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Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044)
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- Console
- Arcade
- Players
- 2P sim
About Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044)
SNK Neo-Geo MVS cart. published 34 years ago:
龍虎の拳 (c) 1992 SNK Corp. (Ryuuko no Ken)
An early Neo-Geo martial arts fighting game with 2 selectable characters in 1-player mode and 8 selectable characters in 2-player mode which also features a long-nosed end boss. Progressive damage is shown on each fighter's face for a dramatic effect.
- TECHNICAL -
Runs on the SNK "Neo-Geo MVS" hardware. Game ID: NGM-044
[SNK MVS Neo-Geo Controls] 2 players - 4 buttons per player = > [A] Punching attack, [B] Kicking attack, [C] Throw enemy, [D] Taunt
- TRIVIA -
Ryuuko no Ken was released in September 1992 in Japan.
The title of this game translates from Japanese as 'Dragon and Tiger Fist'.
This game is known outside Japan as Art of fighting". A pirate version was known as "Fit of Fighting".
SNK's second fighting-game franchise. It was the first fighting game by SNK to feature the character designs of former SNK illustrator Shinkiro, who would go on to do the character designs for the later "Fatal Fury" and "The King of Fighters" games.
This is the first fighting game to feature the 'camera zoom' - where the camera zooms in when the fighters are close together and zooms out when the fighters move away from each other. This is also the first fighting game to utilize a 'spirit meter'. Every time a special move is executed the spirit meter is depleted accordingly. The more powerful the special move, the more it depletes. When it's empty special moves can't be done anymore, however, you can recharge the spirit meter by standing still and holding the A or B button leaving you totally defenseless.
Player layout in our catalog: 2P sim.
If you are exploring by feel rather than by title, jump from the tags above into the matching genre rooms, or return to the Arcade hall for the full wall.
Open Play on this page to start Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044). Keyboard, USB/Bluetooth pads, and the on-screen touch gamepad all work inside the emulator bar. Save states and fullscreen live on that same bar so you can pause mid-session and resume later.
Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044) — play guide
What Art of Fighting wants from you
Art of Fighting (SNK) is a Neo Geo versus fighter built around spirit gauge and large characters: win matches with timing honesty and spirit peeks before continues empty. Timing honesty beats mash. Learn Art of Fighting windows cold—do not paste Street Fighter charts blindly—the spirit bar and desperation supers are their own exam. Calm first matches until anti-air timing and spirit spending are narratable; aof chrome is packaging, not free wins or free match clears on every bout for vanity supers dumped into empty air while a counter finishes the round.
First minutes in Art of Fighting
First matches: peek jump-ins, time anti-airs, and spend spirit on purpose before inventing mash tourism through every string. Power-cycle once so Art of Fighting chrome stops looking like Street Fighter or Fatal Fury. Early matches teach Art of Fighting grammar: planned anti-airs before mash routes that eat counters mid-match when denser opponent scripts arrive on later boards. Hold that grammar before vanity supers. One clean round with spirit left beats three empty-bar deaths that looked flashy until a punish arrived.
Core systems in Art of Fighting
Move, strike, special, spirit gauge, desperation, match goals, lives/continues, and Art of Fighting UI define the systems. Skill is spirit literacy under pressure—not mashing every special into a counter. After continues, reconfirm match and spirit state before racing again. Keep a one-sentence spirit-before-super rule ready before the second match starts on this SNK Neo Geo versus set, and treat the spirit bar as the real match clock rather than scenery you notice after a KO.
Score, continues, and resources in Art of Fighting
Match wins and clean rounds score the run; counters and empty-spirit KOs tax continues. Continues are coins while learning denser opponent scripts. Fewer panic mashes and fewer ignored peeks keep credits alive. Farming easy AI forever without reading denser scripts still leaves Art of Fighting unread. Progress is SNK chrome that no longer forces KO loops mid-bout on later boards, not a pasted title that still dumps spirit into whiff supers.
