Editing Fighting game (section)

=== Emergence of fighting game genre (mid-to-late 1980s) ===

''[[Karate Champ]]'' was developed by [[Technōs Japan]] and released by [[Data East]] in May 1984,<ref>{{cite web |title=空手道 |trans-title=Karate Dō |url=https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M730501 |website=Media Arts Database |publisher=[[Agency for Cultural Affairs]] |language=ja |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510142418/https://mediaarts-db.bunka.go.jp/id/M730501 |url-status=live }}</ref> and is credited with establishing and popularizing the one-on-one fighting game genre.<ref name="games.ign.com">{{cite web | url = http://games.ign.com/articles/840/840621p1.html | title = IGN's Top 10 Most Influential Games | website = IGN | author1 = Ryan Geddes | author2 = Daemon Hatfield | date = December 10, 2007 | access-date = April 14, 2009 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120214180351/http://games.ign.com/articles/840/840621p1.html | archive-date = February 14, 2012 | url-status = dead }}</ref> A variety of moves can be performed using the [[Dual analog control|dual-joystick]] controls. It uses a best-of-three matches format like later fighting games, and has training [[bonus stage]]s.<ref name="games.ign.com"/> The ''Player vs Player'' edition of ''Karate Champ'', released later that year, is also the first fighting game to allow two-player duel.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Toose |first1=Dan |title=Retrospect: Karate Champ (Vs) Ancient History |magazine=[[Hyper (magazine)|Hyper]] |date=December 1998 |issue=62 |page=100 |url=https://archive.org/details/hyper-062/page/100}}</ref> It influenced [[Konami]]'s ''[[Yie Ar Kung Fu]]'',<ref name="games.ign.com"/> released in October 1984.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yie Ar Kung-Fu (Registration Number PA0000276094) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov |website=[[United States Copyright Office]] |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531152425/https://cocatalog.loc.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The game drew heavily from Bruce Lee films, with the main [[player character]] Oolong modelled after Lee (like in [[Bruceploitation]] films). In contrast to the grounded realism of ''Karate Champ'', ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' moved the genre towards more fantastical, fast-paced action with a variety of special moves and high jumps, establishing the template for subsequent fighting games.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Carroll |first1=Martyn |title=The History Of: Yie Ar Kung-fu |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20190516/281646781578341 |access-date=April 10, 2021 |work=[[Retro Gamer]] |date=May 16, 2019 |archive-date=April 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210410132417/https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20190516/281646781578341 |url-status=live }}</ref> It expanded on ''Karate Champ'' by pitting the player against a variety of opponents, each with a unique appearance and fighting style.<ref name="games.ign.com"/><ref>{{cite web|author=Hjul, Alison|date=March 1986|title=Yie Ar Kung Fu|url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-03/page/n19/mode/2up|publisher=Your Sinclair|issue=3|page=19}}</ref> The player could also perform up to sixteen different moves,<ref>[http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=82 Game of The Week: Yie Ar Kung-Fu] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111020173838/http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=82 |date=October 20, 2011 }}, ''[[GameSpy]]'', accessed February 27, 2011</ref> including projectile attacks,<ref>{{Cite book|title=Game Plan: Great Designs That Changed the Face of Computer Gaming|author=Ste Curran|publisher=Rotovision|year=2004|isbn=2-88046-696-2|page=40|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TXcWlWkIZ0AC&pg=PA40|access-date=April 10, 2011}}</ref> and it replaced the point-scoring system of ''Karate Champ'' with a [[health meter]] system, becoming the standard for the genre.