I have always been drawn to arcade fighting games and this was always the case back in the day when I got to visit the arcade as a kid. In this post I am going to share the best 80s arcade fighting games.
Early 80s Arcade Fighting and Beat Em Up Games
As I start our arcade fighting games journey through the 1980s, we have to miss a few years. I am also going to class 1984 as ‘early 80’s which may be questionable to some, but it makes the article work better for me! Let’s take a look at some early arcade fighting games.
More 80s Gaming Fun:
- 80s Gaming Memories
- The Best 80s Arcade Racing Games
- The Best 80s Arcade Games of All Time
- 10 Addictive Retro Games
Punchout – Nintendo 1984
Punch-Out!! is a boxing arcade game developed and published by Nintendo in 1984. It was later released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987 under the title Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!!. The game features a series of one-on-one boxing matches in which the player controls a young boxer named Little Mac as he fights his way up the ranks to become the champion.
In the game, the player uses a combination of punches, dodges, and special moves to defeat their opponents. The game features a variety of colorful and distinctive opponents, each with their own unique fighting style and patterns that the player must learn in order to defeat them.
Punch-Out is considered a classic and is remembered for its fun and challenging gameplay, as well as its memorable characters.
Karate Champ – Data East 1984
Karate Champ is a fighting game that was first released as an arcade game in 1984. It was developed by Data East and was one of the first fighting games to be released. The game features a 1-on-1 karate tournament in which the player controls a karate fighter and battles against an opponent in a best-of-three match.
In the game, the player can use a variety of punches, kicks, and throws to defeat their opponent. The game also features a special move called the “champion’s belt” which, when executed correctly, can instantly defeat the opponent. The game has simple controls, with the player using two joysticks to execute different moves.
Karate Champ is considered a classic and is remembered for its simple but fun gameplay and its place in the history as one of the first arcade fighting games.
More Arcade Fighting Action:
Kung Fu Master – Irem 1984
Kung Fu Master is a beat-’em-up arcade game developed and published by Irem in 1984. It was one of the first games to use a scrolling screen, allowing the player to move through the levels while fighting enemies.
In the game, the player controls a kung fu master named Thomas who must rescue his girlfriend, Sylvia, from the clutches of a mysterious organization known as the “Devil’s Temple”. The player fights their way through five levels, each with its own boss character, in order to reach the final boss and rescue Sylvia.
Kung Fu Master uses a single joystick and two buttons for control, with the joystick used to move the character and the buttons used to punch and kick. The game also features a variety of weapons that the player can pick up and use during gameplay, including nunchucks and throwing stars.
Kung Fu Master was well-received upon its release and has been re-released on various platforms, including home consoles and mobile devices. It is considered a classic and is remembered for its fast-paced gameplay and its place in the history of beat-’em-up games.
Mid 80s Arcade Fighting and Beat Em Up Games
We now head into the mid 1980s proper with a couple of classic arcade fighting arcade games.
Yie Ar Kung-Fu – Konami 1985
Yie Ar Kung-Fu is a fighting game developed and published by Konami in 1985. It was one of the first games to feature one-on-one fighting and is considered a classic.
In the game, the player controls a martial artist named Oolong who must fight his way through a series of opponents in order to become the ultimate kung fu master. The game features a variety of colorful and distinctive opponents, each with their own unique fighting style and patterns that the player must learn in order to defeat them.
Yie Ar Kung-Fu uses a single joystick and two buttons for control, with the joystick used to move the character and the buttons used to punch and kick. The game also features a variety of special moves that the player can execute by performing specific joystick and button combinations.
Yie Ar Kung-Fu is one of my favourite fighting games on the Commodore 64.
Renegade – Technos 1986
Renegade is a beat-’em-up arcade game developed and published by Technos Japan in 1986.
In the game, the player controls a tough street fighter named Mr. Kunio as he battles his way through various enemies, including rival gang members and rival street fighters, in order to rescue his girlfriend, Nekketsu, who has been kidnapped by a gang leader.
Renegade uses a single joystick and two buttons for control, with the joystick used to move the character and the buttons used to punch and kick. The game also features a variety of weapons that the player can pick up and use during gameplay, including pipes and knives.
Renegade was well-received upon its release was ported to various home micros in the 1980s. A sequel Target Renegade was released on home micros followed by Renegade III.
Late 80s Arcade Fighting and Beat Em Up Games
As we head towards the end of the decade we get to enjoy some absolutely classic arcade titles. We are about to head into a real handful of hall of fame arcade titles. Get ready for some true classic from the late 80s.
Double Dragon – Technos 1987
Double Dragon is a beat-’em-up arcade game developed and published by Technos Japan in 1987. It was later released for home consoles and became a popular and influential game in the genre.
