Commodore 64Overview
Exploding Fist + was developed by Australia's electronic game company Beam Software and published by Firebird Software in 1988. It was only available for the 8-bit home computers Commodore 64 and ZX Spectrum. This game is not so much another sequel in the Fist franchise as a update of the original "The Way Of The Exploding Fist"(in turn based on the hit coin-op Karate Champ) which was released way back in August 1985 and spawned the martial arts fad. Like in System 3's International Karate + the player has this time instead of a single opponent to cope simultaneously with two combatants. The aim of the game is to rise through the dans(the proficiency levels of karate) to reach the highest skill-level of the 10th dan.
Gameplay
After loading a demo on both homecomputer versions of the game starts and three computer controlled karatekas can be watched in action. From there the player can start a "real" game. In the C64 game up to two human players can simultaneously take part in a bout where both controll their fighters solely with joysticks. In the ZX Spectrum version even up to three human players can join the fighting controlling their fighters either with joystick or keyboard.
The backdrop for the fights remains always the same, it is a simple US street scene, complete with flashing Vegas-style bar and hotel neon signs. The three fighters are distinguishable from each other on ZX Spectrum by baseball cap, beard and headband and on C64 only by the colors of the robes.
The object of the game is to become a 10th dan by winning two bouts per dan. Therefor 16 standard moves are available (eight with the fire button pressed and eight without) such as the usual punch, high kick, mid kick, duck, spin kick, ankle kick, back kick, low kick, low punch, flying kick, elbow jab or even a cartwheel which is fine for getting out of trouble.
Bouts are played under a time limit - 30 seconds in the C64 version and 60 seconds in the ZX Spectrum. Hit points are awarded when a fighter lands a blow on another. A precise and vehement hit against the opponent's corpus or head like a "Roundhouse" or a "Flying Kick" gains the player two hit points whereas simple hits against another parts of the opponent's body are awarded with only one hit point. If the time is up the two players with the most hit points go on to the next round or the bout ends automatically if a fighter earns maximum hit points (6 hit points on the C64, 8 hit points on the ZX Spectrum).
Every two rounds there's a bonus stage for every human player having survived the privious round. On the C64, the player directs a hand left and right and throws knives at ninjas who are advancing upon the player from an alley. For every ninja hit the player gains 100 points, if a ninja comes too close the bonus stage is over. On the ZX Spectrum, a cursor is used to direct shurikens into dragon heads which are looming out from windows and doorways in a dark alley. 250 points are obtained in the ZX Spectrum version for each hit, but if a dragon head is not hit in time, it will lunge out at the player and the bonus stage is over.
