The Way of the Exploding Fist is a Japanese martial arts fight game developed by Beam Software.The game was published on 31 May 1985 by a company called Melbourne House for the Commodore 64. The Way of the Exploding Fist later received ports for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, and Commodore 16.
The Way of the Exploding Fist was a breakout game that did phenomenally, especially in the UK. The year that it came out The Way of the Exploding Fist was the highest selling game in the UK. It even won the Golden Joystick Award’s Game of the Year award. The Way of the Exploding Fist is a unique fighting game that impressed both fans and critics alike.
The Way of the Exploding Fist Premise
Unlike other fighting games, The Way of the Exploding Fist does not market itself through flashing characters. None of the enemies or playable characters have names or a story. The unique combat is what makes The Way of the Exploding Fist so great.
Most fighting games use life bars to determine who wins or loses the match. The victor is determined by how well players perform during the match. Just like in a real karate match, players earn points by fully connecting attacks. Poorly timed attacks or glancing blows will earn the player half a point, while complete connections will earn a full point. The match ends when a player earns two complete points. Each match is overseen by a wise old master in the background.
The Way of the Exploding Fist Series
The Way of the Exploding Fist is the first game in a four-part series. Of these four games, only one of them is not a traditional one-on-one fighting game. Fist II: The Legend Continues is more of side-scrolling adventure game. The last game in the series is Exploding Fist +, which was released in 1988. Below is a list of every game in the series and the year they were released.
- The Way of the Exploding Fist (1985)
- Fist II: The Legend Continues (1986)
- Fist II: The Tournament (1987)
- Exploding Fist + (1988)
The Way of the Exploding Fist Cheat Codes
The Way of the Exploding Fist has only one cheat code that’s available to players. Because The Way of the Exploding Fist is such a simple game, it doesn’t require that many cheat codes. The singular cheat code gives players unlimited lives so they can test their skills as much as they want. This cheat code only works for the Commodore 64 version of the game.
| Effect | Code |
| Unlimited Lives | POKE 6901,255 |
The Way of the Exploding Fist Cheat Code FAQ
Does The Way of the Exploding Fist have any cheat codes?
Yes, The Way of the Exploding Fist has one cheat code that can only be accessed on the Commodore 64 version of the game. These cheat codes grant players unlimited lives so that they never have to worry about losing a match.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©The Way of the Exploding Fist Cover Art.