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Kung Fu Panda (video game)
Encyclopedia
Kung Fu Panda is a video game loosely based on the film of the same name
. The game was released across various platforms in June, 2008.
, who dreams of becoming a great Kung Fu fighter. Unfortunately, his weight and clumsiness makes this ambition seemingly unattainable.
At the start of the game, Po narrates about a Dragon Warrior who protected the Valley of Peace. The Warrior goes around the Valley, defeating boar members of of the Blackhoof Boar Clan and saving Villagers. The warrior then encounters a giant Tai Lung, who discourages Po, saying that he's not the warrior. It is then revealed it was just Po dreaming, and he wakes up in the garden of his father Mr. Ping's noodle shop. It is soon announced that the Dragon Warrior will be chosen at the Jade Palace.
Po rushes to the palace, only to find that the gates have been closed. He navigates through the training grounds, saving rabbit villagers (who are trapped in cages) from members of the Blackhoof Boar Clan and collecting fireworks on the way. After collecting ten fireworks, he ties the fireworks to a chair, and rockets into the arena, where Tigress has just finished her performance (the player will play as Tigress performing). Grand Master Oogway then begins to identify the Dragon Warrior before Po crashes into the arena. Oogway then points at him. Master Shifu, the Five and Po are all surprised by this. Po is then taken to the Training Grounds by Shifu, who doesn't believe that Po is the Dragon Warrior. Po is successful in the Training Grounds and proceeds in his training.
Meanwhile, Zeng, a palace goose is flying back to the Jade Palace, only to be attacked by vultures. He is saved by Master Crane just as he is about to fall to his death. Crane beats up the vultures and flies Zeng safely to the Palace, where Zeng announces that Tai Lung, an evil snow leopard who used to be a student of Shifu, has escaped prison. Shifu and the Five leave Po at the palace to go warn the villagers. The Boar Clan invade the Palace and steal the treasures there. Po protects the treasures and defeats the boars. Shifu returns and sees Po's progress and sends him to a lake inhabited by turtles with Master Crane.
The turtles inform them that the Imperial Crocodile Gang are invading the river, are on Tai Lung's side, and have taken over the pond and are going to steal the turtles' hatchlings. Mama Turtle asks them to save the hatchlings. Po manages to defeat the crocodiles and finds enough eggs (the player has to find 8 eggs) to satisfy Mama Turtle (Po is called "Egg Master Po" by her). Po then goes to the center of the pond to save Mama's grandson, who was kidnapped by the Crocodile Queen. He ends up waking the queen, who sends the Crocodile King (or the Crocodile Sergeant) to chase and kill Po. Master Crane rescues Po and they fly threw a stream with the Crocodile Sergeant in hot pursuit. They eventually escape and the Crocodile Sergeant falls into a waterfall and dies. Po then returns the baby turtle to Mama Turtle.
Noticing that Po is improving with his Kung Fu, Master Shifu takes Po to the Wudang Mountains, where Kung Fu was invented. There, the Great Gorilla and his minions are stealing all the riches in the mountains. Po defeats the Great Gorilla's minions and stages a final battle with the Great Gorilla, and eventually defeats him. Meanwhile, the Furious Five go to fight Tai Lung themselves, only to be defeated by Tai Lung and captured by his wolves that work in the Lang Shadow Army. Shifu goes to rescue the Five, and successfully does so, while defeating Tai Lung's army. Shifu decides to go hold off Tai Lung while the Five, Po and the villagers escape. As they are about to leave, Po's father tells him the secret to his "Secret Ingredient Soup", which is....nothing. His father explains that you just have to believe it is special to make it special. Po realizes this is the same concept with the dragon scroll, which he was presented earlier (it was blank too).
After defeating the Wu Sisters, Po sets off to the Palace. He meets up with Master Monkey, and they plan to destroy two ships belonging to the Lang Shadow Army using a water tower. Monkey clears a way to the tower, and Po and Monkey both team up to defeat an Ox, and knock him towards the wood supporting the tower, and it collapses. Po continues his quest to the Palace, where Shifu is nearly defeated by Tai Lung. Tai Lung knocks Po down the stairs and they roll down the steps and battle. After fighting Tai Lung's minions, Po and Tai Lung battle once again. Po defeats him with using Wuxi Finger Hold, and Tai Lung vanishes into thin air. Po is then accepted by the Furious Five and all the villagers as the Dragon Warrior and is claimed a true Kung Fu master.
