Way of the Exploding Fist
One-on-one combat perfected
Melbourne House's 1985 fighting game brought martial arts to home computers with smooth animation and precise controls.
Overview
Before Street Fighter, before International Karate, there was Way of the Exploding Fist. Melbourne House’s 1985 martial arts game brought one-on-one combat to home computers with unprecedented polish. Two fighters, sixteen moves each, smooth animation, and a scoring system borrowed from real karate tournaments. It defined what fighting games could be on 8-bit hardware.
Fast facts
- Developer: Beam Software (Melbourne House).
- Publisher: Melbourne House.
- Release: 1985.
- Platforms: C64, Spectrum, Amstrad, BBC Micro.
- Designer: Gregg Barnett.
- Moves: 16 different attacks per fighter.
- Scoring: half and full points, borrowed from sport karate.
- Competition: later rivalled by System 3’s International Karate.
The gameplay
Fist established fighting game conventions:
- Joystick + fire combinations: different moves from stick positions with or without button.
- Distance matters: some moves worked close, others at range.
- Timing: attacks could be blocked, countered, punished.
- Scoring: land clean hits for points; first to two full points wins.
Technical achievement
The game impressed technically:
- Smooth animation: large, fluid sprites.
- Responsive controls: moves executed when intended.
- AI opponent: computer fighter provided genuine challenge.
- Two-player: versus mode became the real game.
The C64 version
The Commodore 64 version was definitive:
- Best graphics of any version
- Smoothest animation
- Became the standard other versions measured against
- Remained popular for years after release
Influence
Fist established templates:
- Move variety: fighting games needed diverse options.
- Skill ceiling: button-mashing couldn’t beat practiced players.
- Multiplayer focus: versus mode was the ultimate test.
- Tournament scoring: borrowed legitimacy from real martial arts.
The rivalry
System 3’s International Karate (1986) competed directly:
- Similar gameplay, different aesthetic
- IK+ (1987) added three-player simultaneous fights
- Fans debated superiority
- Both games benefited from the rivalry
Legacy
Way of the Exploding Fist proved fighting games could work on home computers. Its influence runs through International Karate, Street Fighter, and every one-on-one combat game since. When players discovered that timing and distance mattered more than button-mashing, the fighting game genre was born.