Historical & Critical Review of Video Games
By
Warren Gill
(DGH1)
By
Warren Gill
(DGH1)
Historical Review of Fighting Games
Has how we play fighting games changed?
Has how we play fighting games changed?
Until recently I didn't actually know and I'm sure this is the case for the majority of people but Video Game History extends as far back as the 1940's. In 1947 Thomas T. Goldsmith, Jr. and Estle Ray Mann invented "The Cathode Ray Tube Amusement Device" which allowed a player to direct a beam on the screen toward a target, such as an airplane. The video game age was born.
In 1949, Charley Adama created a "Bouncing Ball" program for MIT's Whirlwind computer. Though the program wasn't interactive, it was great foreshadowing the wonderful things to come in the mystical realm of bouncing balls and video gaming.
In 1951, Christopher Strachey tried to run a draughts (checkers) program for the Pilot ACE. The program exceeded the memory capacity of the machine.
Also in 1951, Ralph Baer tried using lights and patterns he used in work as more than just calibration equipment. He figured out that by giving a user or viewer the ability to manipulate what was projected on the television screens, their role changed from passive observation to interactive manipulation. Quite the milestone and immensely significant, I would venture to argue.
1952: OXO, a graphical version of tic-tac-toe, was created by A.S. Douglas to demonstrate his thesis on human-computer interaction. It was developed on the EDSAC computer, which uses a cathode ray tube as a visual display. The player competes against the computer or one could even go so far as to say the player fights the computer.
"Tennis for Two" developed by William Higinbotham, is considered the first ever video game and was completed on October 18, 1958, many moons before the first commercial video games came on the scene.
From the work of these pioneers spawned what we now know as the video game industry and all of it's many, ilks, genres and facets. From the ground-breaking idea Ralph Baer had and onwards the player's one on one experience of the interface became key and with time I shall examine how said experience has changed, if at all, in relation to fighting games.
As gaming culture blossomed, small companies gathered momentum and along came the advent of arcade video games, gaming consoles and home computer games video gaming began to reach mainstream popularity and has possibly become the most popular form of entertainment on the planet. It's become a multi-billion dollar industry and a massive part of modern culture in most parts of the world. To the present day in 2013, there has been eight generations of video game consoles. I could go on and on forever talking about how things have changed in game play, the different consoles, the bazillion games and their interface's evolution but I'd like to concentrate on fighting games as a representative of the broader spectrum at hand. All pertinent information presented will be linked to relevant sources and any images used will also contain links to relevant sources.
In 1949, Charley Adama created a "Bouncing Ball" program for MIT's Whirlwind computer. Though the program wasn't interactive, it was great foreshadowing the wonderful things to come in the mystical realm of bouncing balls and video gaming.
In 1951, Christopher Strachey tried to run a draughts (checkers) program for the Pilot ACE. The program exceeded the memory capacity of the machine.
Also in 1951, Ralph Baer tried using lights and patterns he used in work as more than just calibration equipment. He figured out that by giving a user or viewer the ability to manipulate what was projected on the television screens, their role changed from passive observation to interactive manipulation. Quite the milestone and immensely significant, I would venture to argue.
1952: OXO, a graphical version of tic-tac-toe, was created by A.S. Douglas to demonstrate his thesis on human-computer interaction. It was developed on the EDSAC computer, which uses a cathode ray tube as a visual display. The player competes against the computer or one could even go so far as to say the player fights the computer.
"Tennis for Two" developed by William Higinbotham, is considered the first ever video game and was completed on October 18, 1958, many moons before the first commercial video games came on the scene.
From the work of these pioneers spawned what we now know as the video game industry and all of it's many, ilks, genres and facets. From the ground-breaking idea Ralph Baer had and onwards the player's one on one experience of the interface became key and with time I shall examine how said experience has changed, if at all, in relation to fighting games.
As gaming culture blossomed, small companies gathered momentum and along came the advent of arcade video games, gaming consoles and home computer games video gaming began to reach mainstream popularity and has possibly become the most popular form of entertainment on the planet. It's become a multi-billion dollar industry and a massive part of modern culture in most parts of the world. To the present day in 2013, there has been eight generations of video game consoles. I could go on and on forever talking about how things have changed in game play, the different consoles, the bazillion games and their interface's evolution but I'd like to concentrate on fighting games as a representative of the broader spectrum at hand. All pertinent information presented will be linked to relevant sources and any images used will also contain links to relevant sources.