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Good |first1=Owen S. |title=Yie Ar Kung Fu, one of the earliest fighting games, comes to Switch and PS4 |url=https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/24/20980867/yie-ar-kung-fu-ps4-nintendo-switch-konami-arcade-classics |access-date=May 10, 2021 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=November 24, 2019 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510054644/https://www.polygon.com/2019/11/24/20980867/yie-ar-kung-fu-ps4-nintendo-switch-konami-arcade-classics |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Irem]]'s ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Kung-Fu Master]]'', designed by [[Takashi Nishiyama]]<ref name="polygon">{{cite web |last1=Leone |first1=Matt |title=Street Fighter 1: An oral history |url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/7/21270906/street-fighter-1-oral-history-takashi-nishiyama |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]] |access-date=July 16, 2020 |date=July 7, 2020 |archive-date=July 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716104722/https://www.polygon.com/2020/7/7/21270906/street-fighter-1-oral-history-takashi-nishiyama |url-status=live }}</ref> and released in November 1984,<ref>{{cite web |title=Spartan X (Registration Number PA0000234444) |url=https://cocatalog.loc.gov |website=[[United States Copyright Office]] |access-date=May 6, 2021 |archive-date=May 31, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210531152425/https://cocatalog.loc.gov/ |url-status=live }}</ref> is a [[side-scrolling]] [[beat 'em up]] that, at the end of each [[Level (video games)|level]], featured one-on-one boss battles that resemble fighting games.<ref name="Lendino">{{cite book |last1=Lendino |first1=Jamie |title=Attract Mode: The Rise and Fall of Coin-Op Arcade Games |date=September 27, 2020 |publisher=Steel Gear Press |pages=289–90 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d6wCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA289 |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-date=April 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210412193215/https://books.google.com/books?id=d6wCEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA289 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is based on Hong Kong martial arts films, specifically [[Jackie Chan]]'s ''[[Wheels on Meals]]'' (1984) and Bruce Lee's ''Game of Death''.<ref name="thegamesmachine">{{cite web |last1=Dellafrana |first1=Danilo |title=Le origini di Street Fighter |url=https://www.thegamesmachine.it/speciali/90208/street-fighter/ |website=[[The Games Machine]] |access-date=March 20, 2021 |language=it-IT |date=August 29, 2017 |archive-date=April 20, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210420090954/https://www.thegamesmachine.it/speciali/90208/street-fighter/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="tao"/> Nishiyama later used its one-on-one boss battles as the basis for his fighting game ''Street Fighter''.<ref name="polygon"/> Nintendo's boxing sequel ''[[Super Punch-Out!! (arcade game)|Super Punch-Out]]'' was released for arcades in late 1984 and ported by [[Elite Systems|Elite]] to home computers as ''Frank Bruno's Boxing'' in 1985,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fox |first1=Matt |title=The Video Games Guide: 1,000+ Arcade, Console and Computer Games, 1962–2012, 2d ed. |date=December 1, 2012 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-0067-3 |page=225 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LVc1QNGo_g0C&pg=PA225 |access-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510041701/https://books.google.com/books?id=LVc1QNGo_g0C&pg=PA225 |url-status=live }}</ref> features martial arts elements,<ref name="Horowitz">{{cite book |last1=Horowitz |first1=Ken |title=Beyond Donkey Kong: A History of Nintendo Arcade Games |date=August 6, 2020 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-8420-8 |pages=144–5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3D0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA144 |access-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510041659/https://books.google.com/books?id=Y3D0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA144 |url-status=live }}</ref> high and low guarding, ducking, lateral dodging, and a KO meter. This meter is built up with successful attacks and, when full, enables a special, more powerful punch to be thrown.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldofspectrum.org/showmag.cgi?mag=Crash/Issue19/Pages/Crash1900022.jpg |title=Archive – Magazine viewer |publisher=World of Spectrum |access-date=February 18, 2013}}</ref> [[Broderbund]]'s ''[[Karateka (video game)|Karateka]]'', designed by [[Jordan Mechner]] and released at the end of 1984,<ref name="Computist">{{cite magazine |last1=Hurlbert |first1=Jeff |title=The Games of 1984: In Review – Part II |magazine=[[Hardcore Computist]] |date=1985 |issue=19 |pages=12–7 |url=https://archive.org/details/computist-scan-19/page/n13/mode/2up}}</ref> is a one-on-one fighting game for [[home computers]] that successfully added plot to its fighting action,<ref name="tao"/> like the beat 'em up ''Kung-Fu Master''.<ref name="Lendino"/>

