Vigilante (Arcade)

Kung-Fu Master was a massive hit, prompting Irem to develop a direct sequel titled Beyond Kung-Fu, featuring revamped graphics, additional levels, and new bosses. The sequel was fully completed and sent to location tests, but shockingly received negative feedback. Due to its poor performance, the game was sadly shelved. A year later, Irem revisited Beyond Kung-Fu, reworking it with a grittier, Americanized setting, and the result was Vigilante (with the sole price of no longer being a direct, but a spiritual sequel).

Vigilante follows the same formula of Kung-Fu Master: taking control of the eponymous character, you venture through five stages in several areas of the Big Apple to beat the crap out of those shameless skinheads and their ludicrous bosses, in order to save your precious babe, Madonna.

HEY, COME ON!

Regional Differences#

Copyright#

The Japanese version displays a standard export copyright notice on boot. The international versions don't have an equivalent notice, and instead go straight to the title screen.

Title Screen#

Japan	US	Europe (World)

There're some slightly differences on the title screen:

• In the Japanese version there's a flashing "INSERT COIN!" that was removed in the international versions.
• The Japanese version features the typical Irem's coins instructions used in many of their games (such R-Type), while in the international versions, those have been reworked due to a difference explained below: "1 PLAYER 1 COIN" was changed into "1 COIN 1 PLAY" and moved upwards close to the game's logo, and "2 PLAYERS 2 COINS" was changed into "EXTRA COINS CONTINUE PLAY" and recolored white.
• Since (like Kung-Fu Master) Data East published the game in the US, the Irem's copyright string was moved upwards to include the "LICENSED TO DATA EAST USA, INC." that was removed in the European version, due to being published directly by Irem like the Japanese version.

Gameplay#

Japan	International

• The most notable difference is that the Japanese version can be played by two players, but alternating each other. While the international versions, can ONLY be played by one player.

Japan
International

• As result, the score HUD was heavily changed in the international versions: "PLAYER 1" become "YOUR SCORE" and recolored white, "HI SCORE" become "HIGH SCORE" and (go figure) recolored white and moved to the right where the "PLAYER 2" score supposed to been.
• In the Japanese version, upon completing a stage, the remaining health and time will be converted into bonus points, so you'll start the next stage with your health completely refilled. Whereas in the international versions, only the remaining time will be converted into bonus points, so you'll start the next stage with the same amount of health you had on the previous one. A small change that makes the international versions more difficult.

Revisional Differences#

Other Versions	Revision E

In the newest European revision (called World, Rev E), "Law" was changed into "Power" during the pre-first stage cutscene.

The "Power" message was later used in the ports (like the TurboGrafx-16 version).