History VideoGame / ShaqFu

''Shaq-Fu'' is a FightingGame released in 1994. It was developed by Creator/DelphineSoftwareInternational[[note]]yes, ''[[VideoGame/AnotherWorld that]]'' [[VideoGame/{{Flashback}} Delphine]][[/note]] and published by Creator/ElectronicArts. It was initially released for the UsefulNotes/{{SNES}} and UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis, and was ported the next year to the UsefulNotes/GameBoy, UsefulNotes/GameGear and UsefulNotes/{{Amiga}}.

* AdaptationExpansion: The UsefulNotes/SegaGenesis version has more levels and characters. [[NoExportForYou This version was ported to the Amiga for Europe only]], though this version lacks the music.

* NintendoHard: Most notable in the sense of its shoddy controls and hit detection.

** Shaq later gets in on it when he first uses the [[JustForPun Shaqtus]] transformation and wonders aloud who designed this game.

%%* DoesNotLikeShoes: Voodoo.

%%* BareYourMidriff: Voodoo.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/shaq1.png]]

The plot is as follows: Long ago, in a parallel dimension known as the Second World, ruled a powerful sorcerer known as [[BigBad Sett Ra]]. Planning to conquer Earth, he created a loyal servant from his own shadow, [[TheDragon Beast]], who murdered the Pharaoh, allowing Sett Ra to take his place. The Pharaoh's son, however, was not deceived, and sought the help of a powerful group of wizards, who managed to banish Sett Ra back to the Second World, [[SealedEvilInACan weakened and imprisoned]]. A thousand years later, Beast finally managed to free his master from imprisonment; to put an end to his banishment, Sett Ra must now perform a ritual upon the Pharaoh's descendant, a child by the name of Nezu.

''Shaq-Fu'' is frequently seen in "Worst Games of All Time" lists, mainly because of a [[ExcusePlot ridiculous plot]] and a severe case of HitboxDissonance. WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd does a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7XIbwtMl4Y review]] on it in Part 2 of his "YetAnotherChristmasCarol" episode, and [[http://www.shaqfu.com there's even a website dedicated to finding all copies of the game and destroying them]] [[http://www.saveshaqfu.com/ And another dedicated to finding all copies of the game and saving them.]] Coincidentally, EA also published [[VideoGame/MichaelJordanChaosInTheWindyCity a similar game]] that starred one of O'Neal's [[UsefulNotes/MichaelJordan conference rivals]] a month after ''Shaq Fu'', and both wound up on ''Magazine/NintendoPower'''s "Ten Worst Games of All Time" list.

* RealityEnsues: This is what kicks off the Dirty Barry story. A bunch of famous people getting killed off in rapid succession is going to catch people's attention.

''Shaq-Fu'' is frequently seen in "Worst Games of All Time" lists, mainly because of a [[ExcusePlot ridiculous plot]] and a severe case of HitboxDissonance. WebVideo/TheAngryVideoGameNerd does a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7XIbwtMl4Y review]] on it in Part 2 of his "YetAnotherChristmasCarol" episode, and [[http://www.shaqfu.com there's even a website dedicated to finding all copies of the game and destroying them]] [[http://www.saveshaqfu.com/ And another dedicated to finding all copies of the game and saving them.]]

On Earth, Shaquille O'Neal is doing some sightseeing in Tokyo, as he is to compete in a basketball game for a charity event later that night, when he decides to stop by a kung-fu dojo. Inside, he meets an old martial artist named Leotsu, who informs him that he is {{the Chosen One}} destined to defeat Sett Ra. Shaq thus enters a portal to the Second World, in the goal of defeating Sett's battalion of warriors and rescuing Nezu.

* Groin Attack: It seems that enemies can occasionally hit Shaq's groin. We can hear him say "My Nuts!" whenever he is attacked.

* TheGunslinger: Obama is depicted as such in ''Dirty Barry''. Having both a [[ShotgunsAreJustBetter shotgun]] and a [[RevolversAreJustBetter revolver]] for combat.

-->'''Shaq''': So what was the mankini for?
-->'''Ye-Ye''': Uh...it improves posture!

* ProductPlacement:
** [=IcyHot=] patches are a health pick-up. Could be a reference to Shaq being a spokesperson for them a long time ago.

An interview with Shaq himself at the 2014 CES show in Las Vegas has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEnoGGw8XPM&feature=youtu.be&t=1m48s has him confirm that a sequel known as Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is in the works.]] [[http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/shaq-fu-a-legend-reborn Here's the link to the IndieGoGoPage,]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfEqhmkatog and the first trailer here.]] HarsherInHindsight when [[https://youtu.be/aYFh59XFFeY?t=15m35s EventStatus revealed there was something suspicious about it...]] [[SubvertedTrope At least until a]] ''[[https://youtu.be/R2ZN_akgTMg for real trailer]]'' dropped in June 2017. In this continuity, Shaq is not a basketball player, but a Chinese orphan, trained in the ways of martial arts by an old master named Ye-Ye. After years of training, Shaq's destiny is revealed when the Chinese god of death, Yen-Lo-Wang, emerges from hell to destroy the world. Raised as a member of a secret society meant to drive the god back, Shaq must leap into action to defeat Yen-Lo-Wang and his hordes of demonic invaders. The game released on June 5th, 2018. Purchasing a retail console copy of the game also unlocks a bonus campaign called ''Barack Fu: The Legend of Dirty Barry'', which follows former President of the United States Barack Obama, now going by the codename "Dirty Barry", as he helps Ye-Ye stop demons posing as celebrities from taking over Earth before aliens from Uranus blow up the planet.

* AllThereInTheManual: Most of the backstory concerning Sett Ra's imprisonment and plans to conquer Earth is only detailed inside the instructions booklet.

* BlackIsBetterInBed: [[spoiler:During the final scene of Dirty Barry, Michelle comments that Barack's Hawaiian half is clearly not in the lower part of his body.]]

* TheBusCameBack: Subverted. Kaori was supposed to return from the original Shaq Fu, but was removed as the project took a far different turn than originally intended. The current game has no relation to the former one at all.