Kung Fu Panda intended mainly for children and is based on the movie Kung Fu Panda
. Players initially control Po, who differs from the movie in that he possesses a basic level of martial arts
skill from the beginning, enabling him to participate in battle. In addition to fighting and jumping challenges, maintaining balance is another important element of the game, such as Po crossing tightropes, staying on moving platforms and using it to steer a boat through a dangerous river. Over the course of the game's narrative, the player improves Po's skill by adding various new fighting techniques and special moves, although in some parts of the game, the player will have to complete the tasks as another character.
After collecting a number of coins at the end of each level, the player has the option to buy upgrades to Po's moves and health, as well as a different set of new outfits. Eventually, as the player progresses through the game, they'll be able to unlock other characters, including Master Shifu and the members of the Furious Five (a team of elite fighters each with their own fighting styles and mini-games). In addition, the player will be able to use objects and weapons when fighting. Furthermore, before each new level, Po narrates the continuing story, while the words are being scrolled up on the screen.
In the Wii
version, the Wii Remote
is used to perform moves and skills, such as the Wuxi Finger Hold; in the PS3
version, the motion sensors of the Sixaxis controller can be used to control Crane in missions, where players play as him, while in the Nintendo DS
version, while the D-pad moves Po, the touch screen is mainly used for combat moves, in the style of the DS version of Spider-Man 3
, which was also developed by Vicarious Visions
.
, it scored a Metacritic
rating of 75/100 from 42 critics. It also scored 7.5/10 from IGN
. It also got a positive score of 8/10 from Game Informer
.
was made for the Wii
and DS game systems. It received mixed reviews and achieved a 57 score on Metacritic
.
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
. The game was released across various platforms in June, 2008.
Plot
The game revolves around the 24 year-old Po, a giant pandaGiant Panda
The giant panda, or panda is a bear native to central-western and south western China. It is easily recognized by its large, distinctive black patches around the eyes, over the ears, and across its round body. Though it belongs to the order Carnivora, the panda's diet is 99% bamboo...
, who dreams of becoming a great Kung Fu fighter. Unfortunately, his weight and clumsiness makes this ambition seemingly unattainable.
At the start of the game, Po narrates about a Dragon Warrior who protected the Valley of Peace. The Warrior goes around the Valley, defeating boar members of of the Blackhoof Boar Clan and saving Villagers. The warrior then encounters a giant Tai Lung, who discourages Po, saying that he's not the warrior. It is then revealed it was just Po dreaming, and he wakes up in the garden of his father Mr. Ping's noodle shop. It is soon announced that the Dragon Warrior will be chosen at the Jade Palace.
Po rushes to the palace, only to find that the gates have been closed. He navigates through the training grounds, saving rabbit villagers (who are trapped in cages) from members of the Blackhoof Boar Clan and collecting fireworks on the way. After collecting ten fireworks, he ties the fireworks to a chair, and rockets into the arena, where Tigress has just finished her performance (the player will play as Tigress performing). Grand Master Oogway then begins to identify the Dragon Warrior before Po crashes into the arena. Oogway then points at him. Master Shifu, the Five and Po are all surprised by this. Po is then taken to the Training Grounds by Shifu, who doesn't believe that Po is the Dragon Warrior. Po is successful in the Training Grounds and proceeds in his training.
Meanwhile, Zeng, a palace goose is flying back to the Jade Palace, only to be attacked by vultures. He is saved by Master Crane just as he is about to fall to his death. Crane beats up the vultures and flies Zeng safely to the Palace, where Zeng announces that Tai Lung, an evil snow leopard who used to be a student of Shifu, has escaped prison. Shifu and the Five leave Po at the palace to go warn the villagers. The Boar Clan invade the Palace and steal the treasures there. Po protects the treasures and defeats the boars. Shifu returns and sees Po's progress and sends him to a lake inhabited by turtles with Master Crane.
