Bad Street Brawler is an unusual side-scrolling beat ’em up released for the NES in 1989. Playing as the martial artist Duke Davis, you fight through bizarre enemiesโfrom gorillas to skateboardersโacross various stages. The game is notable for being one of only two titles specifically designed to support the Power Glove accessory, though it plays perfectly fine with a standard controller.
How to play
Your objective is to clear each stage of enemies before facing a boss at the end of the level. Unlike typical beat ’em ups, Duke’s available attacks change depending on the stage, giving you a new set of quirky martial arts moves to learn in each area. Move using the arrow keys, and use the Z and X keys (mapped to the NES A and B buttons) to execute your currently available attacks. Press Enter for Start and Shift for Select.
Tips
- Since your moveset changes every level, spend the first few seconds of a new stage testing your attacks to understand their range and speed.
- Keep enemies on one side of the screen when possible, as getting surrounded makes it difficult to manage the unconventional hitboxes.
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