Blade
One of the two playable street fighters and the game's most prominent protagonist.
Documented for this version
Arrow LeftArrow Right | Move left or right |
|---|---|
Arrow Up | Jump |
Arrow Down | Crouch |
B | Punch |
A | Jump |
NES button labels are used; exact controller mapping may vary by emulator or hardware configuration.
How it plays
The game uses a side-view perspective. Players move through linear stages, defeat waves of ninjas and other enemies, avoid hazards, and reach the boss at the end of each area.
Blade and Striker can walk, jump, crouch, punch, and use a special attack. Defeated enemies may leave food that restores health. Progression is stage-based, with new enemy patterns and bosses providing the main increase in difficulty.
Plan your run
Stay near the center of the screen so approaching enemies can be seen from both sides. Use short punch combinations rather than jumping into every group, and crouch when low attacks or projectiles make standing unsafe.
Save food pickups for moments when health is genuinely low. Against bosses, learn the timing of their approach and attack after they finish an animation instead of trading hits. In two-player play, avoid occupying the same position so both fighters can react independently.
Meet the cast
One of the two playable street fighters and the game's most prominent protagonist.
The second playable fighter, available as an alternative to Blade.
The kidnapped president whom the heroes must rescue.
Before you begin
Use jumping attacks to cross some enemy formations without stopping.
Do not waste health-restoring food when your life bar is nearly full.
Boss patterns become more manageable when attacks are timed after their movement ends.
Bad Dudes is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed and published by Data East for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The player controls Blade or Striker, street fighters recruited to rescue President Ronnie from the ninja gang known as the Koga. Each stage combines forward movement, hand-to-hand combat, enemy waves, hazards, and a boss encounter. The NES version adapts Data East's arcade game with a more limited presentation and console-oriented structure. It was generally recognized as a straightforward, challenging action game, remembered especially for its exaggerated 1980s premise, heavy punches, and memorable opening challenge.
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