Late 1970's to 1980's:
It's widely accepted that Fighting games largely owe their origins in boxing games but this quickly evolved into battles between characters with fantastic abilities and complex special moves. Sega's 1976 game Heavyweight Champ, which featured a black and white interface and later re-released in 1987 in full colour, is considered the first video game to feature fist fighting. The interface for the 1976 original featured 2 player game play viewed from a side-view perspective with monochrome graphics. It employed two boxing glove controllers, one for each player, which moved up and down for high and low punches, with an inward movement for striking. The menus and story screens were simple text and uncomplicated. The audio was the standard arcade amplified mono.
The 1987 version changed the interface for the game and altered the perspective to behind the player's boxer. Another addition was that the player is given two punch controllers, one for each hand. Only
a single-player mode was made available, in which the player faces a series of
opponents in one-round, three minute bouts. Players swivel the cabinet to
move their boxer from side to side. This style of game proved quite exhausting for the player and thus lowering the replay ability for many. Although initially fun this style of interface quickly destroys the players interest and is ultimately detrimental to the overall experience. The menus and story scenes again featured simple text and full colour images. In this instance it would appear the way this game was played has definitely changed but we've only just begun.
1979's Warrior arcade game created by a company called Vectorbeam was one of the pioneers in the
fighting game genre though being predated by Sega's Heavyweight Champ, released in 1976. Developed by Tim Skelly while working at Cinematronics, the interface displayed two knights that had to fight and they were rendered in monochrome vector graphics. The interface really struggled due to the limitations of the hardware
used, the processor could not render the characters and gaming environment at
the same time and backgrounds were printed, with the characters projected on
the top. The developer had planned for a two-player system with each player using two joysticks. Financial constraints lead
to one stick for each player and a button to switch between character and weapon modes. So this game could have been even better. The audio was the standard arcade amplified mono.
Although not much to look at now this game's interface was incredibly ground breaking, graphically and in regards to the way two player's fought, if you will. The experience was an exciting step in fighting games and gaming in general which would give credence to the old saying less is more.
Although not much to look at now this game's interface was incredibly ground breaking, graphically and in regards to the way two player's fought, if you will. The experience was an exciting step in fighting games and gaming in general which would give credence to the old saying less is more.
1983, Sega released another boxing game Champion Boxing, which was Yu Suzuki's debut title at Sega. The game's interface was much like Heavyweight Champ in it's side on view of the action but went much further in player satisfaction and immersion. The menus and story scenes were rendered CRT: Colour but still mostly plain text and still images. The audio was the standard arcade amplified mono.
An extra word or two on this fighting game creator and his contribution to gaming culture, who seems to have great talent for devising new ways of player interaction with games in many of my more favoured genres like racing and fighting. "He is one of the most highly-regarded visionaries in the industry". He created Hang-On, the first simulation arcade game. Hang-On was also the first arcade racing game to feature a fully interactive cabinet, with the player sitting on and controlling a replica motorcycle. He also created the much loved by many, myself included, Virtua Racing in 1992. It was a Formula 1 racing simulator that was completely rendered in 3D. This game let players experience the action from four different camera angles which was an amazing feat for the period and genre. He also created games like Outrun and Space Harrier. Suzuki has also delivered some of the world's most celebrated video games including After Burner, F355 Challenge, and the Shenmue series.
An extra word or two on this fighting game creator and his contribution to gaming culture, who seems to have great talent for devising new ways of player interaction with games in many of my more favoured genres like racing and fighting. "He is one of the most highly-regarded visionaries in the industry". He created Hang-On, the first simulation arcade game. Hang-On was also the first arcade racing game to feature a fully interactive cabinet, with the player sitting on and controlling a replica motorcycle. He also created the much loved by many, myself included, Virtua Racing in 1992. It was a Formula 1 racing simulator that was completely rendered in 3D. This game let players experience the action from four different camera angles which was an amazing feat for the period and genre. He also created games like Outrun and Space Harrier. Suzuki has also delivered some of the world's most celebrated video games including After Burner, F355 Challenge, and the Shenmue series.
