"Kishimoto's bare knuckle influence on gaming is far longer than an outstretched punch. The arcade hit Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun not only spun into two everlasting series but defined video game beatdowns as we know them."
"There was a girl and she dumped me, which pulled the trigger. He channeled the feelings into a new game, 1986's Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, a blend of Bruce Lee's ultra-popular movie Enter the Dragon and elements of his own rebellious youth."
"It wasn't the first beat-em-up, but the player's ability to maneuver around an isometric space and choose different paths added the 'scrolling' ingredient that would redefine the genre into arcade royalty."
Yoshihisa Kishimoto, a prominent game developer, has died at 64. He created Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, which influenced the beat-em-up genre and led to the development of Double Dragon. Kishimoto began his career at Data East, working on games like Road Blaster. His personal experiences, including a breakup, inspired his work. The game introduced innovative mechanics, allowing players to navigate isometric spaces. The game's localization changed its narrative, leading to the creation of two iconic series in gaming history.
Read at Kotaku
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