Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn Reviews
By all accounts, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn should have been a disastrous failure. However, it ended up as a surprisingly competent beat-em-up, and its passionate charm and fun gameplay make up for its uneven humor and short replay value. Put on some Gold Bond and head to the court, because it's time for a Shaq Attack!
While I suggest picking it up for the comedy factor and some of the stylish game play, I would still recommend you wait for a slight price drop for now, but when it does happen, pick this one up.
Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn is a fun button masher that brings Shaq back to the world of video games – you know, outside of a proper basketball game that is. The original Shaq-Fu was a fighting game, and now Shaq enters the beat ‘em up genre with a fun release that, while a bit repetitive due to its genre, is certainly fun.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is a game by any normal definition should not exist. It is a game I am truly surprised people wanted and funded. To those of you who took the leap more than four years ago; I say thank you. I sit here with a rough diamond, most certainly not perfect, but memorable and hilarious at every chance it gets. While short, this is not a game to be overlooked—Shaq is back.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is everything the first game should have been; it doesn't have to be “so bad it's good,” and it features some good honest fun at its core. A Legend Reborn is definitely one to pick up if you've missed the beat ‘em up genre and are fancying something with a modern twist.
Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn is a solid side-scrolling brawler. We were unsure of what to expect from this whole 'Settle the score of '94' tagline, but were pleasantly surprised with the amount of fun it offers. While it lasts, it serves up a fun-filled ride with silly dialogue, politically incorrect humour and excessive amounts of 'Shaqness'. You might even be entitled to get this game for free but those who must part with their money and are on the market for some mindless brawling, you could do far worse than this Shaq attack. It's official then: Shaq-Fu: A legend redeemed.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn accepts and understands it's a novelty but is too heavy handed in it's approach. With a couple references to the other silly things Shaq has done in the past (Steel, Kazaam), countless TV appearances (Static Shock), other endorsements (The General Car Insurance) or even his delightful NBA 2K18 commercial this approach might've worked, though in its current form it just isn't there. If this is enough to amuse you, something that certainly gave me more than a couple laughs, especially at some of the delightful animations, then you'll likely enjoy it.
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is not a perfect game, but instead provides gigantic steps in the right direction for potential sequels.
A Legend Reborn is a safe entry to the beat-em-up genre. It’s pretty basic but the writing is phenomenal. It’s also safe to say people might get offended with some of its humor. Not to mention the whole game is an apology letter for Nintendo Switch owners who purchased last year’s NBA Playgrounds before an online update was released. And in my opinion, this is the best way to play the game – for free.
We are not facing a failed production, but misses the opportunity of recovering the genre with new stuff. It stays in a known field, with a graphic section that does not stand out, but has a wild style we really love.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
So, Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn is pretty average all things considered but given what we received over two decades ago, that has to be considered somewhat of a success.
If you're a fan of side-scrolling beat 'em ups, have an open mind when it comes to humour, and don't mind the odd bout of tedium, you'll probably like Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn quite a lot; just like me. Technical issues do pull it down a little though; just be aware of them, and its ability to offend, before you buy into it.
A Legend Reborn is definitely better than the first Shaq Fu game but it still misses a lot of its potential.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn is a run of the mill brawler, which just happens to feature pretty good boss fights. This game is really funny and is certainly worth playing for that alone. I had plenty of fun with this, despite its many shortcomings. Still, given the choice, I’d go with classics like Streets of Rage 2 or TMNT: Turtles in Time.
Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn is a fun title for as long as it lasts and a forgettable one once it ends.
I enjoyed the humor for what it was, and it doesn't take an overly long amount to time to clear. It's one of those games you can spend a day playing and not feel like you're being cheated out of anything if you never play it again. Shaq Fu's return won't earn the horrible reputation of its predecessor, but will probably be easily forgotten before the year is over.
What you’re left with, in the end, is an adequate brawler that tends to vary between too easy (while the enhanced Big Diesel and Shaq-tus modes are cute they’re not very challenging) to tough for the wrong reasons (control issues breaking out of stuns). Through each of the areas you visit enemies can be cosmetically different, and have some nuance, but they’re still a bit cookie cutter and all come from roughly the same 5 core types. This makes for finding patterns you’ll follow to success and, for the most part, there’s not much of a need for more than some basic strategies to stay alive until you get to the boss and need to figure out their patterns. The result is just a run-of-the-mill beat-em-up that seems to be using its “humor” to compensate. If that all sounds great to you, enjoy.
A great experience for classic 16 bits fighting games fans. Simple but organic, enjoyable and fun. A great option if we like action but also a very simple game with repetitive mechanics.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A certain candidate for the best worst game of the year award.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Congratulations Shaq Fu apologists, your sequel game delivered. We’re working on monkey paw rules however, so that means Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn only delivered on being a competent game instead of a good one.