In 1993, Suzuki produced a masterpiece and "genre spawning" game. It was the highly acclaimed Virtua Fighter and was the very first 3D fighting game, which featured what is arguably one of the deepest and well balanced fighting engines ever. "Virtua Fighter’s impact was such that it is actually housed in the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research Collection on Information Technology Innovation." The game was released for home consoles as well as the arcades.
The basic interface for the arcade was obviously a cabinet with sticks but the home version game play was controlled by a Sega control pad and involves two combatants needing to win a best of three scenario to win. The game was rendered in full 3D and was the first fighting game to feature replays of the characters special moves on the start screen. The days of still images and white text were truly over. Players can also win via ring out. A fourth round can and does be fought often if a double knock-out occurs. In this fourth round, players fight in a sudden death round,on a small stage and one hit equates to victory. The control scheme is super simple, compared to other more convoluted titles in the genre, are basically a control stick and 3 buttons (Punch, Kick, Guard) or in the case of the home version a D-Pad and 3 buttons; The games genius lies in the various timings, positions, and button combinations, players unlock to gain moves for each character. Traditionally, as in many fighting games, the single-player mode, the player runs a slew of characters in the game on the way to the final boss. In 2003, Suzuki became the sixth person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame.
The basic interface for the arcade was obviously a cabinet with sticks but the home version game play was controlled by a Sega control pad and involves two combatants needing to win a best of three scenario to win. The game was rendered in full 3D and was the first fighting game to feature replays of the characters special moves on the start screen. The days of still images and white text were truly over. Players can also win via ring out. A fourth round can and does be fought often if a double knock-out occurs. In this fourth round, players fight in a sudden death round,on a small stage and one hit equates to victory. The control scheme is super simple, compared to other more convoluted titles in the genre, are basically a control stick and 3 buttons (Punch, Kick, Guard) or in the case of the home version a D-Pad and 3 buttons; The games genius lies in the various timings, positions, and button combinations, players unlock to gain moves for each character. Traditionally, as in many fighting games, the single-player mode, the player runs a slew of characters in the game on the way to the final boss. In 2003, Suzuki became the sixth person to be inducted into the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences' Hall of Fame.
Data East founded by Tetsuo Fukuda began developing arcade video games in 1978 starting with their first arcade game, Super Break. Them and its related developer Technōs Japan's created Karate Champ from 1984 which is widely credited with establishing and popularizing the one-on-one fighting game genre. Using the dual-joystick controls players could perform a multitude of moves, it used a first to two win system like most of the future fighting games, it was also the first fighting game to contain featured training bonus stages. A word or two on the developers and their contribution to gaming culture.
Data East has proven to be one of the most successful and long term companies in the gaming industry, it survived the video game crash of 1983 and continued to release dozens of games for the arcades and home consoles. Some of their most famous coin-op arcade games from the 1980's heyday included Karate Champ, Heavy Barrel, BurgerTime, Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, Sly Spy, RoboCop, Bump 'n' Jump, Trio The Punch – Never Forget Me..., Karnov and Atomic Runner Chelnov.
"Karate Champ was the first successful fighting game, due to being one of the most influential to modern fighting game standards. It was also the subject of the litigation Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx, Inc., in which Data East alleged that Epyx's International Karate infringed the copyright in Karate Champ."
Data East also purchased licenses to manufacture and sell arcade games created by other companies. Their most successful licensed games included Kid Niki: Radical Ninja, Kung Fu Master which I'll get to anon and Vigilante, all licensed from Irem Corp, and Commando, licensed from Capcom.
"Data East also made pinball tables from 1987 through 1994, and included innovations such as the first pinball to have stereo sound, the first usage of a small dot matrix display in Checkpoint along with the first usage of a big DMD (192x64) in Maverick. They showed a strong preference for using high-profile (but expensive) licensed properties, rather than creating totally original machines, which did not help the financial difficulties the company began experiencing from 1990 on. Some of the properties that Data East licensed for their pinball tables included Guns N' Roses, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Batman, RoboCop, The Simpsons, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Data East is the only company that manufactured custom pinball games (e.g. for Aaron Spelling, the movie Richie Rich, or Michael Jordan), though these were basically mods of existing or soon to be released pinball machines (e.g. Lethal Weapon 3)."
