| Kung Fu Chaos is best described as Nintendo's Super Smash Brothers, with less distinguishable characters and fewer mini-games. The game draws upon the '70s kung fu movies as its source material. Therefore, you will find that a few aspects of it seem cheap much like a budgeted kung fu film. At its core, Kung Fu Chaos is simple. You simply "mash" your way to victory. Bear in mind that this is a party game. It probably would not keep you captivated for long if you are not playing it with a lively group of friends.
In Kung Fu Chaos, you play as one of several different wannabe kung fu fighters, which includes a crazy old kung-fu master, a samurai, a Mexican wrestler, a blonde on roller-skates and a sassy shotgun-toting Pam Grier replica to name a few. You will face a multitude of ninjas whose only purpose is to kill you. Most of Kung Fu Chaos' features are not accessible. They can be unlocked in the "Ninja Challenge." Ninja Challenge is the game's main single-player mode that involves taking on numerous brawls and playing various mini-games in six different movie sets. It is relatively easy to finish a level in the ninja challenge without breaking a sweat, but getting a full five-star rating will require quite a bit of practice!
The other gameplay options include battle, championship mode, miniseries, freestyle and rehearsal. Battle is a single-session brawl in which up to four players can play. Championship mode is simply a series of regular battles. The miniseries are single-player character-specific scenarios based on the ninja challenge. Freestyle involves one continuous fight similar to survival mode in other fighting games. Rehearsal is your typical training option where you can master the art of "mashing." There is a special feature section where you can view replays of your battles. Surprisingly enough, these replays do an excellent job of capturing the "gritty" visuals that provide a good impression of an old kung fu flick.
It is clear that much of the game's wild action comes from mashing the buttons. While that makes for some serious multiplayer slugfest, the game unfortunately suffers from a number of flaws. For instance, the characters use the same frames of animation so they ultimately act or behave the same way. They share similar types of normal attacks, throws, unblockable moves, and combos. However, each character has a unique super move, which can be powered up by frantically jumping around, taunting each other, or simply throwing an object he just picked up.
Aside from the game's limited display of moves and combos, another weakness is that the types of ninjas you will challenge in the single-player modes are susceptible only to very specific types of attacks, which makes the gameplay more about memorization than about reflexes. On top of that, the person who narrates the game's main mode of play is really awful. He sounds like WWE's Stephanie McMahon of stereotypes with a high-pitched, irritating voice and bad dialogue.
On the good side, the game looks impressive graphically. It features solid frame rate and dynamic environments. The locations where the battles take place are often filled with traps, breakaway floors, and other hazards that are frequently in your way. If you can't beat your enemies senseless, you can knock them down off of ledges, onto spikes or even into piranha-infested waters! Unfortunately, the stages in the game are identical each time you play them, which makes exploring rather pointless. Nevertheless, the controls are superb and response to the way a person wants it.
The character designs are terrible. They look like deformed versions of the old SNES Clay Fighters. The sound is average at best. You are treated to authentic kung-fu-movie-styled effects of people getting beat up and things breaking. The character voices are not that great. You can barely hear them beneath all the clatter. If the battles in the game become dreary, the mini games will keep you afloat (enough to get your quick fix). Surprisingly, these mini games are actually entertaining! One has you bouncing on a trampoline, trying to save as many stuntmen as possible as they go flying out a building. Another has you fighting against an opponent on an icy platform, trying to knock each other into the icy water below.
In the end, Kung Fu Chaos is not the kind of game you will be coming back to months later. Granted, the game has great graphics and responsive controls, but there is not enough depth in single player modes to keep things interesting. The levels are all too similar to each other, and the characters need more variety in their moves and attacks. An average gamer will most likely beat Kung Fu Chaos in a day! The best way to enjoy this game is with other friends. For your financial sake, stick with Nintendo’s Super Smash Brothers Melee. | 
