Pit Fighter
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''Pit-Fighter'' is a 1990
arcade Arcade most often refers to: * Arcade game, a coin-operated game machine ** Arcade cabinet, housing which holds an arcade game's hardware ** Arcade system board, a standardized printed circuit board * Amusement arcade, a place with arcade games * ...
fighting game A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a video game genre, genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as Blocking (martial arts), blocking, grappli ...
by
Atari Games Atari Games Corporation, known as Midway Games West Inc. after 1999, was an American producer of Arcade game, arcade Video game, games. It was formed in 1985 when the coin-operated Arcade game, arcade game division of Atari, Inc. was transfered ...
which uses digitized live actors. It was Atari's first fighting game. The Japanese arcade release was published by
Konami , is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational video game company, video game and entertainment company headquartered in Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, it also produces and distributes trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, pachinko machin ...
. Home versions were published by Tengen. The graphical animations for the player character and opponents were created through a bluescreen process, where the various poses and moves were performed by real actors in front of a video camera. The game's on-screen character animation is replays of the actual footage, not a
rotoscoped Rotoscoping is an animation technique that animators use to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce realistic action. Originally, animators projected photographed live-action movie images onto a glass panel and traced ov ...
(redrawn) animation. ''Pit-Fighter'' is the second fighting game to use
digitized DigitizationTech Target. (2011, April). Definition: digitization. ''WhatIs.com''. Retrieved December 15, 2021, from https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/digitization is the process of converting information into a digital (i.e. computer- ...
sprites, after Home Data's ''Reikai Dōshi: Chinese Exorcist''.


Gameplay

The gameplay is similar to
Taito is a Japanese company that specializes in video games, toys, arcade cabinets and game centers, based in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The company was founded by Michael Kogan in 1953 as the importing vodka, vending machines and jukeboxes into Japan. It b ...
's '' Violence Fight'' and
SNK is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. It is the successor to the company Shin Nihon Kikaku and presently owns the SNK video game brand and the Neo Geo video game platform. SNK's predecessor Shin Nihon Kikaku was founded in 1978 ...
's '' Street Smart''. The player must punch and kick their opponents until their energy runs out. If the player presses all three of the buttons at once, the character will perform a "super move". The player begins by choosing one of the three playable characters, who each have different moves, speeds, and powers. Up to three people can play at a time, but there will be extra opponents to fight during any of the game's 15 different matches. Every third fight is a
bonus round A game show is a genre of broadcast viewing entertainment (radio, television, internet, stage or other) where contestants compete for a reward. These programs can either be participatory or demonstrative and are typically directed by a host, ...
known as a Grudge Match. In a Grudge Match, the player must fight against a CPU controlled clone of the fighter if playing alone, or against the other players in a multiplayer game. Getting knocked down three times eliminates a player from the Grudge Match; the winner is the last one standing. Losing the Grudge Match does not eliminate a player, but the winner gets bonus money. The final battle, the "Championship Match", is between the player and the mysterious entity that taunts between matches periodically, the Masked Warrior. If more than one person is playing the game before this match, they must fight each other to the death until only one becomes victorious and can fight him. The crowd can interfere by attacking, dropping usable weapons, or pushing a stray player back into the fight. The "power pill"
power-up In video games, a power-up is an object that adds temporary benefits or extra abilities to the player character as a game mechanic. This is in contrast to an item, which may or may not have a permanent benefit that can be used at any time chosen ...
makes the player temporarily stronger and take less damage from hits.


Characters

''Pit-Fighter'' features 3 playable fighters: * Buzz (Bill Chase): A big and strong ex-
professional wrestler Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
. * Ty (Marc Williams): An agile
kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...
champion. * Kato (Glenn Fratticelli): A quick 3rd degree black belt. ''Pit-Fighter'' has 8 unplayable opponents. Several of the characters share the names of the actors who played them: * Executioner (John Aguire) * Southside Jim (James Thompson) * Angel (Angela Stellato) * C.C. Rider (Rich Vargas) * Mad Miles (Miles McGowan) * Heavy Metal (Kim Rhodes) * Chainman Eddie (Eddie Venancio) * Masked Warrior (Bill McAleenan) Others: * Knife Woman (Dianne Bertucci) * Knife Man (Milt Loper) * Finale Woman (Tina Scyrater) * Finale Woman (Maria Lenytzkyj) * Big Kid In The Crowd (Gabriel Koura) * Crowd (Rob Rowe)


