Kung-Fu Master/Walkthrough

Stage layout
Each stage is divided in to six sections, although each of the sections are similar. Signs written in Japanese are posted on pillars to denote the current section. The signs are ordered from 1 to 6 and appear as 一, 二, 三, 四, 五,  and  六. Floors 1, 3, and 5 advance from right to left. Floors 2 and 4 advance from left to right.

Floor 1
Floor one features only Grippers and Knife Throwers before Thomas encounters the floor boss, the Stick Fighter. Get in to the habit of stopping every time an enemy appears in front of you. It is much safer to stand still and let the enemy walk up to you before you strike him. When enemies appear behind you, continue to walk forward until the enemy is just about to grab you. Then stop, turn around, and strike them until it is safe to proceed. One or two Knife Throwers will appear by the time you reach section 3. Duck or jump the knife that they throw at you, then proceed to attack. Two strikes are required to remove him.

When you reach the Stick Fighter, remember to move in close enough to be safely inside his strike range, preferably with a forward jump kick as you rush toward him. You'll either jump over a crouching stick attack, or trade blows if he swings high. With a bit of luck, you may never incur a loss of health when attacking him. A jump kick attack also causes him extra damage. Once you're in close, use punches, then kicks once he backs out of range of punches. Attack until he is pushed away from you and close the distance again with a flying jump kick before continuing your attack.

Floor 2
The first three sections of this floor are unique. Throughout these sections, snake pots, dragon balls, and confetti balls will fall from the ceiling. Ignore dragon balls and confetti balls that appear behind you. Watch out for snake pots that land on the floor and be prepared to jump over snakes that appear from them. Punch or kick dragons in the mouth only if you have enough time to reach them before they breathe fire, otherwise duck. Jump kick confetti balls in your path whenever you have the chance, before they explode. Once you pass section three, Grippers, Tom Toms, and Knife Throwers will begin to appear. Charging Tom Toms can only be defeated with low attacks - unless they leap toward you, in which case stand or jump up out of a crouch to knock them out.

Approach the Boomerang Fighter with caution. Try to avoid the two boomerangs he is going to throw, then close and attack while the boomerangs are still in flight. Keep an eye on them, and avoid the boomerangs' return.

Floor 3
Floor 3 is much like Floor 1 with the addition of Tom Toms. Enemies appear far more frequently and it is especially important to wait until every enemy is defeated before moving forward. Two Knife Throwers should appear shortly before you arrive in section three. Special care must be taken to remove the enemies that walk past the throwers while still advancing on them so that you can remove them before proceeding.

The Giant is especially dangerous. Jump kicking his head from a distance hits hard, but low punches are useful if you wind up inside his punching range, and kicks can also be useful as long as he is backing away from you.

Floor 4
Much like Floor 2, the first half of Floor 4 is marked with a unique characteristic. The first three sections of this floor contain holes in the walls from which poisonous moths are released. The moths fly in a predictable pattern, but are still difficult to avoid since they move nearly as fast as you, and their height off of the ground is constantly changing. It is best to avoid the moths as much as possible, ducking under or jumping over moths when possible, stopping only to attack when necessary, and proceeding as quickly as possible. The moths will never pass the pillar which marks section 4. The Grippers and Tom Toms, and even a Knife Thrower will return until you reach the Black Magician.

Although it is possible to punch or kick the fireballs the Black magician throws, it is impossible to predict if he is throwing a viper on the ground, a firebreathing dragon on the ground, a naked fireball high or low, a high fireball that turns into a poisonous moth that flies straight at your head, or two of any random fireballs in rapid succession. It is safer to assume he will throw high and duck while throwing crouching punches so that when his next fireball (hopefully) flies overhead, you can close with him, or at least back him up. Given enough distance to discern a high or low fireball, try to kick the high fireballs or jump over the low ones, then close for crouching punches. Once the Black Magician disappears, close the distance, then crouch and punch. The main goal is to back the Black Magician against the staircase, then hold your ground with a flurry of crouching punches that will keep the Black Magician from getting off any more shots. All foot sweeps will miss entirely. High or jumping attacks will appear to decapitate him, until he regrows his head without taking any damage, disappears, and attacks again. Stick to crouching punches.

Floor 5
Floor 5 consists of the same enemies at Floor 3, but at their highest frequency. This floor can overwhelm even the best players. You may find yourself defending your position through the assault of up to 20 enemies before you can proceed. Knife Throwers also appear more frequently, showing up a bit more randomly then before. It's not a bad idea to let a Knife Thrower follow behind you since his presence can severely cut down on the number of enemies you face. Just remember to dodge the knives he throws. Also remember that if a Tom Tom jumps in the air, stand up quickly to negate his attack and remove him at the same time. If you find that you are getting pinned between groups of enemies of Knife Throwers, only patience and quick reactions will save you. Rely on kicks more than punches since the range is better. If a Knife Thrower is following you by the time you reach Mr. X, be sure to dispatch the thrower before you take on Mr. X.

Mr. X's defense is nearly impregnable, until he drops his guard just before he attacks you. Alternating between high and low attacks is one good way, but try to watch his movements as closely as possible. He is usually most vulnerable to the attack that he's about to use on you, but he's so quick, it can be hard to determine which attack that will be in time. If you move forward throw a high standing punch then a low crouching once then back away, you'll be able to see his posture reset...then do the same move again...move forward throw a high (standing) punch then a low one (in rapid succession) and move away for him to reset. Do this over and over until he is defeated. Using this strategy, you will seldomly incur any health damage.