By early 1985, martial arts games had become popular in arcades.<ref name="CG">{{cite magazine |last1=Roberts |first1=Mike |title=Coin-Op Connection |magazine=[[Computer Gamer]] |date=May 1985 |issue=2 |pages=26–7 |publisher=[[Argus Press]] |location=United Kingdom |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_02_1985-05_Argus_Press_GB/page/n25/mode/2up}}</ref> On home computers, the Japanese [[MSX]] version of ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' was released in January 1985,<ref>{{cite web |title=Yie Ar Kung-Fu |url=https://www.generation-msx.nl/software/konami/yie-ar-kung-fu/377/ |website=Generation-MSX |access-date=May 7, 2021 |archive-date=May 10, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510142359/https://www.generation-msx.nl/software/konami/yie-ar-kung-fu/377/ |url-status=live }}</ref> and [[Beam Software]]'s ''[[The Way of the Exploding Fist]]'' was released for [[PAL regions]] in May 1985;<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Special Feature: Happy Birthday! |magazine=[[Popular Computing Weekly]] |date=May 1, 1987 |pages=14–18 (18) |url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1987-05-01/page/n17}}</ref> ''The Way of the Exploding Fist'' borrowed heavily from ''Karate Champ'',<ref name="zzap64review">{{cite journal|date=July 11, 1985|title=Way of the Exploding Fist|url=https://archive.org/details/zzap64-magazine-004/page/n29/mode/2up|journal=[[Zzap!64]]|issue=4 (August 1985)|pages=30–32}}</ref> but nevertheless achieved critical success and afforded the burgeoning genre further popularity on home computers in PAL regions,<ref name="runitagain">{{cite web|author1=Candy, Robin|author2=Eddy, Ricky|date=October 1987|title=Run it Again!|url=https://archive.org/details/crash-magazine-45/page/n37/mode/2up|publisher=Crash|issue=45|pages=38}}</ref><ref name="karateace">{{cite web|author=Davies, Jonathan|date=October 1988|title=Karate Ace|url=https://archive.org/details/your-sinclair-34/page/n45/mode/2up|publisher=Your Sinclair|issue=34|page=46}}</ref> becoming the UK's best-selling [[1985 in video games|computer game of 1985]].<ref>{{cite magazine |title=News Desk: Exploding Fist tops Gallup 1985 charts |magazine=[[Popular Computing Weekly]] |date=March 20, 1986 |page=4 |url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1986-03-20/page/n3}}</ref> In North America, Data East ported ''Karate Champ'' to home computers in October 1985,<ref name="data_east_v_epyx">''Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx, Inc.'', [http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/862/862.F2d.204.87-2294.html 862 F. 2d 204, 9 U.S.P.Q.2d (BNA) 1322] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100516005748/http://bulk.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F2/862/862.F2d.204.87-2294.html |date=May 16, 2010 }} (9th Cir. 1988).</ref> becoming one of the best-selling computer games of the late 1980s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Petska-Juliussen |first1=Karen |last2=Juliussen |first2=Egil |title=The Computer Industry Almanac 1990 |date=1990 |publisher=Brady |isbn=978-0-13-154122-1 |location=New York |pages=3.10–11 |url=https://archive.org/details/computerindustry00kare/page/n265/mode/2up}}</ref><ref name="megahits">{{cite journal | author=Worley, Joyce | title=Mega Hits: The Best of the Best | journal=[[Video Games & Computer Entertainment]] | issue=11 | date=December 1989 | url=https://archive.org/details/Video_Games_Computer_Entertainment_Issue_11_December_1989 | pages=130–132, 137, 138 }}</ref> Other game developers also imitated ''Karate Champ'', notably [[System 3 (company)|System 3]]'s computer game ''[[International Karate]]'', released in Europe in November 1985; after [[Epyx]] released it in North America in April 1986, Data East took [[Data East USA, Inc. v. Epyx, Inc.|unsuccessful legal action]] against Epyx over the game.<ref name="data_east_v_epyx"/> ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' went on to become the UK's best-selling [[1986 in video games|computer game of 1986]], the second year in a row for fighting games.<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Yie Ar tops charts for 1986 |magazine=[[Popular Computing Weekly]] |date=February 12, 1987 |page=6 |url=https://archive.org/details/popular-computing-weekly-1987-02-12/page/n5}}</ref> The same year, [[Martech]]'s ''[[Uchi Mata (video game)|Uchi Mata]]'' for home computers featured novel controller motions for [[grappling]] maneuvers, but they were deemed too difficult.<ref name="runitagain"/>

