History VideoGame / FistOfTheNorthStarKensRage

''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' is an old, but very popular, manga/anime which features wandering martial artist Kenshiro in a post-nuclear wasteland in order to find his kidnapped lover Yuria, all while making evildoers explode messily with his bare hands. It has been around even since the UsefulNotes/{{Famicom}} and Mark III era; therefore, there have been many videogame adaptations of it. The problem is, most of them are mediocre and forgettable, [[NoExportForYou and very few leave Japan]].

The first game was released as a retail title on the UsefulNotes/Xbox360 and UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 [=PS3=] on March 25, 2010 in Japan and on November 2 and 5, 2010 in North America and Europe respectively. The second game was released as a retail title on the Xbox 360 and as a digital download on the [=PS3=] and, surprisingly, the UsefulNotes/WiiU. The 360 and [=PS3=] versions were released in Japan on December 20, 2012, in North America on February 5, 2013, and in Europe on February 8, 2013. The Wii U version was released in Japan on January 31, 2013 and in both North America and Europe on February 7, 2013.

** AdaptationExpansion: ''Ken's Rage 2'' not only extends the storyline to cover the Tentei and Shura arcs, but it even features the previously unadapted (in any media) Bolge arc that concluded the original manga. It also brings back the Golan and Jackal arcs that were skipped over for the first game.

* AFatherToHisMen:
** Zeed is described as this in his profile, even though the only thing he does to show for it is get angry at Kenshiro for killing them.
** Boss Fang is more of this in this game than he is in the manga/anime, where he outright tells his men that they're expendable as long as he lives.

* BadassBoast: Passing 1000 kills in a single-stage makes the character you're playing as spout one of these.
-->'''Jagi:''' ''You see that?! That's why I'm the true successor to Hokuto Shinken!''\\

** AWorldHalfFull: Even then, there are dozens of people in the world who are willing to fight for a better future (including ''[[BigBad Raoh]]''). Also in Ken's Rage 2, in some stages you can see grass and trees growing, showing that despite being scorched by nuclear fire the world is slowly but surely recovering.

* DownloadableContent

** HappyEndingOverride: [[spoiler:''Ken's Rage 2'' covers just about the entire series this time around, so Yuria living ever after with Kenshiro would push anything past Raoh's defeat into AlternateContinuity territory.]]

* {{Gorn}}: It wouldn't be ''Fist of the North Star'' without it.
** LudicrousGibs: Almost always happens when someone is killed. Can always happen when equipping either the Nanto, Hokuto, or Ujouken Wisdom Skills, which cause ALL attacks to cause a specific death animation.

* HideYourChildren[=/=]BeautyIsNeverTarnished: In the first game children and women were strangely absent in villages from this apocalyptic world, only Mamiya, Yuria, Rin and Airi seemed to exist in it, departing from the anime and manga where women and children villagers suffered just as much as the men; Ken's Rage 2 averts this by following the source material more closely, thus having women and children going through hell as well.

* LevelUpFillUp: Getting a level in Aura or health in Kens Rage 2 automatically refills the respective bar to full.

* MakeMeWannaShout: Fudo's Signature move The Devil's Cry.
* MakingASplash: Shachi's BattleAura gives off this vibe with his attacks.
* ManlyTears: Kenshiro gets misty-eyed, but he never really cries in the game. However, Raoh and Toki let the waterworks run freely when [[spoiler:Raoh can't bring himself to kill his opponent due to their brotherhood]].

** HotterAndSexier: She was pretty modestly dressed in the original series. In the games, her outfit is pretty {{stripperiffic}} in certain areas. {{Subverted|Trope}} in the story cutscene that recreates the scene of Rei [[ClothingDamage destroying Mamiya's shirt]] and [[ShamefulStrip rendering her topless]] to make her [[DefeatByModesty unable to fight]]. Both anime and manga showed her topless, but this version the camera stays [[ShouldersUpNudity above her shoulders]] or with ToplessnessFromTheBack until she has a NakedFreakOut and [[HandOrObjectUnderwear cover herself with her hands]].
** MaleGaze: Done frequently and shamelessly in the first game, but downplayed somewhat in the sequel, where the only real example is the close-up of Mamiya's butt as she crawls.