I would venture to say that Data East is a pretty influential and innovative company within the realm of gaming culture as a whole. From their ground breaking and super popular arcade and fighting games to their iconic custom pinball machines.
Data East has proven to be one of the most successful and long term companies in the gaming industry, it survived the video game crash of 1983 and continued to release dozens of games for the arcades and home consoles. Some of their most famous coin-op arcade games from the 1980's heyday included Karate Champ, Heavy Barrel, BurgerTime, Bad Dudes Vs. Dragon Ninja, Sly Spy, RoboCop, Bump 'n' Jump, Trio The Punch – Never Forget Me..., Karnov and Atomic Runner Chelnov.
"Karate Champ was the first successful fighting game, due to being one of the most influential to modern fighting game standards. It was also the subject of the litigation Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx, Inc., in which Data East alleged that Epyx's International Karate infringed the copyright in Karate Champ."
Data East also purchased licenses to manufacture and sell arcade games created by other companies. Their most successful licensed games included Kid Niki: Radical Ninja, Kung Fu Master which I'll get to anon and Vigilante, all licensed from Irem Corp, and Commando, licensed from Capcom.
"Data East also made pinball tables from 1987 through 1994, and included innovations such as the first pinball to have stereo sound, the first usage of a small dot matrix display in Checkpoint along with the first usage of a big DMD (192x64) in Maverick. They showed a strong preference for using high-profile (but expensive) licensed properties, rather than creating totally original machines, which did not help the financial difficulties the company began experiencing from 1990 on. Some of the properties that Data East licensed for their pinball tables included Guns N' Roses, Star Wars, Back to the Future, Batman, RoboCop, The Simpsons, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Data East is the only company that manufactured custom pinball games (e.g. for Aaron Spelling, the movie Richie Rich, or Michael Jordan), though these were basically mods of existing or soon to be released pinball machines (e.g. Lethal Weapon 3)."
I would venture to say that Data East is a pretty influential and innovative company within the realm of gaming culture as a whole. From their ground breaking and super popular arcade and fighting games to their iconic custom pinball machines.
Technōs was founded in 1981 by three staff members from Data East. Their first game was Minky Monkey, released in 1982. Many of Technōs Japan's earlier games were often published or distributed by other companies, particularly Data East (as was the case with Karate Champ) and Taito.
Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun ("Hot Blooded Tough Guy Kunio"), a side-scrolling beat-em-up released in 1986 was Techno's first big hit in Japan. Kunio-kun was released in the west as Renegade with the game's graphics altered to be more marketable overseas. Technōs would then produced a NES version of the game, which would be Technōs' first game for the home console market opening the magical world of co-op fighting games to the casual home players.
Technōs' next arcade beat-em-up, Double Dragon, which was an immense success worldwide after being released in 1987. This resulted in a NES version of the game as well as licensed versions produced by a few companies for various platforms, thus bring the arcade experience of this classic fighting game to the home market. The interface was comprised of the usual at this point. Joypads, Joysticks, Colourful menus and health bars. The game is one of many to span the media gap after it spawned many sequels it spawned a TV show and even a half decent movie (for fans of Double Dragon i.e.). Other notable games from Technos include Super Dodge Ball, River City Ransom (considered by critics to be a cult classic), Super Spike V'Ball, Crash Street Boys Street Challenge and Tag Team Wrestling alas most of these did not achieve the success that Kunio-kun and Double Dragon achieved.
So again a highly influential company that created a massive impact in gaming culture and all it entails that has stood the test of time, which is in itself no mean feat. The side scrolling beat-em ups had landed and were here to stay. Arcades the world over were crammed with people playing them and to this day still are. Their transition from the arcades to the home consoles is significant in it illustrates a shift in way fighting games were played or rather experienced.
Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun ("Hot Blooded Tough Guy Kunio"), a side-scrolling beat-em-up released in 1986 was Techno's first big hit in Japan. Kunio-kun was released in the west as Renegade with the game's graphics altered to be more marketable overseas. Technōs would then produced a NES version of the game, which would be Technōs' first game for the home console market opening the magical world of co-op fighting games to the casual home players.
Technōs' next arcade beat-em-up, Double Dragon, which was an immense success worldwide after being released in 1987. This resulted in a NES version of the game as well as licensed versions produced by a few companies for various platforms, thus bring the arcade experience of this classic fighting game to the home market. The interface was comprised of the usual at this point. Joypads, Joysticks, Colourful menus and health bars. The game is one of many to span the media gap after it spawned many sequels it spawned a TV show and even a half decent movie (for fans of Double Dragon i.e.). Other notable games from Technos include Super Dodge Ball, River City Ransom (considered by critics to be a cult classic), Super Spike V'Ball, Crash Street Boys Street Challenge and Tag Team Wrestling alas most of these did not achieve the success that Kunio-kun and Double Dragon achieved.
So again a highly influential company that created a massive impact in gaming culture and all it entails that has stood the test of time, which is in itself no mean feat. The side scrolling beat-em ups had landed and were here to stay. Arcades the world over were crammed with people playing them and to this day still are. Their transition from the arcades to the home consoles is significant in it illustrates a shift in way fighting games were played or rather experienced.
Kung-Fu Master, 1984, known in Japan as Spartan X, is considered to be the first fighting beat 'em up game and it was created by one of the most prolific game developers that nobody's ever heard of that I've come across. His name is Takashi Nishiyama. Whom I'll get to presently.
Kung-Fu master was developed and published in Japan by Irem. It was later published in North America by Data East. The game's interface features 1 player controls. The main character, Thomas, is controlled with a joystick to move/jump/crouch and separate buttons to punch and kick. Two player was possible but by an alternative turn system. The menus were full colour and animated sprites would complete the game play moves on screen. One of this games features was the addition of an enemy health bar. This added an extra dimension to the game that has become commonplace since. Most of the story elements were basic text.
I fondly remember playing this game contently in the arcades and later on various home consoles and is probably the reason for my love of fighting games. Such was the popularity of this game it was ported to countless platforms such as the Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, BeOS x86, Commodore 64, DOS, Java, Linux, NES, MSX, Sega SG-1000, Sinclair ZX Spectrum. The original arcade version was later released in Arcade Classics for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.
One can clearly see the scope of this game worldwide and over such a long period of time and console generations. Now one could make a case here for the argument against here for over the span of 20 years nothing changed in how this game was played stave the platform. Basically the interface remained unchanged. The game spawned a sequel called Vigilante a 2D side scrolling beat-em up, in 1988, although successful it never reached the acclaim of its predecessor. Again the basic game play and interface was identical.
Kung-Fu master was developed and published in Japan by Irem. It was later published in North America by Data East. The game's interface features 1 player controls. The main character, Thomas, is controlled with a joystick to move/jump/crouch and separate buttons to punch and kick. Two player was possible but by an alternative turn system. The menus were full colour and animated sprites would complete the game play moves on screen. One of this games features was the addition of an enemy health bar. This added an extra dimension to the game that has become commonplace since. Most of the story elements were basic text.
I fondly remember playing this game contently in the arcades and later on various home consoles and is probably the reason for my love of fighting games. Such was the popularity of this game it was ported to countless platforms such as the Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Amstrad CPC, Apple II, BeOS x86, Commodore 64, DOS, Java, Linux, NES, MSX, Sega SG-1000, Sinclair ZX Spectrum. The original arcade version was later released in Arcade Classics for the PlayStation and Sega Saturn.
One can clearly see the scope of this game worldwide and over such a long period of time and console generations. Now one could make a case here for the argument against here for over the span of 20 years nothing changed in how this game was played stave the platform. Basically the interface remained unchanged. The game spawned a sequel called Vigilante a 2D side scrolling beat-em up, in 1988, although successful it never reached the acclaim of its predecessor. Again the basic game play and interface was identical.
