Study Buddy (Explorer): More than ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ – popular video games inspired by Chinese culture

[2] According to the 2011 book All Your Base Are Belong to Us: How Fifty Years of Videogames Conquered Pop Culture by author and journalist Harold Goldberg, Bushnell was a big fan of weiqi – a strategy board game originating in ancient China – because of its challenging gameplay. The game is popularly known by its Japanese name, “Go”. Bushnell named the company after one of the game’s Japanese terms: atari.

[3] Games that draw on Chinese history, mythologies and martial arts have often been popular. Black Myth: Wukong, for example, is based on one of China’s four great literary classics, Journey to the West. Here are three series that gamers worldwide are probably familiar with:

[4] Street Fighter
Even if you are not a fan of the popular fighting game franchise, you likely recognise one of its main characters: Chun-Li. Knocking enemies down with powerful kicks in a figure-hugging traditional cheongsam, or qipao, this Interpol officer joined the roster in 1991 as the series’ first female fighter.

[5] Chun-Li is so popular that she even has her own movie, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li, released in 2009. Besides Chun-Li, other Chinese Street Fighter characters popular among players include Gen, Yun Lee, Yang Lee and the Bruce Lee-inspired Fei Long.

[6] Pokémon
Did you know many of the pocket monsters from this highly popular video game series have Chinese origins? Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan were apparently inspired by Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, respectively. Arcanine is based on shishi – Chinese guardian lions – and Ninetales on the nine-tailed fox (jiuwei hu) in Chinese mythology.

[7] Romance of the Three Kingdoms
One of the best strategy war game franchises around, this series from Japanese developer Koei is based on the 14th-century Chinese historical novel of the same name – another of China’s four great literary classics. It follows the rise and fall of three warring states (Wei, Shu Han and Wu) after the collapse of the Han dynasty around 220AD.

[8] The franchise began in 1985 and now consists of 14 games, the latest released in 2020. Each game is split into different chapters, and players can either follow the original story or become a general or a warlord with the aim of conquering and ruling all of China. Rich in characters, drama and intrigue, this historical Chinese story is perfect for adaptation, whether it be video games, film or television.

Source: South China Morning Post, February 13

1. In paragraph 2, Bushnell liked weiqi because of its …
A. popularity.
B. simple rules.
C. quick gameplay.
D. none of the above

2. What do Japanese people usually call weiqi, according to paragraph 2?

3. According to paragraph 3, what is Black Myth: Wukong based on?

4. Decide whether the following statements about Chun-Li in paragraphs 4 and 5 are True, False or the information is Not Given. Fill in ONE circle only for each. (4 marks)
(i) Chun-Li is known for fighting with her fists.
(ii) She was the first woman fighter in Street Fighter.
(iii) Her first solo film came out in 1991.
(iv) She fought Fei Long and Yang Lee in the film.

5. According to paragraph 6, Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan are based on …
A. dinosaurs.
B. video game characters.
C. real people.
D. Chinese mythology.

6. What is the 14th-century Chinese historical novel mentioned in paragraph 7 called?

7. Which states are the characters mentioned in paragraph 7 from?

8. What is the ultimate goal for players in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games, according to paragraph 8?

9. According to paragraph 8, what are the two main gameplay options available to players?

1. D
2. Go
3. One of China’s four great literary classics, Journey to the West.
4. (i) F; (ii) T; (iii) F; (iv) NG
5. C
6. Romance of the Three Kingdoms
7. Wei, Shu Han and Wu
8. To conquer and rule all of China.
9. Players can either follow the original story or become a general or warlord.