History VideoGame / HiryuNoKen

When the game was remade two years later for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, it was turned into a 2D BeatEmUp / PlatformGame with RPGElements and a story, although the fighting game roots were kept in its combat mechanics, and emphasized on [[TournamentArc martial arts tournaments]] and boss matches. The sequels moved further into [[ActionRPG Action RPGs]], introducing a FiveManBand with [[SuperMode super modes]], [[EasierThanEasy variable]] [[NintendoHard difficulties]], PlayerVersusPlayer modes, and an RPG mode that replaces the combat portions with commands. This was also when Culture Brain was trying to push a ForeignRemake of the series with the {{Superhero}}-themed ''Flying Warriors'' and ''Ultimate Fighter''.

When ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' revolutionized the fighting game genre, the series failed to keep up with the modern conventions, so it tried to FollowTheLeader with the ''[[SuperDeformed SD]] Hiryū no Ken'' games. Later, it also tried to borrow from the more "realistic" 3D fighting games like ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' in ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' and ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'' to little success, since the style returned into the ''SD'' slant. ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' was the final title of the series[[note]]not counting [[UpdatedRerelease color rereleases]] of the UsefulNotes/GameBoy titles[[/note]], which had a story mode that was a VideoGameRemake [[BookEnds of the first game]].

* ''Hiryū no Ken: Ōgi no Sho'' / ''Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll'' (1987/1988, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem FC/NES]])
* ''Hiryū no Ken II: Dragon no Tsubasa'' (1989, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem FC]])
** ''Flying Warriors'' (1991, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]]): ForeignRemake of ''Hiryū no Ken II'' with ''III'''s engine.
* ''Hiryu no Ken III: Gonin no Ryū Senshi'' (1990, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem FC]])
* ''Hiryū no Ken Gaiden'' / ''Fighting Simulator: 2-in-1: Flying Warriors'' (1990/1992, [[UsefulNotes/GameBoy GB]])
** ''Hiryū no Ken Retsuden GB'' (2000. [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor GBC]]): UpdatedRerelease of ''Hiryū no Ken Gaiden'' with a different story.
* ''Hiryū no Ken Special: Fighting Wars'' (1991, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem FC]]): ''Hiryū no Ken III'' FightingGame spin-off.
* ''Hiryū no Ken S: Golden Fighter'' (1992, [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SFC]])
** ''Hiryū no Ken S: Hyper Version'' / ''Ultimate Fighter'' (1992/1994, [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SFC/SNES]]): [[UpdatedRerelease Tweaked update]] of ''Hiryū no Ken S'''s engine.
* ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' (1994, [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SFC]])
** ''SD Hiryū no Ken Gaiden'' (1995, [[UsefulNotes/GameBoy GB]]): Port of ''SD Hiryū no Ken''.
* ''SD Hiryū no Ken Gaiden 2'' (1996, [[UsefulNotes/GameBoy GB]])
** ''SD Hiryū no Ken EX'' (1999, [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor GBC]]): UpdatedRerelease of ''SD Hiryu no Ken Gaiden 2''.
* ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' (1997, [[UsefulNotes/PlayStation PSX]])
* ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'' / ''Flying Dragon'' (1997/1998-99, [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 N64]])
* ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' (1999, [[UsefulNotes/Nintendo64 N64]])

* RecurringBossTemplate: Every game contains six types of martial artist bosses: a [[AllChinesePeopleKnowKungFu Kung Fu]] practitioner, a [[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} karateka]], a [[BoxingBattler boxer]], a [[UsefulNotes/MuayThai nak muay]], a [[ProfessionalWrestling professional wrestler]] and a Martial Artist[[note]]a FictionalFightingStyle -- see the "martial arts" entry on Main/LostInTranslation[[/note]]. This template gets followed as late as ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'': for example, there's Kung Fu (Red Falcon), Karate (Aleph), Boxing (Roseman), Muay Thai (Dava Siddharta), Wrestling (Kevin Clark) and Martial Arts (Kate).

* FiveManBand:
** TheLeader: Ryuhi / Rick Stalker
** TheLancer: Gou Hayato
** TheBigGuy: Wiler / Greg Cummings
** TheSmartGuy: Shouryu / Jimmy Cutler Jr.
** TheChick: Min Min / Mary Lynn
** SixthRanger: Gengai / Gen Lao-Tsu

** ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'' / ''Flying Dragon'''s main gimmick is that you can either play it as a customizable ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' port or a 3D ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' sequel. That said, the game favours playing the SD mode, which adds a Treasure Item-collecting feature that returned for the sequel.

* BodyguardingABadass: Aleph, a competent american karateka, is sent by Min Min's father to protect her.

* CyberNinja: RAIMA, who was created by a scientist to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis collect data from the world's best fighters]]. While the CIA, and therefore Wiler, doesn't trust its destructive potential (which is [[AIIsACrapshoot sort of proven]] with Suzaku's attempt to revive Daimajin), Raima's purpose is [[GoodAllAlong to save the world from danger]]. He also gains two more rivals in ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'': Swedish policewoman Kate and Hayato, who is sent by Shiranui Shizuka (daughter of Hayato's [[FaceHeelTurn story boss]] in ''III'') to search for her lost brother -- [[WeCanRebuildHim no guessing where is he and what happened to him]].

* JapaneseDelinquents: Tetsuo from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''SD Gaiden'' is a heroic version.

* TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou: Yuuka, the UsefulNotes/{{Aikido}} user from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'', was defeated by Hayato and has been looking for him since then.

* YouKilledMyFather: Both Ryuhi and Min Min's parents were killed by the Dragon Tusks. To a lesser extent, Wiler's subordinates were killed by a monster summoned by the Dragon Tusks, and Hayato's clan and Shouryu's parents probably dissapeared under Dragon Tusk-related incidents.

* AllYourPowersCombined: The heroes can combine their powers against the second and third games' [[EleventhHourSuperpower final bosses]] to transform into Ryūten Taisei, an ancient [[GoldColoredSuperiority gold-colored]] heavenly hero that banished the BigBad of the second game in the past.

* AnimalMotifs: Associated with the FiveManBand's super modes: Ryuhi symbolizes the [[GoldColoredSuperiority Golden]] [[DragonsAreDivine Dragon]], Minmin the {{Kirin}}, Hayato the [[ThePhoenix Houou]], Wiler the [[KingOfBeasts Lion]], and Shouryu the [[SilverHasMysticPowers Platinum Dragon]].

* ArrangeMode: ''Hiryū no Ken II'', aside from its main story mode, gets a proto-FightingGame Tournament Mode and an Anime RPG mode, which substitutes the main game's fighting game-like boss fights with RPG commands. After an absence in ''III'' (which got its own fighting game spin-off), these modes return to ''Golden Fighter'' along with a new Battle Mode, which lets the player fight [[BossRush against any boss]].

* AttackItsWeakPoint: The whole point of the "Mind's Eye" system is marking the player character and its enemy's weak point. Hitting in one of the other two possible points results in a brief stun. The marker can occasionally change into a CriticalHit blue marker, a "R" (''Rush'') [[{{Combos}} custom combo]], or a OneHitKill star.

* BigBad: Ryumaou (Dragon Devil King), the leader of the Dragon Tusks, although it's more complicated than that. The main villain of ''Ōgi no Sho'' / ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' and ''Golden Fighter'' is Fuzu-Fu Ryumaou ([[DubNameChange Dargon]] overseas), and the main villain of ''Gonin no Ryū Senshi'' is his younger brother Fudō Ryumaou, the leader of the "Godai Myōō". However, from ''SD Hiryū no Ken Gaiden 2'' to the end of the series, Ryumaou returned as the main villain. It's unclear if he's one of the brothers or if it's [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep just somebody with the same title]] [[note]]considering that ''Virtual'' / ''Twin'''s Ryumaou looks like Fuzu-Fu, ''Densetsu'' retells the first game's plot, and that Fudō is [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse never mentioned again]], it's probably Fuzu-Fu[[/note]].

* BodyguardingABadass: Aleph, a competent american karateka, is sent by Minmin's father to protect her.
* BossInMookClothing: The "Kiba Toshi" (Tusk warriors) from the first three game are a literal version of this, since they tend to be hidden in the bodies of [[HumanDisguise martial artists]]. Beating them is essential for the HundredPercentCompletion, but managing to fight against them usually involves knowing [[Main/PuzzleBoss specific strategies]] against the martial artists.

