Published:
Summary
Entering a martial arts tournament at the height of the genre's mid-80s popularity, The Way of the Exploding Fist draws clear inspiration from Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, reinforced by its digitised kiai sample and visual nods. Each bout begins with two near-identical fighters in different coloured gis facing off in dojo-style settings overseen by a silent old master. Points are earned through strikes and yin-yang symbols, with victory coming via symbol advantage or a 30-second timer. Difficulty ramps up steadily, with a popular two-player mode encouraging competitive, move-rich bouts that made this a hugely successful multiplayer favourite.
What it does well
A good variety of moves, lovely backdrops.
Where it falls short
Slow pace, limited moveset, sparse presentation, and little forgiveness for mistakes.
Verdict
Jaw-breaking moves are not its worst feature. A kick to the groin will make a grown man cry. Smooth animations and backflip combos will keep you entertained.
The Way of the Exploding Fist - version notes
Version-specific observations from the gameplay video. Tap a time to jump straight to that moment.
Amstrad (3 Beats)
- Cultural: the kanji shown on the board reads 空手道 (Karate-dō), directly translating to “The Way of Karate”
- Hidden consistency: hit detection aligned with the visual centre of mass, not the sprite edges, reinforcing “clean technique”.
- Quiet achievement: the game proves that Fist's identity was rooted in design discipline, not hardware capability.
BBC (2 Beats)
- Design priority: preserving the feel of disciplined combat was favoured over visual parity with the C64.
- Porting challenge: this version demonstrates how design-led gameplay survived when technical resources were tighter.
Commodore 64 (3 Beats)
- Audio: C64 version contains various sound samples
- Development: the C64 version was developed as the lead platform.
- Pacing: slow recovery after attacks was a conscious design decision to prevent button mashing.