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Street Smart (video game)
Encyclopedia
is a 1989
beat 'em up
arcade game
developed and published by SNK
. The game's objective is to win money, girls and glory on the streets. It is notorious for its level of difficulty requiring a great deal of brawling before the player's opponents go down. It is also notable by North Americans for being one of the earliest arcade games to show the anti-drug slogan, "Winners Don't Use Drugs
".
s that predate it like Technōs Japan's Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun
and Double Dragon
arcade games, where the player can move in all eight directions in an arena fight and the player can kick, punch or do special moves. Unlike most beat 'em ups however, the players fight in an enclosed arena space, which makes it also resemble Taito
's Onna Sansirou - Typhoon Gal. The player can choose to fight either as "Karate-Man", a martial arts
expert with lightning quick moves, or "Wrestler" (sometimes known as "Crusher") with a powerful punch. Street Smart contributes to the genre by adding co-operative multiplayer for team battles against boss characters; however, the players will always have a "Grudge Match" in the next round to determine who gets a bonus life/points, but the two players can play through the entire game together. It also contributes to the genre by adding a simple combo system that is the first of its kind, which players can make normal moves become part of a string of combos, much like in some beat 'em ups that predate it.
to the Mega Drive/Genesis
in 1991
. The port was developed by Treco
and published by Sega
, which uses fewer colors and uses the top and bottom black frames to compensate for the large sprite
s animating on screen. However, the game implements a betting system where players can win money for winning a fight or throwing one (Similar to the later PSP game The Con
) as well as a new last boss. The Genesis/Mega Drive port also lacks the two players vs. the CPU mode (two players only fought onscreen in the "Grudge Match" after each taking turns against a CPU opponent). This was done due to memory limitations of the cartridge at the time. In the Genesis/Mega Drive port, "Karate Man" wears a red outfit instead of white. Both characters are also given a new spinning "power move" that can take an enemy down in one hit (by pressing all three buttons at once) but reduces the player's health. There are three endings to the game, depending upon if the players are broke or not when the final boss is defeated. Should players be "broke" the final image is that of the players in rags, sitting in the gutter. Attaining a respectable amount of money will see the character well dressed, in a fashionable car with an attractive girlfriend. If the character earns an outstanding amount of money (usually gained by gambling all winnings on the player to win before each round), he is shown as a made man with four girls, in an apartment full of money. A final difference between the Genesis/Mega Drive port and the arcade game, is in the console version's ability to grant the player "points" at the end of each successful match that can be assigned to character attributes. The player can gain a larger lifebar, greater speed or power, for example, so that their character will be much more deadly by the end of the game than at the beginning.
The original arcade version was later included in the 20-game compilation follow-up of SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1
, titled as SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 0, which was released in Japan
on April 27, 2011.
The background music
heard in the first stage was later reused as the two-player battle theme for SNK's 1991 fighting game Fatal Fury
for the Neo Geo
.
Genesis/Mega Drive version
1989 in video gaming
-Notable releases:* October 3, Brøderbund releases the Prince of Persia game, the first in a series of games, noted for its advancements in animation....
beat 'em up
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
arcade game
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
developed and published by SNK
SNK Playmore
SNK Playmore Corporation is a Japanese video game hardware and software company. SNK is an acronym of , which was SNK's original name. The company's legal and trading name became SNK in 1986....
. The game's objective is to win money, girls and glory on the streets. It is notorious for its level of difficulty requiring a great deal of brawling before the player's opponents go down. It is also notable by North Americans for being one of the earliest arcade games to show the anti-drug slogan, "Winners Don't Use Drugs
Winners Don't Use Drugs
Winners Don't Use Drugs is an anti-drug slogan that was included on all arcade games imported into North America for 11 years from 1989—2000. The slogan appears on a screen that is shown during a game's attract mode....
".