* CyberNinja: RAIMA, who was created by a scientist to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis collect data from the world's best fighters]]. While the CIA, and therefore Wiler, doesn't trust its destructive potential (which is [[AIIsACrapshoot sort of proven]] with Suzaku's attempt to revive Daimajin), Raima's purpose is [[GoodAllAlong to save the world from danger]]. He also gains two more rivals in ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'': Swedish policewoman Kate and Hayato, who is sent by Shiranui Shizuka (daughter of Hayato's [[FaceHeelTurn story boss]] in ''III'') to search for his lost brother -- [[WeCanRebuildHim no guessing where is he]].

* DefeatMeansFriendship: Hayato and Minmin were rivals to Ryuhi in the first game, but turn into main cast members in the sequel.

* DivergentCharacterEvolution: In ''Ōgi no Sho'', Minmin was a Ryuhi HeadSwap, and Hayato was a minor boss. ''Dragon no Tsubasa'' makes Minmin and Hayato playable, along with new characters Wiler and Shouryu, but only as head swaps of Ryuhi's SuperMode. ''III'' makes them once again playable as Ryuhi head swaps in both modes, and now their super modes wield either two swords or a staff. ''Fighting Wars'' makes them different for the first time by assigning every one of them a fighting style archetype -- except for Minmin, since there is no female fighter archetype. ''Golden Fighter'' gives Minmin her own sprite, at the expense of removing her super mode -- Hayato, Wiler and Shouryu are only playable in super modes. Finally, ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' gives them for the first time their own sprites and completely different movesets.

* ElementalPowers: Each character gets assigned an elemental power in their SuperMode: Ryuhi gets [[HolyHandGrenade heavenly]] powers, Minmin controls [[PlayingWithFire fire]], Hayato has [[BlowYouAway wind]] abilities, Wiler controls [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], and Shouryu gets the power of [[LightEmUp light]]. The sequels add [[BlowYouAway Yuuka]], [[ShockAndAwe Raima]] and Gou [[PlayingWithFire Fire]] to the mix.

** ''Ōgi no Sho'''s wrestler boss Mongol Khan is vaguely similar to [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors Road Warrior Animal]], and Demon Kabuki might be loosely based on The Great Kabuki. Later, the wrestler boss Warrior / Max Crusher from ''II'' and the wrestler sprite from ''III'' (aka ''Conan'') are identical to Wrestling/HulkHogan. [[FinalBoss Mad Warrior]] from ''Fighting Wars'', Zebra and Gossett from ''Hiryū no Ken S'' and Powers from the ''SD'' games are expies of Wrestling/UltimateWarrior.

** TheChick: Minmin / Mary Lynn

* LimitBreak: The "Hiryū no Ken" technique, which initially could only be used when the K.O. Gauge was full, is probably the first technique of its kind in a fighting game. It's also an essential technique [[GameplayAndStorySegregation in the storyline]], since the villains learned it in the first game.

** The Kung Fu archetype is still made from Ryuhi clones (Kokūnsai, Fuzu-Fu) -- however, Minmin and Ryumaou (Fuzu-Fu's SuperMode) have been individual characters since earlier ''SD'' installments. Sadly, Gengai is now a Ryuhi clone, instead of an individual character like in ''Virtual'' / ''Twin''. The Kiba Toshi mooks now retain their possessed body's moves, instead of being Kung Fu fighter [[HeadSwap head swaps]].

* MultinationalTeam: Ryuhi is Chinese, Hayato is Japanese, and Minmin is from Hong Kong. The second game introduces allies from the United States: Wiler, who is commonly associated with foreign JungleJapes, and Shouryu, who is from New York's Chinatown (although since ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' he turns into a [[ForeignCultureFetish mexican luchador]]).
* {{Mummy}}: Earth Quaker, one of the bosses of ''Hiryū no Ken S'' / ''Ultimate Fighter'' and the only new character from the game that made it to the sequels.

* OldMaster: Gengai serves as the ParentalSubstitute / master of Ryuhi and, to a lesser extent, to other main characters. Also [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Rakan]] ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arhat Arhat]]) in the second game, a Shaolin monk protected by two [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nio Nio]]-looking monks who teaches Ryuhi to transform into his super mode. Minmin and Yuuka's grandparents are implied to be expert martial artist, since they fought with Gengai.

* PromotedToPlayable: Hayato and Minmin in the second game, Suzaku and Earth Quaker in ''SD Hiryū no Ken'', Ryumaou in ''Gaiden 2'', Gengai and Kevin Clark in ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'', and almost every boss from ''Ōgi no Sho'' in ''Densetsu''. Powers from the ''SD'' series is an {{Expy}} of earlier wrestlers such as Mad Warrior and Zebra, though.

* TheRival: In ''SD Hiryū no Ken'', every character gets their own subboss before fighting against Suzaku, and they share their ending with the designated character: Yuuka wants to avenge her lost fight against Hayato, Minmin wants to end the forecoming threat of Jennifer, Wiler is suspicious of RAIMA's purpose, Shouryu and Earth Quaker are after a mysterious MacGuffin, Powers and Mainohana fight to prove [[MyKungFuIsStrongerThanYours their wrestling style is better]], and Tetsuo and Uruka are the ComedicReliefCharacters who can't understand each other. The exceptions are Ryuhi ([[AlwaysSomeoneBetter fights against Hayato]]), Suzaku (fights against Ryuhi) and the pre-subboss fighter Roseman (fights against a psychic {{Doppelganger}}).

* SumoWrestling: Mainohana from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''SD Gaiden'' is an excommunicated sumo wrestler. He seems to have been forgotten by ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'', since he was replaced by the more colorful Robo-no-Hana from the ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'' series.

* SuperMode: From ''II'' to ''S'', the five protagonists can transform into super modes with a special armor and weapons. Due to sprite limitations, in ''II'' they are [[HeadSwap head swaps]] (and the only way to play as anyone other than Ryuhi), and in ''III'' and ''S'' they either wield [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a staff. ''S'' [[{{Chickification}} removes Minmin]]'s super mode, since they didn't bother to do a new armored female sprite.

* YouKilledMyFather: Both Ryuhi and Minmin have their parents killed by the Dragon Tusks. To a lesser extent, Wiler's subordinates were killed by a monster summoned by the Dragon Tusks, and Hayato's clan and Shouryu's parents probably dissapeared under Dragon Tusk-related incidents.

* SuperMode: From ''II'' to ''S'', the five protagonists can transform into super modes with a special armor and weapons. Due to sprite limitations, in ''II'' they are [[HeadSwap head swaps]] (and the only way to play as anyone other than Ryuhi), and in ''III'' and ''S'' they either wield [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a SimpleStaff. ''S'' [[{{Chickification}} removes Minmin]]'s super mode, since they didn't bother to do a new armored female sprite.

** ''III'' has the "Godai Myōō" (''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_King Wisdom Kings]]''), which much like the protagonists, [[OnlySixFaces they either wield]] [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a SimpleStaff. Even their boss Fudō Ryumaou shares their sprite.

* CIAEvilFBIGood: Inverted: Wiler, one of the main characters, works for the CIA and is as heroic as the other members.

When the game was remade two years later for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, it was turned into a 2D BeatEmUp / PlatformGame with RPGElements and a story, although the fighting game roots were kept in its combat mechanics, and emphasized on [[TournamentArc martial arts tournaments]] and boss matches. The sequels moved further into [[ActionRPG Action RPGs]], introducing a FiveManBand with [[SuperMode super modes]], a semi-open world, [[EasierThanEasy variable]] [[NintendoHard difficulties]], PlayerVersusPlayer modes, and an RPG mode that replaces the combat portions with commands. This was also when Culture Brain was trying to push a ForeignRemake of the series with the {{Superhero}}-themed ''Flying Warriors'' and ''Ultimate Fighter''.

* ''Hiryū no Ken S: Golden Fighter'' (1992/1994, [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SFC]])
** ''Hiryū no Ken S: Hyper Version'' / ''Ultimate Fighter'' (1992, [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SFC/SNES]]): [[UpdatedRerelease Tweaked update]] of ''Hiryū no Ken S'''s engine.

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'''s story mode is a retelling of the first ''Hiryū no Ken'', but it manages to add the second game's new heroes and villain in cameo roles: one of the tournament fighters (Wolf) is retconned as a companion and {{Expy}} of Wyler that [[PassingTheTorch passes the torch]] to him, another combatant (Masked Fighter) is heavily implied [[CharlieBrownFromOuttaTown to be Shouryu]], and Suzaku (in his Red Falcon guise), has a brief [[BossTease encounter against Ryuhi]]. Ellie, the only new character in the installment, gets a minor cameo [[RememberTheNewGuy as Wolf's daughter]].

