Shaq Fu
Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, Sega Game Gear and Nintendo GameBoy
1994
Professional basketball player Shaquille O’Neal is sightseeing in Tokyo before his all-star charity game. During a chance encounter, he meets Leotsu, an elderly martial arts grand master at his Kung Fu dojo. The wise monk believes Shaq to be the “magic one from the stars” and sends Shaq through a mystical portal into The Second World to save a little boy named Nezu from the heartless sorcerer Sett Ra and his mind control ring.
The NBA star does not employ his b-ball skills in the game. Instead, he practices his own lethal form of martial arts – Shaqido! His size 22 shoes are literally flaming in the game! The story spans generations, beginning with the pharaohs of Egypt and leading up to their modern day descendents, towing along such forgettable fighters as the beast, a mummy, a cat woman, and a voodoo sorceress. This fighting game takes itself way too seriously for such a campy licensing mash-up. Plus, the absence of a basketball in the game just seems wrong!
Check out more of these in Michael Thomasson’s Book Downright Bizarre Games book available at Good Deal Games and make sure to sign up to get Old School Gamer Magazine for free by clicking here!
