Dynasty Wars
Originating in the arcades, Dynasty Wars is a beat-em-up set during the Three Kingdoms Era of the Chinese history, and is, more specifically, based on the Tenchi o Kurau manga adaptation of the story. The player adopts the identity of an ancient Chinese warrior, and riding on horseback has to eliminate all his opponents, mostly infantry and archers.
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Game Controls
Default
Game Controls
Default- Player 1 StartP1_STARTENTER
- Player 1 Coin / SelectP1_COINSHIFT
- UpP1_UP↑
- DownP1_DOWN↓
- LeftP1_LEFT←
- RightP1_RIGHT→
- Button 1P1_BUTTON1Z
- Button 2P1_BUTTON2X
- Button 3P1_BUTTON3A
- Button 4P1_BUTTON4S
- Button 5P1_BUTTON5D
- Button 6P1_BUTTON6C
- Player 2 StartP2_STARTNUMENTER
- Player 2 CoinP2_COINNUM0
- UpP2_UPI
- DownP2_DOWNK
- LeftP2_LEFTJ
- RightP2_RIGHTL
- Button 1P2_BUTTON1NUM1
- Button 2P2_BUTTON2NUM2
- Button 3P2_BUTTON3NUM3
- Button 4P2_BUTTON4NUM4
- Button 5P2_BUTTON5NUM5
- Button 6P2_BUTTON6NUM6
About The Retro Game
Dynasty Wars is a fast-paced arcade beat‑'em‑up that transposes the turmoil of the Three Kingdoms era into side‑scrolling combat. Drawing on the Tenchi o Kurau manga adaptation, the game casts the player as an ancient Chinese warrior who charges on horseback through stages filled with infantry and archers, using simple but satisfying attack and special-move mechanics to clear waves of foes. Its core loop is immediate and arcade-focused: ride, hack, and push forward through increasingly dense enemy formations and set-piece encounters.
Released in 1989 as a coin‑op arcade title, Dynasty Wars stood out for bringing large on‑screen skirmishes and mounted combat into the beat‑'em‑up formula. Technically it impressed with fluid horizontal scrolling, numerous enemy sprites, and clear hit feedback that kept matches readable even amid chaos. Culturally, it helped popularize Three Kingdoms narratives in action arcade formats outside Japan, leaving a lasting impression for players who remember its horseback charges, manga-inspired scenarios, and arcade cabinet energy.
Screenshots
