Pit-Fighter

Pit-Fighter is a fighting game developed by Atari Games and released as an arcade video game in 1990.[1][2] It was Atari's first fighting game. The Japanese release was published by Konami.[3] Home versions were published by Tengen.

This article is about the video game. For the 2005 motion picture, see Pit Fighter (film).
Pit-Fighter
Developer(s)Atari Games
Publisher(s)Arcade
Home
Designer(s)Gary Stark
Mark Stephen Pierce
Programmer(s)Gary Stark
Paul Kwinn
Artist(s)Rob Rowe
Composer(s)John Paul (Arcade)
Earl Vickers (Genesis)
Nick Eastridge (SNES)
Platform(s)Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Game Boy, Lynx, Master System, Genesis, SNES, ZX Spectrum
Release
  • NA: August 1990
Genre(s)Fighting
Mode(s)1-3 players simultaneously
Arcade systemAtari G1 Hardware

The game uses uses digitized live actors captured through a bluescreen process, where the various poses and moves were performed by actors[4] in front of a video camera. The game's on-screen character animation is replays of the actual footage, not a rotoscoped (redrawn) animation. Pit-Fighter is the second fighting game to use digitized sprites, after Home Data's Reikai Dōshi: Chinese Exorcist.

Gameplay

The gameplay is similar to Taito's Violence Fight and SNK'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 known as a "Grudge Match".[5] 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 makes the player temporarily stronger and take less damage from hits.

Characters

Pit-Fighter features 3 playable fighters:

Pit-Fighter has 8 unplayable opponents. Several of the characters share the names of the actors who played them:[4]

  • Executioner (John Aguire[9])
  • Southside Jim (James Thompson[10])
  • Angel (Angela Stellato[11])
  • C.C. Rider (Rich Vargas[12])
  • Mad Miles (Miles McGowan[13])
  • Heavy Metal (Kim Rhodes[14])
  • Chainman Eddie (Eddie Venancio[15])
  • Masked Warrior (Bill McAleenan[16])

Others:

  • Knife Woman (Dianne Bertucci[17])
  • Knife Man (Milt Loper[18])
  • Finale Woman (Tina Scyrater[19])
  • Finale Woman (Maria Lenytzkyj[20])
  • Big Kid In The Crowd (Gabriel Koura[21])
  • Crowd (Rob Rowe[22])

Releases

In 1991, versions of the game were released for the Super NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Master System, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, and ZX Spectrum.[23] In February 1993, the Spectrum version was released as part of the Super Fighter compilation with Final Fight and WWF WrestleMania.[24] The Super NES version lacks the interactive audience, weapons, and three characters: Southside Jim, Heavy Metal, and Mad Miles.

Handheld versions were released for the Atari Lynx and the Game Boy in 1992. Tiger Electronics released its own dedicated handheld version.[25][26]

An emulated version of the arcade game is in the 2004's Midway Arcade Treasures 2 for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, and in Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition (2006) for Microsoft Windows. This version runs at a faster speed than the arcade original. Pit-Fighter is in the 2012 compilation Midway Arcade Origins.[27]

Reception

Atari sold 5,500 arcade units in the U.S. and 1,000 in Ireland.[1] In North America, it was the top-grossing upright arcade cabinet on the RePlay arcade charts in October 1990,[30] and weekly coin drop earnings averaged $413.75 per arcade unit during November to December 1990.[31] In Japan, Game Machine listed Pit-Fighter in its January 1, 1991 issue as the seventh most successful table arcade unit of the month.[32]

Julian Rignall of Computer and Video Games 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".[28] Zzap!64 gave the game a more negative review, dubbing it an "anticlimactic beat'em up" and writing that the attract mode was the best part of the game. They criticized the limited frames of animation and compared it unfavorably to The Combatribes and Final Fight.[33]

David Wilson of Computer Gaming World 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".[34]

George and Rob reviewed the Super NES version in Nintendo Power.[35] 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"." Rob and George rated Graphics and Sound with 2.5, Control with 2, Challenge with 2 and Theme and Fun with 2.5.

MegaTech magazine gave the Mega Drive version a 80% score.[36] Mega placed the Mega Drive version at #27 in its Top Mega Drive Games of All Time.[37]

In February 1993, Your Sinclair gave the ZX Spectrum version a 28% score.[24][23]

Legacy

Electronic Gaming Monthly and GamePro had previews of a planned sequel named Pit Fighter II by Tengen, which the former magazine claimed was more than 75% finished and would be released for Sega Genesis in the fourth quarter of 1993.[38][39]

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
  1. "Production Numbers" (PDF). Atari Games. August 31, 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2021. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  2. "News Digest". RePlay. Vol. 15, no. 12. September 1990. p. 23.
  3. "ピットファイター [アーケード] / ファミ通.com". www.famitsu.com. Retrieved 2023-10-26.
  4. "Pit-Fighter (Video Game 1990)". IMDb.
  5. "Pit-Fighter". MobyGames. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  6. "Bill Chase". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  7. "Marc D. Williams". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  8. "Glenn Fratticelli". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  9. "John Aguire". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  10. "James Thompson". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  11. "Angela Stellato". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  12. "Rich Vargas". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  13. "Miles McGowan". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  14. "Kim Rhodes | Actor". IMDb. Retrieved 2023-08-24.
  15. "Eddie Venancio". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  16. "Bill McAleenan". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  17. "Dianne Bertucci". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  18. "Milt Loper". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  19. "Tina Scyrater". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  20. "Maria Lenytzkyj". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  21. "Gabriel Knight". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  22. "Rob Rowe". IMDb. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  23. Hutchinson, Andy (November 1991). "Pit Fighter". Your Sinclair. No. 71. Archived from the original on 2012-08-14.
  24. Nash, Jonathan (February 1993). "Super Fighter". Your Sinclair. No. 86. Archived from the original on 2012-08-13.
  25. "Tiger Electronics Electronic Pit Fighter Reviews, Pricing, Specs". Engadget. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  26. Morgan, Rik. "Tiger Pit Fighter". Electronic Handheld Game Museum. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  27. CLAIBORN, SAMUEL (November 13, 2012). "Midway Arcade Origins Review". IGN. Retrieved October 15, 2016.
  28. Rignall, Julian (January 1991). "Pit Fighter". Computer+Video Games. No. 110. p. 140.
  29. MegaTech rating, EMAP, issue 5, page 78, May 1992
  30. "RePlay: The Players' Choice". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 1. October 1990. p. 4.
  31. "Editorial". RePlay. Vol. 16, no. 4. January 1991. p. 6.
  32. "Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - テーブル型TVゲーム機 (Table Videos)". Game Machine (in Japanese). No. 395. Amusement Press, Inc. January 1, 1991. p. 37.
  33. Hogg, Robin (February 1991). "Pit-Fighter (Atari games)". Zzap!64. p. 51.
  34. Wilson, David (October 1992). "Domark's Punch-Drunk Coin-Op Conversion: Pit-Fighter". Computer Gaming World. No. 99. p. 66.
  35. George; Rob (January 1992). "George & Rob's Now Playing". Nintendo Power. Vol. 32. p. 102.
  36. "Pit-Fighter Review" (PDF). MegaTech. February 1992. pp. 28–30.
  37. "Top Mega Drive Games of All Time". Mega. No. 1. Future Publishing. October 1992. p. 76.
  38. Gurka, John (August 1993). "Fact-Files: Pit Fighter II". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 49. Sendai Publishing. pp. 134–135.
  39. "Short ProShots: Genesis (Pit-Fighter II)". GamePro. No. 51. IDG. October 1993. p. 148.
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