Vigilante

n/a

Vigilante

System(s): Sega Master System

Publisher: Sega

Developer: Sega, Arc System Works

Distributor:

Tonka (US)

Licensor: Irem

Original system(s): Arcade boards

Developer(s) of original games: Irem

Peripherals supported: FM Sound Unit

Genre: Arcade^[1]

Number of players: 1

Release	Date	RRP	Code
US	1989-05^[2]		7023
EU	1989-07		7023
UK	1989-08^[3]	£24.9524.95^[4]	7023
AU	1989		7023
BR	19xx		026160

Non-Sega versions
Amiga Amstrad CPC Arcade Atari ST Commodore 64 MSX PC Engine ZX Spectrum

Vigilante is an arcade beat-'em-up game released by Irem in 1988. The following year it was ported and published by Sega for the Sega Master System. Upon release, Vigilante was considered to be a sequel to the 1984 arcade game, Kung-Fu Master (known as Spartan X in Japan and simply as Kung-Fu in its NES incarnation).

Although this version of the game was never released in Japan, the Master System Vigilante is compatible with the FM Sound Unit which was only supported by Japanese (and Korean) consoles.

Story

A lone vigilante must defend his turf from the city's most fearsome gang, the Rogues, who have also kidnapped his girlfriend Maria.

Gameplay

Vigilante is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up game where an unnamed vigilante fights his way through streets filled with punks and thugs. Gameplay is similar to Kung-Fu Master. The vigilante is a kung fu master who fights with punches and kicks, and he can also pick up nunchaku to deal extra damage. At the end of every stage, there is a boss fight, then the vigilante must walk to the end of the screen to exit.

The vigilante walks or turns around with or . He crouches with , which can be used to duck under some enemy attacks or to pick up nunchaku lying on the ground. He punches (or attacks with the nunchaku) with and kicks with . He can attack while crouched. Punches and kicks do the same damage, but kicks are slower, have better reach, and knock the enemy back on impact, while punches are faster and can be used to repeatedly pummel an enemy. Nunchaku are stronger, have long reach, and can defeat enemies in fewer hits than punches or kicks. If the vigilante is hit while holding nunchaku, he becomes unarmed. He can jump with +. Some enemies can simply be jumped over and avoided rather than engaged. The vigilante can punch (or attack with the nunchaku) in midair by pressing right after jumping or kick in midair by pressing right after jumping.

The vigilante has a health bar that drains as he is attacked by enemies. The stage boss also has a health bar. In addition to punches and kicks, some enemy gang members can capture the vigilante in a choke hold that continuously drains his health. The vigilante can only break free from a choke hold by pressing and rapidly. If the vigilante runs out of health, he loses a life and restarts the stage from the beginning if the player has an extra life remaining. His health is restored at the start of every stage. Additionally, each stage has a 90-second timer, and the vigilante loses a life and must restart the stage if time runs out. The game ends if the player runs out of lives, but the game can be continued an unlimited number of times (though the score is reset when this is done).

Weapons

	Nunchaku
	Arms the vigilante with a pair of nunchaku. Pick up by pressing when standing over them.

Stages

There are five stages set across the city of New York.

	City Streets
	Map: 1️⃣ Boss: Harly Hog

	Junkyard
	Map: 1️⃣ Boss: Mad Dog

	Bridge
	Map: 1️⃣ Boss: Macehead the Horrible

	Downtown
	Map: 1️⃣ Boss: Iron Brian

	Construction Sites
	Map: 1️⃣ Boss: Giant Defiant