5 Best Arcade Fighting Games of the 1980s, Ranked

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The fighting game genre became hugely popular in the 1990s with titles like Street Fighter II, but its roots go back to the 1980s. Early fighting games were quite different from what we know today, representing the first steps in what would become a massive and successful genre. Developers spent years experimenting with new gameplay features, ways for players to interact, and competitive multiplayer. We’ve ranked the five best fighting games from the 1980s, considering how critics reviewed them at the time, how enjoyable they were to play, and their lasting influence on the genre.

5) Kung-Fu Master

Released in 1984, Kung-Fu Master is typically known as a beat-’em-up, but it deserves a place among classic fighting games. The game combines side-scrolling action with challenging boss fights. Unlike many games of its time, each boss has an energy meter, and battles are focused one-on-one, requiring you to deplete the boss’s energy. After each boss, you advance to the next level. These innovative boss battles were a major inspiration for the development of many future one-on-one fighting games.

4) Street Fighter

Although Street Fighter II is a legendary video game, the original Street Fighter isn’t as famous. Takashi Nishiyama created it by focusing on one-on-one boss fights from Kung-Fu Master, instead of the side-scrolling action of that game. This innovative approach helped define the fighting game genre and set the standard for many games to come. The original Street Fighter’s success paved the way for a massive franchise, and despite being simpler than Street Fighter II, it remains a great fighting game from the 1980s.

3) Renegade

Released in 1986, Renegade is better known as a beat-’em-up than a traditional fighting game. Though the fighting game genre was still emerging at the time, Renegade included elements that would later become common in those games. Players control a fighter who battles through four gangs to save his girlfriend. It featured early combo attacks using just three buttons, offering a variety of fighting moves, and proved popular enough to create a series of games. Renegade was important for helping to establish the beat-’em-up genre, and it also influenced developers working on fighting games.

2) The Way of the Exploding Fist

Released in 1985 for consoles like the Commodore 64, The Way of the Exploding Fist is a fighting game where players advance through levels with changing backgrounds. Each level consists of one-on-one karate matches, observed by a sensei. Unusually for the time, the game didn’t use health bars; players had to perform moves perfectly, as errors immediately resulted in a loss – mirroring the scoring system of real karate competitions. The Way of the Exploding Fist is considered a significant title that influenced the development of fighting games throughout the 1980s.

1) YieAr Kung-Fu

Released in arcades in 1984, Yie Ar Kung-Fu was a pioneering fighting game inspired by Karate Champ and the classic Bruce Lee films shot in Hong Kong. Players control a fighter battling through a series of opponents, establishing many of the features common in fighting games that followed. With its quick action, special moves, and innovative mechanics, Yie Ar Kung-Fu was a critical and player favorite, and a highly influential title in the genre during the 1980s.

What’s your top fighting game from the 80s? Share your pick in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2026-03-27 16:15