Violent Storm (Arcade) Playthrough - NintendoComplete

A playthrough of Konami's 1993 arcade beat 'em game, Violent Storm.
Played through as Wade on the game's default difficulty setting.
Though Violent Storm isn't formally considered part of any series, fans often regard it as the final game in an unofficial trilogy, following Crime Fighters ( • Crime Fighters (Arcade... ) and Vendetta ( • Vendetta (Arcade) Play... ). It was also the last beat 'em up produced by Konami in the 90s.
1993 marked Konami at the peak of their prowess in creating 2D arcade games. Alongside Metamorphic Force ( • Metamorphic Force (Arc... ), Mystic Warriors ( • Mystic Warriors (Arcad... ), Martial Champions ( • Martial Champion (Arca... ), and Monster Maulers ( • Monster Maulers (Arcad... ), Violent Storm is an impressive production that flexes the muscles of its hardware platform.
The quality of the art and animation is miles ahead of just about anything else of its time. The characters are huge, colorful, and they all animate smoothly without slowdown, even when armies of them flood the screen, and the backdrops are full of fun little details to keep an eye out for. The praise that the soundtrack typically draws is also well deserved, with its catchy beats and the ridiculous vocals. Just listen to the William Shatner style flow of the rap in stage three!
The style is as odd as it is notable, too. I'm not even sure how to classify this .. post-apocalyptic rockabilly, I guess? Mad Max meets The Outsiders?
The gameplay feels a great deal Konami's other beat 'em ups, but now you can launch yourself across the screen for quick attacks, and each of the three characters play quite differently from one another. The game plays at a much faster pace than most games of its type, giving it an intense, unrelenting feel which makes it a fair bit harder than the usual Konami arcade fare ... not including the shmups, of course.
Konami's efforts were typically gold star quality, so it's a real shame that as the popular TV licenses dried up, so did their success in the arcades. Violent Storm is arguably a better beat 'em up than TMNT, The Simpsons, or X-Men ever were, and it's well worth trying out of you haven't yet had the pleasure.
Does that intro remind anyone else of Bayou Billy when Annabelle gets kidnapped?
And anyone else love the shout-out to the Ninja Turtles at 24:36? That's my favorite part of the game right there.
Finally, where did the woman's groceries go? She doesn't drop them when she gets snatched, and she'd be hard to hold on to if she was carrying them. I only ask because the game makes such a big display of her carrying them just to forget about it two seconds later. Hmm.
_____________
No cheats were used during the recording of this video.
NintendoComplete (www.nintendocom...) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!

[@teejaynumber13]

I like how she was grocery shopping in the middle of a ruined city.

[@maxacorn]

played this back in the 90s. it's like final fight on speed. one of the greatest and most underrated beat'em-ups ever. and that soundtrack FUCKING SLAPS!!

[@MatthewTheWolf2029]

Agreed 100%!

[@85futureshock]

Not only a great, eccentric beat em up but it also represents the end of Konami’s arcade golden era.

[@elgatofelix8917]

Eccentric? 😂

[@sozaj]

@nemo pouncey perhaps that biker too closely resembled Blanca?

[@sozaj]

@nemo pouncey Street Fighter?

[@iaincowell9747]

@@elgatofelix8917 yes, eccentric. Meaning odd or unusual

[@OikPoinFive]

blanca belair?

[@simonmejia6896]

"Who will be the Hero"? Konami's final foray into the beat em up genre. Talk about going out on a very high note with this game. It deserves a lot of attention and praise, and definitely deserves a modern console re-release in Arcade Archives catalog!

[@randomprofile5853]

@nemo pouncey They actually started making more games and alluded to making more in general, they are doing a new Getsu Fuuhma game.

[@randomprofile5853]

@nemo pouncey There's also rumored to be a new Castlevania Collection that includes Gameboy Advance games.

[@JeroenZM]

Now that Crime Fighters and Vendetta have been released for home consoles we're inching closer towards a port of this baby. Absolute riot to play

[@yusakug]

Gotta love just how insane this game is. The development team just went all out with this one.

[@Dorian_Scott]

This third game, in particular, seems the most wacky out of the trilogy. And that (alongside *_Konami's_* know-how ) make it a real treat.

[@evanhanley6437]

Man Konami make kickass beat em ups! They really should have brought these onto home consoles or put them on collection discs for modern consoles. I REALLY want to try these out.

[@VideoGaming4U]

one of the best soundtracks to a arcade game

[@adnan-aumi]

I'm here for the soundtrack as a matter of fact.

[@UltraSiulDeluxe]

Totalmente 👍

[@SwordfighterRed]

Real Saturday morning cartoon energy.

