Arch Rivals

Arch Rivals
NES cover art
Developer(s)Midway
Rare (NES)
Arc Developments (Game Gear, Genesis)
Publisher(s)Midway
Acclaim Entertainment[a]
Designer(s)Jeff Nauman and Brian Colin
Programmer(s)Jeff Nauman
Artist(s)Brian Colin
Composer(s)Dan Forden
David Wise (NES)
Mark Cooksey (Game Gear, Genesis)
Platform(s)Arcade, NES, Mega Drive/Genesis, Game Gear
Release1989: Arcade
1990: NES
1992: Mega Drive, Game Gear
May 19, 1992: Genesis[1]
Genre(s)Sports (basketball)
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Arch Rivals is a basketball video game released by Midway for arcades in 1989. Billed by Midway as "A Basket Brawl", the game features two-on-two full court basketball games in which players are encouraged to punch opposing players and steal the ball from them. Arch Rivals was the second basketball video game released by Midway, sixteen years after TV Basketball (1974).[2] Home versions of the game were released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Genesis/Mega Drive, and Game Gear.

Arch Rivals allows players to select from a variety of fictional teams (although arcade operators can change the team names to reflect real ones) and players. One playable character, "Tyrone" was also featured in the animated The Power Team segments of the television series Video Power.[3] In turn, the game has been considered a forerunner to Midway's popular arcade basketball game, NBA Jam.[4]

Emulated versions of the game are included in the compilations Midway Arcade Treasures 2, Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition, and Midway Arcade Origins.

  1. ^ "Press release: 1992-05-19: ACCLAIM BEGINS SHIPMENT OF SEGA SOFTWARE". Sega Retro. 2016-06-10. Retrieved 2023-05-06.
  2. ^ Ali, Reyan (22 October 2019). NBA Jam. Boss Fight Books. pp. 18–9, 34–5. ISBN 978-1-940535-20-3.
  3. ^ "NEW VIDEO SHOW BLENDS LIVE ACTION AND ANIMATED CAST". Sun Sentinel - Fort Lauderdale. June 17, 1990.
  4. ^ Weiss, Brett Alan. "Arch Rivals - Review". All Game. Retrieved June 25, 2012.


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