Kung-Fu Master

スパルタンX (Supartan Ekkusu)NES, Arcade, Commodore 64, Other +51984

  1. JP1984
  2. NA1985
  3. EU1985
  4. RUDendy

The same Irem game has several names: Spartan X in Japan (arcade and Famicom), Kung-Fu Master in Western arcades, Kung Fu on the NES in North America and Europe, and Seiken Achō on the Japanese MSX. In Japan the arcade version was later included in Irem Arcade Classics for the PlayStation in 1996.

Kung-Fu Master was developed by Irem and released in arcades in 1984. In Japan it was called Spartan X, the Japanese title of the Jackie Chan film Wheels on Meals, and the hero Thomas is named after Chan's character in that film. The five-floor temple with a boss waiting on every floor was inspired by Bruce Lee's Game of Death.

The game is widely regarded as the first beat 'em up: it set up the side-scrolling "walk forward and fight" formula with end-of-level bosses. Its designer, Takashi Nishiyama, later used these boss battles as the basis for Capcom's Street Fighter (1987).

The Famicom/NES port was directed by Shigeru Miyamoto. According to the Japanese wiki, it had been planned as Irem's own first Famicom release before Nintendo took over publishing. Outside Japan the film licence was dropped, so the cartridge became simply Kung Fu. A Japan-only Famicom sequel, Spartan X 2, followed in 1991, while the 1990 Game Boy game of the same name is a different game with its own plot.12

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA Kung-Fu Master Arcade March 1985 Data East 1
NA Kung Fu NES Oct 18, 1985 Nintendo 1
NA Kung-Fu Master Commodore 64 November 1985 Data East 1
NA Kung-Fu MasterApple II Other November 1985 Data East 1
NA Kung-Fu MasterAtari 2600; programmed by Dan Kitchen Other May 12, 1987 — 1
NA Kung-Fu MasterAtari 7800 Other 1989 Absolute Entertainment 1
JP Spartan XWikipedia infobox gives December 1984, body text 24 November 1984 Arcade 1984 Irem 1
JP スパルタンXSupartan Ekkusudirected by Shigeru Miyamoto NES Jun 21, 1985 Nintendo 2
EU Kung-Fu Masterearly 1985 Arcade 1985 Irem 1
JP 聖拳アチョーSeiken Achōrenamed because of rights tied to Pony's film-licensed computer game MSX 1985 ASCII 2
EU Kung-Fu Master Commodore 64 1986 U.S. Gold 1
EU Kung Fu NES 1987 Nintendo 1
JP Irem Arcade Classicsarcade version in a compilation with Zippy Race and 10-Yard Fight; also on Sega Saturn the same day PlayStation Apr 26, 1996 I'Max 2

Also known as: スパルタンX JP2Spartan X JP1Kung Fu NA1聖拳アチョー JP2Seiken Achō JP1Кунг-фу RU1

Box art by region

  • Kung Fu box art, North America release
    NA Kung Fu
  • Kung Fu box art, Europe release
    EU Kung Fu
  • スパルタンX box art, Japan release
    JP スパルタンX

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • ContentFamicom/NES

    The Famicom/NES version leaves out the arcade scene in which Mr. X issues his challenge to Thomas.2

  • GameplayFamicom/NES

    The Famicom/NES version adds a Game A and a harder Game B, and displays a 'CONGRATULATIONS' message after the fifth floor, which the arcade original does not.2

  • AudioFamicom/NES

    The Famicom/NES version adds synthesized laughter, and some of its sound effects were reused in Super Chinese the following year.2

All differences (5)

Reception

The Famicom version sold 1.42 million copies in Japan and the NES version 3.5 million worldwide. In arcades it was America's second-highest-grossing game of 1985, behind Karate Champ.1

In lists

Sources

  1. 1en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2ja.wikipedia.org
  3. 3ja.wikipedia.org
  4. 4ja.wikipedia.org

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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