Fighting Masters (Japan)
About Fighting Masters (Japan)
Fighting Masters is a 1991 fighting game that landed on the SEGA Genesis exclusively in Japan. It was cooked up by Aicom and ALU, with Treco handling the publishing duties. The same creative team behind this would later go on to work on E.V.O.: Search for Eden, which gives it a little bit of retro pedigree even if this title never reached the same heights. It's a straight-up one-on-one fighter, not a platformer or brawler, despite the post-apocalyptic setting that some might assume from the cover art.
You pick a hero and step into a world gone bad, facing a roster of opponents in standard best-of-three rounds. The goal is to whittle down the other fighter's health bar using punches, kicks, and special moves, eventually getting to the big bad known as Lord Valgasu. The controls are fairly typical for early 90s fighters - there's a punch button, a kick button, and some combination inputs for stronger attacks. The fights move at a decent clip, and the characters have distinct abilities, though the mechanics don't break much new ground for the genre.
Today, Fighting Masters is mostly a curiosity for hardcore Genesis collectors or fans of obscure Japanese releases. It didn't set the world on fire when it came out, and the mixed reviews reflected that it was decent but not essential. Still, if you enjoy digging into early fighting games and seeing how developers experimented with the formula before Street Fighter II truly defined it, this one has a certain scrappy charm. The apocalyptic aesthetic and the involvement of the E.V.O. team add a little extra reason to check it out, but it's definitely a niche title rather than a hidden masterpiece.
How to Play Fighting Masters (Japan) Online
Getting started in Fighting Masters is straightforward. After the title screen, you'll see a menu - since this is the Japanese release, all text is in Japanese. The main options are likely one-player versus CPU and two-player versus a friend. Use the D-Pad to navigate and press X (A button) to confirm. If you're playing alone, select the first entry to jump straight into character select.
The core loop is series of one-on-one fights. Pick your fighter from a small roster; each has unique strengths and special moves. The fight begins with you and your opponent facing off across the screen. Use punches, kicks, and blocks to wear down their health bar. You can also use the jump button to evade or set up aerial attacks. The match ends when one fighter's health drops to zero; win two rounds to advance to the next opponent.
A few tips: learn your character's special move inputs (these are not documented in-game, so you'll need to experiment or look up a guide). Blocking is essential - hold the D-Pad away from the opponent while standing. If you ever want to pause, press Enter; Start also works on the menu. Since the menus are entirely in Japanese, commit to memory the order of options (likely single player first, then versus, then options). Be patient - Fighting Masters is not as polished as later fighters, but the basics are solid.
Fighting Masters (Japan) Keyboard Controls
Controls
- Arrow Keys: D-Pad / Movement
- X: A button
- S: B button
- Z: C button
- A: X button (6-button pad)
- Q: Y button (6-button pad)
- E: Z button (6-button pad)
- Enter: Start / Mode
Comments (0)