Yie Ar Kung-Fu

Long before Street Fighter II drew crowds, Yie Ar Kung-Fu was already pitting one fighter against a gallery of rivals with real personality: one with nunchaku, one throwing stars, one swinging a chain. For plenty of 80s kids, it was their first fighting game.

It isn't in the UsuArcade arcade yet, but it's on the wish list.

History

Konami released Yie Ar Kung-Fu in 1985. It's one of the earliest one-on-one fighting games and helped set ideas the genre would keep for decades: health bars, memorable opponents and different moves depending on joystick direction.

It was also a big hit on home computers, where lots of players discovered it first.

How to play

You play Oolong, a young fighter taking on kung-fu masters one at a time. You've got punch and kick buttons, and pairing them with the joystick's eight directions gives you sixteen different moves: high and low kicks, sweeps, flying attacks and more.

Every opponent has a weapon or a trick, and you have to learn how to close the distance without eating their attacks. Drain their energy first and you win.

Fun facts

• It was one of the first one-on-one fighters with health bars.
• In some home versions the hero was called Lee instead of Oolong.
• Two players alternate on one cabinet; there's no player-vs-player mode.

In the arcade

Yie Ar Kung-Fu is coming soon to UsuArcade. It's on the wish list, and you can vote for it with the “I want to play it” button. Meanwhile, the arcade has Kung-Fu Master for fighting your way up a temple and Street Fighter II for head-to-head battles, right in your browser with friends watching.

FAQ