Play Deadly Arts Online

Konami released Deadly Arts for the Nintendo 64 in 1998, a time when the console was filling out its library with experimental and often overlooked fighting games. It arrived without much fanfare, sitting alongside more polished titles, but it carved out a small niche for players looking for something a little different.

You control one of several martial artists, each with their own move sets, and engage in one-on-one combat across various stages. The main objective is to defeat your opponent using a combination of basic attacks and special techniques, which you can chain together in surprisingly flexible combos. Two notable mechanics include the ability to create and customize your own fighter by mixing and matching moves from the roster, and a leveling system that lets your character grow stronger between matches. The pacing is fast, sometimes erratic, and the difficulty can spike unexpectedly depending on your opponent. It feels rough and unrefined, but there's a strange charm in mastering its clunky, inventive combat system.