In the late 1980s, side-scrolling beat 'em ups became considerably more popular than one-on-one fighting games,<ref name="Polygon">{{cite web |last1=Leone |first1=Matt |title=Street Fighter 2: An Oral History |url=https://www.polygon.com/a/street-fighter-2-oral-history/ |access-date=April 29, 2021 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |date=February 3, 2014 |archive-date=May 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210515155936/https://www.polygon.com/a/street-fighter-2-oral-history |url-status=live }}</ref> with many arcade [[Video game developer|game developers]] focused more on producing beat 'em ups and shoot 'em ups.<ref name="segahistory">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/sat/segafight/page2.html | title = History of Sega Fighting Games | website = GameSpot | access-date = October 11, 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204190119/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/sat/segafight/page2.html | archive-date=February 4, 2009}}</ref> Takashi Nishiyama used the one-on-one boss battles of his earlier beat 'em up ''Kung-Fu Master'' as the template for [[Capcom]]'s fighting game ''[[Street Fighter (video game)|Street Fighter]]'',<ref name="polygon"/> combined with elements of ''Karate Champ'' and ''Yie Ar Kung Fu''.<ref name="sfhistory">{{cite web|title=The History of Street Fighter|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/sfhistory/history.html|website=[[GameSpot]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204224001/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/sfhistory/history.html|archive-date=February 4, 2009|access-date=October 11, 2008}}</ref> ''Street Fighter'' found its own niche in the gaming world, which was dominated by beat 'em ups and shoot 'em ups at the time.<ref name="sfhistory" /> Part of the game's appeal was the use of special moves that could only be discovered by experimenting with the game controls, which created a sense of mystique and invited players to practice the game.<ref name="sf2mystery" /> Following ''Street Fighter's'' lead, the use of command-based hidden moves began to pervade other games in the rising fighting game genre.<ref name="sf2mystery">{{cite web | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3485/game_design_essentials_20_.php?page=16 | title = Game Design Essentials: 20 Mysterious Games | website = Gamasutra | access-date = October 12, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081005065837/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3485/game_design_essentials_20_.php?page=16 | archive-date = October 5, 2008 | url-status = dead }}</ref> ''Street Fighter'' also introduced other staples of the genre, including the [[Blocking (martial arts)|blocking]] technique, as well as the ability for a challenger to jump in and initiate a match against a player at any time. The game also introduced [[Pressure sensor|pressure-sensitive]] controls that determine the strength of an attack, though due to causing damaged arcade cabinets, Capcom replaced it soon after with a six-button control scheme offering light, medium, and hard punches and kicks, which became another staple of the genre.<ref name="1UP-SF">Nadia Oxford, [http://www.1up.com/features/20-years-street-fighter 20 Years of Street Fighter] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121206043053/http://www.1up.com/features/20-years-street-fighter |date=December 6, 2012 }}, [[1UP.com]], November 12, 2007</ref>

In 1988, [[Magical Company|Home Data]] released ''Reikai Dōshi: Chinese Exorcist'', also known as ''Last Apostle Puppet Show'', the first fighting game to use [[Digitizing|digitized]] [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] and [[motion capture]] animation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/fighters/fighters8.htm|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Pre-Street Fighter II Fighting Games|access-date=October 7, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011172741/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/fighters/fighters8.htm|archive-date=October 11, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Meanwhile, home [[game console]]s largely ignored the genre. ''[[Budokan: The Martial Spirit]]'' was one of the few releases for the [[Sega Genesis]], but was not as popular as games in other genres.<ref name="segahistory" /> Technical challenges limited the popularity of early fighting games. Programmers had difficulty producing a game that could recognize the fast motions of a joystick, and so players had difficulty executing special moves with any accuracy.<ref name="sfhistory" /><ref name = "segahistory" />