* AnimalMotifs: Associated with the FiveManBand's super modes: Ryuhi symbolizes the [[GoldColoredSuperiority Golden]] [[DragonsAreDivine Dragon]], Min-Min the {{Kirin}}, Hayato the [[ThePhoenix Houou]], Wyler the [[KingOfBeasts Lion]], and Shouryu the [[SilverHasMysticPowers Platinum Dragon]].

** ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' redesigns it from its pseudo-RhythmGame turn-based origins into a more dynamic feature, where the markers show up to warn where an attack is going to hit -- and at the same time, the attacker's unprotected points ([[{{Kneecapping}} usually the legs]]). Since the feature is kind of redundant in a 3D fighting game, it was optional in the last three games.

* BlackAndWhiteMorality: The backstory of ''Hiryū no Ken II'' involves the resurrection of the ultimate forces of good and evil, Ryūten Taisei and Daimajin (aka Dragonlord and Daimajin).
* BodyguardingABadass: Aleph, a competent american karateka, is sent by Min-Min's father to protect her.

* BoxingBattler: Too many to list, since almost every game has at least a boxer enemy / boss. Probably the most notorious one is Roseman, who debuted in ''SD Hiryū no Ken''.

* CIAEvilFBIGood: Inverted: Wyler, one of the main characters, works for the CIA and is as heroic as the other members.
* CounterAttack: In the early titles, it was possible to counter a mid/high punch into an arm throw. When the series returned into being full-blown fighting games, counter-attack mechanics were expanded into an essential feature.
* CreatureHunterOrganization: Seimadan, a ancient ghost-hunting organization (vaguely implied to be Dragon Tusks) led by Shouryu. In fact, every organization leader is given the name Shouryu.
* CyberNinja: RAIMA, who was created by a scientist to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis collect data from the world's best fighters]]. While the CIA, and therefore Wyler, doesn't trust its destructive potential (which is [[AIIsACrapshoot sort of proven]] with Suzaku's attempt to revive Daimajin), Raima's purpose is [[GoodAllAlong to save the world from danger]]. He also gains two more rivals in ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'': Swedish policewoman Kate and Hayato, who is sent by Shiranui Shizuka (daughter of Hayato's [[FaceHeelTurn story boss]] in ''III'') to search for his lost brother -- [[WeCanRebuildHim no guessing where is he]].
* DeathByOriginStory: The story of the first ''Hiryū no Ken'' (remade in ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'') starts when Shou'an Rōshi (Master Shou'an), Ryuhi's teacher and foster father, is killed to steal his ''Ōgi no Sho'' book.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Hayato and Min-Min were rivals to Ryuhi in the first game, but turn into main cast members in the sequel.

* DivergentCharacterEvolution: In ''Ōgi no Sho'', Min-Min was a Ryuhi HeadSwap, and Hayato was a minor boss. ''Dragon no Tsubasa'' makes Min-Min and Hayato playable, along with new characters Wyler and Shouryu, but only as head swaps of Ryuhi's SuperMode. ''III'' makes them once again playable as Ryuhi head swaps in both modes, and now their super modes wield either two swords or a staff. ''Fighting Wars'' makes them different for the first time by assigning every one of them a fighting style archetype -- except for Min-Min, since there is no female fighter archetype. ''Golden Fighter'' gives Min-Min her own sprite, at the expense of removing her super mode -- Hayato, Wyler and Shouryu are only playable in super modes. Finally, ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' gives them for the first time their own sprites and completely different movesets.
* DragonInChief: Between ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' and ''Gaiden 2'', Suzaku revives Ryumaou to help him awaken Daimajin. Since Ryumaou is the major villain of most of the games (including every game after ''Gaiden 2''), this goes as well as you can imagine. Averted in the earlier ''Dragon no Tsubasa'', where Ryumaou was a servant of Suzaku.

* ElementalPowers: Each character gets assigned an elemental power in their SuperMode: Ryuhi gets [[HolyHandGrenade heavenly]] powers, Min-Min controls [[PlayingWithFire fire]], Hayato has [[BlowYouAway wind]] abilities, Wyler controls [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], and Shouryu gets the power of [[LightEmUp light]]. The sequels add [[BlowYouAway Yuuka]], [[ShockAndAwe Raima]] and Gou [[PlayingWithFire Fire]] to the mix.

* EvilCounterpart: Every major villain is either an evil counterpart of Ryuhi (Fuzu-Fu, Dark Dragon, Kim Wong-gu in ''[[NoAntagonist Fighting Wars]]'') or his SuperMode (Suzaku, Fudō, Fuzu-Fu's super mode in ''Golden Fighter'').

** The Martial Arts fighters are either based on Wrestling/SatoruSayama (''[[Manga/TigerMask Lion Kid]]'' / ''Litron''), Benny Urquidez (''Haken'' / ''Harkon'', ''Hurricane Benny'', ''Falcon''...), or Everett "Monster Man" Eddy (''Monster Joe'') -- no wonder, since they're the fighters more strongly associated with the fictional "Martial Arts" fighting style in Japan.
** ''Ōgi no Sho'''s wrestler boss Mongol Khan is vaguely similar to [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors Road Warrior Animal]], and Demon Kabuki might be loosely based on The Great Kabuki. Later, the wrestler boss Warrior / Max Crusher from ''II'' and the wrestler sprite from ''III'' (aka ''Conan'') are identical to Wrestling/HulkHogan. [[FinalBoss Mad Warrior]] from ''Fighting Wars'', Zebra from ''Hiryū no Ken S'' and Powers from the ''SD'' games are expies of Wrestling/UltimateWarrior.

** TheBigGuy: Wyler / Greg Cummings

** TheChick: Min-Min / Mary Lynn

* ForeignRemake: The NES ''Flying Warriors'' game is a remake of ''Hiryū no Ken II'' with a {{Superhero}} aesthetic and storyline. However, it's unusual because it was made with the ''Hiryū no Ken III'' engine, instead of just editing the graphics and calling it a day. Further sequels for the Game Boy and Super Nintendo simply edited the main characters' sprites.
* GenreMashup: The NES installments and ''Golden Fighter'' are a proto-fighting game, platformer / beat'em up and RPG at the same time. The last games are simply fighting games with light RPGElements.

* HeadSwap: Common in the early games: ''Hiryū no Ken I'', ''II'' and ''S'' used head swaps of the six fighter archetypes, and ''II'' and ''III'' used it for the main five protagonists. ''III'' only has different heads for the hero / Kung Fu archetype, otherwise there's only a single sprite type for the fighter characters. Averted in ''Fighting Wars'', which uses [[DivergentCharacterEvolution slightly different movesets]] for each archetype clone, despite them being little more than [[PaletteSwap Palette Swaps]].

* KamehameHadoken: A common ability in the early games, known as ''Tōki''. However, it could only be performed against minor enemies and supernatural bosses, not against martial artists. The ''SD'' games play it much straighter, since they came after ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''.
* LegacyBossBattle: The Muay Thai fighter Thornram and the Martial Artist [[Manga/TigerMask Lion Kid]] were bosses from ''Hokuha Syourin Hiryū no Ken'' to ''Dragon no Tsubasa''. Likewise, the karateka Daimon appeared in the second and third games.

** The Kung Fu archetype is still made from Ryuhi clones (Kokūnsai, Fuzu-Fu) -- however, Min-Min and Ryumaou (Fuzu-Fu's SuperMode) keep their own movesets from earlier ''SD'' installments. Sadly, Gengai is now a Ryuhi clone, instead of an individual character like in ''Virtual'' / ''Twin''. The Kiba Toshi mooks now retain their possessed body's moves, instead of being Kung Fu fighter [[HeadSwap head swaps]].

