Shaq Fu

About

Shaq Fu is a 2D fighting game starring former professional basketball player Shaquille O'Neal released by Electronic Arts in 1994. Due to the inclusion of Shaq, the game has garnered a cult following and has been called one of the worst video games of all time.

History

At the height of Shaq's popularity in the early 90s, the basketball player began developing a rap album titled Shaq Fu. However, the rise of the popular 2D fighting video game Mortal Kombat shifted the idea of a Shaq album to a Shaq fighting game with the title Shaq Fu.^[1]

On October 28th, 1994, the game Shaq Fu was released on Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. The following year, it was released on Game Gear, Game Boy and Amiga platforms.

Sequel

On March 6th, 2014, a teaser for a sequel to Shaq Fu entitied Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn was uploaded to YouTube. ^[5] The trailer (shown below) coincided with the launched of an Indiegogo^[6] campaign to fund the project.

In press release^[7] for the game, Shaquill O'Neal said, "I'll admit it, Shaq Fu was a horrible game. I'm a huge fan of video games and want to have my name associated with a Shaq Fu game that I'm proud of and would like to play. "This is my second chance and it's even better this time since I'm able to partner with the fans to make this happen."

Within two years, the project garnered more than $450,000 in crowdfunding. On February 1st, the official Playstation YouTube^[8] account uploaded a launch trailer for the sequel. The post (shown below) received more than 215,000 views in two weeks and coincided with reports that the game would be released in spring 2018 on all consoles.^[9]

Reception

Upon its initial release, Shaq Fu received mixed reviews from video game critics.^[2] GamePro magazine gave the game 4.5 out of 5 rating. They write, "The Shaq Attack is back! The SNES version was good, but this Genesis game's even better. Shaq Fu can muscle its way close to Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, but the small Shaq sprites may keep some fighters at bay. However, spend some time to master Shaq's attacks, and you'll gladly play the Fu."

However, Nintendo Power magazine gave the game a 2.9 ot of 5, writing "Shaq is a force in martial arts just as he is on the basketball court, at least in this fantasy game. PLUS: A fun idea with some good graphics and animation. (Players should keep in mind that there is no basketball at all in this game.) MINUS: Not a very challenging fighting game when fighting the computer. Play control isn't sharp. Small characters."

In the years since the game's release, it has earned the designation of one of the worst games of all time. In 1997, Nintendo Power ranked it #3 in their list of the 10 worst video games of all time.^[3]

The designation has been refuted, though. In 2008, IGN^[4] published an article entitled "In Defense of Shaq Fu." In the piece, the author writes, "Just because a game seems collectively detested, doesn't mean it's without merit. Sometimes the rejection and ridicule of a game just feeds on itself, earning the title a reputation it doesn't entirely deserve. Shaq Fu is one of those games."

Search Interest

External References