In the game, the player controls one of two brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, who must fight their way through various enemies, including rival gang members and rival street fighters, in order to rescue Billy’s girlfriend, Marian, who has been kidnapped by the leader of the Black Warriors gang.
Double Dragon uses a single joystick and three buttons for control, with the joystick used to move the character and the buttons used to punch, kick, and jump. The game also features a variety of weapons that the player can pick up and use during gameplay, including bats and knives.
Double Dragon is remembered for its fast-paced gameplay which has cemented its place in the history of beat-’em-up games.
Double Dragon II: A Classic Video Game Revisited
WWF Superstars – Technos 1989
WWF Superstars is a wrestling arcade game developed and published by Technōs Japan in 1989. It was based on the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) and featured a roster of real-life wrestlers from the promotion.
WWF Superstars is a really fun arcade wrestling game. There is only one mode of play which is a tag team mode, but it is still a lot of fun. You can pick you tag team selection from the characters below and the challenge is to get to the tag team champions the Mega Bucks (The Million Dollar Man and Andre the Giant). If you can defeat them, you have to defend your tag team titles three times and defeat the Mega Bucks a second time to complete the game.
The control system is a simple two button attack and grapple configuration. You can brawl and use weapons outside of the ring whilst trying not to get counted out and you can use the wrestlers signature moves too. The game was developed in 1988 around the time of Wrestlemania 5 and the characters available reflect that period. A strong start to our small line-up of WWF Arcade Games.
You can find out more about all the WWF based arcade games here.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Konami 1989
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a beat-’em-up arcade game developed and published by Konami in 1989. It is based on the popular animated TV series of the same name and features the four main characters from the show: Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael.
In the game, the player controls one of the four turtles and must fight their way through various enemies, including Foot Soldiers, Mousers, and bosses, in order to rescue their mentor, Splinter, who has been kidnapped by the Shredder and his Foot Clan.
Back in the day this arcade game was like playing the cartoon of the time. Play with your mates and take on the Shredder and the Foot Clan this is a Konami classic which captures a moment in time when the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Hero Turtles in the UK) were massive. The bright colourful graphics along with the speech and sound effects made this a great scrolling beat em up and you could have up to 4 players. This was a cab that we were lucky enough to have for a short time in our local sports centre and was our first stop after school.
Golden Axe – Sega 1989
Golden Axe is a beat-’em-up arcade game developed and published by Sega in 1989. It was later released for home consoles and became a popular and influential game in the genre.
In the game, the player controls one of three characters: a barbarian named Ax Battler, a dwarf named Gilius Thunderhead, or a amazon named Tyris Flare. The player must fight their way through various enemies, including goblins, trolls, and bosses, in order to defeat the evil Death Adder and rescue the Golden Axe, a powerful magical weapon.
In the original Golden Axe arcade game, there are a total of seven levels. Each level consists of several screens in which the player must defeat waves of enemies before facing a boss character at the end. The levels are as follows:
- The Village of Despair
- The Forest of Fear
- The Fortress of Fury
- The Palace of Horror
- The Tower of Illusion
- The Dark Guld
- The Final Battle with Death Adder
In each level, the player must fight their way through waves of enemies, including goblins, trolls, and other creatures, using a variety of punches, kicks, and special moves. At the end of each level, the player must defeat a boss character in order to progress to the next level.
Final Fight – Capcom 1989
Final Fight is a beat-’em-up arcade game developed and published by Capcom in 1989. It was later released for home consoles and became a popular and influential game in the genre.
In the game, the player controls one of three characters: a former pro wrestler named Cody, a mayor’s daughter named Jessica, or a former member of the Mad Gear gang named Haggar. The player must fight their way through various enemies, including rival gang members and bosses, in order to rescue Haggar’s daughter, Jessica, who has been kidnapped by the Mad Gear gang.
The game that could have been the sequel to Street Fighter (it was going to be called Streetfighter 89) was a scrolling beat em up that as a teenager I absolutely adored. A lot like WrestleFest the sprites are huge and look fantastic. This was so much fun to play (it still is) and I always played as Haggar as I loved his more powerful wrestling moves.
I would have been playing this around the same time I was playing WWF WrestleFest and it was definitely one of my go to games when I was in the arcades at the time. This is a game I will still play at home on MAME and usually a 2 player game with my son. Other than the decent Mega CD conversion the console and home ports never reached the standard of the arcade version.
More Arcade Fun
I hope you have enjoyed my choices when looking back at the best 80s arcade fighting games. For more arcade fun take a look at the post below.
Thanks for stopping by.
Darren
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