* TheNarrator: Creator/NorioWakamoto.

* SparedByAdaptation: [[spoiler: Yuria in the first game. Her radiation sickness is not mentioned, so once Raoh dies after healing her, she and Kenshiro get to live HappilyEverAfter. Since the second game covers just about the whole manga, well...]]

The game has a sequel/remake called ''Shin Hokuto Musou'', or ''Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2''. It greatly expands upon the story from the duel with Zeed up to the climatic battle against Raoh. Furthermore, the game also covers both the "Celestial Emperor" and "Land Of Shura" arcs, as well as the conflict with Bolge that serves as an epilogue to the series, skipping over the story arcs that featured Raoh's son, Ryu. Many [=NPCs=] in the first game have been PromotedToPlayable, including [[TheFightingNarcissist Juda]], [[HandicappedBadass Shew]], [[AntiVillain Ryuga]], [[LoveMartyr Juza]], [[DotingParent Fudo]], [[FutureBadass Bat]], and [[BadassAdorable Rin]]. In addition, characters from the post-Raoh arcs will become playable, including [[BadassNormal Ein]], [[EmotionalBruiser Falco]], [[MysteriousWatcher Shachi]], [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Hyoh]], and [[CardCarryingVillain Kaioh]]. The game's DLC characters include Mr. Heart and Outlaw once again, but three new characters will be available for download: [[EvilGenius Amiba]], [[LightningBruiser Han]], and the [[FromNobodyToNightmare Nameless Shura]]. Scenes are even more faithfully adapted from the Manga, and are presented in a ComicBook style that is similar to the VideoGame/UltimateSpiderMan video game. Due to budgetary constraints, the game does not have an English dub, but is instead subtitled.

* WalkingArmory: Jagi not only carries two shotguns and a bazooka, but can also pull out {{Cartoon Bomb}}s, a missile launcher and even ''nukes'' out of nowhere.

-->'''Jagi''': ''You see that?! That's why I'm the true successor to Hokuto Shinken!''\\
'''Kenshiro''': ''Hokuto Shinken is invincible! There are none who can defeat me!''
** Sadly absent in the second game, the characters only say something at one and two hundred kills, and its usually a stock phrase.

-->'''Jagi''': ''Wait a minute... Didn't I just kill you? What are you, invincible?''\\
'''Amiba''': ''[[HandWave Take it easy, man. She's a look-alike. You let yourself panic and Zeed'll take advantage.]]''

''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' is an old, but very popular, manga/anime which features wandering martial artist Kenshiro in a post-nuclear wasteland in order to find his kidnapped lover Yuria, all while making evildoers explode messily with his bare hands. It has been around even since the Famicom and Mark III era; therefore, there have been many videogame adaptations of it. The problem is, most of them are mediocre and forgettable, [[NoExportForYou and very few leave Japan]].

The first game was released as a retail title on the Creator/Xbox360 and UsefulNotes/PlayStation3 [=PS3=] on March 25, 2010 in Japan and on November 2 and 5, 2010 in North America and Europe respectively. The second game was released as a retail title on the Xbox 360 and as a digital download on the [=PS3=] and, surprisingly, the UsefulNotes/WiiU. The 360 and [=PS3=] versions were released in Japan on December 20, 2012, in North America on February 5, 2013, and in Europe on February 8, 2013. The Wii U version was released in Japan on January 31, 2013 and in both North America and Europe on February 7, 2013.

Suddenly, KOEI-Tecmo, the company behind the HackAndSlash[=/=]BeatEmUp juggernaut ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'', decided to give their own magic touch to ''Fist of the North Star'' after giving [[VideoGame/DynastyWarriorsGundam a similar treatment]] to the ''{{Franchise/Gundam}}'' franchise. More importantly, they ''brought it to the US''. The result is known as ''Hokuto Musou'', or ''Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage''. It is a very faithful adaptation, finally giving official coverage of the mythos for western audiences. The pace is slower than most of KOEI-Tecmo's hack and slashes, but it captures the feel of the manga, especially in regards to many of the series's well-known moves. It also features SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing.