[@mathiastube4716]

You mean "anime"

[@SwordfighterRed]

@@mathiastube4716 Actually, no. Still feels somewhat more "western" to me than most anime.

[@mathiastube4716]

@@SwordfighterRed Then tell me, why is made in Japan?

[@SwordfighterRed]

@@mathiastube4716 I'unno, lots of video games were during this time. I'm pretty sure I know what you're getting at, though, and I just still feel like it's more like some forgotten Saturday morning cartoon than anything. To each their own, tho.

[@mathiastube4716]

@@SwordfighterRed You need to go to church in Saturday, you can watch Sunday anime later, is more like anime than cartoon, and besides, their comedy kaogei faces where evidence that is anime.

[@NintendoComplete]

It sucks that this ended up being the last beat 'em up that Konami made in the 90s, but they made damn sure to go out on a high note.

[@Dorian_Scott]

Okay, I get the *_"Bayou Billy"_* bit there. Makes sense since both *_ARE_* _Konami_ published titles, after all.

[@chadkennedy7855]

@@Dorian_Scott Yeah, but watch out for Sledge though, he'll "eat you for breakfast!!!"

[@SoulStreak64]

The most bizarre final boss in a beat em up: a mutant kid that turns into an absolute unit that it would make Zangief jealous. Did I mention the acid spit and the weird green energy?

[@HrvojeGrahovac]

Man, that soundtrack is a banger

[@elgatofelix8917]

It was such a high note that I'm still trippin

[@Loader2K1]

To call _Violent Storm_ an eccentric beat-'em-up is an understatement. To me, it's like Konami took the _Fist of the North Star/Hokuto No Ken_ anime/manga franchise, a lighthearted Saturday-morning cartoon of the early 1990s, the classic Warner Bros. cartoon _The Dover Boys at Pimento University or The Rivals of Roquefort Hall_ , threw them all into a blender, and this is the result. I also like how Konami took shots at the _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles_ franchise (which they still had the license to at that point) with the boss named Sledge, the movie _Aliens_ with the boss named Doyle (which Konami made an arcade adaptation of three years earlier), and at the late Prince with the BGM "We Are Free," which not-too-subtly rips off "1999." Wonderful playthrough.

[@Dorian_Scott]

This does seem like a proper way to finish this trilogy of overlooked games. It's got what made the last two games good and then some.

[@MusicInMe754]

Trilogy? Oh shit, is this part of a trilogy with Crime Fighters and Vendetta?! That's really cool, and thank you for that information! EDIT: I just saw the info in the video's description! 😅 But thanks again, anyway!

[@justinlaboy6837]

Wow, this is straight up one of the best beat em ups I've ever seen

[@kiSABREWULF007]

No. There is better one. The Punisher

[@randomprofile5853]

Yeah it's actually my favorite beat em up, and I'm sure that am not the only one.

[@lancepage1914]

Definitely up there with one of the best beat em up.

[@m.a.packer5450]

Finally, a game that realistically depicts modern New York

[@sozaj]

With vain living statues that love to flex?

[@viewtiful1doubleokamihand253]

Some GREAT presentation for a 93 arcade beat 'em up game. Artists got payed well, it looks like.

[@louiskeiflin5858]

I love how this beat em up has its own humor in it! Definitely one of my top 3 of my favorite beat em ups! And I can't forget the memorable soundtrack!

[@claudiosacchi3720]

I played this last week and i can only recommend to play it. It's fun and the soundtrack and graphics are great!!

[@nathanreynolds5474]

I love how in his demo reel, Kyle walks into the bar, picks up a huge potted plant and smashes over the head of a dude chilling at the bar. Made me laugh.

[@BBB-2005]

How the game begins with the destroying of the gate with that red car, jumping out, the building in the background colapses and than that "Whhuuuuuaaaa!!" It so good! Right into the action I love it

[@goodlookinouthomie1757]

I was playing this past night for the first time and it's one of the most fun arcade games I've played from this era. The music is fantastic and I loved the variety of options you have. Each character has at least half a dozen moves and I was even accidentally discovering more halfway through the game. Interactive environments, hilarious enemies and dialogue. Absolutely essential on anyone's faves list.

[@NavySharkz]

I had never heard of this game before now all I can think of is how much I need it in my life! What a great action filled, fire soundtrack, awesome good time! Well done my man, keep the awesome playthroughs coming.

[@charthers8903]

The intro is so awesome!!

