Following the release last week of Konami's 1985 mech-based fighting game Galactic Warriors, Hamster is back with yet another action-packed title pulled straight from the arcades: Video System's 1991 beat-'em-up Karate Blazers (known as Toushin Blazers in Japan).
Designed for up to 4 players, the early '90s beat-'em-up sees players pick one of 4 characters (Mark, Glen, Akira, and Gil) as they embark on a mission to avenge their murdered master, save a kidnapped girl, and recover a set of stolen scrolls.
Either alone or in a group with friends, players will need to battle across five reasonably distinct stages, including busy docks, urban streets, industrial factories, ruins, and temples. Here they will encounter everything from your run-of-the-mill video game bad guys to T-800-esque robots and katana-wielding Blade lookalikes, which will put their martial arts skills to the test.
Given the period in which it was made, the game ultimately feels like a mish-mash of other, more popular beat 'em ups from the late '80s and early '90s, both in its presentation and moveset. However, unlike other games like Final Fight, Streets of Rage, and Vendetta, there are no weapons here to pick up, with players instead being able to collect scrolls from the ground that allow each fighter to perform their own special moves.
Here's the official description, taken from the Arcade Archives' website:
KARATE BLAZERS is an action game released by VIDEO SYSTEM in 1991.
Choose one of 4 martial arts masters, each with his own distinct killing blow. Or play together locally with up to 4 players.
Feel the excitement of real fighting as you fight to recover the secret scrolls and save the daughter of your slain master.
The game will be released on Nintendo Switch and PS4 tomorrow (November 27th), and will cost $7.99.
As with most Arcade Archives releases, it will also come equipped with online rankings to compare your scores with other players, as well as CRT filters and the ability to tweak the game's difficulty.