Released for the Master System by Sega in 1986, Black Belt is a scrolling beat ’em up in the tradition of the classic Irem arcade game, Kung-Fu Master. And it is a challenging and fun game to play.

In Japan the game was released as “Hokuto no Ken” for the Sega Mark III (a Japan-only precursor to the Master System), based on the manga/anime series, Fist of the North Star. In North America and Europe the license was dropped and Sega turned the game into a more traditional martial arts game for the Master System instead.

You play a fighter called Riki (Kenshiro in the Japanese release), who sets out to rescue his girlfriend Kyoko (Yuria in Japan) from his rival, Wang (Raoh in Japan). Riki can jump, kick, punch and duck – and combinations of those – to defeat enemies who rush at him from left and right. He has a health bar (shown at the top of the screen) and is given three lives to complete six stages in the game.

Gameplay-wise, Black Belt is responsive and requires good timings and reactions. Defeating enemies makes them explode in a rather satisfying and hilarious manner. At set points during each level Riki encounters sub-bosses who are unique and more difficult to beat than generic attackers. When Riki reaches the end of a stage he then enters a single-screen room and must fight – and beat – a boss character in a one-to-one fight. Riki’s health bar is replenished when he reaches this part of the game and the boss’s health bar is shown underneath.

Although Black Belt looks quite primitive there is something compelling about the gameplay. The responsive controls and satisfying punching definitely helps, but as the stages get harder the timing of your movements becomes more important as generic attackers start jumping at you or attacking you with swords.

The boss fights reminded me of Konami‘s Yie Ar Kung-Fu to some extent. Mostly because your opponents are all quite caricaturish. When you defeat a boss there’s a funny scene where Riki begins an automated knock-out cycle that speeds up until your opponent is finally lying on the ground.

The graphics and sound are simple and effective, but the all-important gameplay makes Black Belt a satisfying game to play. It’s not an easy game to beat, but gradually improving and getting further into the game is rewarding.

More: Black Belt on Wikipedia