Takashi Nishiyama is a pioneer of fighting game development and is best known for creating some of the most ground breaking, successful and important fighting game franchises of all time, Street Fighter, Fatal Fury, The King of Fighters, Savage Reign and Art of Fighting. Working for Irem, he designed the 1982 side-scrolling shooter Moon Patrol, which was the first game to introduce parallax scrolling, followed by the 1984 game Kung-Fu Master, considered the first ever beat 'em up. Needless to say an impressive career opening but the best was yet to come.
"He then joined Capcom and went on to both produce and direct the 1987 fighting game Street Fighter, along with Hiroshi Matsumoto. In an interview, when he was asked where did he get the idea of the infamous "Hadouken" and "Shoryuken", he mentioned that the "Hadouken" came from the anime Space Battleship Yamato after the name of the laser missile; "Hadouho" and "Shoryuken" was an original idea as he watched marital art moves and exaggerated on these moves."
After he left Capcom to work with SNK in 1988 he produced a lot of super popular and memorable arcade games. Such as the amazingly successful and addictive, side-scrolling run & gun shooter Metal Slug. Another title by Takashi and one my personal weaknesses from the era Neo Turf Masters. Some not so famous but noteworthy titles like Ghost Pilots, the Super Side Kicks series and Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden.
In 2000, he left SNK and founded his own independent game development company, Dimps <-That link contains a huge list of their numerous games. This company has been behind the scenes working on games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Dragon Ball Z fighting game series and all of the numerous Street Fighter incarnations. A truly iconic figure within gaming culture yet relatively unknown by the masses. On a final note regarding this pioneer. One of his greatest contributions to the fighting interface was the advent of the 8 directional joystick which he managed with the aid of Atari.
"He then joined Capcom and went on to both produce and direct the 1987 fighting game Street Fighter, along with Hiroshi Matsumoto. In an interview, when he was asked where did he get the idea of the infamous "Hadouken" and "Shoryuken", he mentioned that the "Hadouken" came from the anime Space Battleship Yamato after the name of the laser missile; "Hadouho" and "Shoryuken" was an original idea as he watched marital art moves and exaggerated on these moves."
After he left Capcom to work with SNK in 1988 he produced a lot of super popular and memorable arcade games. Such as the amazingly successful and addictive, side-scrolling run & gun shooter Metal Slug. Another title by Takashi and one my personal weaknesses from the era Neo Turf Masters. Some not so famous but noteworthy titles like Ghost Pilots, the Super Side Kicks series and Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden.
In 2000, he left SNK and founded his own independent game development company, Dimps <-That link contains a huge list of their numerous games. This company has been behind the scenes working on games like Sonic the Hedgehog, Dragon Ball Z fighting game series and all of the numerous Street Fighter incarnations. A truly iconic figure within gaming culture yet relatively unknown by the masses. On a final note regarding this pioneer. One of his greatest contributions to the fighting interface was the advent of the 8 directional joystick which he managed with the aid of Atari.
Karate Champ from 1984 developed by Technōs Japan for Data East is yet another ground breaking title in the fighting game genre where one plays as a karate competitor and
the fights are against another player or the computer. The interface featured two joysticks which the players control to
execute a number of moves. Thankfully this is one of many fads that never took off in the fast evolving fighting game interfaces.
The game play was side on 2D fights between Karate
characters wearing white and red, which then lead to a bonus round for the winner. This pattern repeated itself in the next, more difficult
round set on a new stage. Unique to this game, unlike most later fighter-type games, there
are no health bar or hit points. The round ends upon a single hit being landed thus winning the player or his opponent either one point or half point. The first to score two points is the winner.
The menus were full colour with the usual basic text and standard arcade audio. The game was ported to several consoles Apple II, Commodore 64, and the NES. As a final bit of trivia it was the first fighting game to be featured in a movie and that was the Jean-Claude Van Damme film, Bloodsport.
The menus were full colour with the usual basic text and standard arcade audio. The game was ported to several consoles Apple II, Commodore 64, and the NES. As a final bit of trivia it was the first fighting game to be featured in a movie and that was the Jean-Claude Van Damme film, Bloodsport.
