Way Of The Tiger, based on the Avenger series of adventure books, is one of the best martial arts games available for the Spectrum, for a number of reasons.
First of all, its wide variety. It is a collection of three sub-games, each featuring a different way of combat - unarmed, pole and sword fighting - and different enemies with their strengths and weaknesses. You can tackle the several parts in sequence or you can practice them separately. They load independently from tape, but the multi-load does not make you wait for a long time.
Technical realization is also great. Graphics are mostly monochrome but sprites and backgrounds are detailed and feature some nice touches, like parallax scrolling and animated scenery. Sound is limited to the noises of hits and a brief tune, but it is there. Gameplay benefits from the variety of situations available to the player and to a properly implemented collision detection, so you get the impression your moves and blows have an effect on your enemies.
Way Of The Tiger stood the test of time very well and is still one of the finest beat-em-ups available for the Spectrum in my opinion.
An orphan raised by monks, and Naijishi the Grand Master of the Dawn in the ways of the god Kwon he who speaks the holy word of power, the supreme master of unarmed combat....
Phew! That's deep man, deep, yet kind of clichéd, but a perfect storyline for a martial arts game from the mid 80's....Or infact anything featuring martial arts from the mid 80's.
OK So Way of the Tiger is based upon a series of adventure game books of the same name (The first being Avenger! Which this game's rather crap sequel is based upon). You play the part of said orphan taking 3 tests set by Naijishi the Grand Master, to become a Ninja. Strangely enough unlike just about every other game based on an adventure book it's not a crappy strategy game or a text adventure, but a fighting game. Of course this makes sense as you're trying to become a Ninja.
The game looked great to me back in the mid 80's when I first played it, and I'll say for the type of game it is and granted how far things have come with the genre since then it's aged quite well for a ye olde fighter. I still enjoy playing it now, even though to be fair I think the controls are bloody awful, and I'm nowhere near as good at it now as I was when my age was in single figures. But anyway the game is split into the 3 tests which are Unarmed Combat, Pole Fighting, and Sword Fighting, the entire game can be played through as such, if you think you're good enough anyway. Or one thing which is quite cool is the game will let you practice any of the 3 tests individually. Of course it's not that great or at least it wasn't back in the day using a real Spectrum because it's multi-load. But today with emulators that problem pretty much is non-existent.
The first trial Unarmed Combat sadly is the longest one, and probably the most fun out of the 3, with more variety of enemies, although these are repeated a few times, and range from your typical Ninja, a shapeshifting goblin type thing that turns into a wraith (This goes both ways, sometimes the wraith appears and turns into the goblin, and sometimes neither change at all), a Lizardman, and eventually a huge Ogre type creature that shakes the screen as he walks. The screen scrolls indefinitely one way or the other in this stage, actually making it quite easy to run away if things get a little tough. The pace of this stage is quite slow, but that actually works in it's favour, if this game was faster it would probably be too hard to play. Shrines and statues adorn the background, and strange desert fauna, and wildlife is animated. If you actually have a second to take in the surroundings they're actually quite atmospheric.
Trial number 2 is Pole Fighting, and this one is tricky, the Pole doesn't just point to your weapon, but also what you're fighting on. A large pole above a rapid flowing river. Jumping is a game of hit and miss on this stage, as a badly timed or even a directional jump will end the game regardless of how far you are. The enemies as usual are the typical Ninja, Skeletons, and a really, really, aggressive Dwarf with a club. This level if you can make it through is over a lot quicker than the first, and so long as you can resist the temptation to jump too often, and go toe to toe with the enemy is actually quite easy. Once again the background is quite pretty, but this stage plays out a bit more like a traditional Speccy fighter, on a single screen.
The third and final trial is Sword Fighting, and my oh my this one is pretty tough. Once again you've got the Ninja, also Samurai Warriors, and finally Naijishi the Grand Master himself, who is an absolute sod, and can cut you down in about 3 hits. This level also looks quite nice, although a little bare compared to the other 2, not that that really matters that much. This level is actually quite hard, and gave me quite a bit of stick when I was younger.
Anyway gameplay wise the controls are responsive, even if they are a bit shit (The game uses 10 keys to play it 10!), the sound is quite minimalistic, but this actually works in the games favour. There's a musical jingle at the start of the game, and that's about it. The games noises are basically comprised of the sounds of you and your opponent hitting each other, and occasionally the sounds of your endurance counting down, or getting a slight top up after a victory. This actually helps create a sense of impact with each blow though, the sounds are loud and bold for each hit. Also the Ogre type character from the first level makes stomping noises as he walks, as well as shaking the screen. I'll be honest it gets a little annoying after a while, but it helps add atmosphere to the game none the less.
So basically I'd say we do actually have here one of the better and a little more indepth martial arts games for the Speccy. However I am going to knock off 1 point from the score of excellent, because the controls are dire, and take a lot of getting used to, and even when you do they're fiddly, and not very good when things get hectic. Also apparently you can use kempston, there's no indication of this on the menu screen, and I've never managed to get it to work. Not on an emulator, or on my real Speccy. Although using diagonal up directions for punch without pressing fire would be a bit weird on a stick anyway. Also I'm still not really sure that the original asking price of £9.95 was really worth it at all for any game of this type, but I will say the 1987/88 re-release price of £2.99 was a absolute bloody bargain, and well worth every penny.
So there we have it Ninja action ahoy, still not sure if it's really what could be called a classic because of it's few flaws, but it is still a really good game if you give it the time to sink in, and appreciate it for what it is.
Will you succeed in becoming the strongest and fastest pyjama-wearing fighter in this three-staged oriental game?
I surely won't.
The first stage is characterized by unarmed combat against a sequence of opponents in one-on-one fights, first a ninja identical to you, then wicked knife-wielding gnomes, some eerie spirits, a sort of minotaur trying to pierce you with his horn, and finally a big fat orc that shakes the ground when threateningly walking toward you. Substantially, you have to find the right combat move for each opponent and insist with it until he's defeated. Which is rather boring.
The graphics have nice cinematographic touches, though. The second stage consists of pole-fighting on a trunk over a river against skeletons and such, the third is about sword-fighting.
The game received rave reviews at the time, but, frankly, except for some of the graphics features, I can't see why - although it's sufficiently playable and there is a variety of moves that makes it superior to most beat'em up's.
3,5/5