** Muay Thai fighters Thornram and Targun get their own non-cloned moveset, so they are clones of each other.
** Wrestler fighters are all over the place: the BandagedFace wrestler Zongerian turns into a full-body mummy with Earthquaker's appearance, Mongol Khan shares his SumoWrestling style with Robo-no-Hana, and Demon Kabuki's fighting style is borrowed from Powers, the most straight pro-wrestler in the ''SD'' series.
** Martial Arts fighter Hariyaa (aka "Lion Kid" / "Litron" in the older series) borrows his style from Shouryu -- which makes sense, given that Shouryu's fighting style was Martial Arts in ''Fighting Wars''. Wolf Morgan is turned into an {{Expy}} of Wyler.
** The Boxer discipline from ''Ōgi no Sho'' is mostly absent, only Masked Fighter ("Fighter ?" in the first game) returns as another Shouryu clone (in fact, heavily implied to be himself). Boxer X and Giga Bruiser are nowhere to be seen -- one would guess that the boxer Roseman from the ''SD'' series or Astro Joe from the ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'' series would have greatly helped.
* MultinationalTeam: Ryuhi is Chinese, Hayato is Japanese, and Min-Min is from Hong Kong. The second game introduces allies from the United States: Wyler, who is commonly associated with foreign JungleJapes, and Shouryu, who is from New York's Chinatown (although since ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' he turns into a [[ForeignCultureFetish mexican luchador]]).
* {{Mummy}}: Earthquaker, one of the bosses of ''Hiryū no Ken S'' / ''Ultimate Fighter'' and the only new character from the game that made it to the sequels.

* OldMaster: Gengai serves as the ParentalSubstitute / master of Ryuhi and, to a lesser extent, to other main characters. Also [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep Rakan]] ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arhat Arhat]]) in the second game, a Shaolin monk protected by two [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nio Nio]]-looking monks who teaches Ryuhi to transform into his super mode. Min-Min and Yuka's grandparents are implied to be expert martial artist, since they fought with Gengai.

* PromotedToPlayable: Hayato and Min-Min in the second game, Suzaku and Earth Quaker in ''SD Hiryū no Ken'', Ryumaou in ''Gaiden 2'', Gengai and Kevin Clark in ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'', and almost every boss from ''Ōgi no Sho'' in ''Densetsu''. Powers from the ''SD'' series is an {{Expy}} of earlier wrestlers such as Mad Warrior and Zebra, though.

* ThePsychoRangers: Incredibly common villains in every non-fighting game. Many of them hide in the body of a martial artist:

** ''II'' has the "Makaishū Shitennō" (''Hellish [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Heavenly_Kings Four Heavenly Kings]]''), [[PaletteSwap Palette Swaps]] of the Kiba Toshi, and the [[TheFourGods Four Gods]]-themed "Gekkōshū Hissatsu-ō" (''Four Moonlight Killing Kings'') -- in an unusual example, Suzaku, the leader of the Gekkōshū, is both a team member and the BigBad of the game.

** ''S'' has the "Shura Satsuo" (''Four Killing [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asura Asura]] Kings'': [[ArmiesAreEvil Iron Jason]] / Iron Claw, [[ShouldersOfDoom Grimson]] / Grimzon, [[BladeBelowTheShoulder Broadway]] / [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead Jake Spinner]], and [[{{Mummy}} Earthquaker]]) -- unlike the older bosses, who [[ReusedCharacterDesign shared sprites]], every one of them has its own design. Played straight, however, with the seven "Makaishu" (''Hellish ones''), which seem to be extremely similar to the "Godai Myōō".

* RecurringBossTemplate: Every game contains six types of martial artist bosses: a [[AllChinesePeopleKnowKungFu Kung Fu]] practitioner, a [[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} karateka]], a [[BoxingBattler boxer]], a [[UsefulNotes/MuayThai nak muay]], a [[ProfessionalWrestling professional wrestler]] and a Martial Artist[[note]]a FictionalFightingStyle -- see the "martial arts" entry on Main/LostInTranslation[[/note]]. This template gets followed as late as ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'': for example, there's Kung Fu (Ryuhi, etc), Karate (Aleph), Boxing (Albert Roseman), Muay Thai (Dava Siddharta), Wrestling (Kevin Clark) and Martial Arts (Kate).

* SuperMode: From ''II'' to ''S'', the five protagonists can transform into super modes with a special armor and weapons. Due to sprite limitations, in ''II'' they are [[HeadSwap head swaps]] (and the only way to play as anyone other than Ryuhi), and in ''III'' and ''S'' they either wield [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a SimpleStaff. ''S'' [[{{Chickification}} removes Min-Min]]'s super mode, since they didn't bother to do a new armored female sprite.

* TournamentArc: Present in every game, as an homage to its proto-FightingGame origin.

* WorldTour: In ''Dragon no Tsubasa'', the heroes visit China, Hong Kong, Peru, New York and the underworld. ''Gonin no Ryū Senshi'' moves them to North America, Japan, Thailand, Europe and New York.
* WorldWreckingWave: Subtly done by Suzaku's attempt to re-awaken Daimajin in ''SD Hiryū no Ken'': the mummy Earthquaker wakes up from slumber, the already wild Uruka turns into TheBerserker, Roseman's psychic powers wake up, and RAIMA's [[AIIsACrapshoot programming fails]].
* YouKilledMyFather: Both Ryuhi and Min-Min have their parents killed by the Dragon Tusks. To a lesser extent, Hayato's clan and Wyler's subordinates were killed by a monster summoned by the Dragon Tusks, and Shouryu's parents probably dissapeared under Dragon Tusks-related incidents.

''Hiryū no Ken'' (飛龍の拳, lit. "[[SignatureMove Fist of the Flying Dragon]]") is a GenreMashup video game series developed by Culture Brain which ran from 1985 to 2000. The series started with the UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame ''Hokuha Syourin Hiryū no Ken'' / ''[[CompletelyDifferentTitle Shanghai Kid]]'', which is one of the earliest examples of a UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts [[note]](as in "style vs. style matches")[[/note]] FightingGame. Its main feature is the [[CrosshairAware "Mind's Eye" system]], which indicates one of the two fighters' [[AttackItsWeakPoint weak points]] to attack or defend. It was also one of the first fighting games with a special move, a [[CounterAttack Counter Attack]] and a FinishingMove. In what would be the series' six staple fighting styles, it starred a [[AllChinesePeopleKnowKungFu Kung Fu]] practitioner fighting against a [[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} karateka]], a [[BoxingBattler boxer]], a [[UsefulNotes/MuayThai nak muay]], a [[ProfessionalWrestling professional wrestler]] and a Martial Artist[[note]]a FictionalFightingStyle -- see the "martial arts" entry on Main/LostInTranslation[[/note]].

* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'''s story mode is a retelling of the first ''Hiryū no Ken'', but it manages to add the second game's new heroes and villain in cameo roles: one of the tournament fighters (Wolf) is retconned as a companion and {{Expy}} of Wyler that [[PassingTheTorch passes the torch]] to him, another combatant (Masked Fighter) is heavily implied [[CharlieBrownFromOuttaTown to be Shouryu]], and Suzaku (in his Red Falcon guise), has a brief [[BossTease encounter against Ryuhi]].

** This also happens with the villain Fudō Ryumaou and the Godai Myōō of ''Gonin no Ryū Senshi'', who merge into a [[OneWingedAngel demon-looking monster]]. The Matenshu, villains of ''Gaiden'', also combine their powers to create Dark Dragon.

** ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' lets you choose against four modes: ''Hiryū Mode 1'' (''[[VideoGame/VirtuaFighter Virtua Fighter 3]]'' controls, Mind's Eye), ''Hiryū Mode 2'' (''Virtua Fighter 2'' controls, Mind's Eye), ''EXCITE Mode'' (Four-button ''[[Franchise/{{Tekken}} Tekken 2]]'' controls, no Super Special Moves) and EXPERT mode (''Hiryū 1'' without Mind's Eye nor Super Special Moves). The options let you switch the controls from the first three modes, though.

* BigBad: Ryumaou, the leader of the Dragon Fangs, although it's more complicated than that. The main villain of ''Ōgi no Sho'' / ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' and ''Golden Fighter'' is Fuzu-Fu Ryumaou ([[DubNameChange Dargon]] overseas), and the main villain of ''Gonin no Ryū Senshi'' is his younger brother Fudō Ryumaou, the leader of the "Godai Myōō". However, from ''SD Hiryū no Ken Gaiden 2'' to the end of the series, Ryumaou returned as the main villain. It's unclear if he's one of the brothers or if it's [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep just a title]] [[note]]considering that ''Virtual'' / ''Twin'''s Ryumaou looks like Fuzu-Fu, ''Densetsu'' retells the first game's plot, and the third game's events are [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse never mentioned again]], it's probably Fuzu-Fu[[/note]].
** Other main villains include Suzaku, the main villain of ''Dragon no Tsubasa'', ''[[ActuallyADoombot SD Hiryū no Ken]]'' and ''Retsuden'', and Dark Dragon from ''Gaiden''.
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: The backstory of ''Hiryū no Ken II'' involves the resurrection of the ultimate forces of good and evil, Ryūten Taisei and Daimajin.
* BossInMookClothing: The "Kiba Toshi" (Fang warriors) from the first three game are a literal version of this, since they tend to be hidden in the bodies of [[HumanDisguise martial artists]]. Beating them is essential for the HundredPercentCompletion, but managing to fight against them usually involves knowing [[Main/PuzzleBoss specific strategies]] against the martial artists.