Konami's 1985 release Yie Ar Kung Fu was heavily influenced by Karate Champ as were many subsequent fighting games good and bad. It was ground breaking in that it expanded on the Karate Champ interface by pitting the player Oolong against a multitude of strange and wonderful opponents, each with a unique look and fighting style. Another first which became the standard in years to come. The player could also perform up to sixteen different moves, including projectile attacks.
The interface game play was 1 player only and the controls used the revolutionary 8-way joystick along side two buttons for punch and kick. The standard arcade audio Amplified Mono was used and the menus were full colour but yet again with the bland white text alas it was what the hardware was capable of for the time and couldn't be helped. At the time is was not a problem.
The interface game play was 1 player only and the controls used the revolutionary 8-way joystick along side two buttons for punch and kick. The standard arcade audio Amplified Mono was used and the menus were full colour but yet again with the bland white text alas it was what the hardware was capable of for the time and couldn't be helped. At the time is was not a problem.
Street Fighter is a 1987 arcade game developed by Capcom. Though they didn't know it at the time, this games interface design was to become the grand daddy of them all and to this day is still one of the top fighting games franchises in the world. It is the first competitive fighting game and the inaugural game in the ongoing Street Fighter series. While it did not achieve the same worldwide popularity as its sequel Street Fighter II
The original Street Fighter introduced some of the now conventional standards in later and even modern fighting games, interface elements such as the six button controls and the use of command based special techniques. The one player mode is comprised of one-on-one matches against a litany of computer-controlled opponents and in a single match scenario the action is against another player. Each match consists of three rounds in which the player must defeat an opponent in less than 30 seconds. Win states occur once two rounds have been won and then the player proceeds to the next battle.
The control scheme was an amazing advancement in fighting game interface technology. It added a depth not yet seen in a fighting game and allowed for so many variations for players to experience per match. Such a feat is echoed in the massive success the game franchise has received for decades. Players use the joystick to move towards or away from an opponent, as well to jump, crouch and defend. While using attack buttons/pads in combination with the joystick, players are able to do a variety of attacks from either a standing, jumping or crouching position. There are even three special moves that can only be done by after hitting a specific series of joystick and button combinations. The audio, menus, story scenes and health bars were pretty standard for the time, so the game's appeal was definitely in the highly variable and competitive game play because finally there was a game that allowed players to shine and develop there skills around a characters fighting style instead of the other way around like how it was many older fighting games that consisted of linear and monotonous game play.
"Street Fighter was ported under the title Fighting Street in 1988 for the TurboGrafx-CD. This version features an arranged soundtrack. Due to the lack of a six-button controller available for the TurboGrafx-16 at the time this version was released, the strength level of the attacks were determined by how long either of the action buttons were held."
There was one slight little hiccup the game designers messed up on and that was the combinations for the special moves. For some reason they never revealed them and players were forced to find out what they were by themselves. Was this a ploy to get people to pay more money in the arcade to keep on guessing? I don't know but it completely ruined the experience of the game for most people. For the hardcore arcade gamers this was great and if they figured out a special move combo they achieved instantaneous legendary status. For most people like myself it was a massive pain and forced us to give up in total despair and frustration. The issue was remedied in later iterations the game, a move they never looked back on.
The original Street Fighter introduced some of the now conventional standards in later and even modern fighting games, interface elements such as the six button controls and the use of command based special techniques. The one player mode is comprised of one-on-one matches against a litany of computer-controlled opponents and in a single match scenario the action is against another player. Each match consists of three rounds in which the player must defeat an opponent in less than 30 seconds. Win states occur once two rounds have been won and then the player proceeds to the next battle.
The control scheme was an amazing advancement in fighting game interface technology. It added a depth not yet seen in a fighting game and allowed for so many variations for players to experience per match. Such a feat is echoed in the massive success the game franchise has received for decades. Players use the joystick to move towards or away from an opponent, as well to jump, crouch and defend. While using attack buttons/pads in combination with the joystick, players are able to do a variety of attacks from either a standing, jumping or crouching position. There are even three special moves that can only be done by after hitting a specific series of joystick and button combinations. The audio, menus, story scenes and health bars were pretty standard for the time, so the game's appeal was definitely in the highly variable and competitive game play because finally there was a game that allowed players to shine and develop there skills around a characters fighting style instead of the other way around like how it was many older fighting games that consisted of linear and monotonous game play.
