Retro Game: Renegade

Overview

Renegade is the groundbreaking arcade title that laid the foundation for the entire beat 'em up genre. Players control a lone vigilante, Mr. K, who must fight his way through a series of subway platforms, harbors, and back alleys to rescue his girlfriend, Lucy, from the clutches of a ruthless crime lord. With its gritty urban setting and innovative combat mechanics, Renegade delivered a visceral and challenging brawling experience unlike anything seen before.

Background

Developed by the legendary Technōs Japan and released in arcades in 1986, Renegade is the Western localization of the Japanese game Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun. While the core gameplay is the same, the theme was drastically altered for international audiences. The Japanese original was set in a high school and focused on a student brawling with rival school gangs. For the Renegade release, the characters were redesigned to look like tough street gangs from a Western action movie, creating a much darker and more violent tone. This game is the direct spiritual predecessor to Technōs' later masterpiece, Double Dragon, and its influence on countless other brawlers is immeasurable.

Gameplay

Renegade revolutionized fighting game controls. Instead of separate buttons for punching and kicking, the game uses a unique directional system. Pushing the joystick towards an enemy and pressing the attack button results in a punch, while pushing away from the enemy and attacking executes a rear kick. This allowed for a more fluid and intuitive combat style. Players can also run and perform flying kicks, grab stunned enemies from behind for throws, and even sit on top of and punch downed opponents. Each stage is a small, self-contained arena where the player must defeat a specific number of thugs before a powerful boss appears. Defeating the boss clears the stage, but a strict time limit keeps the pressure on constantly.