Pit-Fighter

n/a

Mega Drive Mega Drive (Rev. A) Master System
Pit-Fighter
System(s): Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System
Publisher: Tengen Domark
Developer: Sterling Silver Software The Kremlin
Supporting companies: The Doomsday Machine (music)
Distributor: Domark (EU) Ecofilmes (PT) Hent Gruppen (SE rental) Tec Toy (BR) Samsung (KR)
Licensor: Tengen Atari Games
Original system(s): Arcade boards
Developer(s) of original games: Atari Games
Sound driver: Lisa's Sound Driver
Genre: Action
Number of players: 1-2
Official in-game languages: English 日本語 English
Release Date RRP Code JP 1992-03-27 ¥7,800 (8,034)7,800e T-48033 US 1991-11 $59.9559.95 301027-0150 EU 1992-04 301027-0170 PT 1992 UK 1992-04 £39.9939.99 301027-0170 SE (Rental) 199x AU 199x KR 199x GM8033JT EU 1993-03 MK 29009-50 PT 199x UK 1993-03 £32.9932.99 MK 29009-50 BR 199x 028250
Non-Sega versions Amiga Amstrad CPC Arcade Atari ST Commodore 64 Game Boy IBM PC Lynx Super NES ZX Spectrum

Pit-Fighter or Pit Fighter (ピットファイター) is a 1990 arcade fighting game by Atari Games. Tengen ported it to the Sega Mega Drive internationally in 1991. The Kremlin ported it to the Sega Master System with a new soundtrack by The Doomsday Machine and with Domark releasing it in Europe in 1992.

Gameplay

Mega Drive version

The Masked Warrior

Like other early fighting games, such as SNK's Street Smart, gameplay resembles a beat-'em-up but structured around matches involving only two to four combatants. Fighters must punch and kick their opponents until only one of them has health remaining. Fights take place in a closed arena, surrounded by a raucous crowd. The crowd can interfere by attacking, dropping usable weapons, or pushing a stray player back into the fight.

Fighters can move from side to side with or but also back and forth with and . They dash with or . Fighters punch with and kick with . Punches are fast but do light damage, while kicks are slower but have better damage and reach. They jump with and jump kick with + (which can knock opponents down). They dodge attacks with + or duck with ++. Fighters can be knocked down from being pummeled or thrown or having objects thrown at them, and the player must press any button multiple times to get back up. Fighters can be kicked while knocked down. Each fighter has three "super moves," which are special techniques that do more damage than normal moves and usually knock down opponents. Super moves are executed by pressing ++ (with the exact move chosen randomly).

Weapons and objects such as knives, throwing stars, sticks, crates, or even motorcycles can be picked up by standing over them and pressing +, then used or thrown with . Weapons can increase the damage or range of the fighter's attacks. Some barrels contain a Power Pill power-up that makes the fighter temporarily stronger and take less damage from hits if picked up. Any fighter, including computer-controlled opponents, can pick up a Power Pill. Opponents can also be picked up with + and thrown with .

The game can be played by one or two players simultaneously. There are three playable fighters and eight unplayable opponents. In two-player games, opponents are battled cooperatively in four-person fights. If the second player joins in the middle of a one-player match (by pressing  START ), the match is finished as a three-person fight, but subsequent fights are four-person matches. Though players can hurt each other, it is only necessary to defeat the computer-controlled opponents. Players are rewarded cash (acting as the score) after each match for knockouts, "brutality," and completing the match.

Players do not have their health replenished after each match. Instead, each player starts the game with three lives and loses one whenever the fighter's health bar is emptied. A match can be continued (optionally with a different fighter) with a full health bar if the player has extra lives remaining. Otherwise, the game ends for that player.

Every third fight is a bonus round known as a Grudge Match. The loser of the match is whichever fighter is knocked down three times by his opponent. In a one-player game, the player fights against a computer-controlled clone of the player's chosen fighter. In a two-player game, the players fight each other. Losing a Grudge Match does not cost a life, but the winner gets bonus money.

The final battle, the Championship Match, is between one player and the Masked Warrior, a mysterious entity that taunts the players between matches. In two-player games, the Championship Match is preceded by a special Elimination Match where both players fight, with the winner going on to face the Masked Warrior alone.

Pressing at the title screen opens the options before starting the game. Players can set individual difficulty levels (higher is more difficult, with a default of 3 for each player) and set the game mode (Normal or Practice, with Practice simply being a Grudge Match).

Items

	Power Pill
	Increases the damage dealt and reduces the damage taken by the fighter if picked up. The fighter flashes while its effects are active.