"Street Fighter was ported under the title Fighting Street in 1988 for the TurboGrafx-CD. This version features an arranged soundtrack. Due to the lack of a six-button controller available for the TurboGrafx-16 at the time this version was released, the strength level of the attacks were determined by how long either of the action buttons were held."
There was one slight little hiccup the game designers messed up on and that was the combinations for the special moves. For some reason they never revealed them and players were forced to find out what they were by themselves. Was this a ploy to get people to pay more money in the arcade to keep on guessing? I don't know but it completely ruined the experience of the game for most people. For the hardcore arcade gamers this was great and if they figured out a special move combo they achieved instantaneous legendary status. For most people like myself it was a massive pain and forced us to give up in total despair and frustration. The issue was remedied in later iterations the game, a move they never looked back on.
It wasn't all plain sailing for the fighting game community in the 80's. Numerous other game developers tried to imitate the financial successes of Karate Champ, Yie Ar Kung-Fu and with similar games. Some are listed in certain top ten lists of the worst games ever made, so as much as I'd like to romanticise the 80's as being the golden age for fighting games and say everything was rosy all the way through, I can't because it wasn't. The following, are to name but a few. really dreadful fighting games. Now an opinion of a bad game of any kind is subjective but certain games like these transcend that and are just plain terrible. Mostly due to horrid interface design.
Released on the NES in 1987, Bad Street Brawler is among the earliest side scrolling beat-'em-ups. The interface was one of the only two NES games to be developed specifically for use with the Power Glove a notoriously awful game controller that ruined many a childhood I'm sure. Many people consider it to be one of the worst side scrolling beat-'em-up games ever produced. Furthermore, this game was featured as #16 in Seanbaby's top 20 worst games of all time along with a couple of other horrid fighting game offerings I shall get to a little later. The main character, Duke Davis, wears a yellow tank top and a pair of cheesy 80's sunglasses. Enemies in the game can be gorillas and even old ladies who throw stuff. At the beginning of each stage, childish and often quotes with awful grammar appear; like "Never trouble trouble unless trouble troubles you." The moves list was non existent which lead to unbelievably monotonous game play. Needless to say this was not one the 80's finest hours.
Other less desirable fighting games and not necessarily absolutely awful but a little on the wacky side for their characters, graphics and control schemes for arcade and home enthusiasts were, Human Killing Machine, Karateka, Manhattan Dealers and finally Double Dragon II. Now DDII is not a bad game but the interface was severely lacking compared to all other installments in the series. Can't remember the last time I saw a purple road.
Released on the NES in 1987, Bad Street Brawler is among the earliest side scrolling beat-'em-ups. The interface was one of the only two NES games to be developed specifically for use with the Power Glove a notoriously awful game controller that ruined many a childhood I'm sure. Many people consider it to be one of the worst side scrolling beat-'em-up games ever produced. Furthermore, this game was featured as #16 in Seanbaby's top 20 worst games of all time along with a couple of other horrid fighting game offerings I shall get to a little later. The main character, Duke Davis, wears a yellow tank top and a pair of cheesy 80's sunglasses. Enemies in the game can be gorillas and even old ladies who throw stuff. At the beginning of each stage, childish and often quotes with awful grammar appear; like "Never trouble trouble unless trouble troubles you." The moves list was non existent which lead to unbelievably monotonous game play. Needless to say this was not one the 80's finest hours.
Other less desirable fighting games and not necessarily absolutely awful but a little on the wacky side for their characters, graphics and control schemes for arcade and home enthusiasts were, Human Killing Machine, Karateka, Manhattan Dealers and finally Double Dragon II. Now DDII is not a bad game but the interface was severely lacking compared to all other installments in the series. Can't remember the last time I saw a purple road.
There are plenty of stinkers about in the modern era from the 1990's on also and one could argue that by today's standards the fighting game control systems, audio, H.U.Ds and graphical interfaces were sub par back in the 80's but I beg to differ having been there and experienced all of these and the innovations they had to offer first hand. They were intuitive and bred from necessity.