Martial Champion

Getting Started

When you boot up Martial Champion on the PC Engine CD, you'll be greeted by a Japanese title screen. Use the D-Pad and confirm with the A button (X key) to navigate the menu. Select either 1 Player mode to fight through a series of opponents or Versus mode to battle a friend. The character select screen shows a roster of fighters, each with distinct looks and move sets - pick one that suits your style.

The core loop is straightforward: you face an opponent in a best-of-three-rounds match. Each round lasts 99 seconds, and the first to win two rounds advances. You move left and right with the D-Pad, jump with the A button, and use the B button for your main attack. Experiment with combinations of directional inputs and attack buttons to discover special moves - Konami included a few signature techniques for each character. Block low or high by holding away from the opponent while crouching or standing.

Because this is a Japanese release, all menus are in Japanese. The main options are usually "1P Game" and "2P Versus", so you can play without reading the language. The difficulty is moderate, with CPU opponents reading your inputs a bit - don't get frustrated; learning patterns is key. If you're new to the genre, start with the character who feels most responsive and practice your timing.