Releases

In 1991, versions of the game were released for the
Super NES The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in E ...
,
Mega Drive/Genesis The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Syst ...
,
Sega Master System The is an 8-bit third-generation home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series of consoles, which was released in Japan in 1985 and ...
,
Amiga Amiga is a family of personal computers introduced by Commodore in 1985. The original model is one of a number of mid-1980s computers with 16- or 32-bit processors, 256 KB or more of RAM, mouse-based GUIs, and significantly improved graphi ...
,
Amstrad CPC The Amstrad CPC (short for ''Colour Personal Computer'') is a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad between 1984 and 1990. It was designed to compete in the mid-1980s home computer market dominated by the Commodore 64 and the Sin ...
,
Atari ST The Atari ST is a line of personal computers from Atari Corporation and the successor to the Atari 8-bit family. The initial model, the Atari 520ST, had limited release in April–June 1985 and was widely available in July. It was the first pers ...
,
Commodore 64 The Commodore 64, also known as the C64, is an 8-bit home computer introduced in January 1982 by Commodore International (first shown at the Consumer Electronics Show, January 7–10, 1982, in Las Vegas). It has been listed in the Guinness ...
,
MS-DOS MS-DOS ( ; acronym for Microsoft Disk Operating System, also known as Microsoft DOS) is an operating system for x86-based personal computers mostly developed by Microsoft. Collectively, MS-DOS, its rebranding as IBM PC DOS, and a few ope ...
, and
ZX Spectrum The ZX Spectrum () is an 8-bit computing, 8-bit home computer that was developed by Sinclair Research. It was released in the United Kingdom on 23 April 1982, and became Britain's best-selling microcomputer. Referred to during development as t ...
. In February 1993, the Spectrum version was released as part of the ''Super Fighter'' compilation with ''
Final Fight ''Final Fight'' is a series of beat 'em up video games by Capcom, which began with the arcade release of ''Final Fight'' in 1989. Set in the fictional Metro City, the games focus on a group of heroic vigilantes who fights against the control and ...
'' and '' WWF WrestleMania''. The Super NES version lacks the interactive audience, weapons, and three characters: Southside Jim, Heavy Metal, and Mad Miles.
Handheld A mobile device (or handheld computer) is a computer small enough to hold and operate in the hand. Mobile devices typically have a flat LCD or OLED screen, a touchscreen interface, and digital or physical buttons. They may also have a physical ...
versions were released for the
Atari Lynx The Atari Lynx is a hybrid 8/16-bit fourth generation handheld game console released by Atari Corporation in September 1989 in North America and 1990 in Europe and Japan. It was the first handheld game console with a color liquid-crystal disp ...
and the
Game Boy The is an 8-bit fourth generation handheld game console developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on April 21, 1989, in North America later the same year, and in Europe in late 1990. It was designed by the same ...
in 1992.
Tiger Electronics Tiger Electronics Ltd. (also known as Tiger and Tiger Toys) was an independent American toy manufacturer best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, the Talkboy, Giga Pets, the 2-XL robot, and audio games such as ''Brain Warp'' and the Br ...
released its own dedicated handheld version. An
emulated In computing, an emulator is Computer hardware, hardware or software that enables one computer system (called the ''host'') to behave like another computer system (called the ''guest''). An emulator typically enables the host system to run so ...
version of the arcade game is in the 2004's
Midway Arcade Treasures 2 ''Midway Arcade Treasures 2'' is the second collection of classic arcade games published by Midway Games for the PlayStation 2, Xbox (not compatible with Xbox 360), and GameCube. This compilation includes 20 games that were not in the 2003 re ...
for
GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
,
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
, and
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
, and in ''
Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition ''Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition'' is an arcade compilation released exclusively for Microsoft Windows on February 15, 2006 in North America, and on March 17, 2006 in PAL regions. It is a compilation of ''Midway Arcade Treasures 2'' and ' ...
'' (2006) for
Microsoft Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
. This version runs at a faster speed than the arcade original. ''Pit-Fighter'' is in the 2012 compilation ''
Midway Arcade Origins ''Midway Arcade Origins'' is an arcade compilation released on November 6, 2012, in North America and in Australia. It is the successor to the ''Midway Arcade Treasures'' series, and includes a selection of games that were included in those compila ...
''.