* BoxingBattler: Too many to list, since almost every game has at least a boxer enemy / boss. Probably the most notorious one is the [[NonIdleRich super-powered aristocrat]] Albert Roseman, who debuted in ''SD Hiryū no Ken''.

* ChineseVampire: ''Hiryū no Ken II'' / ''Flying Warriors'' had jiangshi as enemies in one of its levels, with a giant jiangshi subboss at its end.

* CyberNinja: SNB/RAIMA, who was created by a scientist to [[AwesomenessByAnalysis collect data from the world's best fighters]]. While the CIA, and therefore Wyler, doesn't trust its destructive potential, Raima's purpose is [[GoodAllAlong to save the world from danger]].
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: In ''Ōgi no Sho'', Min-Min was a Ryuhi HeadSwap, and Hayato was a minor boss. ''Dragon no Tsubasa'' makes Min-Min and Hayato playable, along with new characters Wyler and Shouryu, but only as head swaps of Ryuhi's SuperMode. ''III'' makes them once again playable as Ryuhi head swaps, and now their super modes wield either two swords or a staff. ''Fighting Wars'' makes them different for the first time by assigning every one of them a fighting style archetype -- except for Min-Min, since there is no female fighter archetype. ''Golden Fighter'' gives Min-Min her own sprite, at the expense of removing her super mode -- Hayato, Wyler and Shouryu are only playable in super modes. Finally, ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' gives them for the first time their own sprites and completely different movesets.

* ElementalPowers: Each character gets assigned an elemental power in their SuperMode: Ryuhi gets [[HolyHandGrenade heavenly]] powers, Min-Min controls [[PlayingWithFire fire]], Hayato has [[BlowYouAway wind]] abilities, Wyler controls [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], and Shouryu gets the power of [[LightEmUp light]]. The sequels add [[BlowYouAway Yuuka]], [[ShockAndAwe Raima]] and ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'''s Gou [[PlayingWithFire Fire]] to the mix.

* EvilCounterpart: Every major villain is either an evil counterpart of Ryuhi (Fuzu-Fu, Dark Dragon) or his SuperMode (Suzaku, Fudō, Fuzu-Fu again in ''Golden Fighter'').
* EvilKnockoff: Dark Dragon, the secret boss of ''Gaiden'', is literally an evil copy of Ryuhi made with the power of the Matenshu.

** ''Fighting Wars'' also redesigned the gigantic wrestler archetype into a more realistic Wrestling/UniversalWrestlingFederation-type fighter, most notably Mach Akira as an Wrestling/AkiraMaeda expy and Toukon Taro being "Moeru Toukon" Wrestling/AntonioInoki (''Hiryū no Ken S'' managed to get the two wrestler body types).
** Kevin, the wrestler from ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'', is basically Wrestling/StanHansen.
* DeathByOriginStory: The story of the first ''Hiryū no Ken'' (remade in ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'') starts when Ryuhi's foster father is killed to steal the Hiryu no Ken scroll.
* DefeatMeansFriendship: Hayato and Min-Min were rivals in the first game, but turn into main cast members in the sequel.
* DegradedBoss: Fuzu-Fu Ryumaou evolves from the final boss of the first game to the last opponent of ''II'''s TournamentArc, which happens halfway in the game. The same thing happens to Red Falcon (Suzaku) between the second and third games. To a lesser extent, the martial artists' sprites, which were mostly used for boss fights in the first two games, are used for common mooks in ''III'' and ''S''.

* ForeignRemake: The NES ''Flying Warriors'' game is a remake of ''Hiryū no Ken II'' with a {{Superhero}} aesthetic and storyline. However, it's unusual because it was made with the ''Hiryū no Ken III'' engine, instead of just changing the graphics and calling it a day. Further sequels for the Game Boy and Super Nintendo simply edited the main characters' sprites.

* KamehameHadoken: A common ability in the early games, known as ''Tōki''. However, it could only be performed against minor enemies and not against martial artists and bosses. The ''SD'' games play it much straighter, since they came after ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII''.

* LoveAtFirstPunch: Yuuka, the UsefulNotes/{{Aikido}} user from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'', was defeated by Hayato and [[TheOnlyOneAllowedToDefeatYou has been looking for him since then]]. However, she seems to be a little too eager to find him again.

** The Kung Fu archetype is still made from Ryuhi clones (Kokuunsai, Fuzu-Fu) -- however, Min-Min retains her ''SD'' moveset, and Fuzu-Fu's SuperMode (Ryumaou) is a different character. Sadly, Gengai is now a Ryuhi clone, instead of an individual character like in the older ''SD'' games. The Kiba Toshi mooks now retain their possessed body's moves, instead of being Kung Fu fighter [[HeadSwap head swaps]]
** Karate fighter Gou Hayato retains his ''SD'' moveset, but Mugen Shirou is now a clone of Gou Fire from the ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'' series.
** Muay Thai fighters Thorn Ram and Targun get their own non-cloned moveset, so they are clones of each other.
** Wrestler fighters are all over the place: the BandagedFace wrestler Zongerian turns into a full-body mummy with Earth Quaker's appearance, Mongol Khan shares his SumoWrestling style with Robo-no-Hana from the ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'' series, and Demon Kabuki's fighting style is borrowed from Powers, the most straight pro-wrestler in the ''SD'' series.

** The Boxer discipline from ''Ōgi no Sho'' is mostly absent, only Masked Fighter ("Fighter ?" in the first game) returns as another Shouryu clone (in fact, heavily implied to be himself). Boxer X and Giga Bruiser are nowhere to be seen -- one would guess that the boxer Roseman from the ''SD'' series would have greatly helped.
* {{Mummy}}: Earth Quaker, one of the bosses of ''Hiryū no Ken S'' / ''Ultimate Fighter'' and the only new character from the game that made it to the sequels. If his rivalry with Shouryu in the ''SD'' series is anything to go, he may be a {{Mayincatec}}-type mummy.
* OldMaster: Gengai serves as the ParentalSubstitute / master of Ryuhi and, to a lesser extent, to other main characters.

** ''I'''s "Garyu Jushi Rokunin-shu" (''Six Dragon Fang Beastmen'') are little more than overworld EliteMooks. Unlike further installments, every one of them has their own sprite.

** ''S'' has the "Shura Satsuo" (''Four Killing [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asura Asura]] Kings'': [[ArmiesAreEvil Iron Jason]], [[ShouldersOfDoom Grimson]], [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead Broad]][[BladeBelowTheShoulder way]] and [[{{Mummy}} Earth Quaker]]) -- unlike the older bosses, who [[ReusedCharacterDesign shared sprites]], every one of them has its own design. Played straight, however, with the seven "Makaishu" (''Hellish ones''), which seem to be extremely similar to the "Godai Myōō".

* SealedEvilInACan: Daimajin, the last boss of ''Dragon no Tsubasa''. The end of ''Gonin no Ryū Senshi'' and ''Retsuden'' [[GreaterScopeVillain tease with his return]].

* SuperMode: From ''II'' to ''S'', the five protagonists can transform into super modes with a special armor and weapons. Due to sprite limitations, in ''II'' they are [[HeadSwap head swaps]] (and the only way to play as anyone other than Ryuhi), and in ''III'' and ''S'' they either wield [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a SimpleStaff (''S'' [[{{Chickification}} removes Min-Min]]'s super mode, since they didn't bother to do a new armored female sprite).

* TeenGenius: At 15, Shouryu is the youngest cast member, but is said to have immense psychic power potential. Moreover, he's the leader of a [[CreatureHunterOrganization Ghost-hunting organization]] (vaguely implied to be Dragon Fangss).
* TournamentArc: A leftover from the earliest title, which was a pure fighting game.
* VideoGameRemake: ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'''s story mode was a remake of ''Ōgi no Sho''.
* WildMan: Uruka from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''SD Gaiden'' is a monstruous-looking child from a CannibalTribe.

