Set in a tournament competition, players can perform power-punches, kicks, and slams, with martial arts, wrestling and kickboxing represented in the game.
[3] It contributes to the fighting game genre by introducing the combo system and the ability to perform special moves.
pops up during battle, the player has a chance to rhythmically perform a series of combos called "rush-attacking", which would later be found in other fighting games such as SNK's the Art of Fighting and The King of Fighters series.
In Japan, Game Machine listed Hiryū no Ken on their August 15, 1985 issue as being the third most successful table arcade unit of the month.
[4] In North America, Shanghai Kid was the sixth top-grossing software kit on the RePlay arcade charts in November 1985.