The Golden Age of Arcade

Chapter 4: The Social Phenomenon

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Streets of Cooperation

When Two Players Became Brothers

THE ESSENTIAL TRUTH

In 1987, Double Dragon asked a simple question: What if two players could fight together instead of against each other? That single innovation would transform arcades from places of individual achievement into centers of shared triumph, creating a social revolution that redefined what it meant to play games.

THE BIRTH OF BROTHERHOOD

August 1987. When Technos Japan released Double Dragon in Japanese arcades, director Yoshihisa Kishimoto was creating more than just another beat-em-up. Conceived around July 20, 1986 - the 13th anniversary of Bruce Lee's death - Double Dragon was the world's first cooperative fighting game and completely revolutionized its genre.

TECHNICAL AMBITION AND HEARTBREAK

Double Dragon represented unprecedented technical ambition for its time. The game featured twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, martial arts masters who must defeat the savage street gang known as the 'Black Warriors' to rescue Billy's kidnapped girlfriend, Marian. But ambition came with a price: Double Dragon's hugely innovative gameplay and superb graphics proved to be too ambitious for the host Technos hardware and the game was plagued with the now notorious 'slowdown', that occurred whenever a large number of fighters appeared on-screen.

The development team understood they were pushing boundaries. Director Yoshihisa Kishimoto got the idea of picking up an enemy's weapon from his previous game, "Renegade" ("Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun" in Japan). During the first stage of Renegade, he noticed that the armed enemy characters were not holding their weapons when they were on the ground. This simple observation led to one of Double Dragon's most copied features and established the template for interactive environmental combat.

THE REVOLUTIONARY PARTNERSHIP

Double Dragon may not have been the world's first side-scrolling beat-em-up to feature depth-movement (that accolade belongs to its predecessor, "Renegade", released in 1986) but it is the world's first CO-OPERATIVE fighting game and as such completely revolutionized its genre. The varied, multi-colored sprites and hugely detailed backdrops married to instinctive, one or two-player gameplay was something that had never really been seen in fighting games before.

The game's cooperative mechanics weren't just technical innovations - they were social engineering. Players could work together throughout the entire adventure, but the game's most discussed feature was its ending: if two players reached the final battle together, they would be forced to fight each other for Marian's affections. This created a narrative tension that was unprecedented in arcade gaming - brotherhood tested by desire, cooperation threatened by competition.

COMMERCIAL DOMINATION

Double Dragon became Japan's third highest-grossing table arcade game of 1987 before becoming America's highest-grossing dedicated arcade game for two years in a row, in 1988 and 1989. The game's massive success was reflected in bold marketing for home versions: "You'll never have to stand in line to play Double Dragon again!" In the United States, Taito America had sold over 10,000 dedicated arcade cabinets by 1988, where it was purchased by over 80% of arcade operators.

CULTURAL REVOLUTION

Double Dragon ushered in a "Golden Age" for the beat 'em up genre that took it to new heights with its detailed set of martial arts attacks and its two-player cooperative gameplay. Double Dragon's success resulted in a flood of beat 'em ups in the late 1980s. The game established conventions that would define the genre for decades: Subsequent beat 'em ups during the late 1980s to 1990s followed the conventions set by Double Dragon.

TECHNICAL INNOVATION THROUGH NECESSITY

The fictional martial arts practiced by the Lee brothers, called Sousetsuken or 'Twin Interception Fist', was described as a combination of Shaolin Temple Kung Fu, Karate and Tai Chi Chuan. But the real innovation was in how the game handled two-player interaction. Unlike competitive fighting games where players faced each other, Double Dragon required complex programming to manage cooperative positioning, shared resources, and coordinated attacks while preventing players from interfering with each other's actions.

THE MAYOR'S REVOLUTION

1989. Capcom was watching closely. When Double Dragon proved that cooperative combat could dominate arcades, producer Yoshiki Okamoto envisioned something bigger, bolder, and more spectacular. When coming up with the game's concept, Okamoto cited the arcade game Double Dragon II: The Revenge (1988) as his basis for Final Fight.