* ArrangeMode: ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'' / ''Flying Dragon'''s main gimmick is that you can either play it as a updated ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' port or a 3D ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' sequel. That said, the game clearly favours the SD mode, since it was the only mode that returned for the sequel.
* AttackItsWeakPoint: The whole point of the "Mind's Eye" system is marking you and your enemy's weak point. Hitting in one of the other two possible points results in a brief stun. The marker can occasionally change into a CriticalHit blue marker, a "R" (''Rush'') [[{{Combos}} custom combo]], or a OneHitKill star.

** ''Ōgi no Sho'''s wrestler boss Mongol Khan is vaguely similar to [[Wrestling/TheRoadWarriors Road Warrior Animal]], and Demon Kabuki might be loosely based on The Great Kabuki. Later, the wrestler boss Warrior / Max Crusher from ''II'' and the wrestler sprite from ''III'' (aka ''Conan'') are identical to Wrestling/HulkHogan. Later, [[FinalBoss Mad Warrior]] from ''Fighting Wars'', Zebra from ''Hiryū no Ken S'' and Powers from the ''SD'' games are expies of Wrestling/UltimateWarrior.

''Hiryū no Ken'' (飛龍の拳, lit. "[[SignatureMove Fist of the Flying Dragon]]") is a GenreMashup video game series developed by Culture Brain which ran from 1985 to 2000. The series started with the UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame ''Hokuha Syourin Hiryū no Ken'' / ''[[CompletelyDifferentTitle Shanghai Kid]]'', which is one of the earliest examples of a UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts [[note]](as in "style vs. style matches")[[/note]] FightingGame. Its main feature is the [[CrosshairAware "Mind's Eye" system]], which indicates one of the two fighters' [[AttackItsWeakPoint weak points]] to attack or defend. It was also one of the first fighting games with a special move, a [[CounterAttack Counter Attack]] and a FinishingMove. In what would be the series' six staple fighting styles, it starred a [[AllChinesePeopleKnowKungFu Kung Fu]] practicioner fighting against a [[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} karateka]], a [[BoxingBattler boxer]], a [[UsefulNotes/MuayThai nak muay]], a [[ProfessionalWrestling pro wrestler]] and a Martial Artist[[note]]a FictionalFightingStyle -- see the "martial arts" entry on Main/LostInTranslation[[/note]].

When ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' revolutionized the fighting game genre, the series failed to keep up with the modern conventions, so it tried to FollowTheLeader with the ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' games. Later, it also tried to borrow from the more "realistic" 3D fighting games like ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' in ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' and ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'' to little success, since the style returned into the ''SD'' slant. ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' was the final title of the series[[note]]not counting [[UpdatedRerelease color rereleases]] of the UsefulNotes/GameBoy titles[[/note]], which had a story mode that was a VideoGameRemake [[BookEnds of the first game]] (with cameos from the second game's most iconic characters).

* BigBad: Ryumaou, the leader of the Dragon Fangs, although it's more complicated than that. The main villain of ''Ōgi no Sho'' / ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' and ''Golden Fighter'' is Fuzu-Fu Ryumaou ([[DubNameChange Dargon]] overseas), and the main villain of ''5 Nin no Ryū Senshi'' is his younger brother Fudō Ryumaou, the leader of the "Godai Myōō" (Fudō Fudō). However, from ''SD Hiryū no Ken Gaiden 2'' to the end of the series, Ryumaou was the main villain. The plot doesn't tell whose brother is it [[note]]considering that ''Virtual'' / ''Twin'''s Ryumaou looks like Fuzu-Fu, ''Densetsu'' retells the first game's plot, and the third game's events are [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse never mentioned again]], it's probably Fuzu-Fu[[/note]].
** Other main villains include Suzaku, the main villain of ''Dragon no Tsubasa'' and ''[[ActuallyADoombot SD Hiryū no Ken]]'', and the "Matenshu" / "Ryuga Goketsushu" teams from ''Gaiden'' and ''Retsuden''.
* BigGood: Ryūten Taisei, a [[GoldColoredSuperiority gold-colored]] heavenly hero that banished the BigBad in the past. He appears when the main characters [[AllYourPowersCombined combine their powers]] against the second and third games' [[EleventhHourSuperpower final bosses]].
* BlackAndWhiteMorality: The backstory of ''Hiryū no Ken II'' and ''III'' involves the resurrection of the ultimate forces of good and evil, Ryūten Taisei and Daimajin.
* BoxingBattler: Too many to list, since almost every game has at least a boxer enemy / boss. Probably the most notorious one is the [[NonIdleRich super-powered aristocrat]] Albert Roseman, who debutted in ''SD Hiryū no Ken''.

* CharlieBrownFromOuttaTown: After being defeated in ''Hiryū no Ken II'', Suzaku reappears as Red Falcon, a HumanDisguise. He also sports a [[GoodScarsEvilScars scar on his face]] as a mark from his defeat.

* ChromeChampion: ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'' / ''Flying Dragon (N64)'' features metallized versions of the playable characters as sub-bosses.

* CounterAttack: In the early titles, it was possible to counter a mid/high punch into an arm throw. When the series returned into being full-blown fighting games, counter-attack mechanics were expanded into an important element.

* DressedLikeADominatrix: Jennifer from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''Gaiden''. She even has a whip to control his winged lion, Daddy.
* ElementalPowers: Each character gets assigned an elemental power in their SuperMode: Ryuhi gets [[HolyHandGrenade heavenly]] powers, Min-Min and Gou Fire control [[PlayingWithFire fire]], Hayato and Yuuka share [[BlowYouAway wind]] abilities, Wyler and RAIMA control [[ShockAndAwe lightning]], and Shouryu gets the power of [[LightEmUp light]].
** Ryuhi gains FireIceLightning and Wind-themed clones in ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'': most of them are Hiryu with new [[MovesetClone moves taken from one of the characters mentioned above]]. [[AnIcePerson Ice]], the only new elemental power, gains most of his moveset from ''[[VideoGame/SuperChinese Super Chinese Fighter]]'''s Jack.

** The Martial Arts fighters are either based on Benny Urquidez (Haken, Hurricane Benny, Falcon...) or Wrestling/SatoruSayama ([[Manga/TigerMask Lion Kid]]) -- no wonder, since they're the fighters more strongly associated with the fictional "Martial Arts" fighting style.
** The wrestler boss Warrior from ''II'' and the wrestler sprite from ''III'' (aka Conan) are identical to Wrestling/HulkHogan. Later, [[FinalBoss Mad Warrior]] from ''Fighting Wars'', Zebra from ''Hiryū no Ken S'' and Powers from the ''SD'' games are expies of Wrestling/UltimateWarrior. ''Fighting Wars'' redesigned the gigantic wrestler archetype into a more realistic Wrestling/UniversalWrestlingFederation-type fighter, most notably Mach Akira as an Wrestling/AkiraMaeda expy (''Hiryū no Ken S'' managed to get the two wrestler body types).

* EliteMook: The "Kiba Toshi" (Fang warriors) in every mainline game until the ''SD'' series, where they were usually hidden in the bodies of martial artists. Inverted by the "Makaishū Shitennō" boss Baishura in ''II'', who [[BossInMookClothing hides as a Kiba Toshi]].

** TheLeader: Ryuhi

** TheBigGuy: Wyler
** TheSmartGuy: Shouryu
** TheChick: Min-Min
** SixthRanger: Gengai

* GreaterScopeVillain: Daimajin, who is the last boss of ''Hiryū no Ken II''. Other sequels tease with his return.
* HeadSwap: Common in the early games: ''Hiryū no Ken I'', ''II'' and ''S'' used head swaps of the six fighter archetypes, and ''II'' and ''III'' used it for the main five protagonists. ''III'' only has different heads for the hero/Kung Fu archetype, otherwise there's only a single sprite type for the fighter characters. Averted in ''Fighting Wars'', which uses [[DivergentCharacterEvolution slightly different movesets]] for each archetype clone, despite them being little more than [[PaletteSwap Palette Swaps]].
* HurricaneKick: It's one of the iconic moves of the main characters (especially when they shared sprites) -- the titular "Hiryū no Ken" technique starts as a hurricane kick into one of the screen's corners, where the characters perform a flying kick.
* JapaneseDelinquents: Tetsuo from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''Gaiden'' is a heroic version.
* LimitBreak: The "Hiryū no Ken" technique, which initially could only be used when the K.O. Gauge was full, is probably the first technique of its kind in a fighting game.
* LoveAtFirstPunch: Yuuka, the UsefulNotes/{{Aikido}} user from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'', fell in love with Hayato... Right after he beat her. Her purpose is to defeat him, and who knows what else.

