The debut of the TurboGrafx-16 was a tough launch for NEC. This was probably due to a couple of reasons. One, this was their first console and not every launch title is going to be a hit with fans. Secondly, their lack of understanding what North American gamers wanted hurt throughout the consoles’ life. It didn’t help at all that the Japanese parent company was pulling the strings as far as what was released here and what wasn’t (this could be why we didn’t get Street Fighter II, anything from Konami, and many other Japan exclusives). China Warrior is surely one of those titles that was a “direct order” from Japan to release. Effectively, this is the “tech demo” for the TurboGrafx-16, much like Altered Beast and Last Battle were for the Sega Genesis.

China Warrior was huge

First, the sprites of are huge, especially when considering the time gamers were first seeing this game. The problem is, as par for the course, graphics don’t make a great game. This game is no different. Commercials (featured in this article) focused on comparing China Warrior to Kung-Fu on the Nintendo Entertainment System. This was somewhat deceptive since China Warrior is quite limited in scope. The commercial is edited in such a way as to hide that fact. Sega would later use a similar direct comparison technique with Sonic the Hedgehog (Sega Genesis) versus Super Mario World (Super Nintendo).

Almost trademark infringement

The main character bears a striking resemblance to Bruce Lee, though that does not make China Warrior any better.

Players walk to the right, punch and kick enemies that appear, and repeat through the 12 stages. No one will blame you for skipping this blip on the launch radar for the TurboGrafx-16. Every other launch title was better.

Where to get China Warrior today

China Warrior is available on TurboChip (get it on eBay or Amazon) and the Nintendo Wii Virtual Console. Just don’t expect a lot of “gameplay” or “fun” with your purchase.

Carl Williams

It is time gaming journalism takes its rightful place as proper sources and not fanboys giving free advertising. If you wish to support writers like Carl please use the links below. https://www.paypal.me/WCW https://www.patreon.com/CarlWilliams