The Way of the Exploding Fist

Production

Before creating The Way of the Exploding Fist, Gregg Barnett had already adapted The Hobbit and Sherlock for the Commodore 64 on behalf of Beam Software. This title was among the earliest to take significant inspiration from Data East's arcade hit Karate Champ, which had come out the year prior. The Commodore 64 edition animates the player using more than 600 sprite images. Although karate champion Jeoffrey Thompson was brought on to promote the game, he was not famous enough to have it named after him. Beam Software developed a version for the Nintendo Entertainment System, but it was never released. Neil Brennan composed the soundtrack, which draws from the 1952 orchestral work Dance of the Yao People.

Reception

The Way of the Exploding Fist held the top spot on UK software sales charts for two months, covering September and October 1985, before Monty on the Run took over. It ended up as the best-selling computer game in the UK for all of 1985. By 1987, the ZX Spectrum version alone had moved 150,000 copies, and across all platforms in Europe, total sales reached half a million. The Commodore 64 version earned a "Sizzler" rating from Zzap!64 magazine, which gave it a 93% overall score and highlighted its sound and graphics.

Ahoy! called it "an excellent start for a new software label," noting a good mix of action and strategy along with some of the year's best graphics. Your Sinclair reviewers pointed out the game's intense sound effects. At the third Golden Joystick Awards, it was named Game of the Year, and Melbourne House won Best Software House. It also took the Voted Best Game prize at the Saturday Superstore Viewer Awards.

In 1991, Your Sinclair ranked the ZX Spectrum version 67th on its official top 100 list, and in 1996, GamesMaster placed it 76th on its Top 100 Games of All Time.

Sequels

The original game spawned three sequels: Fist II: The Legend Continues, Fist II: The Tournament, and Exploding Fist +. Unlike a standard fighting game, Fist II: The Legend Continues is a scrolling adventure title that includes one-on-one combat. Exploding Fist +, however, reverts to the first game's style, offering three-character battles. This idea came from International Karate +, but here players can control all three fighters at once.