An important part of fighting game history just became playable outside of Japan for the first time 

Namco (now Bandai Namco) is well-known for Tekken, one of the series that helped define the 3D fighting game genre in the 1990s. However, before that, Namco released a little-known Japan-exclusive 2D arcade beat’em-up called Knuckle Heads. This important part of fighting game history is now available outside Japan for the first time, on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.   

Debuting in 1993 when Street Fighter II was taking arcades by storm, Knuckle Heads appears to be a carbon copy of the game at first glance. Although the style of the 2D graphics and sound effects are very reminiscent of Street Fighter II, the 2 vs 2 battle royale set-up gives Knuckleheads a different vibe and means that players must adopt alternative strategies to win fights. Like Street Fighter II, Knuckle Heads also features a number of vivid stages set in various countries including Greece, Hong Kong and Brazil. The motley cast of weapon-wielding characters from around the globe call to mind Namco’s later Soul series of fighting games (Soul Blade and Soulcalibur). 

The multi-language rerelease of Knuckle Heads is available on PS4 and Switch in Japan, Europe and North America regions courtesy of Hamster Corporation’s Arcade Archives, a project that rereleases classic and forgotten arcade games on modern consoles. With its 2 on 2 fights, up to 4 players can enjoy battling it out in Knuckleheads simultaneously (you can also play 1 on 1). Although the rerelease is based on the Japanese ROM, the menu and manual are available in 5 other languages (English, French, German, Italian and Spanish). 

Knuckle Heads is out on PS4 and Nintendo Switch from August 15, 2024.