FROM STREET FIGHTER TO STREET CLEANING

The game began development as a sequel to the original Street Fighter released in 1987, but the genre was switched from a fighting game to a beat 'em up and the title was changed following the success of Double Dragon. Originally planned as "Street Fighter '89," the concept was completely reimagined after test audiences pointed out the two games had virtually nothing in common. This creative pivot would prove to be one of gaming's most fortuitous decisions.

THREE HEROES, THREE PHILOSOPHIES

Final Fight's character design reflected careful consideration of different player types and combat philosophies. Before the game begins, the player chooses between the three main characters, Guy, Cody, and Haggar, each with his own fighting style and attributes. Guy is the weakest but has faster attacks, Haggar is the strongest but also the slowest, and Cody has all-round attributes.

The character inspiration drew from unexpected sources. Haggar is influenced by the lead of Les Misérables, Jean Valjean. In the latter half of the story, Jean Valjean becomes the mayor of the city. Additional inspiration came from the manga "Mad Bull 34," creating gaming's first and only mustachioed ex-pro-wrestler turned mayor. This unique character background reflected Capcom's commitment to creating personalities that transcended simple gameplay functions.

TECHNICAL MASTERY ON CPS-1

Final Fight was the seventh title released for the CP System hardware and the first game in the Final Fight series. The game pushed Capcom's new CPS-1 system to showcase what dedicated arcade hardware could achieve. Each character featured unique animations, environmental destruction effects, and special moves that demonstrated the system's sprite manipulation capabilities.

The game's controls consisted of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping. But the simplicity was deceptive - players could perform complex combo attacks, environmental interactions, and cooperative maneuvers that required precise timing and positioning. Pressing both buttons simultaneously performs a special move that attacks in both directions, though it uses a little vitality.

UNPRECEDENTED SUCCESS

Final Fight became a major commercial success in arcades, selling 30,000 arcade units worldwide while becoming the highest-grossing arcade game of 1990 in Japan and the year's highest-grossing arcade conversion kit in the United States. The critical acclaim was equally impressive: In the February 1991 issue of the Japanese coin-operated video game magazine Gamest, Final Fight took the No. 1 spot as the Best Game of 1990 in the 4th Annual Grand Prize.

The game won multiple categories in Gamest's awards, establishing it as a technical and artistic achievement that set new standards for the beat-em-up genre.

THE TURTLE POWER PHENOMENON

1989. While Capcom perfected three-player cooperation, Konami was preparing to revolutionize four-player gaming with a license that would prove unstoppable: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

PERFECT TIMING AND PERFECT EXECUTION

Konami acquired the license for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise around the same time the animated series began airing in 1987. Konami began development on both an arcade game and console game shortly after. The timing was impeccable - the game launched during the absolute peak of TMNT mania, with the animated series dominating children's television and toy stores across America.

TECHNICAL INNOVATION FOR FOUR

The game uses Konami's 2.5 dimension perspective. Any number of players can join the game at any time. This drop-in, drop-out capability was revolutionary for its time. Unlike games that required all players to start simultaneously, TMNT allowed friends to join ongoing battles, creating organic social moments where passersby could instantly become part of the action.

Each turtle offered distinct gameplay characteristics: Donatello has slower attacks but a longer range, Michelangelo and Raphael have fast attacks but a short range, and Leonardo is a well-rounded Turtle with average range and speed. These differences weren't just cosmetic - they required genuine strategic thinking about team composition and battlefield positioning.

COMMERCIAL TSUNAMI

The arcade game was a blockbuster hit, especially in North America, becoming Konami's highest-grossing arcade game. Konami was unable to keep up with high demand, so they outsourced additional US manufacturing production to Dynamo Corp. The success was so overwhelming that it changed Konami's manufacturing approach entirely.

By early April 1990, Konami had sold over 20,000 arcade cabinets internationally outside of Japan, including over 14,000 cabinets sold in the United States, where it became the biggest arcade hit since Double Dragon (1987). By early May 1990, the game had sold 25,000 arcade cabinets in America and Europe, with more units still in production to meet continued demand at the time.

