Overview
Solitary Fighter is a 2D belt-scrolling fighting game developed and released by Taito for arcades (using Taito B System hardware) in 1992. Despite being developed in Japan, it did not receive a Japanese release.
It is a revised sequel to the 1989 game Violence Fight, making the two boss characters playable while updating the UI and reworking the stages (now including NPC characters that hassle the combatants, similar to those in Pit-Fighter).
It later received a digital release for the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on December 28, 2023, both as part of Hamster's Arcade Archives series. It was also included in the 2023 Switch compilation Taito Milestones 2.
Gameplay
Solitary Fighter is a three-button fighting game, two for attacks (Punch and Kick) and one for jumping (Jump). While much of the game remains the same, there are a few differences:
- Several stages have been reworked, with some now including NPC characters that enter the arena with a weapon and hassle both combatants.
- Rather than fighting a tiger for the bonus round, players instead fight a bear.
- There is no mirror match final boss, with the game ending after defeating Tony Won (or Ron Max, if played as Tony).
Characters
All combatants from Violence Fight return, with the two boss characters now playable.
- Bat Blue - A reputable street fighter from California, and serves as the story's main protagonist.
- Ben Smith - A former U.S. Marine from Nevada.
- Lick Joe - A former professional wrestler from Oklahoma.
- Lee Chen - A kung fu practitioner from Florida.
- Ron Max - A burly farmer from Texas. He is the game's sub-boss if playing as Bat, Ben, Lick, or Ron, and is the final boss if playing as Tony.
- Tony Won - The head of the criminal syndicate "Black-Will-O" and a prospective winner from New York. He is the game's final boss for all other characters.
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