Astig Fighter
Written by: David Zarraga
Publication: Starcade
Date published: Circa 2006
Title: Astig Fighter
Developer: Cube Interactive
Publisher: Cube Interactive
Genre: arcade fighting
Platform: Nokia series 60
Download Price: P50
Download: www.globe.com.ph
Astig Ka Ba?
What do a down-on-his-luck ex-serviceman, a martial artist-cum-taho vendor, a psychotic butcher and a nurse saving up for her one-way ticket to the US, have in common? Well, they're all characters in this clone of the classic Street Fighter game that we twenty and thirty year old geeks-at-heart know so very well. Indeed, Astig Fighter lives up to the third-world maxim, "If you can't beat it, COPY it!" and goes a step further-- not only does it blatantly imitate the venerable Capcom title, it spoofs it!
With its two-dimensional graphics and animation, tinny soundtrack and cheesy outfits, this Cube Interactive title is a one-way ticket down memory lane for Famicom addicts. The game surprisingly features smooth gameplay as well as impressive graphics for a mobile title developed locally. The game is extremely easy to work, with its move-kick-and-duck mechanics, and has been a fun addition to my list of things to do in-between meetings (second only to choreographing kung-fu sequences using stick figures on my notebook). The controls are instinctive, and if your phone has a navigational button, playing becomes even simpler!
Astig Fighter's tongue-in-cheek rendition of the now-stereotypical Street Fighter and Tekken characters is an added bonus. For Practice Mode, gamers can choose between two characters: Enteng the Cockfighter is an ex-Scout Ranger being hunted for participating in an assassination attempt on a corrupt Army general, and who is now forced to make a living a street fight. Nestor the Taho Vendor is the kindly soul who has dedicated his life to mastering the martial art of Bangkaw (spear) fighting, driven to street fighting to pay the hospital bills of a pupil mauled in a gang war (what is this a Lito Lapid film from the early 80's?).
Practice mode familiarizes you with each character's special moves (Nestor makes use of his taho set as a deadly bangkaw, while Enteng has his fierce chicken throw— think of it as Hadouken with poultry) and lets you practice stringing combos together.
Once I was ready, I accessed the game's 1-on-1 Bluetooth feature, which gave me access to all six of the game's characters. Joining Enteng and Nestor are Butch the Butcher, a psychotic animal who credits his current state of mind to childhood abuse; Vida the Nurse, a sexy, fake-blonde who's saving money for a ticket to the US; Juan the Carpenter, an immensely strong but kind-hearted construction worker forced fighting to supplement his meager income, and Danilo the Mailman, an undercover NBI agent sent in to gather info on illegal street fighting, and who, unbeknownst to his superiors, is also seeking revenge on Enteng for the murder of his brother.
The 1-on-1 feature is actually a blessing, since the game's AI is peanut-sized, and gameplay starts to get boring in practice mode. Of course, once you're pitted against another human being, the game becomes infinitely more compelling, and the fact that it's played over Bluetooth means that you're not burning money hooked up to an online server. I had tons of fun playing PvP, particularly with Enteng's fierce chicken throw, and Juan's skull-splitting "dos-por-dos" move. Each character's comically unique combos makes combat so much more interesting, and once you get the timing right, the combos are absolutely deadly.
Defensively, you can either dodge (‘4' & ‘6' keys), crouch (‘8' key), or jump left or right (press ‘4' & ‘2' or ‘6' & ‘2' simultaneously) to avoid your opponent's attack. Admittedly, there's not much to differentiate the characters except the kind of weapon they use, but variety aside, Astig Fighter is just flat-out hilarious to play. Believe me, the sight alone of Enteng throwing a clucking chicken at his opponent makes it worth downloading the game!
It's Astig Fighter's slick, side-splitting parody of classic fighting game clichés with Pinoy pop culture archetypes that makes Astig a fun and worthwhile download, even at 50 pesos. There is a tendency to get tired of the game after about a week because of the limited characters and skill levels. However, if you've got someone to play against, you may just stretch that out by few more weeks. But hey, that's why it's a mobile game, and for me, Astig Fighter is just that-- astig!