Reception

Atari sold 6,500 arcade units worldwide, including 5,500 units in North America and 1,000 in Europe. In North America, it was the top-grossing upright arcade cabinet on the ''RePlay'' arcade charts in October 1990, and weekly coin drop earnings averaged $413.75 per arcade unit during November to December 1990. In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Pit-Fighter'' in its January 1, 1991 issue as the seventh most successful table arcade unit of the month. Julian Rignall of ''
Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') was a UK-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot website ...
'' rated the arcade version 90%, calling it a "thoroughly enjoyable beat 'em up which really packs a punch" and "one of the most enjoyable arcade fighting games in a long time". ''
Zzap!64 ''Zzap!64'' was a computer games magazine covering games on the Commodore International series of computers, especially the Commodore 64 (C64). It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by Europress Impact. The magazine ...
'' gave the game a more negative review, dubbing it an "anticlimactic beat'em up" and writing that the
attract mode This list includes terms used in video games and the video game industry, as well as slang used by players. 0–9 A ...
was the best part of the game. They criticized the limited frames of animation and compared it unfavorably to ''
The Combatribes is a 1990 beat 'em-up game released for the arcades by Technos Japan Corp (the developers of ''Renegade'' and ''Double Dragon''). A home version for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was also released in 1992. The game centers on thre ...
'' and ''
Final Fight ''Final Fight'' is a series of beat 'em up video games by Capcom, which began with the arcade release of ''Final Fight'' in 1989. Set in the fictional Metro City, the games focus on a group of heroic vigilantes who fights against the control and ...
''. David Wilson of ''
Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American computer game magazine published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 1993. It expanded greatly through ...
'' approved of the Amiga version, stating that it "''is'' the arcade game teleported", and concluded that the game "offers the two-player option missing in many fighter games and enough roughhousing to suit the most violent gamer". George and Rob reviewed the Super NES version in ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninten ...
''. George commented that game was "extremely difficult to control" and that Rob commented on the graphics using digitized people, stating "it doesn't matter if it uses new technology or not. The question is "is the game fun?" and I think the answer in this case is "no"." ''MegaTech'' magazine said the graphics were "badly defined with rough animation". ''
Mega Mega or MEGA may refer to: Science * mega-, a metric prefix denoting 106 * Mega (number), a certain very large integer in Steinhaus–Moser notation * "mega-" a prefix meaning "large" that is used in taxonomy * Gravity assist, for ''Moon-Eart ...
'' placed the Mega Drive version at #27 in its Top Mega Drive Games of All Time.''
Mega Mega or MEGA may refer to: Science * mega-, a metric prefix denoting 106 * Mega (number), a certain very large integer in Steinhaus–Moser notation * "mega-" a prefix meaning "large" that is used in taxonomy * Gravity assist, for ''Moon-Eart ...
'' magazine issue 1, page 76,
Future Publishing Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...
, Oct 1992


Legacy

Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The m ...
and
GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally la ...
had previews of a planned sequel, which the former magazine claimed was more than 75% finished and would be released for Sega Genesis in the fourth quarter of 1993. Kato, Buzz, and Ty were returning along with three new selectable fighters: Connor (Karate Champion), Tanya (Roller Queen), and Chief (Ex-bodyguard). Those are also three of the playable characters ultimately featured in Atari's subsequent game, '' Guardians of the 'Hood''. Pictures show two CPU fighters, Helga (level 1) and Jay-Jay (level 2).


References


External links

* * {{Authority control 1990 video games Amiga games Amstrad CPC games Arcade video games Atari arcade games Atari Lynx games Atari ST games Cancelled Atari 7800 games Commodore 64 games Domark games DOS games Fighting games Game Boy games Master System games Sega Genesis games Super Nintendo Entertainment System games Tengen (company) games Teque London games Tiger Electronics handheld games Video games scored by Barry Leitch Video games developed in the United States Video games with digitized sprites ZX Spectrum games