Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja (Arcade) Playthrough - NintendoComplete

A playthrough of Data East's 1988 arcade beat 'em up Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja.
Played on the game's default settings.
There were many beat 'em ups released in the wake of Technos' 1987 seminal arcade hit Double Dragon, but this DECO contribution to the genre sits among my favorite arcade games of the late 1980s.
I must admit, I wasn't familiar with it in its own time. I was well acquainted with the 1990 NES game Bad Dudes ( • Bad Dudes (NES) Playth... ), but it wasn't until many years later that I realized that the NES game wasn't the original.
When I was in the fourth grade, my friend Danny and I spent so many hours sitting on the end of his bed going back and forth between Bad Dudes, Rampage, and Karnov. Apparently we really sweated Data East games!
Anyways, if you've played the NES but not this arcade game, you already have a good idea of what to expect. Because of "rampant ninja related crimes these days... Whitehouse is not the exception," President Ronald "Ronnie" Reagan has been kidnapped, and playing as an American action hero sort, you're tasked with fighting through hordes of "DragonNinja" to save him.
There are seven stages, including a city street, a convoy of trucks, a forest, a sewer, a train, a cave, and the enemy stronghold. Each of the non-autoscrolling stage has two different levels that you can jump between (like Rolling Thunder), and for a game from 1988, you have a fair number of attacks at your disposal. You can wield knives and nunchakus, and if you hold down the punch button, you can charge up to let loose an exploding punch, complete with a satisfying scream sample. You can also punch above your head and spin kick through waves of attacking ninja.
It's a fun game to be sure, even at its most obnoxious moments (like the enemy swarms in the later stages, or the guys that set themselves on fire and then chase you). The graphics and sound are pretty good, the controls are reasonably tight, and the difficulty level stays reasonable for the most part.
Just remember, real bad dudes yell, "I'M BAD!" when they accomplish their goals. You should do the same when you play, if you are indeed a "bad enough dude to rescue Ronnie". That burger won't hold forever.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
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[@blackflame4506]

One of the O.G.s back in the day. I remember playing this at a local arcade in a shopping mall. I lost a lot but gain knowledge and appreciation of this game.

[@NintendoComplete]

If grabbing a burger with Ronnie sounds like a good idea, you'd best start practicing your war cry. "I'M BAD!"

[@dennistaylor5065]

The NES version was a decent port.

[@edwardgaines6561]

Who's Ronnie? Sounds familar?

[@dennistaylor5065]

@@edwardgaines6561 Quoting Dr. Dolittle eh.

[@TCgamerboy2002]

@@edwardgaines6561 Is this a legit question or are you joking?

[@Monkey_Slasher]

​@@edwardgaines6561 Ronald Reagan.

[@thecunninlynguist]

Never actually saw the arcade in the wild. When I first played it on NES, just always thought it was an NES game and not a port of an arcade game. Learned that later on.

[@NintendoComplete]

It was the same for me. I had no idea until way later.

[@disasterator]

I was the same way, now it really just feels like I got a raw deal on that NES version lol

[@edwardgaines6561]

You know the Secret Service sucks when a dude in Converse hi-tops can destroy a giant ninja clan for The Gipper!

[@xavierdraco33]

Damn I loved this game. The age of the ninja ruled

[@KennethEstrellaTV]

I have never heard this game before until now.

[@mariusamber3237]

It's literally only well-known for that intro (especially the NES version). Other than that, I'd call it a fairly average beat 'em up. Probably very few people would remember about it if not for some of the music/that intro.

[@jesseking1403]

I played this along with other good games on the Data East Arcade Classics. This, Secret Agent, Heavy Barrel, Burger Time, and many more were a really good time I had on the Wii (sadly I don't have any of that stuff anymore, had to sell it). If you can, I definitely recommend trying it!

[@JuraIbis]

Lets be completely honest, that side back kick looks pretty sexy. Data East really knows how to code, every move is really smooth.

[@evanhanley6437]

One of the coolest arcade games of all time.

[@simonmejia6896]

Rescue the president so you'll earn his invitation at the white house to lunch burgers with him. That is bad enough of a dude for that mission, and it's glorious!

[@Craudio171]

The fire ninja is because at that time, Data East had the rights to make a game based on Marvel comics for Arcades. The fire ninja would be The Human Torch!

[@edwardgaines6561]

Oh? I just thought that was another 80s trope.

