Living in Sacramento, Ca., like I do I have certain feelings about Shaq. The rivalry between the Kings and the Lakers means I’m obligated to hold a grudge against the guy, even while he’s in retirement. Add in the fact that I’m a long time game that was fooled for a moment into thinking that the infamous Shaq-Fu might not be the worst game ever and things look even worse.
But now there’s Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn. Yes, the big man is getting back into the game arena and is doing it with the help of development studio Deez Productions. This will either start a thawing out of our frigid relationship, or cement our distrust for one another forever. Especially for him, since he doesn’t know me. Or does he?!
Back to the game. There’s really isn’t much that needs to be said about the new Shaq-Fu, so let’s just a point by point breakdown of what we’re looking at.
- It’s an old-school style Streets of Rage style beat-em up mixed with Street Fighter and Devil May Cry
- Modern day graphics, none of that new wave pixel stuff.
- Destructible environments.
- Multiple playable characters, including the bosses you beat.
- Character morphing powerups that change not just Shaq’s abilities, but also his appearance
- Co-Op and 1vs1 multiplayer gameplay online or via splitscreen
- Avoid Shaq’s debilitating weakness, the free throw.
Ok, I made that last one up; mostly.
Curiously enough the Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn funding campaign is being handled via IndieGoGo, not what you would normally expect, especially given that the team is looking to raise $450,000. However, the campaign is a Flexible funding campaign meaning that the team will get all of the pledge money even if they don’t raise the whole amount by the April 20th deadline, so maybe it does make sense. Check out the Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn IndieGoGo page for more information on the game, and some CGI trailer love.