** Wrestler fighters are all over the place: the BandagedFace wrestler Zongerian turns into a full-body mummy with Earth Quaker's appearance, Mongol Khan shares his SumoWrestling style with Robo-no-Hana from the ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'' series , and Demon Kabuki's fighting style is borrowed from Powers, the most straight pro-wrestler in the ''SD'' series.
** Martial Arts fighter Hariyaa (aka "Lion Kid" in the older series) borrows his style from Shouryu -- which makes sense, given that Shouryu's fighting style was Martial Arts in ''Fighting Wars''. Wolf Mogan is turned into an {{Expy}} of Wyler.

** ''I'''s "Garyu Jushi Rokunin-shu" (''Six Dragon Fang Beastmen'') are litle more than overworld EliteMooks.

** ''III'' has the "Godai Myōō" (''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_King Wisdom Kings]]''). They're all [[DualWielding dual sword]]-wielding palette swaps, to the point that even their boss Fudō Ryumaou shares their sprite.
** ''Gaiden'' has the five "Matenshu" (''Devil [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deva_(Buddhism) Devas]]''), which are nigh-identical to the "Godai Myōō". For some reason, in the UpdatedRerelease they have been renamed as the "Ryuga Goketsushu" (''Five Great Dragon Fangs''), which have dinosaur-themed names.
** ''S'' has the "Shura Satsuo" (''Four Killing [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asura Asura]] Kings'': [[ArmiesAreEvil Iron Jason]], [[ShouldersOfDoom Grimson]], [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead Broad]][[BladeBelowTheShoulder way]] and [[{{Mummy}} Earth Quaker]]) -- unlike the older bosses, who [[ReusedCharacterDesign shared sprites]], every one of them has its own design. Played straight, however, with the seven "Makaishu" (''Hellish ones''), which much like the protagonists, [[OnlySixFaces they either wield]] [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a SimpleStaff.
** The end of ''Hiryū no Ken S'' teases the appearance of the "Kongo Shichibushin" (''Seven [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vajra Vajra]] Deities'') in future installments. However, the only mention of them in sequels was that Daddy and Jennifer (from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''Gaiden'') are minions to Kendara, one of the seven Shichibushin.
* ShoutOut: A japanese game from the eighties about a FiveManBand with legendary armors that fight against other evil armored warriors? Yeah, ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' was kind of popular back then. One of them has even a peacock-like tail ([[CutscenePowerToTheMax at least in cutscenes]]), just like Phoenix Ikki.
* SumoWrestling: Mainohana from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''Gaiden'' is an excommunicated sumo wrestler.

* SuperTitle64Advance: In ''Hiryū no Ken Retsuden GB''... Although it's technically a GBC title.
* TeenGenius: At 15, Shouryu is the youngest cast member, but is said to have inmense psychic power potential. Moreover, he's the leader of a CreatureHunterOrganization.

* WildMan: Uruka from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''Gaiden'' is a monstruous-looking child from a CannibalTribe.

''Hiryū no Ken'' ([[SignatureMove Flying Dragon Fist]]) is a GenreMashup video game series developed by Culture Brain which ran from 1985 to 2000. The series started with the UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame ''Hokuha Syourin Hiryū no Ken'' / ''[[CompletelyDifferentTitle Shanghai Kid]]'', which is one of the earliest examples of a UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts (as in "style vs. style matches") FightingGame. Its main feature is the [[CrosshairAware "Mind's Eye" system]], which indicates one of the two fighters' three [[AttackItsWeakPoint weak points]] to attack or defend. It was also one of the first fighting games with a special move, a [[CounterAttack Counter Attack]] and a FinishingMove. In what would be the series' six staple fighting styles, it starred a [[AllChinesePeopleKnowKungFu Kung Fu]] practicioner fighting against a [[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} karateka]], a [[BoxingBattler boxer]], a [[UsefulNotes/MuayThai nak muay]], a [[ProfessionalWrestling pro wrestler]] and a Martial Artist[[note]]a FictionalFightingStyle -- see the "martial arts" entry on Main/LostInTranslation[[/note]].

When ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' revolutionized the fighting game genre, the series failed to keep up with the modern conventions, so it tried to FollowTheLeader with the ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' games. Later, it also tried to borrow from the more "realistic" 3D fighting games like ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' in ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' and ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'' to little success, since the ''SD'' slant proved to be more successful. ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' was the final title of the series[[note]]not counting [[UpdatedRerelease color rereleases]] of the UsefulNotes/GameBoy titles[[/note]], which had a story mode that was a VideoGameRemake [[BookEnds of the first game]] (with cameos from the second game's most iconic characters).

* ''Hiryu no Ken III: 5 Nin no Ryū Senshi'' (1990, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem FC]])

* BigBad: Ryumaou, the leader of the Dragon Fangs, although it's more complicated than that. The main villain of ''Ōgi no Sho'' / ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' and ''Golden Fighter'' is Fuzu-Fu Ryumaou ([[DubNameChange Dargon]] overseas), and the main villain of ''5 Nin no Ryū Senshi'' is his younger brother Fudō Ryumaou, the leader of the "Godai Myōō" (Fudō Fudō). However, from ''SD Hiryū no Ken Gaiden 2'' to the end of the series, Ryoumaou was the main villain. The plot doesn't tell whose brother is it.

* CounterAttack: In the early titles, it was possible to counter a mid/high punch into an arm throw.

** ''I'''s "Garyu Jushi Rokunin-shu" are litle more than overworld EliteMooks.
** ''II'' has the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Heavenly_Kings Four Heavenly Kings]]-themed "Makaishū Shitennō" and the [[TheFourGods Four Gods]]-themed "Gekkōshū Hissatsu-ō" -- in an unusual example, Suzaku, the leader of the Gekkōshū, is both a team member and the BigBad of the game.
** ''III'' has the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_King Wisdom King]]-based "Godai Myōō". Much like the protagonists, [[OnlySixFaces they either wield]] [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a SimpleStaff.
** ''Gaiden'' has the five "Matenshu", which all share the same sprite. For some reason, in the UpdatedRerelease they have been renamed as the "Ryuga Goketsushu", which have dinosaur-themed names.
** ''S'' has the Shura Satsuo ([[ArmiesAreEvil Iron Jason]], [[ShouldersOfDoom Grimson]], [[WearingAFlagOnYourHead Broad]][[BladeBelowTheShoulder way]] and [[{{Mummy}} Earth Quaker]]) -- unlike the older bosses, who [[ReusedCharacterDesign shared sprites]], every one of them has its own design. Played straight, however, with the seven "Makaishu", which are incredibly similar to ''III'''s "Godai Myōō".
** The end of ''Hiryū no Ken S'' teases the appearance of the "Kongo Shichibushin" in future installments. However, the only mention of them in sequels was that Daddy and Jennifer (from ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' / ''Gaiden'') are minions to Kendara, one of the seven Shichibushin.

Compare with the sister series ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'': ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' was made in the style of Culture Brain's own ''Super Chinese World 2'', which itself borrowed from ''Hiryū no Ken'''s TournamentArc tropes [[RecycledINSPACE in space]]. Guest fighters from ''Super Chinese Fighter'' would also make cameos in the last two titles.

** ''Flying Warriors'' (1991, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem NES]]): ForeignRemake of ''Hiryū no Ken II'' with ''III'''s engine.

* ''Hiryū no Ken Special: Fighting Wars'' (1991, [[UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem FC]]): FightingGame spin-off made with ''Hiryū no Ken III'''s engine.

* ''Hiryū no Ken S: Hyper Version'' / ''Ultimate Fighter'' (1992, [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SFC/SNES]]): [[UpdatedRerelease Tweaked update]] of ''Hiryū no Ken S'''s engine.

* ''SD Hiryū no Ken Gaiden'' (1995, [[UsefulNotes/GameBoy GB]])

** ''SD Hiryū no Ken EX'' (1999. [[UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor GBC]]): UpdatedRerelease of ''SD Hiryu no Ken Gaiden 2'' with new moves.

