41. The Way of The Exploding Fist
Kick, punch, it's all in the mind. While fighting games have certainly come a long way in the last 40(!) years, there's still a plethora of fun releases stretching back deep into gaming's history. The Way of the Exploding Fist by Beam Software is an one such snapshot of an era where developers were still zeroing in on the exact mix of mechanics and presentation needed to hook a rapidly-growing fanbase hungry for pixelated scuffles and donnybrooks.
1985 was a genre-defining year for 2D fighting games, and though we still far from the cultural apex to be reached in the early 1990s, Commodore 64 owners were confronted by a wave of traditional martial arts simulations including International Karate and Karate Champ, as well as more flamboyant and colorful (i.e. fun) arcade ports like Yie Ar Kung Fu. Beam's effort mostly adopts the look and feel of the simulation subgenre, pitting you against a single opponent in a point-fighting competition where you ascend the ranks of progression with each win.
Regardless of whether you enjoy the game overall, the developers obviously deserve commendation for doing "a lot with a little". Beam does a great job of working around the C64's control limitations by mapping attacks to the directional buttons and making attacks "positional" - shifting into different stances allows different types of strikes to be thrown. Similar to Yie Ar Kung Fu, one attack might fall "short" from a given screen position while another lands successfully. Judging distance and knowing which strike to throw at any given time becomes a major factor, and more experienced players learn to be effective without being overly aggressive, saving the game from the "button masher" status of its many contemporaries. From the standpoint of creating a pure martial arts sim, this design approach does work well.
These gameplay mechanics are encapsulated by an overall presentation that is well-polished, if not overly extravagant or ambitious in scope. The backgrounds are well-crafted and unobtrusive, the sprites look fine, the music is at least a few notches above "acceptable". There are very few rough edges or glitches in the graphics or gameplay compared to some of the other software I've reviewed.
In historical context, The Way of the Exploding Fist was both a critical and commercial success, spawning multiple ports for other 8-bit computers such as the ZX Spectrum and topping several gaming magazines' lists of 1985's top games. That said, I do think this game falls a little short on the fun-factor nowadays and doesn't lend itself to repeat plays. There aren't any unlockable elements past the first couple of background variations, there's zero variation in characters, movesets, or outfits, and hearing the same two pieces of music over and over may leave you reaching for the volume knob. There are no alternative play modes, which is a shame as a two-player option would've served the game greatly. Instead, you fight the same guy, over and over, theoretically this task becomes more difficult for each rank you progress, you rack up a high score, that's about it. Everything hints toward the future but very much feels like "playing 1985" at the same time.
Correctly evaluating a game like this takes a sense of perspective: it's tough to fault The Way of the Exploding First for not including features that didn't yet exist, and it's unreasonable to expect Tekken-like heights of technicality and playability. If I were feeling optimistic, I'd say The Way of The Exploding Fist punches above its weight, and if I were pessimistic I'd tell you that there are plenty of superior C64 games out there on which you can spend your time, though only a few superior fighters. It's nothing to go out of your way for, but I'd still suggest giving it a try if the opportunity presents itself.
Think you can drop a flying roundhouse kick on your old buddy Hank? Check out our High Scores page and challenge me for the black belt!
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