Play Kabuki - Quantum Fighter Online

Kabuki Quantum Fighter came out on the NES in 1990, developed by Human Entertainment. It was one of those late-era action platformers that tried to stand out with a strange premise, back when developers were really pushing the hardware to its limits. You don't see many games that mix feudal Japan with a computer virus plot.

You control a programmer whose mind gets uploaded into a system to fight a virus; he takes the form of a Kabuki warrior with a long, white ponytail. Your main weapon is that hair, which you whip at robotic enemies and block incoming shots with. The goal is to fight through screen-by-screen levels, defeat bosses, and purge the system. You also collect power-ups for your hair's length and strength, and there's a lot of careful platforming over instant-death pits. The pacing is methodical, the difficulty is stiff but fair, and it feels like a solid, if unconventional, challenge from that era. It's a game that demands precision and patience with its unique mechanics.