<s>
is	O
a	O
2D	O
competitive	O
fighting	O
game	O
produced	O
by	O
Sega	O
and	O
developed	O
by	O
Arc	O
System	O
Works	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
manga	O
series	O
of	O
the	O
same	B-Application
name	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
originally	O
released	O
in	O
2005	B-Application
as	O
a	O
coin-operated	O
arcade	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
Atomiswave	B-Application
hardware	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
PlayStation	B-Device
2	I-Device
port	O
,	O
retitled	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
March	O
2007	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
version	O
features	O
a	O
bonus	O
DVD	O
including	O
an	O
exclusive	O
training	O
mode	O
(	O
"	O
Starter	O
's	O
Guide	O
"	O
)	O
and	O
a	O
documentary	O
covering	O
history	O
of	O
previous	O
Hokuto	B-Application
no	I-Application
Ken	I-Application
titles	O
for	O
home	O
consoles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
arcade	O
version	O
was	O
officially	O
distributed	O
by	O
Sega	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
PS2	B-Device
port	O
was	O
released	O
only	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2020	O
,	O
a	O
homebrew	O
conversion	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Dreamcast	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
in	O
both	O
terms	O
of	O
gameplay	O
and	O
visual	O
style	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Guilty	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
series	I-Application
(	O
which	O
was	O
also	O
made	O
by	O
Arc	O
System	O
Works	O
)	O
,	O
some	O
aspects	O
of	O
the	O
mechanics	O
are	O
slightly	O
different	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
empty	O
,	O
a	O
final	O
"	O
Death	O
Star	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
shichousei	O
"	O
will	O
light	O
up	O
and	O
the	O
other	O
player	O
can	O
perform	O
a	O
special	O
"	O
Fatal	O
KO	O
"	O
attack	O
that	O
can	O
instantly	O
defeat	O
them	O
,	O
regardless	O
of	O
their	O
lifebar	O
(	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
Instant	O
Kill	O
attacks	O
in	O
Guilty	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
biggest	O
difference	O
is	O
these	O
moves	O
may	O
be	O
easily	O
comboed	O
into	O
,	O
making	O
them	O
far	O
more	O
practical	O
than	O
their	O
Guilty	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
counterparts	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
a	O
boost	O
(	O
with	O
the	O
Boost/Special	O
button	O
)	O
allows	O
a	O
player	O
to	O
cancel	O
a	O
move	O
after	O
it	O
hits	O
(	O
similar	O
to	O
Roman	O
Cancels	O
in	O
Guilty	B-Application
Gear	I-Application
)	O
,	O
and	O
also	O
shoots	O
the	O
character	O
forward	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
fighting	O
game	O
community	O
,	O
Fist	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
Star	I-Application
is	O
considered	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
prime	O
examples	O
of	O
kusoge	O
( 糞ゲー	O
,	O
shit	O
game	O
)	O
,	O
video	O
games	O
which	O
are	O
of	O
low	O
quality	O
but	O
remain	O
enjoyable	O
despite	O
it	O
or	O
sometimes	O
because	O
of	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Fist	B-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
North	I-Application
Star	I-Application
is	O
notable	O
for	O
every	O
character	O
being	O
able	O
to	O
do	O
an	O
infinite	O
combo	O
and	O
said	O
combos	O
can	O
take	O
extremely	O
long	O
to	O
finish	O
off	O
an	O
opponent	O
,	O
to	O
the	O
point	O
that	O
the	O
timer	O
might	O
run	O
out	O
before	O
the	O
opponent	O
is	O
finished	O
after	O
such	O
a	O
combo	O
begins	O
.	O
</s>