Fighters

	Buzz
	A former pro wrestler and bodybuilder. He is slow but strong. His Super Moves are the Killer Body Slam, Headbutt, and Piledriver.
	Ty
	A champion kickboxer and pit-fighter. He is quick and has powerful kicks. His Super Moves are the Flying Double Kick, Spin Kick, and Roundhouse.
	Kato
	A master of the Flying Dragon style of karate. He is fast and agile. His Super moves are the Lethal Dragon Punch, Flip Kick, and Backhand.

Matches

There are eight opponents, but some of them opponents are fought more than once, for a total of ten matches before facing the Masked Warrior. Additionally, there are four Grudge Matches, fought after every two regular matches until the tenth match. In two-player games, the Championship Match against the Masked Warrior is preceded by an Elimination Match between the two players.

Match 1

A fight against the Executioner.

Match 2

A fight against Southside Jim. This is the first match with weapons and objects that can be picked up.

Match 3

A fight against Angel. This is the first match with a Power Pill that can be picked up for a temporary offensive and defensive boost.

Match 4

A fight against C.C. Rider.

Match 5

A fight against Chainman Eddie.

Match 6

A fight against Heavy Metal.

Match 7

A rematch against Angel.

Match 8

A fight against Mad Miles.

Match 9

A rematch against Southside Jim.

Match 10

A fight against two Chainman Eddies.

Championship Match

The final fight against the Masked Warrior.

Master System version

Grudge Match

The Masked Warrior

The game is a fighting game where players must punch and kick their opponents until their energy runs out (the fighter turns blue when defeated). Fights take place in small arenas surrounded by a crowd. The player begins by choosing one of the three playable characters, who each have different moves, speeds, and powers.

Fighters can move in any direction using the D-Pad. If fighters wander into the audience members to the left or right edges, they are pushed back into the arena. They punch with and kick with . They jump ahead by pressing + and jump ahead with a kick by pressing +. Each fighter has a special move that can be performed with +. These moves can only be done a limited number of times per match (shown by three grey circles in the top of the screen). Some moves knock fighters over. Downed opponents can be attacked by pressing or when standing over them. Fighters can recover quicker from being knocked down by pressing the buttons rapidly.

Objects can be picked up by pressing +, then thrown with . Smaller objects, such as knives and shuriken, are used as projectile weapons. Larger objects, such as barrels and crates, are lifted over the fighter's head, preventing the fighter from moving until the object is thrown. Both kinds of object knock over the opponent on impact.

Players are awarded cash after each victorious battle, with extra cash awarded for using flying kicks and special moves or knocking the opponent down (called "KO's"). The player's health is not replenished between matches. If the player loses a match, the player must use a continue (shown by red hearts in the top of the screen) and attempt the fight again from the beginning with a full health bar, or the game ends if the player runs out of continues.

Every third fight is a bonus round known as a Grudge Match, fought against a clone of the player's chosen fighter. The winner is whichever fighter knock the other one down three times. Losing a Grudge Match does not cost a continue, but the winner gets bonus money. The final battle, the Championship Match, is against the final boss, the Masked Warrior.

Pressing at the title screen opens the options before starting the game. There are three difficulty levels (Easy, Medium, and Hard). The player can set the starting match (between 0 and 2, with 1 starting at the second match and 2 starting at the third match) and set the game mode (Normal or Practice, with Practice simply being a Grudge Match). Two-player games have three different game types: I (normal fight), II (same as I but no cash winnings), and III (same as I but no special moves). Two-player games are always competitive fights against each other rather than cooperative fights against computer opponents as in the arcade version and the Mega Drive port.

Items

	Power Pill
	Increases the damage dealt and reduces the damage taken by the fighter if picked up. The word "POWER" appears below the fighter while the item's effects are active.

Fighters

In two-player games, players are asked two times to choose a character: once from the options screen, then again after starting the game. The first time includes the fighters below as well as many of the opponents faced in the game; the second time only includes the three fighters below. Only the second selection counts (perhaps due to a programming error).

	Buzz
	A former pro wrestler who can perform the Body Slam.
	Ty
	A kickboxing champion who can perform the Flying Kick.
	Kato
	A karate black belt who can perform the Combo Punch.

Matches

There are eight opponents, fought in ten matches (with two opponents appearing twice) before facing the Masked Warrior. There are four Grudge Matches, fought after every two regular matches until the tenth match.

Match 1

A fight against the Executioner.

Match 2

A fight against Southside Jim. This is the first match with weapons and objects that can be picked up.

Match 3

A fight against Angel. This is the first match with a Power Pill that can be picked up for a temporary offensive and defensive boost.

Match 4

A fight against C.C. Rider.

Match 5

A fight against Chainman Eddie.

Match 6

A fight against Heavy Metal.

Match 7

A rematch against Angel.

Match 8

A fight against Mad Miles.

Match 9

A rematch against Southside Jim.

Match 10

A rematch against Chainman Eddies.

Championship Match

The final fight against the Masked Warrior.