The first game was released as a retail title on the Xbox 360 and [=PS3=] on March 25, 2010 in Japan and on November 2 and 5, 2010 in North America and Europe respectively. The second game was released as a retail title on the Xbox 360 and as a digital download on the [=PS3=] and, surprisingly, the Wii U. The Xbox and [=PS3=] versions were released in Japan on December 20, 2012, in North America on February 5, 2013, and in Europe on February 8, 2013. The Wii U version was released in Japan on January 31, 2013 and in both North America and Europe on February 7, 2013.

* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: [[InvertedTrope inverted]] in ''Ken's Rage 2''; in the manga, Toki's hair turned white immediately after being exposed to nuclear fallout, which raised the question of how Kenshiro (who had seen Toki in this state) could mistake the dark-haired Amiba for him. In ''Ken's Rage 2'', Toki's hair remains brown for a while after his radiation poisoning, with his white hair being a more recent change.

!''These Examples Are Already Dead:''

* GoodOldFisticuffs: Ein's fighting style is expanded from simple brawling with the addition of boxing moves.

* AFatherToHisMen: Zeed is described as this in his profile, even though the only thing he does to show for it is get angry at Kenshiro for killing them.

* BadassBoast: Passing 1000 kills in a single stage makes the character you're playing as spout one of these.
-->'''Jagi''': ''You see that?! That's why I'm the true successor to Hokuto Shinken!''
-->'''Kenshiro''': ''Hokuto Shinken is invincible! There are none who can defeat me!''

* DemotedToExtra: Though Bat and Lin were fairly prominent characters in the manga, they do not receive much limelight in the game beyond the early stages.

* GoryDiscretionShot: Despite the amount of Gorn and Ludicrous Gibs in the game, it is nowhere near the level that the manga had. Regular enemies just turn black and explode into blood clouds and each storyline boss finisher is slightly changed due to a combination of tech limitations and regional regulations on the depiction of blood and gore. One specific example of an altered boss finisher is that of the Colonel, who's death is just off screen in the game, but ''very'' explicitly seen in the manga.

* HideYourChildren[=/=]BeautyIsNeverTarnished: In the first game children and women were strangely absent in villages from this apocalyptic world, only Mamiya, Yuria, Rin and Airi seemed to exist in it, departing from the the anime and manga where women and children villagers suffered just as much as the men; Ken's Rage 2 averts this by following the source material more closely, thus having women and children going through hell as well.

* LazyArtist: When the second part of the story is reached in ''Ken's Rage 2'', several years have passed, and yet the game doesn't bother in making Kenshiro look years older, not even a different set of clothes, nothing changes; originally both the manga and anime made Kenshiro age a bit, especially in the anime where he underwent a complete wardrobe change. Although his appearance could be something of a happy medium, since his face resembles his post time-skip appearance more than his pre-time skip one.

** The sequel has LimitedAnimation to the max. Most cutscenes are still shots of the characters speaking, similar to ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}''. Noticable in that the first game had fully rendered cutscenes for almost every mission.

** HotterAndSexier: She was pretty modestly dressed in the original series. In the games, her outfit is pretty {{stripperiffic}} in certain areas.

* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Kaioh's title, Crazed Demonic Fiend.

* RapidFireFisticuffs: Many attacks, but most notably the ''Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken''.

* WoobieDestroyerOfWorlds: Like in his own spinoff story, Jagi is portrayed as a very sympathetic character in the second game's Dream Mode. At first, anyway; he still is a {{Jerkass}} (but to a lesser degree than he was in the series), and his ending implies that [[RapeIsASpecialKindOfEvil he raped Airi]].

* {{Xenafication}}: Mamiya gets a hefty dose. In the original manga, she's little more than TheLoad, and only fails to qualify as a FauxActionGirl because the rest of the cast don't expect anything from her either. In this game, she's just as much of a OneWomanArmy as you'd expect from a playable character in a ''VideoGame/DynastyWarriors'' spin-off.

