FIST OF THE NORTH STAR

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"Fist of the North Star" is an action RPG based on the classic manga, featuring an enormous roster of characters and an intriguing story. The game boasts sensational gameplay, outstanding graphics, and lots of grinding to keep players engaged. However, it is marred by an overabundance of advertisements and technical bugs that may detract from the overall experience.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

72%

Audience ScoreBased on 2,719 reviews

graphics127 positive mentions

stability30 negative mentions

The game features great graphics and animations that capture the essence of the Fist of the North Star series.
It offers generous rewards for new players, including free gems and character pulls.
The gameplay is engaging and nostalgic for fans of the anime and manga.

The game suffers from frequent crashes and connection errors, making it difficult to play.
There are issues with server capacity, as many players report being unable to log in due to full servers.
The gacha system is heavily criticized for low drop rates and a pay-to-win model, making it frustrating for free-to-play players.

graphics
185 mentions
69 % positive mentions
28 % neutral mentions
4 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising their quality and detail, especially for a mobile title, often comparing them favorably to console standards. However, several users report performance issues, including lag and crashes, particularly on lower-end devices or at higher settings, which detracts from the overall experience. While the visuals are generally considered impressive, the game's performance and stability remain a concern for many players.
- “The graphics are excellent for a mobile game, filled with characters from the anime, and plenty to do.”
- “The graphics are amazing for a mobile game and the gameplay itself is fun and easy to grasp.”
- “Amazing graphics, always something new, voiced by Japanese, not time consuming.”
- “The graphics look very dated, the art direction is all over the place with a mixture of bad 3D, pre-rendered 3D, and images from the manga making up cut scenes.”
- “Playing this game with the graphics set at the lowest setting is horrible; it looks way too bad.”
- “Graphics bad, for such a large game, no English edition, and worst of all after all that waiting for the download I then find out it's limited with 60 energy and every fight costs 6 energy; therefore, I can fight 10 times before I'm forced to play another game. Very disappointed.”
story
156 mentions
39 % positive mentions
59 % neutral mentions
2 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally well-received, with many players appreciating its faithful adaptation of the "Fist of the North Star" narrative through engaging cutscenes and manga-style panels. However, issues such as frequent crashes, lag, and level restrictions hinder the overall experience, making it difficult for players to fully enjoy the story progression. While the graphics and character designs are praised, some users express a desire for more content and smoother gameplay to enhance their connection to the storyline.
- “The game captures the story from the anime with graphics on par with the PS4.”
- “Having really loved Fist of the North Star as a teen, this brought back legitimately great memories as the story mode takes you through the manga using the original drawn art, etc. Lots of detail and impetus to keep playing.”
- “Great game for fans, and tells the story well for new players to enjoy and get into the manga and anime.”
- “The game continues to crash for every battle, infinite tries to play the Trials of Nanto, crash every time I want to complete a single dojo fight, and now, at level 80, I can't play story missions and clash without crashing 450 times.”
- “It's a very good game, but the difficulty spike as you progress through the story gets ridiculous, and the drop rates at the gacha are abysmally low.”
- “Game crashes whenever I go into a mission; this wasn't happening before.”
gameplay
84 mentions
49 % positive mentions
38 % neutral mentions
13 % negative mentions
Gameplay reviews are mixed, with many players finding it repetitive and lacking depth, often overshadowed by impressive visuals and animations. While some appreciate the nostalgic elements and smooth mechanics, others criticize the reliance on tapping and the overwhelming presence of menus and loading screens. Overall, the gameplay is seen as basic and sometimes frustrating, with a significant number of players expressing disappointment in its execution despite the game's attractive graphics and character designs.
- “Gameplay is awesome.”
- “The gameplay, mechanics, and storyline are very fun and addictive.”
- “The game is extremely fun to play with smooth gameplay and excellent graphics.”
- “Excellent visuals and presentation, let down by monotonous gameplay.”
- “Sadly the gameplay is a total afterthought.”
- “The amount of gameplay involved is infinitesimal to the tap, tap, tapping of endless non-fun.”
stability
30 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
The game's stability is a significant concern among users, with frequent reports of freezing, crashing, and glitches during gameplay, particularly in critical areas like battles and event participation. Despite some players enjoying the game overall, the persistent technical issues detract from the experience, leading to frustration and lost progress. Many users express a desire for improvements and fixes to enhance stability, as the current state hampers their enjoyment.
- “Every time I go to participate in the colosseum, the game freezes completely, and the only way I can continue to play is by restarting the app.”
- “I really want to love this game, but it's hard to when it freezes up all too often in the middle of battle.”