GLOBAL DOMINATION

The game's success wasn't limited to North America. The game was also a major hit in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom, where it was one of the top four highest-grossing arcade games during early 1990 (along with Tecmo World Cup '90, Super Masters, and Line of Fire). On Hong Kong's Bondeal charts, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was the top-grossing dedicated arcade game from December 1989 to January 1990.

THE YELLOW REVOLUTION

1991. Konami had mastered four-player cooperative combat with TMNT. Now they faced a different challenge: taking America's most beloved animated family and turning them into arcade heroes.

DEVELOPMENT WITH HEART

The game began development in February 1990 and underwent location testing in the Chicago, Illinois area (where the Konami's U.S. subsidiary was located) in December of the same year, a few months before its full release. This extended development and testing period showed Konami's commitment to capturing the essence of The Simpsons franchise.

The attention to detail was unprecedented. The game also features voice acting from the television show's voice actors: Dan Castellaneta, Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright and Yeardley Smith reprising their respective roles as the Simpsons family. This was remarkable for 1991 arcade technology and demonstrated the premium production values Konami brought to licensed properties.

FAMILY FIGHTING STYLES

The characters have distinctive attack styles; Homer punches and kicks, Marge swings a vacuum cleaner, Bart wields a skateboard, and Lisa attacks with a jump rope. But the real innovation was in family cooperation: Two characters standing close to each other can mount a combined attack: Homer and Marge holding each other's ankles to roll around the screen and mow down enemies, Homer placing either kid on his shoulders so they can strike at two different heights, and Marge throwing either kid.

These weren't just gameplay mechanics - they were interactive representations of family dynamics, turning domestic relationships into combat advantages.

CABINET ENGINEERING

Two different cabinet models were produced: one allowing up to two simultaneous players, each able to choose a character, and another allowing four players with a dedicated position for each character. The four-player cabinet measured left to right (widest point at the control panel) 36.875" and front to back 34.125". Like other Konami four-player games, the control panel could be easily removed by taking out 2 large screws, and disconnecting each player's harness at the molex plugs, allowing the cabinet to fit through standard doorways.

COMMERCIAL AND CRITICAL SUCCESS

In the United States, thousands of arcade cabinets were ordered upon its debut at the American Coin Machine Exposition (ACME) in March 1991. The Simpsons went on to win a Platinum award from the American Amusement Machine Association (AAMA) for sales achievement in 1991, making it one of the top three best-selling arcade video game machines of 1991.

THE SIX-HERO EXPERIMENT

1992. Konami looked at the success of two, three, and four-player cooperation and asked the ultimate question: What if we could get the whole superhero team together? The answer was X-Men, featuring an unprecedented six-player cooperative cabinet that pushed both technology and social gaming to their absolute limits.

ENGINEERING THE IMPOSSIBLE

The six-player version of the game utilizes two screens housed in a deluxe cabinet. This wasn't just a larger monitor - it was a complete reimagining of arcade cabinet design. X-Men is the only arcade game I know of that actually used two full CRT monitors to provide a nice wide-screen effect... the widescreen allowed six heroes to battle wave after wave of baddies without the screen being too crowded.

The cabinet was a monument to excess and engineering ambition. Collectors have described it as "the Grandaddy, Monument, or Big Sexy since it is over six feet tall and one of the largest arcade machines of its time." The sheer physical presence was part of the experience - this wasn't just a game, it was a destination.

CHARACTER BALANCE FOR SIX

Players can chose from 6 X-Men characters: Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, and Dazzler. The character selection was based on the 1989 pilot "X-Men: Pryde of the X-Men," explaining some choices that might seem unusual to modern X-Men fans. Each character featured unique "Mutant Powers" - special attacks that could clear the screen of enemies but came with a strategic cost: Using mutant powers to fight the baddies that populate the streets can be extremely effective, however the use of these powers comes at a high cost to players—three health points per use.

THE CABINET CONFIGURATION CHALLENGE

There are three versions of the arcade machine. There's a small version that supports up to two players, a larger version that supports up to four, and a even larger version that supports up to six players and has a double wide screen setup. The first two machines allow to player to select what X-Men member they play as, while the latter has an individual control set and coin slot for each character.

