Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja

ドラゴンニンジャ (Doragon Ninja)NES, Arcade, MS-DOS, ZX Spectrum +71988

  1. JP1988
  2. NA1988
  3. EU1988
  4. RU—

Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja was called DragonNinja in Japan and Europe, while the American NES port was shortened to Bad Dudes. No current store release could be confirmed on our check date; the most recent official re-release listed in our sources is a 2018 Switch version in Flying Tiger's Johnny Turbo's Arcade series.

Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja is a beat 'em up that Data East released in arcades in April 1988 in Japan, in May 1988 in North America and in June 1988 in Europe. Its premise is famously blunt: ninjas kidnap President Ronnie, a character based on Ronald Reagan, and two street fighters set out to rescue him. Up to two players can fight together, and the first boss is Karnov, hero of an earlier Data East game.

The title depends on where the game was played. Japan and Europe knew it as DragonNinja, North American arcades as Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja, and the American NES port simply as Bad Dudes. Namco published the Famicom version on 14 July 1989, and Data East USA released the NES version in August 1989. Ocean produced most home computer conversions, published in Europe under its Imagine label, while Quicksilver Software made the Apple II and PC ports.

The arcade cabinet even turns up in the films Parenthood (1989) and RoboCop 2 (1990).12

Names and releases

RegionTitle on the boxPlatformDatePublisherSrc
NA Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja Arcade May 1988 Data East 1
NA Bad DudesPort by Quicksilver Software, which also made the Apple II version MS-DOS 1988 — 1
NA Bad Dudes NES August 1989 Data East USA 1
NA Data East Arcade ClassicsCompilation of 15 Data East arcade games Wii February 2010 Majesco 1
JP DragonNinja Arcade April 1988 Data East 1
EU DragonNinja Arcade June 1988 Data East 1
EU DragonNinjaOcean port published under the Imagine label; Amstrad CPC, C64, Amiga, Atari ST and MSX versions also 1988 ZX Spectrum 1988 Imagine 1
JP DragonNinjaFamicom NES Jul 14, 1989 Namco 1
EU Bad Dudes NES 1990 — 1
WW Bad DudesJohnny Turbo's Arcade series, with a live-action intro Switch 2018 Flying Tiger 1

Also known as: ドラゴンニンジャ JP2DragonNinja EU1Bad Dudes NA1Doragon Ninja JP2

Box art by region

  • Bad Dudes box art, North America release
    NA Bad Dudes
  • Bad Dudes box art, Europe release
    EU Bad Dudes
  • DragonNinja box art, Japan release
    JP DragonNinja

Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.

Version differences

  • CensorshipNES (NA)

    Nintendo of America did not allow political content, so the NES version dropped the reference to President Ronnie; the president shown there looks like George H. W. Bush rather than Ronald Reagan.1

  • AudioNES (NA)

    The famous "I'm bad!" speech is heard only in the NES version, where the Secret Service agent's opening line is also worded differently.1

  • ContentFamicom (JP)

    The Japanese Famicom version has its own title screen, no staff credits and a shorter ending that just shows "The End" at the White House.1

All differences (5)

Reception

The arcade game was one of the five highest-grossing arcade games of 1988 in North America and reached number two on the UK Coinslot chart. Sinclair User named it Beat 'Em Up of 1988, while the home conversions got mixed to positive reviews.1

In lists

Sources

  1. 1en.wikipedia.org
  2. 2ja.wikipedia.org

Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13

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