Tecmo Knight (released in Japan as Wild Fang) is a side-scrolling beat-’em-up released for the Arcade by Tecmo in 1989. In a medieval fantasy village overrun by an army of Beast Men, you take control of the legendary Tecmo Knight, riding into battle atop shape-shifting mounts to fight your way to the eldritch monster controlling the horde, Deglomes.
How to Play
Move with the arrow keys and attack with Z or X, the arcade original’s action buttons. Rather than fighting on foot, you ride one of two mounts that you can switch between at will: Smokeman, a hulking ogre with slow but powerful punches and kicks, and the Tiger, faster and armed with a spiked ball and chain that trades damage for reach. You can also jump onto an enemy’s head and strike repeatedly while straddling them for extra damage. Occasionally a defeated foe drops a dragon skull; grabbing one transforms you into the Flying Dragon, a brief but invincible form whose breath kills any enemy, including bosses, in one hit. If your current mount is destroyed, you’re forced to fight on foot with greatly reduced power until you can claim another.
Tips
- Pick the right mount for the moment: the Tiger’s reach is better for clearing groups of Beast Men at a distance, while Smokeman’s heavier hits are worth switching to against tougher single enemies.
- Save the dragon skull for bosses: nearly every boss in the game appears in a pair rather than alone, so a saved Flying Dragon transformation can instantly clear out one of the two before they box you in.
- Protect your mount, not just your health: losing your ride leaves you fighting on foot at a steep disadvantage, so it’s often better to dodge and reposition than to trade hits, especially against paired bosses.
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