You'll go up against different martial arts masters wielding cat-claws, flamethrowers, throwing stars, staves, knives...
Graphics:
This is a side-scrolling beat'em up with a weak storyline about it. Therefore it has a lot to prove in my book. The main character has a few cool moves but I think that more frames would be awesome as they feel a bit stiff. There are quite a few different kinds of enemies and the martial arts masters you'll encounter at the end of each stage look really cool and the master battles take place using a different background. This game has it all; you'll go up against different martial arts masters wielding cat-claws, flamethrowers, throwing stars, staves, knives etc. All characters look good and are animated fairly well, although it's a bit boring sometimes that each stage only has one "standard" enemy. I have to add that both the opening screen and the heroic ending look awesome.
75%
Sound:
Good music throughout, although during long sessions the tune can get tedious, but it always works. Sound effects are as expected, nothing overly special. There is a little tune at the beginning/end of each stage which is cool.
69%
Gameplay:
Kicking and punching your way through a horde of henchmen ranging from monks, Thai-boxers, ninjas and guys with flamethrowers. The mini-bosses take the game out of the somewhat repetitive gameplay and add new challenges. The master-fights are really cool and you have to come to grasps with how they are supposed to be defeated. Some of the bosses/masters are extremely hard like Wang and Ryo but there are a few different power ups you can collect. These are represented by sushi and Japanese signs flying high over your head. There are easily reached by doing the high-jump which is executed by pressing down on the d-pad before jumping. The controls are pretty good and responsive and the game has good sprite detection and is a joy to play. A bit repetitive though, and some boss fights are frustrating.
72%
Lastability:
It is very hard at times, and that makes you frustrated and, speaking for myself, makes you put the controller down and just change game for a while before coming back. It is very rewarding to finish the game though and it's a thrill to play through the game a few more times, once you get the moves and the master fights down.
69%
Overall:
Black belt is a nice 2d side-scrolling fighter that I can easily recommend you to play through, if you're into these kinds of games. Which you are, otherwise you wouldn't have read this far.
71%