French – English
The MO5.COM association has the great pleasure of announcing that Yoshihisa Kishimoto, creator of Double Dragon, has just joined the association as an honorary member.
He considers our initiative necessary and welcome, and offers us his support by agreeing to become an honorary member of the association. There is no doubt that the support of such a personality from the world of video games will help us to make ourselves known and develop.
Born in 1961 in Tokyo, Yoshihisa Kishimoto is a rebellious teenager who spends more time playing video games than studying. Passionate about cinema, he realized that he had to earn a living to finance his dreams, and was hired at Data East, where he worked on three titles including two interactive cartoons, Thunder Storm (Cobra Command on Mega-CD) and Road Blaster (Road Avenger on Mega-CD). In 1985, he was poached by former Data East employees, who set up a new company: Technos Japan. He then remembered his past as a brawling high school student to create the controversial Nekketsu Kôha Kunio-kun, and thus invented the urban beat 'em up. It was the film The Warriors (1979) that inspired him to adapt this classic for the Western market under the title Renegade (1986). Later, he decided to improve the concept and pay a vibrant tribute to his favorite star: Bruce Lee. Double Dragon, playable by two people, was born the following year in 1987. Three other episodes followed, as well as other games featuring the evil Kunio Kun, whether in football (Nintendo World Cup) or dodgeball (Dodge Ball). Kishimoto became a freelancer during the 1990s under the name Plophet (also the name of his company since April 1, 2010) and produced various games, such as shoot 'em ups (Chô Aniki on PlayStation and Saturn), and developed low-budget games, notably on mobile phones or an on-demand software system for large Japanese restaurant chains. In total, over a 25-year career, Kishimoto designed and produced nearly 400 titles and left his mark on the history of the arcade.
Road Blaster (Arcade, 1984)
Nekketsu Kôha Kunio-kun / Renegade (Arcade, 1986)
Double Dragon (Arcade, 1987)
Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari / River City Ransom / Street Gangs (NES, 1989)
And you, why not become a member of MO5.COM too?