Budokan: The Martial Spirit is a 1989 fighting game developed and published by Electronic Arts for DOS. Rather than a standard arcade brawler, it emphasizes realism and strategy. You train in four distinct Japanese martial artsโKarate, Kendo (wooden sword), Nunchaku, and Bo (staff)โat the Tobiko-Ryu Dojo before competing in the Budokan tournament in Tokyo. Each style has its own range, speed, and move set.
How to Play
Matches focus on managing your stamina and Ki (energy). Striking reduces your Ki, which determines the power of your attacks, while blocking and moving affect stamina. You must carefully time your strikes rather than button-mashing. During the tournament, you can choose which of the four martial arts to use against each opponent, but you have a limited number of times you can use each art overall, requiring you to plan ahead.
Controls rely on the keyboard, typically using the arrow keys or numpad for movement and spacing, combined with the action key (Space or Enter) to execute strikes and blocks based on the directional input.
Tips
- Conserve your Ki: Constant attacking will drain your Ki meter, making your strikes weak and ineffective. Wait for an opening instead of attacking wildly.
- Manage your styles: Save your strongest martial arts (like the Bo with its long reach) for the most difficult opponents later in the tournament.
- Mind your spacing: Watch the opponent’s weapon and stance; spacing is critical. For example, use the Bo’s reach to keep Kendo or Nunchaku fighters at a distance.
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