* YouALLLookFamiliar: If you're not a playable main character, a main villain, or a supporting role that was named in the manga, chances your face is going to be plastered in every single villager, mook or a combination of the two.

-->'''Jagi''': ''Wait a minute... Didn't I just kill you? What are you, invincible?''
-->'''Amiba''': ''[[HandWave Take it easy, man. She's a look-alike. You let yourself panic and Zeed'll take advantage.]]''

** Jagi also has a powerbomb as part of his throw. Supposedly, [[WhatCouldHaveBeen he originally would have had a more wrestling-focused moveset]].

* NoDubForYou: ''Ken's Rage 2'', unlike the original, has no English dub. It's Japanese voices only with subtitles.

* TheOtherDarrin: No one from the anime's voice cast reprises their roles.
** Amiba has a noticably different voice actor in the sequel.

* BrownNote: One of Jagi's Signature Moves, Scarface, has him exposing his mutilated face to his enemies and causing them to explode due to the horror of it.
** This causes a rather amusing moment of FridgeLogic in ''Ken's Rage 2'''s Dream Mode, as there's an alternate skin where his face isn't disfigured. One is left to wonder how this works when his face isn't the mutilated mess that it normally is.
** [[{{Squick}} Yet somehow, it can cause Ujouken death animations.]]

* LevelUpFillUp: Getting a level in Aura or health in Kens Rage 2 automatically refils the respective bar to full.

* WrestlerInAllOfUs: Han's throw is a German Suplex.

** Played completely straight in ''Ken's Rage 2'', which has no English dub, forcing players to read the subtitles in order to understand the plot. Generic battle quotes are left untranslated entirely.

* AdaptationDistillation: Kenshiro's story alone is told in 14 chapters, and it surprisingly covers nearly everything up to his final battle with Raoh. The other characters' Legend Modes expand upon said story (with many levels being slightly-altered retreads, and a handful of original levels), but it's fairly impressive that the story is told in such a short frame of time.
** AdaptationExpansion: ''Ken's Rage 2''/''Shin Hokuto Musou'' covers not just the original first half of the manga but even the rarely-seen second half[=/=]Hokuto no Ken 2 arc as well.
** The Dream Mode in Ken's Rage 2 also serves as an expansion for the main storyline this time instead of the WhatIf of the first game, serving as backstory for most of the cast, such as how Ein met Asuka and the like.
* AdaptationInducedPlotHole: [[InvertedTrope inverted]] in Ken's Rage 2; in the original series, Toki's hair turned white immediately after being exposed to nuclear fallout, which raised the question of how Kenshiro (who had seen Toki in this state) could mistake the dark-haired Amiba for him. In Ken's Rage 2, Toki's hair remains brown for a while after his radiation poisoning, with his white hair being a more recent change.

* AllJustADream: All of the [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Dream Mode]] levels in the first game are simply [[ImagineSpot Imagine Spots]] for the various characters. Kenshiro's Dream mode literally was this. He was never visited by the Mysterious Woman, his occurred when he was standing by the grave he had just buried Shin in, coming to a while later after Bat was trying to get his attention and going on his way.

* ArtShift: In Ken's Rage 2, the flashback detailing the founding of Hokuto Shinken is presented in a hand-drawn art style, as opposed to the 3D models usually used in cutscenes.

** Boss Fang is more of this in this game than he is in the anime/manga, where he outright tells his men that they're expendable as long as he lives.

* LazyArtist: When the second part of the story is reached in ''Ken's Rage 2'', several years have passed, and yet the game doesn't bother in making Kenshiro look years older, not even a different set of clothes, nothing changes; originally both the manga and anime made Kenshiro age a bit, especially the manga where the change is more notable. Although his appearance could be something of a happy medium, since his face resembles his post time-skip appearance more than his pre-time skip one.

''Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar'' is an old, but very popular, manga/anime which features wandering martial artist Kenshiro in a post-nuclear wasteland in order to find his kidnapped lover Yuria, all while making evildoers explode messily with his bare hands. It has been around even since the NES era; therefore, there have been many videogame adaptations of it. The problem is, most of them are mediocre and forgettable, [[NoExportForYou and very few leave Japan]].

* AmericanKirbyIsHardcore: A minor example. In the non-American releases, Kenshiro is wearing his outfit on the cover, looking back indifferently; in the American version, he's shirtless and upholding his fist.

The playable roster includes [[HopeBringer Kenshiro]], [[UnscrupulousHero Rei]], [[LadyOfWar Mamiya]], [[CrystalDragonJesus Toki]], [[FallenHero Raoh]], [[TragicVillain Shin]], [[TheSociopath Thouzer]], and [[RivalTurnedEvil Jagi]]. The last three characters do not have their own Legend Mode storylines, and can only be played in Dream Mode. There are also a roster of unique [=NPCs=] such as Shuh, Yuda, Fudoh, Juza, Ryuga, Mr. Heart, Zeed, Boss Fang, Amiba, and Uighur. [[{{Acrofatic}} Mr. Heart]] is playable as a DLC character, along with a {{Mook}} simply called Outlaw.

The game has a sequel/remake called ''Shin Hokuto Musou'', or ''Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage 2''. It greatly expands upon the story from the duel with Zeed up to the climatic battle against Raoh. Furthermore, the game also covers both the "Celestial Emperor" and "Land Of Shura" arcs, as well as the conflict with Bolge that serves as an epilogue to the series, skipping over the {{Filler}} arcs that dealt with Raoh's son Ryu. Many [=NPCs=] in the first game have been PromotedToPlayable, including [[TheFightingNarcissist Yuda]], [[HandicappedBadass Shuh]], [[AntiVillain Ryuga]], [[LoveMartyr Juza]], [[DotingParent Fudoh]], [[FutureBadass Bat]], and [[BadassAdorable Rin]]. In addition, characters from the post-Raoh arcs will become playable, including [[BadassNormal Ein]], [[EmotionalBruiser Falco]], [[MysteriousWatcher Shachi]], [[BrainwashedAndCrazy Hyoh]], and [[CardCarryingVillain Kaioh]]. The game's DLC characters include Mr. Heart and Outlaw once again, but three new characters will be available for download: [[EvilGenius Amiba]], [[LightningBruiser Han]], and the [[FromNobodyToNightmare Nameless Shura]]. Scenes are even more faithfully adapted from the Manga, and are presented in a ComicBook style that is similar to the VideoGame/UltimateSpiderMan video game. Due to budgetary constraints, the game does not have an English dub, but is instead subtitled.

** Both Diamond and Club/Clover are demoted to nameless commanders.
* DownloadableContent: [[EnsembleDarkhorse Mr. Heart]] and [[JokeCharacter Outlaw]] (a random thug) in the first game. Also extra Challenge Missions; one of the more notable ones pits you against pairs of the major characters, starting with Shin and Toki, then Jagi and Mamiya, followed by Ken and Rei, and lastly Souther and Raoh.
** The Second game now has Han, Amiba, and the Nameless Shura as DLC, as well as outfits for Ryuga, Fudo, Shu, Juza, and Yuda, Falco, Ein, Shachi, Hyou, Kaioh, Bat, and Rin, there are also 10 DLC missions separate or split into 2 packs of 5.

** The sequel [[AvertedTrope Averts]] this by having a single, streamlined campaign, meaning that you switch between characters mid-level rather than playing through the same levels repeatedly. Though you can re-play certain stages as other characters to advance the story, the game gives you the option to skip over levels that you've completed as other characters.

* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: In the manga, Toki can still fight despite his sicknessm though too much fighting strains his body. In the game, using too much combos in his first costume (in his later appearances in the manga) causes him to suffer whiplash.

