SOUND:           5.5
                OVERALL:         6.5