Kensei: Sacred Fist

About

Kensei: Sacred Fist is a 3D fighting game that mixes brawling with unexpected racing mechanics. Players progress through 10 stages, battling random opponents before facing sub-bosses and culminating in fights against crime lord Leimeng and their bodyguard Kaiya. The core combat features punchy, button-mash driven action with a focus on timing and aggression. A separate Time Attack mode and Training mode offer additional practice, while a surprise mini-game lets players race character models across tracks by spamming buttons to boost speed. The game’s odd combo of martial arts and go-kart chaos sets it apart from typical 90s fighters. Its 1998 release date and lack of arcade roots make it a niche title, though the racing mode’s reliance on frantic inputs feels ahead of its time. With nine playable fighters and a structure that blends survival challenges with boss battles, it’s a forgotten oddity that still holds up for fans of experimental gameplay.

Storyline

The Arcade game structure of Kensei comprises 10 stages, with the first eight being made up of random opponents. The specific playing character will encounter a sub-boss in the ninth stage while the tenth one will have them facing off against the crime lord Leimeng and the eleventh (and final) one will have the playing character battle against Leimeng's bodyguard Kaiya. Along with the classical Survival, Training, and Time Attack modes, a special mini-game can be activated once all characters have been unlocked: it's a "racing" mode where the player controls a character and makes it run through a circuit, using button mashing to gain speed.