Tecmo Knight

Tecmo Knight, known in Japan as Wild Fang (ワイルドファング), is a 1989 beat 'em up arcade game developed and released by Tecmo.

Gameplay
The story begins when Tecmo Knight, the brave ancient warrior, came to do battle with the evil and diabolical beast known as 'Wild Fang.' But before he can meet this challenge, he must defeat Wild Fang's group of evil soldiers.

Using the "jump and attack" maneuver, Tecmo Knight can bound onto an enemy's shoulders and pummel him into submission. Pressing the "change" button allows Tecmo Knight to call on 'Tiger' or 'Smokeman.' While riding the tiger, Tecmo Knight has the use of his deadly spiked ball and chain. With 'Smokeman', Tecmo Knight can use his extra strength and steel-like arms to defeat his enemies more quickly. When collecting the special dragon skull that randomly appears after defeating an enemy, the Tecmo Knight will summon the most powerful creature to ride on in the game: the Flying Dragon. One breath of the Flying Dragon kills any monster in the game instantly, including the stage-end bosses.

Sometimes, if the Tecmo Knight runs low on life, a blow by a weak monster can transform him into a tiny human form, which has a very weak short-ranged attack. It is extremely hard for him to survive in this form. All bosses in the game appear in "pairs" making it harder for a single player to corner them. The only exception is the last boss. Currently, there are two "extra life" bonus skulls known to exist in the game. This game is hard for beginners, because it requires more patience than button-pounding. Players can also utilize "props" like bombs and stone-rollers placed around the map to their advantage.