Is Kung-Fu Master on Steam?

No. Kung-Fu Master is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

What platforms is Kung-Fu Master on?

Kung-Fu Master is available on Arcade, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, NES, ZX Spectrum.

When did Kung-Fu Master release?

Kung-Fu Master was first released on December 1, 1984.

Kung-Fu Master

Dec 1, 1984Hack and slash/Beat 'em upArcadeArcadeAtari 2600Commodore 64NESZX Spectrum

Kung-Fu Master — frequently asked questions

Is Kung-Fu Master on Steam?: No. Kung-Fu Master is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Kung-Fu Master on?: Kung-Fu Master is available on Arcade, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, NES, ZX Spectrum.
When did Kung-Fu Master release?: Kung-Fu Master was first released on December 1, 1984.

About Kung-Fu Master

The international version of Spartan X, without the Jackie Chan movie license. Kung-Fu Master, known in Japan as Spartan X, is a 1984 beat 'em up arcade game developed and published in Japan by Irem. It was later published in North America by Data East. The Japanese version was based on the Jackie Chan movie Wheels on Meals, known as Spartan X in Japan, and credited "Paragon Films Ltd., Towa Promotion", who produced the film upon which it was based. The game is considered by many to be the first beat 'em up video game, and contains elements of Bruce Lee's Game of Death.

Summary via IGDB.

Kung-Fu Master on Wikipedia

Kung-Fu Master, known as Spartan X in Japan, is a 1984 beat 'em up game developed and published by Irem for arcades. It was distributed by Data East in North America. Designed by Takashi Nishiyama, the game was based on Hong Kong martial arts films. It is a loose adaptation of the Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao film Wheels on Meals (1984), called Spartan X in Japan. The protagonist Thomas is named after Jackie Chan's character in the film. It is also heavily inspired by the Bruce Lee film Game of Death (1972), which was the basis for the game's concept. Nishiyama, who had previously designed the side-scrolling shooter Moon Patrol (1982), combined fighting elements with a shoot 'em up gameplay rhythm. Irem and Data East exported the game to the West without the Spartan X license.

Source: Wikipedia (text under CC BY-SA 4.0).

Game details

Platforms: Arcade, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, NES, ZX Spectrum
Developer: Irem
Publisher: Data East USA
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

60/100

from 6 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Built by
Atari 2600	1987	$19	$46	$69	3 reviews	Imagineering (designed by Dan Kitchen)

Also released on: Arcade · Commodore 64 · NES · ZX Spectrum. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 2600 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-06

Loose

$19

Complete

$46

Sealed

$69

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	Rarity
North America Activision	Special	AG-039	Scarce+
Australia HES	—	—	—

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 2600 software database

Region: NA
Released: 1987
Controller: Atari Joystick
Players: 1 - 2
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and plug-and-plays are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 2600 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A late Activision conversion of Irem's arcade brawler, competent but well short of its source.

Kung-Fu Master was a 1984 Irem arcade game and a major hit in its own right. The 2600 conversion came much later: Dan Kitchen made it at Imagineering, and Activision published it in September 1987.

Reviews of the 2600 version were middling, with AllGame giving it 3.5 out of 5 and Computer and Video Games scoring it 54%.

What the press said at the time

AllGame		3.5/5
Computer and Video Games		54%
Computer Entertainer Vol. 6 No. 7	October 1987	Graphics ★★★½ · Play-Action ★★★

“KUNG-FU MASTER is a good game on the 2600, with plenty of action, crisp graphics, and good sound effects.”
— Computer Entertainer, October 1987

Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — stars in most years, diamonds in 1986–87 — comparing each game only with other games for the same system.

Cartridge & preservation record

Program size 8 KB, measured from the preserved dump.

Catalogue number as recorded for the physical release.

How the Atari 2600 version differs

Given the 2600's technical limits, this conversion is considered a significant programming feat. Dan Kitchen wrote it shortly after his 2600 version of Ghostbusters.

Also on other platforms

Arcade · Commodore 64 · NES · ZX Spectrum

Atari 2600	Imagineering (designed by Dan Kitchen)
NES	Nintendo

NES. Nintendo's NES version, Kung Fu, was directed by Shigeru Miyamoto, sold 3.5 million copies worldwide and added a one-on-one fighting mode.
Commodore 64. The Commodore 64 port topped the UK software charts in February 1986 and was one of the year's five best-selling Commodore 64 games.
PlayChoice-10. The PlayChoice-10 arcade release is nearly identical to the NES version.

How the other versions reviewed

Arcade	AllGame	4.5/5
Commodore 64	AllGame	3/5
NES	AllGame	2.5/5
Arcade	Computer and Video Games	Positive
NES	Computer and Video Games	9/10
ZX Spectrum	YSinclair	30%
Commodore 64	Commodore User	4/5
Arcade	Computer Gamer	Positive
Arcade	Play Meter	8/10
Arcade	The Video Games Guide	5/5
NES	Top Score	3.5/4

These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.

Before you buy

Low risk. No reproductions are documented. Loose carts are inexpensive, and complete copies cost noticeably more, so check that the box and manual are present if you want it complete.