Gameplay
The gameplay resembles some beat 'em upBeat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
s that predate it like Technōs Japan's Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun
Renegade (video game)
Renegade is a video game released in American and European arcades in 1986 by Taito. It is a westernized conversion of the Japanese arcade game , released earlier the same year by Technos...
and Double Dragon
Double Dragon
is a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
arcade games, where the player can move in all eight directions in an arena fight and the player can kick, punch or do special moves. Unlike most beat 'em ups however, the players fight in an enclosed arena space, which makes it also resemble Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
's Onna Sansirou - Typhoon Gal. The player can choose to fight either as "Karate-Man", a martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
expert with lightning quick moves, or "Wrestler" (sometimes known as "Crusher") with a powerful punch. Street Smart contributes to the genre by adding co-operative multiplayer for team battles against boss characters; however, the players will always have a "Grudge Match" in the next round to determine who gets a bonus life/points, but the two players can play through the entire game together. It also contributes to the genre by adding a simple combo system that is the first of its kind, which players can make normal moves become part of a string of combos, much like in some beat 'em ups that predate it.
Opponents
- "Slippery" Sam Santana (Age: 38; Weight: 205 lb)
- "Tiptoes" Tommy (Age: 45; Weight: 310 lb)
- Jake "The Wrench" (Age: 40; Weight: 185 lb)
- Larry "Legbreaker" Lubinski (Age: 19; Weight: 220 lb)
- Antonio "Crybaby" Palermo (Age: 25; Weight: 265 lb)
- Mike "The Muscle" McDermit (Age: 30; Weight: 290 lb)
- Bobby Brown (Age: 21; Weight: 175 lb)
Port and related releases
This arcade game was portedPorting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
to the Mega Drive/Genesis
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
in 1991
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....
. The port was developed by Treco
Treco
Treco, also credited as Treco Corporation Limited, American Treco and Treco, USA, was a game developer and publisher located in Torrance, California. Treco produced games for the Sega Genesis/Mega Drive from 1990 to 1993...
and published by Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, which uses fewer colors and uses the top and bottom black frames to compensate for the large sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
s animating on screen. However, the game implements a betting system where players can win money for winning a fight or throwing one (Similar to the later PSP game The Con
The Con (video game)
The Con, released as Gamble Con Fight in Japan, is a fighting video game that was released for the PlayStation Portable on October 18, 2005. It was developed by Think & Feel Inc. The story follows the life of a con artist who fights for money....
) as well as a new last boss. The Genesis/Mega Drive port also lacks the two players vs. the CPU mode (two players only fought onscreen in the "Grudge Match" after each taking turns against a CPU opponent). This was done due to memory limitations of the cartridge at the time. In the Genesis/Mega Drive port, "Karate Man" wears a red outfit instead of white. Both characters are also given a new spinning "power move" that can take an enemy down in one hit (by pressing all three buttons at once) but reduces the player's health. There are three endings to the game, depending upon if the players are broke or not when the final boss is defeated. Should players be "broke" the final image is that of the players in rags, sitting in the gutter. Attaining a respectable amount of money will see the character well dressed, in a fashionable car with an attractive girlfriend. If the character earns an outstanding amount of money (usually gained by gambling all winnings on the player to win before each round), he is shown as a made man with four girls, in an apartment full of money. A final difference between the Genesis/Mega Drive port and the arcade game, is in the console version's ability to grant the player "points" at the end of each successful match that can be assigned to character attributes. The player can gain a larger lifebar, greater speed or power, for example, so that their character will be much more deadly by the end of the game than at the beginning.
The original arcade version was later included in the 20-game compilation follow-up of SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1
SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1
SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 is a video game compilation created and published by SNK Playmore which includes sixteen Neo Geo games.The compilation was released on the PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, and the Wii...
, titled as SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 0, which was released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on April 27, 2011.
The background music
Background music
Although background music was by the end of the 20th century generally identified with Muzak or elevator music, there are several stages in the development of this concept.-Antecedents:...
heard in the first stage was later reused as the two-player battle theme for SNK's 1991 fighting game Fatal Fury
Fatal Fury: King of Fighters
is a 1991 head-to-head fighting game released by SNK for the Neo Geo arcade and home platforms. Fatal Fury was SNK's first fighting game for the Neo Geo system and served as the inaugural game in their Fatal Fury series, as well as the first game to depict the fictional "King of Fighters" tournament...
for the Neo Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
.
External links
Arcade versionGenesis/Mega Drive version