The game has a linear progression across chapters. All bosses must be defeated in one chapter before moving on to the next, and those bosses must be defeated in a fixed order.
Each chapter is split into a few parts, consisting of some minor bosses and concluding with a final boss. In between these boss fights are side-scrolling beat 'em up segments, in which Riki/Kenshiro must fight through a group of enemies that can be defeated in one hit. These enemies can come from either side of the screen, and have differing attack patterns depending on the stage.
When bosses are encountered, you will be locked into one screen; you can move forward and backward within the screen, but not past it. Only after the boss explodes can you proceed onward. The final boss of each stage must also be fought within one screen, though the sprites are larger and the enemy's health bar can be found by your own, emulating a one-on-one fight more reminiscent of a fighting game. Additionally, Kenshiro has special finisher animations when the final bosses are defeated, each representing a different Hokuto Shinken technique. These animations are still intact in Black Belt.
Scoring[edit]
Your score is calculated based on the number of enemies defeated and the types of moves you use to defeat them (for example, a kick is worth 100 points, a punch is worth 200 points, and a jump kick is worth 300 points). The points gained from enemies can be broken down as follows:
| Black Belt | Hokuto no Ken | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Common enemies | 200 each | |
| Eagles | 500 each | |
| First three Kung Fu Masters | Spade (スペード), Diamond (ダイヤ), and Club (クラブ) | 2,000 each |
| Fourth Kung Fu Master | Heart (ハート) | 3,000 |
| Wrestler (with whip or knife) | Captain of the Elite Guard (親衛隊長), Mad Sarge (マッド軍曹) | 3,000 each |
| Jujitsu Man | Fox (フォックス) | 3,000 |
| Ninja with red whip | Uighur the Warden (ウイグル獄長) | 4,000 |
| Ninja with red sword | King of Fist's Royal Guards (拳王親衛隊) | 5,000 each |
| Women with flamethrowers | Flamethrower Troops (火炎放射隊) | 3,000 each |
| Ryu | Shin (シン) | 10,000 |
| Hawk | Colonel (大佐) | 15,000 |
| Gonta | Devil Rebirth (悪魔の化身) | 20,000 |
| Oni | Toki (トキ) | 20,000 |
| Rita | Souther (サウザー) | 30,000 |
| Wang | Raoh (ラオウ) | 100,000 |