Because You Demanded It, Shaq-Fu Is Back

One of the more infamous video game releases of the 1990s was Shaq-Fu, the Frankenstein result of several different trends hitting at once: the popularity of arcade fighters, the profitability of NBA pro star endorsements, and a competition between everybody to be more edgy and extreme than the others. At the time, casting Shaq as the main character in an intergalactic karate tournament just made sense.

These days, Shaq is fully aware of the notoriety surrounding that game — his guest appearance on Fresh Off The Boat (which is set during the 90s) included an apology for it. Maybe he thinks he can do one better, because it’s getting remade with his endorsement!

The new Shaq-Fu is under production at Saber Interactive in cooperation with publisher Wired Productions. The way you hear them talk, it sounds like they aren’t aware what kind of game this is. “We know diehard fans have been waiting eagerly to experience the hard-hitting action of this new take on Shaq Fu, and we’re excited to team up with Wired Productions to get the game physically into the hands of players this spring,” said Saber CEO Matt Karch.

Then Leo Zullo, managing director at Wired Productions, said “Shaq Fu has an incredible legacy in the history of video games, and we’re delighted to be part of the team shooting to earn Shaq his place in the future of video games.” It’s not like they’re remaking Chrono Trigger here.

Whether the world is ready or not, this campy classic will return on all the major machines this spring — look for Shaq to bust out the deadly art of Shaqido on Playstation 4, Nintendo Switch, XBox One and PC.