The turtles inform them that the Imperial Crocodile Gang are invading the river, are on Tai Lung's side, and have taken over the pond and are going to steal the turtles' hatchlings. Mama Turtle asks them to save the hatchlings. Po manages to defeat the crocodiles and finds enough eggs (the player has to find 8 eggs) to satisfy Mama Turtle (Po is called "Egg Master Po" by her). Po then goes to the center of the pond to save Mama's grandson, who was kidnapped by the Crocodile Queen. He ends up waking the queen, who sends the Crocodile King (or the Crocodile Sergeant) to chase and kill Po. Master Crane rescues Po and they fly threw a stream with the Crocodile Sergeant in hot pursuit. They eventually escape and the Crocodile Sergeant falls into a waterfall and dies. Po then returns the baby turtle to Mama Turtle.
Noticing that Po is improving with his Kung Fu, Master Shifu takes Po to the Wudang Mountains, where Kung Fu was invented. There, the Great Gorilla and his minions are stealing all the riches in the mountains. Po defeats the Great Gorilla's minions and stages a final battle with the Great Gorilla, and eventually defeats him. Meanwhile, the Furious Five go to fight Tai Lung themselves, only to be defeated by Tai Lung and captured by his wolves that work in the Lang Shadow Army. Shifu goes to rescue the Five, and successfully does so, while defeating Tai Lung's army. Shifu decides to go hold off Tai Lung while the Five, Po and the villagers escape. As they are about to leave, Po's father tells him the secret to his "Secret Ingredient Soup", which is....nothing. His father explains that you just have to believe it is special to make it special. Po realizes this is the same concept with the dragon scroll, which he was presented earlier (it was blank too).
After defeating the Wu Sisters, Po sets off to the Palace. He meets up with Master Monkey, and they plan to destroy two ships belonging to the Lang Shadow Army using a water tower. Monkey clears a way to the tower, and Po and Monkey both team up to defeat an Ox, and knock him towards the wood supporting the tower, and it collapses. Po continues his quest to the Palace, where Shifu is nearly defeated by Tai Lung. Tai Lung knocks Po down the stairs and they roll down the steps and battle. After fighting Tai Lung's minions, Po and Tai Lung battle once again. Po defeats him with using Wuxi Finger Hold, and Tai Lung vanishes into thin air. Po is then accepted by the Furious Five and all the villagers as the Dragon Warrior and is claimed a true Kung Fu master.
Gameplay
Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is a 2008 American computer-animated action comedy film produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Paramount Pictures...
. Players initially control Po, who differs from the movie in that he possesses a basic level of martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
skill from the beginning, enabling him to participate in battle. In addition to fighting and jumping challenges, maintaining balance is another important element of the game, such as Po crossing tightropes, staying on moving platforms and using it to steer a boat through a dangerous river. Over the course of the game's narrative, the player improves Po's skill by adding various new fighting techniques and special moves, although in some parts of the game, the player will have to complete the tasks as another character.
After collecting a number of coins at the end of each level, the player has the option to buy upgrades to Po's moves and health, as well as a different set of new outfits. Eventually, as the player progresses through the game, they'll be able to unlock other characters, including Master Shifu and the members of the Furious Five (a team of elite fighters each with their own fighting styles and mini-games). In addition, the player will be able to use objects and weapons when fighting. Furthermore, before each new level, Po narrates the continuing story, while the words are being scrolled up on the screen.
In the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
version, the Wii Remote
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
is used to perform moves and skills, such as the Wuxi Finger Hold; in the PS3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
version, the motion sensors of the Sixaxis controller can be used to control Crane in missions, where players play as him, while in the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
version, while the D-pad moves Po, the touch screen is mainly used for combat moves, in the style of the DS version of Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 (video game)
Spider-Man 3 is an action game loosely based on the Spider-Man 3 film and released for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, Wii, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo DS, Microsoft Windows and Game Boy Advance. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions were developed by Treyarch, the PC version by Beenox while...
, which was also developed by Vicarious Visions
Vicarious Visions
Vicarious Visions is an American video game developer founded by the high school brothers Karthik and Guha Bala in 1990, which developed some PC and Game Boy Color games in late 90's and 2000. They later developed Terminus, which won two Independent Games Festival Awards in 1999...