[@NintendoComplete]

Right? "Hi! ...Ahhhhhh!" 🤣

[@iaincowell9747]

@@NintendoComplete why is she doing her shopping in the slums though, that's just asking for trouble

[@migcasas1]

I mean who casually does shopping in a post apocalyptic, dystopian world, right??

[@SoulStreak64]

Violent Storm has some funny jabs and references: You have some Blanka looking guy... A remix of Shredder's theme from Turtles in Time... A Boss that looks like a Power Loader and another that looks like a Teenage mutant Ninja Turtle... Violent storm also has a ton of personality and charm to it.

[@bernhardwall6876]

And a bad guy named Ryuken.

[@DerivativeWorker]

Sledge is clearly a parody of ni ja turtles as well.

[@JoaoLucasK]

And the heavy metal guys with the chains are called "Gigadeath" (Reference to Megadeth)

[@DerivativeWorker]

Quite a surprise to see vocals in the soundtrack!

[@mircea376]

Yeap

[@elbarry7016]

Hear* xD

[@Bloodreign1]

There were games that had vocals in their soundtracks, Jikkyo Oshaberi Parodius on the PS1 and Saturn, the Tokimeki Memorial stage, input a code and get an entire song played throughout the stage. The Power Instict series also had stages in the second game onward that had vocals played.The first Fatal Fury had some basic chanting in Richard Meyes stage, so did Blue Mary's stae in the CD versions when you fought her, although again basic vocals. There are other games as well in arcades that had vocals, the first one I can think of, Psycho Soldier, an early SNK platformer starring Athena Asamiya (of King of Fighters fame). Her voice actress in the Japanese version sang her Psycho Soldier theme.

[@neometalx9]

Didn't know guy from final fight was also a mad max character.

[@user-cj4fu8qq9b]

11:22 the music is mixing perfectly with the gameplay

[@HrvojeGrahovac]

This deserved a sequel cause it looks better than modern beat em ups

[@NavySharkz]

I would say all modern beat em ups. Streets of Rage 4 is hot garbage.

[@NavySharkz]

@nemo pouncey Streets of Rage 4 was such a letdown, nothing more than a hyped up mobile game. But as always, if others found some joy in it then that's all that matters. 👍

[@iaincowell9747]

@@NavySharkz I disagree with both of you. I thought Streets of rage 4 was pretty good. I agree that it could be better, but it's still a really good game

[@NavySharkz]

@@iaincowell9747 I agree with your disagree but I disagree with your agree.

[@mariusamber3237]

Massive thumbs up, this used to be one of my absolute favourite arcade beat 'em ups. There was a machine with that one not too far away from my old house. Still really fun to this day, and the soundtrack is fire too! This one wasn't as common/easy to find as their previous beat 'em ups, but it's still a good time. But... why do the pigs turn into rugby balls? 0_o

[@NintendoComplete]

Yeah, this one is a blast to play. I think they're footballs, as in "pigskin."

[@sozaj]

7:20 The face on that pig cracks me up! "Oh brother, the hobos are fighting again... it never ends."

[@NoleenRankin]

Oh hey, it's the best beat 'em up Konami ever made. :V

[@randomprofile5853]

@nemo pouncey What do you mean?.

[@dakotathacker3821]

what an incredible soundtrack

[@drstephenstrange897]

My fav scrolling beat'em up off all time!!!!

[@SNKBossSyndrom]

I played the Japanese version and the Western version on emulators. I can't recall it being so bloody, I'll have to give it a shot again.

[@NintendoComplete]

Iirc you can toggle the blood on and off from the service mode menu.

[@SNKBossSyndrom]

@@NintendoComplete Well thanks a lot! Just tried it and enjoying the bloody mess now ^^

[@NintendoComplete]

@@SNKBossSyndrom Np :) 👍

[@NintendoPsycho]

When Konami had balls.

[@randomprofile5853]

They still do.

[@Bloodreign1]

@@randomprofile5853 At this point, not at all. Don't bother mentioning Getsu Fuma Den, Konami didn't do the game themselves, they outsourced it to a smaller developer.

[@randomprofile5853]

@@Bloodreign1 They co-developed the game. And there's more Silent Hill rumors that it's still in development.

[@Bloodreign1]

The story of how a young Vanna White went shopping, and was kidnapped, and had to be saved by her friends. Like Vendetta, or Crime Fighters 2, she is the only female in her circle of friends seen here. But I don't think she's a protege of anyone, unlike Vendetta.

[@Redfoxe]

I want a re-release of this!.

[@TheRealCSH]

It's nice knowing that Konami were really big fans of this genre.

[@misterelom]

I'm just now hearing of this game, don't remember seeing it in the arcade back in the day and i'm a beat-em-up game fanatic. How did this not get an SNES or Genesis release? This game looks awesome!