This design decision was crucial - in the six-player version, each position was dedicated to a specific character, creating a natural role-playing element where players had to commit to their hero choice and learn their unique abilities.

COMMERCIAL DOMINANCE

In the United States, X-Men was the top-grossing deluxe arcade cabinet on the RePlay charts for six months in 1992, from May through October. It was one of the top five highest-grossing dedicated arcade games of 1992 in the United States. The technological achievement was recognized by the industry: the Amusement & Music Operators Association (AMOA) nominated it for the "most innovative new technology" award.

THE KONAMI FORMULA PERFECTED

By 1992, Konami had developed a formula for licensed cooperative beat-em-ups that seemed almost unfair to competitors. They understood that successful cooperation required several key elements:

Character Differentiation: Each character needed distinct abilities that encouraged different play styles while maintaining balance.

Drop-in Accessibility: Games needed to welcome new players at any time, creating organic social moments.

Audio-Visual Spectacle: Licensed properties demanded authentic voice acting, music, and visual references that rewarded fan knowledge.

Cooperative Mechanics: Special moves and interactions that rewarded teamwork while maintaining individual agency.

Progressive Difficulty: Challenge scaling that accommodated different skill levels within the same group.

THE SOCIAL REVOLUTION

These cooperative games didn't just change gameplay mechanics - they fundamentally altered arcade culture. Where once arcades were dominated by solitary high-score pursuits, they became social spaces where strangers became teammates and friends pooled resources for shared goals.

NEW ECONOMIC MODELS

The success of cooperative games created new revenue opportunities for arcade operators. Instead of one quarter per play, machines could accept multiple quarters simultaneously. But more importantly, they created sustained play sessions that kept groups engaged for extended periods, often requiring operators to empty coin boxes multiple times per day.

COMMUNITY FORMATION

Cooperative arcade games fostered entirely new types of arcade communities. Experienced players became teachers, sharing advanced techniques and strategies. Groups would plan elaborate strategies for tackling difficult boss battles. The quarter evolved from individual admission to membership in temporary teams that might last for hours.

TECHNICAL LEGACY

The programming innovations required for these cooperative experiences influenced arcade development for years to come. Developers had to solve complex problems:

• Managing multiple character states simultaneously
• Coordinating special attacks between players
• Preventing griefing while maintaining friendly fire
• Balancing difficulty for varying group sizes
• Creating visual clarity with multiple characters on screen
• Implementing fair resource distribution systems

THE KONAMI GOLDEN AGE

As of 1993, the first eleven TMNT video games sold 18 million units worldwide, earning nearly $450 million in sales revenue. This success across both arcade and home markets demonstrated that cooperative gameplay innovations could drive entire franchises.

Konami's success with licensed properties wasn't accidental - it was the result of understanding that cooperation amplified the emotional investment players had in beloved characters. When you and your friends became the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or The Simpsons family, you weren't just playing a game - you were living a fantasy that connected childhood dreams with cutting-edge technology.

THE LASTING REVOLUTION

Years later, original series creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto lamented the inconsistency in design and quality of the various versions and spin-offs of Double Dragon in games and other media. But his original vision - two players fighting together instead of against each other - had created a revolution that extended far beyond any single game or franchise.

By 1992, arcade floors had been transformed. Where Pac-Man had created the first gaming personalities and Street Fighter II had perfected competition, cooperative beat-em-ups had created communities. Players weren't just dropping quarters anymore - they were investing in shared experiences, pooling resources, and celebrating collective victories.

The quarter had evolved from individual admission to group membership. From Double Dragon's pioneering two-player brotherhood to X-Men's six-hero spectacle, cooperative arcade games proved that sometimes the most powerful innovation isn't better graphics or faster processors - it's simply letting friends fight together instead of apart.

The revolution that began with Billy and Jimmy Lee fighting side by side had created an entirely new social contract for gaming, one that would influence multiplayer design for decades to come. In arcades across the world, strangers became teammates, veterans became mentors, and gaming became a fundamentally collaborative art form.