Production credits

Mega Drive version

• Produced by: Tengen
• Programmed by: Sterling Silver Software
• Sound by: Earl Vickers
• Special Thanks to: Gary Stark, Bill Hindorff, Doug Coward

Source:

In-game credits (original)

---

• Programmed by: Lee Actor, Dennis Koble

Source:

In-game credits (revision)

---

• Thanks to: Rusty Dawe
• Special thanks to the original coin-op team at Atari Games
• Graphic and Package Design: Louis Saekow Design

Source:

US manual

Master System version

• Written by: Andrew Taylor
• Graphics by: Matt Hicks
• Music by: The Doomsday Machine
• Additional Support: Dudley
• Produced by: Domark Software
• Licensed by: Sega Enterprises Ltd
• Developed by: The Kremlin (EU version only)
• Licensed by: Sega Enterprises Ltd. (C) 1992 (EU version only)

Source:

In-game credits

Versions

The digitised graphics of the original arcade game (later popularised by Mortal Kombat) were significantly degraded to fit the color limitations of the Mega Drive and the Master System. The arcade version also features sprite scaling to give the illusion of depth as fighters move toward or away from the player and three-player fights, which are both not present in the console ports.

Magazine articles

Main article: Pit-Fighter/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

Main article: Pit-Fighter/Promotional material.

Physical scans

Mega Drive version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average

Publication Version Score 1700 igr dlya Sega (RU) 60 Beep! MegaDrive (JP) NTSC-J 70 Console XS (UK) PAL 92 Computer & Video Games (UK) 82 Mean Machines: The Essential Sega Guide (UK) 70 GamePro (US) NTSC-U 100 Game Zone (UK) PAL 90 Hippon Super (JP) NTSC-J 70 Hobby Consolas (ES) 82 Joypad (FR) 80 Joystick (FR) 79 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) 30 Sega Mega Drive Advanced Gaming (UK) PAL 30 Mega Drive Fan (JP) NTSC-J 56 Mega (UK) PAL 70 Mega (UK) PAL 78 Mega Action (UK) 89 Mega Action (UK) PAL 49 Mega Force (FR) 75 MegaTech (UK) PAL 80 Mean Machines (UK) PAL 81 Mean Machines Sega (UK) 81 Player One (FR) 70 Power Up! (UK) 72 Power Play (DE) 61 Sega Power (UK) PAL 70 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 95 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 92 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 89 Sega Force (UK) PAL 90 Sega Saturn Magazine (JP) NTSC-J 75 Supersonic (FR) 81 Tricks 16 bit (RU) 76 Video Games (DE) 60

	74
Based on 34 reviews

Pit-Fighter

Mega Drive, JP
Cover
Cart Manual PCB

Mega Drive, US
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, EU
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, FR
Manual

Mega Drive, PT
Cover
Cart Manual

Mega Drive, SE (rental; Hent; orange)
Cover

Mega Drive, AU
Cart

Mega Drive, KR
Cover
Cart

Master System version

Sega Retro Average
Publication Score Source

{{{{{icon}}}|L}}
Based on 0 review

Sega Retro Average
Publication Version Score Consoles + (FR) 44 Consoles + (FR) 67 Computer & Video Games (UK) PAL 13 Digitiser (UK) 40 GamesMaster (UK) PAL 20 Joypad (FR) 74 Mega Force (FR) 78 Sega Power (UK) PAL 47 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 75 Sega Pro (UK) PAL 75 Sega Zone (UK) PAL 72 Video Games (DE) 9 Video Games (DE) 9

	48
Based on 13 reviews

Pit-Fighter

Master System, EU
Cover
Cart

Master System, PT
Cover

Master System, BR
Cover
Cart Manual

Technical information

Main article: Pit-Fighter/Technical information.

ROM dump status

System	Hash	Size	Build Date	Source	Comments
?	CRC32 1e0e0831 MD5 d3794fd2a601aab217dae8928ef94438 SHA-1 19f81e5d0c4564e06fdccd7a7e67d98fa04360f4	1MB	1991-07	Cartridge	Claimed to be a "beta" by No-intro, needs confirming.
✔	CRC32 d48a8b02 MD5 9af02a38fd858a7d4d54a6bc3b8cb75a SHA-1 8cd0ffaf3c29b3aa1f9068cd89cb64f492066d74	1MB	1991-10	Cartridge
✔	CRC32 aa4d4b5a MD5 5535108813e568e4dd84a425ff2e928b SHA-1 409ccca9dcb78a20f7dd917699ce2c70f87f857f	512kB		Cartridge (BR)
✔	CRC32 b840a446 MD5 585aed13ba548d0258a457cd6768511b SHA-1 e2856b4ae331aea100984ac778b5e726f5da8709	512kB		Cartridge (EU)