[@Invidente7]

NintendoComplete IS a bad enough dude!

[@rickardcr8770]

This arcade version is the best 🎮🕹👍🏻

[@malotru4993]

Que recuerdos!!! Cuántas horas jugando a este juego

[@lobogris606]

Me encantaba jugarlo en las arcades cuando era chico. El p.o.w. También era genial .

[@animefan0077]

"Officer Duffy have a seat"

[@SolCresta3405]

We *are* bad enough dudes to play this game and rescue the President.

[@IKEMENOsakaman]

My dad was 3 years old when this game came out!!!

[@barmbailey6934]

6:42 What's the Human Torch doing there?!!

[@corndawgz]

"I'm sorry dudes, but our president is in another chopper"

[@ChaoYun]

So just keep the nunchuks for the whole game, got it.

[@deathsandals]

I'M BAD! at this game, but it's still a hoot to play.

[@VahanNisanian]

I do not know why the Data East Arcade Collection has the tracks a bit lower in pitch. This pitch is how it sounded in the Arcades.

[@solarflare9078]

It was published by Majesco. If that's not a big red flag, I don't know what is

[@kulrigalestout]

Oooohhh... Ronnie, as in *Ronald* Raegan! For a minute there I thought they had a lady president.

[@StationaryRocketFlipChampion]

I'll admit, I was once a bad dude, but I could never be as bad as these dudes.

[@pookieizzy7]

DragonNinja, a sub-division of Zeed.

[@theodorehsu5023]

If you look at the game “Heavy Burger” which has you play a game of “Deposit the bag” where you must carry a “Lock N Chase” bag through screens from Data East’s game library, the final game screen you must go through to get to the Bank to deposit the bag is “Bad Dudes”. The bank president resembles Ronnie, and the girl from “Side Pocket” is his customer-service person.

[@NintendoComplete]

Heavy Burger was pretty neat. I had fun with it.

[@JuraIbis]

@@NintendoComplete You can hear Karnov's theme music a few seconds and he makes an appearance in the game. DataEast really likes their cameos.

[@pabloamericano4930]

ProAmerican butt kicking’ games; the best.

[@МАГИЯРЕТРО]

Cool game!

[@johnphilliptecson3793]

Happy Philippine Independence Day NintendoComplete !

[@emprrah]

Is that Reagan?

[@guidadiehl9176]

*President Ronnie.

[@stolaire]

0:16 omg, it's a duke nukem

[@megatron8461]

Testosterone-fueled excitement at its finest! All you gotta do is kick ass and take names!

[@BJI82a]

Ah yes the original streets of rage played it a lot in the old video rental store and arcades when I was a kid never beat it but it was fun it really needs to be remastered

[@boru25]

'Got it'!

[@barmbailey6934]

Should be a saying, if you pick something up in another game," Got it!" lol

[@boru25]

@@barmbailey6934 Well said. BTW love the Finnick Fox ID photo.

[@barmbailey6934]

@@boru25 LOL, thx. Your the first person to mention that!

[@jamesmoss3424]

Don't mess with these Dudes. 😀👍🎮

[@moviemetalhead]

Nothing screams the 80s more than the female ninjas dressed like aerobics instructors, just in fishnets instead of leggings.

[@guidadiehl9176]

It was a better time.

[@RandyDubin]

*I'M BAD!* 😂😂😂😂😂😅😅😅😄😄😆😆😆

[@franciscobatalla7876]

Yo recuerdo un día fuimos con mi mamá en un negocio comprar a dragón ninja para famliy Game que era de nes pero es malo no se puede creer era difícil años después de probar en la versión arcade también es complicado dejé ese juego nunca jamás volver nada más

[@yusakug]

"Rampant Ninja-related crimes these days..." Well, it was the 80s. You couldn't go anywhere in pop culture without running into a Ninja Seemed like they were in every cartoon save for Smurfs or Muppet Babies, and just about any video game. They were in a lot of movies, also. Seemed like back in the 80s, Ninjas just couldn't figure out that whole "art of invisibility" thing.

[@lacuna17]

Same thing with Satanists. Bastards were everywhere.

[@wordman3624]

Blade and Stryker. Bad Dudes by day, gay lovers by night.

[@darkerfalcon3747]

I prefer the japanese version of this game

[@beximus]

what are the differences?

[@lfccavalheiro]

First!

[@robfinlay8058]

This is a bad game.