- “The game has been out for months, and they still haven't fixed the problem where it freezes in the middle of a fight.”
monetization
24 mentions
13 % positive mentions
21 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players labeling it a "cash grab" due to the prevalence of in-app purchases and microtransactions. While some users appreciate the lack of ads and find the monetization fair for a gacha game, others criticize the system as exploitative, suggesting that it prioritizes profit over player experience. Overall, the sentiment leans towards dissatisfaction with the monetization practices, despite some players managing to progress without spending money.
- “No ads, and no hard paywalls.”
- “Monetization in this app is fair and reasonable, which is the one thing that matters to a content-heavy gacha game; you don't want to break your bank, now do you?”
- “Great fun for Hokuto fans, lots to do, loads of characters, and best of all...zero ads!”
- “I like this game, too bad it's just a cash grab for Sega.”
- “The game is a huge cash grab.”
- “Absolute garbage monetization in this game.”
grinding
17 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be excessive and tedious, particularly in the later stages where progress slows significantly and character upgrades become cumbersome. While some enjoy the initial fun and interactive elements, many express frustration over the lengthy daily grinding required to obtain characters and shards, often feeling that the game favors those willing to spend money. Overall, the grinding is seen as a major hurdle that detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.
- “Not a bad game, but grindy and cumbersome to play.”
- “It was fun at first, but in the later stages the game became super grindy and progress on my characters slowed to a crawl.”
- “The game is not enough to hook me for a long time with a stupidly slow and grindy experience, even though I own a cool, expensive hero.”
music
13 mentions
31 % positive mentions
46 % neutral mentions
23 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received high praise for its energetic guitar riffs and faithful adaptation of tracks from the anime, enhancing the overall experience. Players appreciate the soundtrack's ability to pump them up during gameplay, although some have reported issues with glitchy audio and crashes. Overall, the music is considered a standout feature, with requests for additional tracks and improvements.
- “I especially liked the song on the menu screen, and the intro animations before fights which cleverly give the app more time to download.”
- “Damn this game is so good and it's the most free-to-play game I've ever played. From the soundtrack to voice acting, character designs, everything is flawless. It's a must-try if you love the Fist of the North Star IP.”
- “Plus, the game is awesome graphic-wise and the music is straight from the anime but sounds crisper.”
- “Sorry... I couldn't get past the Japanese music and audio.”
- “Game crashes.. fix the glitchy music and gameplay.. then I'll give it 5 stars.”
- “Music rocks hell.”
optimization
6 mentions
33 % positive mentions
17 % neutral mentions
50 % negative mentions
The optimization of the game has received significant criticism, with users reporting frequent crashes, particularly during battles, and overall poor performance on certain devices. While some players experience smooth gameplay, many others encounter issues like stuttering and lag, indicating a need for further updates and improvements from the developers.
- “I hope to reach the developers of fotns for an update to optimize the performance of this app.”
- “Everything runs smoothly.”
- “Poorly optimized and crashes constantly.”
- “Keep seeing a black stuttering box whenever I am in a battle.”
- “Barely moves, terribly optimized.”
humor
4 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is generally well-received, with players finding it hilarious and capable of eliciting genuine laughter. While some aspects may need refinement, the quirky elements, such as having villains on your team, contribute to its comedic appeal. Overall, the game successfully delivers a funny experience.
- “Unless you speed it up, seeing it run like that is hilarious.”
- “Needs polishing, but overall it's pretty funny.”
- “So funny, it made me laugh.”
character development
2 mentions
150 % positive mentions
-50 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Reviewers praise the character development in the game, highlighting its impressive character designs and seamless integration with the story mode. The overall quality, including voice acting and soundtrack, enhances the experience, making it a standout title for fans of the Fist of the North Star IP.
- “The character development in this game is exceptional, with designs that are visually appealing and a story mode that truly engages you.”
- “I love how the character designs are spot on and contribute to an immersive experience without any lag.”
- “This game offers a flawless combination of character designs, voice acting, and an engaging soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.”
replayability
2 mentions
0 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
100 % negative mentions
Players find the game's replayability lacking due to its repetitive nature, which diminishes the nostalgic experience over time. Suggestions for improvement include adding more playable characters to enhance variety and engagement.
- “A neat little bit of nostalgia, but sadly the replay value drops quickly as it becomes very repetitive.”
- “The game would be better with more playable characters like Sayaka, Airi, Tou, and others.”
emotional
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
Users reported emotional frustration due to a significant update on 9.14.2022 that caused the game to crash after loading, leading to a disappointing experience.