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Bad Dudes

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The game starts in New York City, where President Ronnie has been kidnapped by the nefarious DragonNinja. The game's intro begins with the following introduction: "Rampant ninja related crimes these days... Whitehouse is not the exception...". As soon as that occurs, a Secret Service agent asks t...

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Developer
Data East

Released on
1988

Size
1–2 Players

Version
Arcade

Requirements
Arcade

Downloads
Beat 'em Up

ESRB Rating
Not Rated

Cooperative
Yes

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Description

The game starts in New York City, where President Ronnie has been kidnapped by the nefarious DragonNinja. The game’s intro begins with the following introduction: “Rampant ninja related crimes these days… Whitehouse is not the exception…”. As soon as that occurs, a Secret Service agent asks two street-smart brawlers, named Blade and Striker: “President Ronnie has been kidnapped by the ninjas. Are you a bad enough dude to rescue Ronnie?”.

After hearing that, the Bad Dudes pursue the DragonNinja through the city streets, highway, sewers, transport train, forest, cave and into the secret ninja base in order to save President Ronnie.

Bad Dudes

Overview & History

Released by Data East in 1988 for the golden era of coin-op arcades, Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja (commonly known simply as Bad Dudes) stands as a quintessential, hyper-macho side-scrolling beat-'em-up. The premise kicks off with a brilliantly absurd cinematic hook: the President of the United States (President Ronnie) has been kidnapped by the evil ninja syndicate known as DragonNinja. Secret service agents decree that only two street-brawling vigilantes are radical enough for the job: Blade and Striker. Armed with nothing more than their fists, tank tops, and a burning sense of American justice, these "bad dudes" must fight their way from the gritty streets of New York City, atop a speeding semi-truck, through sewers, and deep into the secret ninja lair to rescue the commander-in-chief. It remains a legendary slice of late-80s pop-culture bravado, celebrated for its self-aware cheese and relentless cooperative arcade action.

Gameplay Features & Mechanics

Mechanically, Bad Dudes distinguishes itself from contemporaries like Double Dragon by favoring frantic, fast-paced action on a single depth plane rather than sprawling multi-directional movement. Players traverse five distinct stages, battling relentless waves of knife-wielding thugs, attack dogs, and specialized ninja clans who drop in from the ceiling or emerge from manholes. Both Blade (Player 1, in blue) and Striker (Player 2, in red) share an identical, robust moveset. Beyond standard punches and kicks, players can unleash devastating flying kick maneuvers by jumping and striking simultaneously, or clear the screen by executing a simultaneous punch-and-jump desperate rescue attack that drains a sliver of health. Strategic depth comes from picking up glowing power-ups: nunchakus, boomerangs, and daggers replace bare-fist combat with superior reach and damage, though weapons are easily dropped if hit. The game culminates in classic, pattern-based boss fights against towering brutes like Karnov (making a guest appearance) and the ultimate shinobi master, DragonNinja, culminating in the iconic post-game hamburger feast with the President.