Black Belt (1986). Play online

Summary

Black Belt arrived on the Master System as a single‑plane side‑scrolling beat ’em up back in 1986. The game is actually a stripped‑down version of the Japanese Mark III title “Hokuto no Ken”, which was based on the wildly popular Fist of the North Star manga and anime. Because the overseas version couldn’t use the official licence, all of the signature characters and blood‑splatting graphics were swapped out for generic fighters and milder sprites.

Beyond its curious backstory, the title is notable for giving a young Yuji Naka one of his first professional programming gigs. His work on Black Belt laid groundwork that would later help him create Sonic the Hedgehog and shape the sound of early console action games.