.
Multiplayer
The game also includes a multiplayer mode with new levels and characters. In addition, the game features new bosses, including the Great Gorilla, the Wu Sisters, and Nameless. The player can also collect action figures of the Furious Five and rare coins and use them to unlock things at the Extras Menu.Cast
- J. Grant Albrecht -
- Greg BaldwinGreg BaldwinGreg Baldwin is an American actor. Raised in Spring, Texas, he currently resides in the San Fernando Valley with Melissa Baldwin, his wife of twenty-six years and their two children, Sydney and Cooper...
- Master Oogway - Susanne Blakeslee - Queen Crocodile, Wu Sister #1
- Steven BlumSteven BlumSteven Jay Blum is an American voice actor known primarily for his work in anime dubs and video games, using his distinctive deep voice. Among his credits include the voice of Spike Spiegel of the anime series Cowboy Bebop and Mugen of the anime series Samurai Champloo...
- Vulture - Jennifer DarlingJennifer DarlingJennifer Darling is an American actress and voice actress. While her body of work as a voiceover artist greatly eclipses that of her on-stage career, she is, perhaps, nevertheless known best to most people as Peggy Callahan, the secretary to Oscar Goldman in the television series The Six Million...
- - Brian T. Delaney - Master Mantis
- Bill FarmerBill FarmerWilliam "Bill" Farmer is an American voice actor and comedian, best known for being the current voice of the Disney characters Goofy, Pluto and Horace Horsecollar.-Early life:...
- - Rene Harnois Jr. -
- Bobby Holliday -
- James HongJames HongJames Hong is an American actor and former president of the Association of Asian/Pacific American Artists . A prolific acting veteran, Hong's career spans over 50 years and includes more than 350 roles in film, television, and video games.-Early life:Hong was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His...
- Mr. Ping - Andrew KishinoAndrew KishinoAndrew Kishino is a Japanese-Canadian voice actor in video games, animation and voice-over narration.-Animation:*The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy - Additional Voices...
- Goose, Vulture, Wang Chow - Drew MasseyDrew MasseyDrew Massey is a puppeteer for The Jim Henson Company for the Muppets and has performed in many TV shows, movies, and TV commercials. He also lends his voice for commercials and video games. His film credits include The Muppets' Wizard of Oz, The Producers, Dr. Dolittle, Cats & Dogs, Team...
- Master Crane - Peter McHugh -
- Phil Morris -
- Michale Nardellil -
- Noah Nelson -
- Charlie SchlatterCharlie SchlatterCharles Thomas "Charlie" Schlatter is an American actor. He has starred in numerous TV series and films, and is well-known for his role in the series Diagnosis: Murder as Dr. Jesse Travis with Dick Van Dyke, and for his role in the film 18 Again! with George Burns...
- Rabbit - James Sie - Master Monkey
- Kath SoucieKath SoucieKatherine Elaine Soucie is an American voice actress. She is sometimes credited as Kath Soucie, Katherine Soucie, Kath Souci, Kath E...
- Master Viper, Rabbit - Fred TatascioreFred TatascioreFrederick "Fred" Tatasciore is an American voice actor who portrays secondary characters as well as monstrous-looking types...
- Master Shifu - Erin TorpeyErin TorpeyErin Catherine Torpey is an American actress and singer. She best known for her role of Jessica Buchanan & Megan Buchanan Rappaport as well as the new character Erin on One Life to Live .-Career:...
- Master Tigress - Mick Wingert - Po, Zeng
Reception
The game received generally positive reviews from critics. Even though the Xbox 360 version of the game received a 6.5/10 from GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
, it scored a Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
rating of 75/100 from 42 critics. It also scored 7.5/10 from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
. It also got a positive score of 8/10 from Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
.
Sequel
A sequel to the game called Kung Fu Panda: Legendary WarriorsKung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors
Kung Fu Panda: Legendary Warriors is a video game for the Nintendo DS and Wii. It is a sequel to the video game Kung Fu Panda. Players get to play the role as Masters Po, Shifu, Tigress, and Monkey throughout the game levels....
was made for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and DS game systems. It received mixed reviews and achieved a 57 score on Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.