[@ThiagoMnab]

I wonder why Konami doesn't have a "Beat em up" collection man, they had so many games like this one.

[@MidBoss666]

This brings back so many memories ^^ To anyo e who likes classic beat 'em ups, I can't recommend this enough 8D Really hoping it's gonna get an Arcade Archives release someday ^^

[@joelhannah5826]

I love the extra effort it takes to throw the fat dudes lol

[@greensun1334]

Yeah, a Brawler with some Blood! ... always Welcome! But I never heard about this Game! Now, I try to check it out, if it is on MAME, I get it for my SNES classic! 👍🏻

[@charthers8903]

Best opening intro in arcade games

[@Eralen00]

this game looks sick. Really awesome graphics and art style too

[@smiteriuszryceriusz1258]

My Favorite Beat Em Up

[@Mr.Death101]

It reminds me of Cadillacs and dinosaurs

[@stefankaczor5229]

Pamiętam jak byłem mały to na automatach się grało tą grę, jestem rocznik 1985, Magia marzeń

[@martinevans1206]

A shame this didn’t get ported to the Saturn.

[@MatthewTheWolf2029]

Or any home console for that matter.

[@Googlesucksballs]

I remember when I played the game you had to beat the game once before you got to see the blood in the attacks was that the way it always has been? It's been ages since I played this in arcades. Also the stage Clear music sounds like something out of Windjammers.

[@Don_Porculio]

Blood can be enabled via dip switches, but in the second loop blood will be enabled no matter what

[@Peter_Morris]

I find it interesting that someone at Konami was head over heels enough for Chun-Li to wonder how she’d play in a brawler. It’s almost low when Capcom didn’t add the type to Final Fight, they just said, screw it, we’ll do it ourselves.

[@PalloneWafer]

Probably the only non Capcom beat em up to play like one...

[@davanime877]

I actually played this game at the arcade yesterday XD

[@hanchiman]

The intro theme has a Saturday cartoon vibe to it, cheesy but pretty catchy

[@Dany-fn7pj]

Nice. love the fact ''Always a lady in problems'' 😂

[@briananderson344]

Wade and sheena remind me of how my parents met.

[@von2300]

thanks for the the nostalgia. brings me back to first seeing this arcade cabinet at the Wal Mart entrance in my pre teens.

[@CommanderOfTheSun]

Sledge is LITERALLY Slash from Turtles In Time. Even moves like him.

[@cathode6252]

Coffee definitely helped me in some hand to hand combat!

[@januares.3035]

We are free for all. Let's the feeling high. We are free for all. 'Till the end I'll knock you down.

[@mattsrage76]

Does anyone remember playing this game at any arcade in the mid to late 90s? This game used to be over at an area that required a 20 min bike ride for me to get to (I didn't have a driver's license yet just then) . I played it A LOT and enjoyed each minute of it! 👍 I think they always had the volume of the game itself set super high so anytime anyone played it, everyone knew they were playing Violent Storm in the whole arcade. Hahahaha the memories! 😅

[@blastradius9136]

That nice lady with the pizza at 11:04 lol

[@magoid]

Another one I missed in my neck of the woods back them. Capcom and SNK arcades had official representation in Brazil back them, so you mostly encountered them in the wild. This one seems to suffer from a bit of too light color palette. Maybe it would look normal in a CRT display.

[@NintendoComplete]

Monster Maulers and Mystic Warriors also had the weird soft pastel tones. I think it was just their style for a time.

[@p6mkq]

I loved playing this game with my best friend as kids. Me as Wade, him as Boris. We often made it to the park. We hated the 3rd boss, Drigger.

[@Juqqxman]

That rap was hilarious

[@NintendoComplete]

Hey yo!

[@matthewsmith1999]

This’ll be a great arcade archives game

[@fargeeks]

Damn that biker swiped that chick without even slowing down

[@zukoulou7464]

It's "Hokuto no Ken" version Beat'em all !

[@p6mkq]

Bosses quotes: Joe: May I see your ticket ? Doyle: I am a machine freak( my machines are sick !) Drigger : I am number one ! Julius: Beauty is justice ! Sledge: I will eat you for breakfast ! always made me laugh. Geld: Do not you know that you should knock before you enter ? Dieeee !!!

[@MrRafaelBCK]

For years I thought I had played Final Fight on the arcades when it was in fact this game.

[@WalkingRoscoe]

That music, though. 🎶 🎵

[@Ryfinius]

Where did that girl find a functional grocery store in the apocalypse?

