Konami first put Yie Ar Kung-Fu into Japanese arcades on 25 October 1984 in a limited run, with a wider launch in January 1985 and a worldwide release in March 1985. It replaced the points-based scoring of Karate Champ with health meters, and together with Karate Champ it laid the groundwork for modern fighting games. Several opponents draw on Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris films, and the music was composed by Miki Higashino. In two-player mode the players take turns against the computer; there is no head-to-head fighting.
The Famicom version came out only in Japan, on 22 April 1985. In Europe, Imagine Software published the home computer versions from August 1985, and the game became the best-selling title of 1986 in the UK.
The sequel, Yie Ar Kung-Fu II, followed a year later for home computers only.12
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Yie Ar Kung-FuEurope 1986 | Commodore 64 | December 1986 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | イー・アル・カンフーĪ Aru KanfūLimited release; wider Japanese release in January 1985 | Arcade | Oct 25, 1984 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | イー・アル・カンフーĪ Aru KanfūEurope April 1985 | MSX | January 1985 | Konami | 1 |
| WW | Yie Ar Kung-Fu | Arcade | March 1985 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | イー・アル・カンフーĪ Aru KanfūFamicom; Japan only | NES | Apr 22, 1985 | Konami | 1 |
| EU | Yie Ar Kung-FuImagine also released Amstrad CPC, BBC Micro and Acorn Electron versions | ZX Spectrum | August 1985 | Imagine Software | 1 |
| JP | オレたちゲーセン族 イー・アル・カンフーOretachi Gēsen Zoku series, arcade version | PlayStation 2 | Oct 27, 2005 | Hamster | 2 |
| WW | Yie Ar Kung-FuXbox Live Arcade, with updated graphics | Xbox 360 | Jul 18, 2007 | Konami | 1 |
| JP | イー・アル・カンフーĪ Aru KanfūVirtual Console (Famicom version) | Wii | Jan 8, 2008 | Konami | 2 |
| JP | イー・アル・カンフーĪ Aru KanfūVirtual Console (Famicom version) | Nintendo 3DS | Jun 19, 2013 | Konami | 2 |
| JP | アーケードアーカイブス イー・アル・カンフーArcade Archives; also PS4 the same day | Switch | Nov 14, 2019 | Hamster | 2 |
Also known as: イー・アル・カンフー JP2Ī Aru Kanfū JP1イーアルカンフー JP2
Box art by region
JP イー・アル・カンフー
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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ContentArcadeMSXFamicom
The arcade game has eleven martial arts masters to beat; the MSX and Famicom versions have only five.1
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GameplayArcadeFamicomMSX
The arcade version offers 16 moves, the Famicom version 7 and the one-button MSX version 5.2
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TextArcadeMSXFamicom
The hero is Oolong in the arcade game but Lee on the MSX and Famicom, where the story is also different: he infiltrates a tower to defeat the Chop Suey Gang.1
Where to play legally today
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Nintendo Switch Online Subscription
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Arcade Archives Purchase
Reception
In 1985 the arcade game was the highest-grossing arcade conversion kit in the US and the second most successful table arcade unit in Japan in March. The home computer versions topped the UK chart in January and February 1986, making it the best-selling game of 1986 in the UK. Play Meter gave the arcade version 10/10, and Crash gave the ZX Spectrum version 92%.1
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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