* AttackItsWeakPoint]: The whole point of the "Mind's Eye" system is marking you and your enemy's weak point. Hitting in one of the other two possible points results in a brief stun. The marker can occasionally change into a CriticalHit blue marker, a "R" (''Rush'') [[{{Combos}} custom combo]], or a OneHitKill star.
* BigBad: Fuzufu Ryumaou, the leader of the Dragon Fangs, serves as the main villain for most of the entries. Suzaku serves as the main villain of ''II''. Fudō Ryumaou, the older brother of Fuzufu and leader of the "Godai Myōō", is the main villain of ''III'': he and his team merge into [[AllYourPowersCombined a super-demon]] for the final bout.

** The Martial Arts fighters are either based on Benny Urquidez (Haken, Hurricane Benny, Falcon...) or Wrestling/SatoruSayama ([[Manga/TigerMask Lion Kid]]) -- no wonder, since they're the fighters more strongly associated with the fictional "Martial Arts" fighting style.
* DeathByOriginStory: The story of the first ''Hiryū no Ken'' title starts when Ryuhi's foster father is killed to steal the Hiryu no Ken scroll.

* DegradedBoss: Ryumaou Fuzufu evolves from the final boss of the first game to the last opponent ''II'''s TournamentArc, which happens halfway in the game. The same thing happens to Red Falcon (Suzaku) between the second and third games. To a lesser extent, the martial artists' sprites, which were mostly used for boss fights in the first two games, are used for common mooks in ''III'' and ''S''.

* GenreMashup: It's a proto-fighting game, platformer / beat'em up and RPG at the same time.

* MovesetClone: Mostly played straight in ''Fighting Wars''. Cleverly PlayedWith in ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'', though, since every returning boss from the first game borrows their moveset from different characters:
** The Kung-Fu archetype is still made from Ryuhi clones (Kokuunsai, Fuzufu) -- however, Min-Min retains her ''SD'' moveset, and Fuzufu's SuperMode (Ryumaou) is a different character. Sadly, Gengai is now a Ryuhi clone, instead of an individual character like in the older ''SD'' games. The Kiba Toshi mooks now retain their possessed body's moves, instead of being Kung-Fu fighter [[HeadSwap head swaps]]

** Wrestler fighters are all over the place: the BandagedFace wrestler Zongerian turns into a full-body mummy with ''Earth Quaker'''s appearance, Mongol Khan shares his SumoWrestling style with Robo-no-Hana from the ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'' series , and Demon Kabuki's fighting style is borrowed from Powers, the most straight pro-wrestler in the ''SD'' series.

** ''II'' has the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Heavenly_Kings]]-themed "Makaishū Shitennō" and the [[TheFourGods Four Gods]]-themed "Gekkōshū Hissatsu-ō" -- in an unusual example, Suzaku, the leader of the Gekkōshū, is the BigBad of the game.

* ShoutOut: A japanese game from the eighties about a FiveManBand with legendary armors that fight against other evil armored warriors? Yeah, ''Manga/SaintSeiya'' was kind of popular back then.

* VideoGameRemake: ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'''s story mode was a remake of ''Ōgi no Sho''.

* BigBad: Ryumaou Fuzufu, the leader of the Dragon Fangs, serves as the main villain for most of the entries. Suzaku serves as the main villain of ''II''. Ryumaou Fudō, the older brother of Fuzufu and leader of the "Godai Myōō", is the main villain of ''III'': he and his team merge into [[AllYourPowersCombined a super-demon]] for the final bout.

* ForeignRemake: The NES ''Flying Warriors'' game is a remake of ''Hiryū no Ken II'' with a {{Superhero}} style storyline. However, it's unusual because it was made with the ''Hiryū no Ken III'' engine, instead of just changing the graphics and calling it a day. Further sequels for the Game Boy and Super Nintendo simply edited the main characters' sprites.

* HeelFaceTurn: Hayato and Min-Min were rivals in the first game, but turn into main cast members in the sequel.

** ''II'' has the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Heavenly_Kings Shitennō]]-themed "Makaishū Shitennō" and the [[TheFourGods Four Gods]]-themed "Gekkōshū Hissatsu-ō" -- in an unusual example, Suzaku, the leader of the Gekkōshū, is the BigBad of the game.
** ''III''' has the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wisdom_King]]-based "Godai Myōō". Much like the protagonists, [[OnlySixFaces they either wield]] [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a SimpleStaff.

* SuperMode: From ''II'' to ''S'', the five protagonists can transform into super modes with a special armor and weapons. Due to sprite limitations, in ''II'' they are [[HeadSwap head swaps]] (and the only way to play as anyone other than Ryuhi), and in ''III'' and ''S'' they either wield [[DualWielding twin swords]] or a SimpleStaff (''S'' [[Chickification removes Min-Min]]'s super mode, since they didn't bother to do a new armored female sprite).

* AttackItsWeakPoint / CrosshairAware: The whole point of the "Mind's Eye" system is marking you and your enemy's weak point. Hitting in one of the other two possible points results in a brief stun. The marker can occasionally change into a CriticalHit blue marker, a "R" (''Rush'') [[{{Combos}} custom combo]], or a OneHitKill star.

''Hiryū no Ken'' ([[SignatureMove Flying Dragon Fist]]) is a GenreMashup video game series developed by Culture Brain which ran from 1985 to 2000. The series started as the 1985 UsefulNotes/ArcadeGame ''Hokuha Syourin Hiryū no Ken'' / ''[[CompletelyDifferentTitle Shanghai Kid]]'', which is one of the earliest examples of a UsefulNotes/MixedMartialArts (as in "style vs. style matches") FightingGame. Its main feature is the [[CrosshairAware "Mind's Eye" system]], which indicates one of the two fighters' three [[AttackItsWeakPoint weak points]] to attack or block -- the marker can occassionall change into a CriticalHit blue marker, a "R" (''Rush'') [[{{Combos}} custom combo]], or a OneHitKill star. It was also one of the first fighting games with a special move, a [[CounterAttack Counter Attack]] and a FinishingMove. In what would be the series' six staple fighting styles, it starred a [[AllChinesePeopleKnowKungFu Kung Fu]] practicioner fighting against a [[UsefulNotes/{{Karate}} karateka]], a [[BoxingBattler boxer]], a [[UsefulNotes/MuayThai nak muay]], a [[ProfessionalWrestling pro wrestler]] and a Martial Artist[[note]]essentially a Benny Urquidez / Wrestling/SatoruSayama {{expy}} -- see the "martial arts" entry on Main/LostInTranslation[[/note]].

When the game was remade two years later for the UsefulNotes/NintendoEntertainmentSystem, it was turned into a 2D BeatEmUp / PlatformGame with RPGElements and a story, although the FightingGame roots were kept in its combat mechanics, and emphasized on [[TournamentArc martial arts tournaments]] and boss matches. The sequels moved further into [[ActionRPG Action RPGs]], introducing a FiveManBand with ''Manga/SaintSeiya''-like [[SuperMode super modes]], a semi-open world, [[EasierThanEasy variable]] [[NintendoHard difficulties]], PlayerVersusPlayer modes (promoted by no less than Wrestling/AntonioInoki), and an RPG mode that replaces the combat portions with commands. This was also when Culture Brain was trying to push a ForeignRemake of the series with the {{Superhero}}-themed ''Flying Warriors'' and ''Ultimate Fighter''.

When ''VideoGame/StreetFighterII'' revolutionized the fighting game genre, the series failed to keep up with the modern conventions, so it tried to FollowTheLeader with the ''SD Hiryū no Ken'' games (made in the style of Culture Brain's own ''[[VideoGame/SuperChinese Super Chinese World 2]]'', which itself borrowed from ''Hiryū no Ken'''s TournamentArc tropes [[RecycledINSPACE in space]]). It also tried to borrow from the more "realistic" 3D fighting games like ''VideoGame/VirtuaFighter'' and ''Franchise/{{Tekken}}'' in UsefulNotes/PlayStation's ''Virtual Hiryū no Ken'' and UsefulNotes/Nintendo64's ''Hiryū no Ken Twin'' to little success, since the ''SD'' slant proved to be more successfull. ''SD Hiryū no Ken Densetsu'' was the final title of the series[[note]]not counting [[UpdatedRerelease color rereleases]] of the UsefulNotes/GameBoy titles[[/note]], which introduces [[GuestFighter guest fighters]] from the ''VideoGame/SuperChinese'' series and adds RPGElements after a long absence.

Compare with the sister series ''VideoGame/SuperChinese''.