* LazyArtist: When the 2nd part of the story is reached in ''Ken's Rage 2'', several years have passed, and yet the game doesn't bother in making Kenshiro look a year older, not even a different set of clothes, nothing changes; originally both the anime and manga made Kenshiro age a bit, specially the manga where the change is more notable. Although his appearance could be something of a happy medium, since his face resembles his post time-skip appearance more than his pre time-skip one.
** In the second game's Dream Mode, certain things can be seen on the characters before they happen in the context of the story. Jagi has the Seven Scars before he inflicts them upon himself, and Mamiya's brand mark can be seen before Yuda kidnaps her.

* MercyKill: Darkly parodied with Thouzer's impale-you-with-a-great-big-spear signature move, Imperial Mercy. Fans of the manga will recognise it as [[spoiler:how he killed Shew]].

* MsFanservice: Mamiya gets assigned for this position. Not only does her early 3D render have a daring see-through skirt with a thong underneath, but her classic alternate outfit has extreme clothing damage. Whereas for the guys it's just disintegrated shirts, Mamiya's is large portions of the whole outfit, and ends when she's basically half-naked.
** HotterAndSexier: She was pretty modestly dressed in the original series. In the games, her outfit is pretty {{Stripperiffic}} in certain areas.
** MaleGaze: Done frequently and shamelessly in the first game, but downplayed somewhat in the sequel, where the only real example is the close-up of her butt as she crawls.

** Averted with the ''Hokuto Ujou Mosho Ha'' (where it's a series of spinning high kicks followed by a giant uppercut that sends out an energy wave), except for the cutscene of Souther's defeat.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: A number of characters are given alternative spellings (Rin is Lin, Thouzer is Souther, etc.).

** Played completely straight in the second game, where there is no English Dub, forcing players to read the subtitles in order to understand the plot. Generic battle quotes are left untranslated entirely.

* WhatIf: The premise of the Dream Mode in the first game is that each character is given a vision where they avoid doing something, and the outcome of it, after the whole Hokuto vs Nanto stuff.

** A few Dream modes avert this, such as Rei's. He had the choice to go get Shu to help him fight Raoh. [[spoiler:However, after watching his story unfold he decides that he can't put the lives of the others at risk just to prolong his own life. Over the course of his Dream Mode path, Shu gets killed, Airi gets taken hostage by Juda and Souther and Mamiya almost get executed for trying to stand up against the Nanto Army, only being saved by Rei in the last chapter.]] Because of all the bad things that came with Rei's alternate decision, he decides to go face Raoh alone.

The first game was released as a retail title on the Xbox 360 and PS3 on March 25, 2010 in Japan and on November 2 and 5, 2010 in North America and Europe respectively. The second game was released as a retail title on the Xbox 360 and as a digital download on the PS3 and, surprisingly, the WiiU. The Xbox and PS3 versions were released in Japan on December 20, 2012, in North America on February 5, 2013, and in Europe on February 8, 2013. The WiiU version was released in Japan on January 31, 2013 and in both North America and Europe on February 7, 2013.

* GlassCannon: Han in terms of stat growth in Ken's Rage 2. Incredible Attack and Technique growth, however his Health growth is quite slow, usually being only level 25 by the time his Attack and Technique Stats are maxed at level 50, making him something of a cross between GlassCannon and FragileSpeedster.

* AdaptationalBadass: Mamiya, who can now hold her own against the martial artists. Now Rin also applies.

* {{Xenafication}}: Mamiya gets a hefty dose. In the original manga, she's little more than TheLoad, and only fails to qualify as a FauxActionGirl because the rest of the cast don't expect anything from her either. In this game, she's just as much of a OneWomanArmy as you'd expect from a playable character in a DynastyWarriors spin-off.

* ShoutOut: In the first game, one of Jagi's taunts has him say "[[Franchise/EvilDead Listen up, you primitive screwheads!]] You're gonna eat lead!".

* AwesomeButPractical: Tenha Kassatsu, which costs 3 spirit stocks to use. However, it's Ken's strongest Signature Move, has a large radius, is unblockable, and inflicts meridian shock, so it's well worth the cost in nearly any situation. It's nerfed a bit in the sequel, where you have to have 4 stocks to use it. Though it can swing back around into being practical with the energy skill granted by a 5-scroll nexus, which cuts the aura cost of a move in half.