Return to the early days of fighting games with World Heroes

World Heroes is a fighting game released on the Neo-Geo arcade platform in 1992. The plot of the game deals with a brilliant scientist, Dr. Brown, using his time machine to gather fighters from throughout history to compete in his martial arts tournament. The main cast features eight playable characters, some of them loosely based on historical heroes and others completely fictitious.

A simple fighting game

If you’re familiar with the six-button or four-button control schemes used by many classic fighting games, you may be surprised by the simplicity of the World Heroes control system. The game features only three buttons, each corresponding to a different type of attack. You can hold down some attack buttons longer to deliver more powerful attacks or press all three to perform a unique special move. The simple control scheme and relatively small roster make this a very accessible fighting game.

A look at fighting game history

World Heroes isn’t a standout fighting game, but it’s a fascinating look at the early history of the genre. The characters are entertaining, and the relatively simple controls make this a game you can explore without the complexity of some other fighting games.