Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus

• About this item The Pale Lotus and the Black Mantis are two clans fighting for control of the West Coast colonies of New China, while searching for an ancient artifact. This dispute will only be settled with combat amongst the most powerful warriors of each clan. Experience -crushing realism as you watch clothes rip, blood spill, s breaking and s swelling Fully interactive environment -- punch holes in walls, throw nents through glass and more Use your Chi to unleash awesome special attacks that devastate your enemy and his surroundings More than 100 unique moves, throws and combos for each fighter.

Product Description ------------------- Takes fighting and combat to a whole new level! .com ---- From a few of the guys who gave us the 2-D classic Mortal Kombat comes Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus, a gorgeous full 3-D fighting game that dares to be a bit different from the norm. In the world of Tao Feng the Pacific Northwest is called New China. Two rival factions, with six members each, fight to gain two mystical s that grant awesome power. On the side of the Pale Lotus we have the 90-year-old Master Sage, the attractive Jade Dragon, a hothead appropriately named Fiery Phoenix, the cat-like Fierce Tiger, levelheaded cop-by-day Divine Fist, and the enigmatic and metallic Iron Monk. The bad guys, called the Black Mantis, are: Wulong Goth, looking crazy in a praying mantis costume; the mystical alist; the alluring Divinity; the y Geist; and a hulking brute named Exile. Each fighter has his own fighting style, powers, and core strategy, and the game design is such that you have to relearn the game with each new fighter. The slower pace of the fighting in Tao Feng might put off genre fans looking for something more frantic. The controls are simple and include a few innovations. For example: pushing back on the gamepad blocks, but too much blocking might result in losing the use of your limbs. The rest of the buttons are two basic punches, two kicks, all modified by the direction you press and the use of the shoulder buttons and jumping attacks. You can even taunt your foe, which, like hitting them, charges your Chi bar. Chi can be unleashed in a devastating attack with the white button, and this attack is also modified by how you use the direction pad. The result is a fluid game of blocking, striking, and stringing combos, and occasionally taking advantage of your Chi powers to take out your nent. The game looks great and features arenas filled with hazards and breakable objects. The only problem with the game is that some animation bugs didn’t get squashed before the game shipped--when executing attacks, characters sometimes instantly jerk into a new stance. Fortunately, the underlying gameplay is strong enough that a player can forgive such faults, and concentrate on the gory action instead. --Bob Andrews Pros: * Great graphics * Limb damage * Well-designed arenas Cons:* Animation quirks