4.5/5
By: David "Fierce Chicken Throw" Zarraga
Developer: Cube Interactive
Publisher: Cube Interactive
Genre: arcade fighting
Platform: Nokia series 60
Download Price: P50
Download: www.globe.com.ph
Astig Ka Ba?
What do a down-on-his-luck ex-serviceman, a martial artist-cum-taho vendor, a psychotic butcher and a nurse saving up for her one-way ticket to the US, have in common? Well, they're all characters in this clone of the classic Street Fighter game that we twenty and thirty year old geeks-at-heart know so very well. Indeed, Astig Fighter lives up to the third-world maxim, "If you can't beat it, COPY it!" and goes a step further-- not only does it blatantly imitate the venerable Capcom title, it spoofs it!
With its two-dimensional graphics and animation, tinny soundtrack and cheesy outfits, this Cube Interactive title is a one-way ticket down memory lane for Famicom addicts. The game surprisingly features smooth gameplay as well as impressive graphics for a mobile title developed locally. The game is extremely easy to work, with its move-kick-and-duck mechanics, and has been a fun addition to my list of things to do in-between meetings (second only to choreographing kung-fu sequences using stick figures on my notebook). The controls are instinctive, and if your phone has a navigational button, playing becomes even simpler!
Astig Fighter's tongue-in-cheek rendition of the now-stereotypical Street Fighter and Tekken characters is an added bonus. For Practice Mode, gamers can choose between two characters: Enteng the Cockfighter is an ex-Scout Ranger being hunted for participating in an assassination attempt on a corrupt Army general, and who is now forced to make a living a street fight. Nestor the Taho Vendor is the kindly soul who has dedicated his life to mastering the martial art of Bangkaw (spear) fighting, driven to street fighting to pay the hospital bills of a pupil mauled in a gang war (what is this a Lito Lapid film from the early 80's?).
Practice mode familiarizes you with each character's special moves (Nestor makes use of his taho set as a deadly bangkaw, while Enteng has his fierce chicken throw— think of it as Hadouken with poultry) and lets you practice stringing combos together.
Once I was ready, I accessed the game's 1-on-1 Bluetooth feature, which gave me access to all six of the game's characters. Joining Enteng and Nestor are Butch the Butcher, a psychotic animal who credits his current state of mind to childhood abuse; Vida the Nurse, a sexy, fake-blonde who's saving money for a ticket to the US; Juan the Carpenter, an immensely strong but kind-hearted construction worker forced fighting to supplement his meager income, and Danilo the Mailman, an undercover NBI agent sent in to gather info on illegal street fighting, and who, unbeknownst to his superiors, is also seeking revenge on Enteng for the murder of his brother.
The 1-on-1 feature is actually a blessing, since the game's AI is peanut-sized, and gameplay starts to get boring in practice mode. Of course, once you're pitted against another human being, the game becomes infinitely more compelling, and the fact that it's played over Bluetooth means that you're not burning money hooked up to an online server. I had tons of fun playing PvP, particularly with Enteng's fierce chicken throw, and Juan's skull-splitting "dos-por-dos" move. Each character's comically unique combos makes combat so much more interesting, and once you get the timing right, the combos are absolutely deadly.
Defensively, you can either dodge (‘4' & ‘6' keys), crouch (‘8' key), or jump left or right (press ‘4' & ‘2' or ‘6' & ‘2' simultaneously) to avoid your opponent's attack. Admittedly, there's not much to differentiate the characters except the kind of weapon they use, but variety aside, Astig Fighter is just flat-out hilarious to play. Believe me, the sight alone of Enteng throwing a clucking chicken at his opponent makes it worth downloading the game!
It's Astig Fighter's slick, side-splitting parody of classic fighting game clichés with Pinoy pop culture archetypes that makes Astig a fun and worthwhile download, even at 50 pesos. There is a tendency to get tired of the game after about a week because of the limited characters and skill levels. However, if you've got someone to play against, you may just stretch that out by few more weeks. But hey, that's why it's a mobile game, and for me, Astig Fighter is just that-- astig!
4.5/5
By: David "Fierce Chicken Throw" Zarraga