Mistakes that burn credits in Art of Fighting
Mash-specialing every jump-in, ignoring anti-air peeks, emptying spirit into vanity supers, tunneling on scenery while a counter finishes you, and rage-continuing after KO streaks burn Art of Fighting credits. Power-cycling mid-tilt without a plan burns another credit. Next credit: anti-air first, spirit on plan—stop mash tourism for scenery and bout panic on later SNK boards.
Next steps after Art of Fighting
When Art of Fighting matches finish without constant empty-spirit KOs, compare Art of Fighting 2 and Fatal Fury Special deliberately for SNK versus contrast, then return with spirit drills on the characters that still tax you. Keep playing until panic-mash empties stop ending sessions mid-bout on later boards. Cousin SNK fighters help as contrast after Art of Fighting feels automatic—not as escape from matches you still mash for chrome. Win one full careful match before you chase vanity supers again on denser Neo Geo boards.
Sources cited below under Further reading.
Cabinet dossier
Player layout on this cabinet: 2P sim.
Genre tags on Classic Arcade Games: Fighter, Arcade.
Screenshots
Next cabinets
Nearby cabinets you may also open from this hall (each on its own play page):Art of Fighting 2 / Ryuuko no Ken 2 (NGM-056), Art of Fighting 3 - The Path of the Warrior / Art of Fighting - Ryuuko no Ken Gaiden, 64th. Street - A Detective Story (World), Aero Fighters (World / USA + Canada / Korea / Hong Kong / Taiwan) (newer hardware), Aggressors of Dark Kombat / Tsuukai GANGAN Koushinkyoku (ADM-008 ~ ADH-008), Avengers (US set 1), Avengers In Galactic Storm (US/Europe 1.0), Alien vs. Predator, Bare Knuckle III (bootleg of Mega Drive version), Battle Circuit, Battlecry (Version E), Bio F.R.E.A.K.S (prototype, boot ROM 0.1i)
Explore more on this site
Same series
Art of Fighting 2 / Ryuuko no Ken 2 (NGM-056) · Art of Fighting 3 - The Path of the Warrior / Art of Fighting - Ryuuko no Ken Gaiden
Same genre
Art of Fighting 2 / Ryuuko no Ken 2 (NGM-056) · Art of Fighting 3 - The Path of the Warrior / Art of Fighting - Ryuuko no Ken Gaiden · 64th. Street - A Detective Story (World) · Aero Fighters (World / USA + Canada / Korea / Hong Kong / Taiwan) (newer hardware) · Aggressors of Dark Kombat / Tsuukai GANGAN Koushinkyoku (ADM-008 ~ ADH-008) · Avengers (US set 1) · Avengers In Galactic Storm (US/Europe 1.0) · Alien vs. Predator · Bare Knuckle III (bootleg of Mega Drive version) · Battle Circuit · Battlecry (Version E) · Bio F.R.E.A.K.S (prototype, boot ROM 0.1i)
How to play Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044) online
- Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start.
- USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
- On phones, open the on-screen pad from the emulator bar; rotate sits next to fullscreen.
- Save states, load, volume, and fullscreen stay on the emulator bar between credits.
Questions about Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044)
Can I play Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044) free in a browser?
Yes. Classic Arcade Games hosts Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044) as a Arcade cabinet you can start on this page. The emulator loads in the browser; you do not need to install a separate app.
What controls does Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044) support?
Arcade stick feel: Arrow keys for the joystick, X/Z (and nearby keys) for buttons, Enter=Start. USB / Bluetooth pads map cleanly; six-button fighters use the face-button cluster.
Are there other games in the same series as Art of Fighting / Ryuuko no Ken (NGM-044 ~ NGH-044)?
Yes — related series cabinets on this site include Art of Fighting 2 / Ryuuko no Ken 2 (NGM-056), Art of Fighting 3 - The Path of the Warrior / Art of Fighting - Ryuuko no Ken Gaiden. Each has its own play page with the same browser emulator path.
Further reading
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