Pit-Fighter

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This article is about the video game. For the 2005 motion picture, see Pit Fighter (film).
Pit-Fighter
Pit-Fighter
Developer(s) Atari Games
Publisher(s) Atari Games
Release date(s) 1990
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Up to 3 players simultaneously
Platform(s)
Input Joystick; 3 buttons
Arcade system(s) Atari G1 Hardware
68000 @ 14,31818 MHz (CPU)
Sound CPU : ADSP2105 (@ 10 MHz)
M6502 @ 1,7895 MHz (CPU)
YM2151 @ 3,579 MHz (Audio)
MSM6295 @ 0,009037 MHz (Audio)
Arcade display Raster resolution 336 x 240

Pit-Fighter is a 1990 arcade fighting game by Atari Games. It was revolutionary because it was the first video game ever to feature digitized characters using real life actors. This bluescreen technique would later be used in countless games such as Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam.

Contents

[edit] Characters

Pit-Fighter features 3 playable fighters:

Pit-Fighter also has 8 unplayable opponents:
(in order of appearance)

  • Executioner
  • Southside Jim
  • C.C. Rider
  • Angel
  • Mad Miles
  • Heavy Metal
  • Chainman Eddie
  • Masked Warrior

[edit] Gameplay

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The Tournament

The 3 playable characters.
The 3 playable characters.

The player begins Pit-Fighter by choosing one of the three playable characters, who all have different moves, speed, and power. As many as three people can play at a time, but there will be extra opponents to fight during any of this game's 15 different matches.

Every third fight is known as a Grudge Match. In a Grudge Match, the player must fight against a CPU controlled clone of his or her fighter. The first person to get 3 "knockdowns" wins the Grudge Match. This match plays more like a bonus round, in that it doesn't have to be won for the player to continue through the game.

The final battle, the "Championship Match", is between the player and the mysterious entity that taunts between matches every once and a while, the Masked Warrior. If more than one person is playing the game before this match, they must fight each other to the death until only one becomes victorious and can fight him.

Fighting

Buzz posing after taking down the Executioner.
Buzz posing after taking down the Executioner.

The player must jump, punch, and kick their opponent until his/her energy runs out. If the player presses all three of the buttons at a time, the character will perform a "super move".

Sometimes during matches the player will come across foreign objects such as knives, crates, sticks, motorcycles, and bar stools that can be thrown at you or your opponent. The player may also come across a power-up known as the "power pill". If the player or the opponent grab this item, one will become temporarily stronger and take less damage from hits.

Audience Interaction

Sometimes even the crowd will interfere in the fights. Two characters, known as Knife Man and Knife Woman, will come out of the crowd and stab the player with their daggers. The player can take these nuisances out with one hit. Sometimes there is also a fat bearded man with a stick. If the player knocks him down, the player can take the stick and use it against the current opponent.

The audience will also push any fighter that ends up among them, and stays there more than a few seconds. They will be forced back into the fighting area.

[edit] Ports

The arcade version of Pit-Fighter was also featured in the Midway Arcade Treasures 2 (2004) video game for GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox, as well as Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition (2006) for PC.

[edit] Unofficial Sequel

In 1992, a fighting game called Guardians of the 'Hood was released by Atari Games. This game featured the same style of digitized characters seen in Pit-Fighter and the player could have 3 other players join simultaneously. The big difference this time around was it played like a scrolling fighter, beat 'em up game and had a completely new cast of characters. Despite its improved digitized graphics and unique gameplay, this game was overlooked in the arcades and never made it to the home consoles.

A Sega Mega Drive sequel titled Pit Fighter II was planned, but never released. The game was not a true sequel, but an updated version of the original game that added the characters and stages from Guardians of the 'Hood into the mix.[citation needed]

[edit] Trivia

  • This game contains the same PCB as the game Hydra.
  • Several of the characters share the names of the actors who played them.
  • A prototype of a Pit-Fighter game for the Atari 7800 exists.

[edit] Pit-Fighter Cast

  • Buzz: Bill Chase
  • Ty: Marc Williams
  • Kato: Glenn Fratticelli
  • Executioner: John Aguire
  • Southside Jim: James Thompson
  • Chainman: Eddie Venancio
  • Mad Miles: Miles McGowan
  • Heavy Metal: Kim Rhodes
  • C.C. Rider: Rich Vargas
  • Angel: Angela Stellato
  • Masked Warrior: Bill McAleenan
  • Knife Woman: Dianne Bertucci
  • Knife Man: Milt Loper
  • Finale Women : Tina Scyrater, Maria Lenytzkyj

[edit] External links

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