This terrible scrolling beat ’em up was released for the Atari Lynx in 1992.

Kung Food features poorly-drawn, downright silly, food-related characters and enemies and takes place mostly inside a refridgerator.

The action is dull and repetitive and you (a green muscle man) only have two moves available (punch and kick), and jump. In fact: most enemies can only seem to be hurt by doing a low kick.

Some tiny beat ’em ups work because the programmers managed to get real weight into the feeling of the movement. Not here. In Kung Food it feels like you’re punching thin air. Enemies barely respond to your blows, other than to disappear when they die. It all just feels very lightweight and pointless.

The “mutant vegetables” idea is dull and unimaginative at best. At worst it’s an insult to a gamer’s intelligence. And the “it’s just a game for kids” argument doesn’t wash either. Kids are good gamers. They deserve better.

The most unbelievable thing about Kung Food is that it was co-coded by Christian Urquhart – a well-known and successful programmer from the 1980s. Compared to some of Urquhart‘s earlier games, Kung Food seems desperate. Maybe it was?

Certainly NOT one of the Lynx‘s better titles!

More: Kung Food on Wikipedia