In 1994, the world was unprepared for Shaq Fu, a bizarre kung fu adventure starring basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal that is both one of gaming’s worst ideas and greatest treasures. In the two decades since its release, the game has still not convinced anyone of its quality, but O’Neal’s continued relevance in the sports world and new forays into the competitive gaming scene—as well as healthy cult following—have kept the spirit of Shaq Fu alive. And so it was that, in 2014, a few faithful fans teamed up with Shaq himself to crowdfund a sequel, titled Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn. Within months, the $450,000 goal had been hit, and the project was on.
Fast-forward four years, and after very few news updates in the interim, new finally broke this morning that Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn will soon be upon us. Scheduled for release on the PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, the game has announced a spring release window, and will be sold both digitally and physically. Additionally, anyone who purchases NBA Playgrounds on the Switch before June 10 will be gifted a copy of the new Shaq Fu for free.
According to Matt Karch, the CEO of developer Big Deez Productions, Shaq has been very involved in the development process. His involvement also certainly helped reach the funding goal in a timely manner, as he provided high-level donors with a host of goodies, including signed jerseys, trips to see tapings of NBA on TNT, and even the chance to have Shaq come and DJ a party for you—for the low ticket price of $35,000. Nearly all of these incentives sold out, proving that there’s still a lot of love for Shaq and his kung fu antics in the world.
It won’t be long until an official release date is given, so brush up on those roundhouse kicks and post-ups, because the legend of Shaq Fu has returned.