Street Smart is a 1989 beat ’em up arcade game developed and published by SNK. The game’s objective is to win money, girls [sic], and glory on the streets all over the West. Taking place in a once-in-a-lifetime “Champion Tag Match in USA” tournament where players take the roles of two young hand-to-hand combat experts who have to brawl with the toughest street fighters of the entire nation.
Gameplay
The gameplay is a beat ’em up where the player can move in all eight directions in an arena fight and the player can kick, punch or do special moves. Unlike Technōs’ Double Dragon, River City Ransom and most beat ’em ups, the players fight in an enclosed arena space similar to the gameplay of Taito’s Violence Fight and players can choose to fight as any of the two playable characters listed down below. Street Smart contributes to the genre by adding co-operative multiplayer for team battles against boss characters; however, the players will always have a “Grudge Match” in the next round to determine who gets a bonus life/points, but the two players can play through the entire game together. It also contributes to the genre by adding a simple combo system, the first of its kind, in which players can make normal moves that become part of a string of attacks, much like in some beat ’em ups that predate it.
Player fighters
- Karate-Man (空手家 Karateka), a Japanese man dressed in a white karate gi. He is a martial arts expert with lightning quick attacks.
- Crusher (クラッシャー Kurasshā), an American man dressed in blue leggings. He is a professional wrestler without speed but only strong attacks.
