Kabuki-Z

In the 80s, Taito produced a lot of popular coin-ops – mostly shoot-em-ups, puzzle and platform games. However, their beat-em-ups were not among their best. Kabuki Z is one of them. Developed by Kaneko of Gals Panic fame/infamy, it can best be described as a “hack-n-slash”. The intro sequence gives a good idea of the game’s content: a man commits seppuku, and behind him our samurai hero with his katana. The samurai chops his head off while the rice paper doors close, the resulting blood spurt splashing over them and forming the “Z” in the “Kabuki Z” title. Charming.