Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja
1988 · Beat 'em up · Arcade
Overview
Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja, also known simply as either Bad Dudes or DragonNinja, is a side-scrolling cooperative beat 'em up developed and released by Data East as an arcade video game in 1988. It was ported to computer and game console home systems.
Deep Dive
Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja, also known simply as either Bad Dudes or DragonNinja, is a side-scrolling cooperative beat 'em up developed and released by Data East as an arcade video game in 1988. It was ported to computer and game console home systems.
Developer Story
Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja was developed by Data East in 1988. Two street fighters rescue the US President from ninjas — a premise so absurd it became legendary. The opening text "Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the President?" became one of gaming's most memorable questions. The hamburger reward at the game's end was equally iconic.
Did You Know?
- "Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the President?" is one of gaming's most absurd and beloved opening questions.
- The game was set during the presidency of Ronald Reagan — the manual explicitly names him as the kidnapped president.
- Successfully rescuing the President results in eating hamburgers with him — one of the most anticlimactic endings in arcade history.
- Bad Dudes was explicitly designed as an American-flavoured response to Japanese martial arts games — Data East's celebration of US culture.