[@p6mkq]

12:14 I thought that dancing girl was Chun-li - as a kid - doing her victory pose.XD

[@chisoxfan708]

One of the better Final Fight clones out there

[@gr8gmr]

I don't think calling it a clone does it any justice.

[@PSICOMINGUEL]

Tremendo clásico amigo. Saludos desde Argentina 👊🎮

[@johntumahab323]

In the future, hair metal evolves from man!

[@corrado]

EPIC LYRICS: I'm gonna get you eventually, everybody wanna knock Geldo down I'll go straight to Sheena (Sheena) and I'll be there, yes I will This world is very difficult, but I've got nothing to lose now There's no defeat, you'd sooner die Challenge the beginning of the end Until I rescue Sheena, I'm never gonna stop (flee my power) Now I spend my time fighting all around I'm a tough guy (do it, man) You think you can beat us, We got the look, oh so fine Just wait, I'll get even with you! TAKE IT ALL!

[@maxirodriguez5160]

MadMax+DoubleDragon+HokutoNoKen+Cyborg+Cadillacs AndDinosaurs=Violent Storm🔥🔥🔥👊👊👊🐉🐉🐉

[@franciscor390]

It's got everything.

[@elbarry7016]

And even TMNT, the docks boss is almost a turtle 😂 😂 😂

[@fahriakalin5936]

a bigger better finaler final fight

[@NavySharkz]

That should have been the tagline, lol!

[@mohsae]

My favorite game..😊😊

[@-Astro--]

Same 😊

[@user-rh8ye2ot8o]

Wow this is crazy

[@adhitamaprasetya4220]

Any plans for arcade shmups?

[@susanfit47]

Violent Storm is one of Konami's last side-scrolling Beat 'em up games to appear in the arcades.

[@evieraotacon]

Love this game abosolute classic. Also great game play🤘👍

[@TwesomE]

Why this soundtrack is sounds remastered??? It is because some other diferent version or something i trust.I know because i have played this game from the arcades and mame allot of times to understand the difference! Also another not so well known arcade with good tunes by konami is metamorphic force if you didn't yet played.Its like altered beast with steroids! ;)

[@newbaggett]

They really went with ninja turtle on the second to last boss battle. The voice line even sounds like Donatello from Turtles in Time!

[@MidBoss666]

Since it was meant to be their kast arcafe beat 'em up, they went wild with 80-90s references as a proper srndoff, from their own TMNT games, to Aliens (Doyle, 4th boss), Jojo (Mr. Julius, 5th boss) or Hokuto no Ken (Wade has a recolored version of Kenshiro's outfit). It's really fun to discover them all.

[@newbaggett]

@@MidBoss666 And it's not on the switch...why?

[@MidBoss666]

@@newbaggett No idea, and hoping for it to get an Arcade Archives release one day.

[@djwho75]

23:19 cantinflas's cameo!! 🤣🤣🤣

[@allenscott68]

Zulu swashbuckler. Damn definitely would have loved to come across this game back in the day‼️

[@cristianruiz1095]

24:45 Un imitador de las Tortugas Ninjas.

[@rodrigojaramillo367]

Era sledge

[@l.a.i2571]

It's just like a movie from the 80s or 90s... nice game

[@MrSagar-co8kg]

My dream game. ❤❤❤

[@SwirlyCub]

That intro was… interesting!

[@maxbeesechurger3181]

Man, what a good soundtrack

[@p6mkq]

Mr. Julius was the most hilarious boss. Sledge ( 6th boss) was a tribute to TMNT.

[@seenl6eight258]

I miss the old Konami 😢

[@MatthewTheWolf2029]

Red Freddy is like if you were to combine the Joker with Blanka from Street Fighter.

[@MatthewTheWolf2029]

I love this game. I really do. And no, I'm not being cute or sarcastic. I really mean that. I only wish I had the chance to play it in the arcade when it came out. But from the looks of it, this game looks fantastic for 1993.

[@cruzin1383]

I liked this game but vendetta(crime fighters 2 in Japan) was the best one in the series... followed by crime fighters then this one if you guys ever get a chance to play those games (all really) they are real gems. I don't know why the crime fighters 2 name wasn't used in the US, but this one is the last in the series and it's good. It does lacks the depth the other 2 games had, Instead they opted for speed and more of a small space big character look to the playthrough.

[@user-ij2qu4np5v]

Thats all right for back then

[@HE360]

The girl at the beginning of this game at around 0:10 looks a little bit like the girl in a game that I'm making. But, the girl in my game has a different role and doesn't get kidnapped.

[@r3n736]

Is funny how over the top the Japanese saw American culture back then.