Arch Rivals

Midway
Industry	Video games
Founded	1958
Headquarters	United States

Arch Rivals is a basketball-themed arcade game created by Midway in 1989. Promoted as "A Basket Brawl," the game offers two-on-two full-court basketball action featuring aggressive mechanics that encourage players to punch rivals and snatch the ball. This title marked Midway's follow-up to their initial basketball release, TV Basketball (1974). Versions for home consoles were made available on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Genesis/Mega Drive, and Game Gear platforms.

Players select from fictional squads, with arcade operators having the option to personalize team names. Notably, the character "Tyrone" appeared in animated sequences on the TV show Video Power. Arch Rivals is often regarded as a forerunner to Midway's later hit arcade game, NBA Jam.

Emulated editions of Arch Rivals have been included in compilation releases such as Midway Arcade Treasures 2, Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition, and Midway Arcade Origins.

Gameplay

Matches adhere to conventional basketball rules with four-minute quarters and teams of two players competing to outscore their opponents. Participants can pass or shoot the ball, with tied scores leading to sudden death overtime periods lasting one minute each until a victor is determined.

What sets Arch Rivals apart is its allowance for players to punch opponents without penalty and freely steal possession; referees only enforce shot clock violations. The court contains unique obstacles like soda cans and candy wrappers that can cause ball handlers to slip, creating opportunities for steals. Additionally, the "flying leap" enables a player to tackle the ball carrier, with the arcade version humorously exposing the opponent’s underwear upon a successful move.

The game includes eight distinct characters and six teams—Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Denver, Natural High, and Brawl State—randomly assigned with Player 1 designated as the home team. Arcade operators can modify team names and colors through the "Hometown Heroes" customization feature.

Ports

Home console versions on 8- and 16-bit hardware present downgraded visuals compared to the arcade original. The NES adaptation contains a glitch permitting three-point dunks, while the Genesis version faced criticism due to a bug causing nearly every shot attempt to score automatically. A planned Master System version slated for 1992 was ultimately canceled.

Later, Arch Rivals was featured in compilations including Midway Arcade Treasures 2 (available on PlayStation 2, Xbox, and GameCube), Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition (for Windows), and Midway Arcade Origins (for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360).

Reception

Positive feedback for Arch Rivals came from publications such as Sinclair User and Computer and Video Games, which highlighted its appeal primarily among basketball enthusiasts.

External links

Arch Rivals at Arcade-History

Gameplay

Ports

Reception

See also

External links