Knuckle Bash (ナックルバッシュ) is a 1993 side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Toaplan in Japan. It was later released in North America and Europe by Atari. It was designed by Junya Inoue, who later left Toaplan after its bankruptcy in 1994, and joined Gazelle, a company founded by former Toaplan staff, and designed another arcade beat 'em up with Banpresto that is based on Bishōjo Senshi Sailor Moon.
Gameplay[ | ]
Knuckle Bash, like most other beat 'em ups released during the time, resembles Capcom's 1989 arcade hit, Final Fight, which is an archetypal side scrolling beat-em-up game. Players choose three characters (six if three more are unlocked) from left to right through each level (most of which are split into 3 or more scenes), fighting with the enemy characters who appear, until they reach a confrontation with a stronger boss character at the end of the level. Once that boss is beaten, the players automatically move on to the next stage. Enemies appear from both sides of the screen and from out of doorways or entrances set into the background, and the players must defeat all of them to progress. If the players try to simply travel through the levels without fighting, the screen will stop scrolling until all current enemies have been defeated, before allowing the players to continue progress. Enemies may move outside the confines of the screen, but players may not.
Characters[ | ]
- Michael Sobut (マイケル・ソバット) (known in the English versions as Clash) - The protagonist of the game. He resembles Elvis Presley and some bōsōzoku members.
- Erupurancha (エルプランチャ) (known in the English versions as Dice) - A luchador.
- Jack Brow (ジャックブロー) (known in the English versions as Devo)
Unlockables[ | ]
- Kyaputeso (キャプテソ) - An American football player.
- Mr. Hayate - A ninja.
- Okina
External links[ | ]
- Knuckle Bash at GameFAQs
- Knuckle Bash at Museum of the Game
- Knuckle Bash at arcade-history