With the overwhelming success of games like Double Dragon, everyone was eager to get in on the side-scrolling action and release their own ninja fighting game. Data East put forth their idea in 1988, with the release of Bad Dudes vs. Dragon Ninja. But for all of their professed badness, these guys were actually on the right side of justice, defending the American way.

For this time around, the stereotypical kidnapped girlfriend or princess was nowhere to be found. This time the stakes were much higher – the President of the United States was kidnapped by the dastardly Dragon Ninja. And President Ronny’s fate (yep, that was the name given, a tip of the hat to President Reagan) couldn’t be left in the hands of mere military might; it was time to call in the pros – the Bad Dudes.

Players controlled their own bad dude (or multiple dudes, depending on how many quarters were fed into the machine’s belly) who had an impressive arsenal of punches, kicks and the obligatory special moves at his (their) disposal. Using a single attack button, bad dude’s quest took him through urban streets, onboard a moving train, and eventually a helicopter as he struggled to save the Commander in Chief. Standing in his way, of course, were a plethora of colorful ninja adversaries. The most common were blue, with the occasional grey ninja, female ninja, or even attack dogs lending a hand (or paw, depending on who was attacking) to stop the bad dude(s) from achieving their goal. Each level ended with the inevitable encounter with one of the big bosses, ranging from muscleman Karnov (known from his own Data East fighting game) to the granddaddy of all bosses, the seemingly invincible Dragon Ninja.

Of course, why take on a mission as treacherous as this without a buddy by your side? Bad Dudes allowed you to pair up against the onslaught of ninjas, differentiating the players by the color of the bad dudes' pants (white or green.) In multiplayer mode, each fighter shared the various extras accumulated along the way, from energy drinks to increased time to more formidable weapons.

The battle was long and hard and only the baddest survived. But should you be lucky enough to step foot on the helicopter at the end, thereby freeing the Prez from the evil clutches of the Dragon Ninja, he offered these eloquent, heartfelt words of praise as a reward…

"Hey Dudes thanks,
For rescuing me.
Let's go for
A burger…
Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!"

No Presidential Medal of Freedom, no Medal of Valor, just a nice juicy burger – a prize that any dedicated video gamer could identify with.