Controls[edit]
Movement[edit]
or 
: Press left or right to walk in either direction.
: Press up to jump. You can not jump if you are being held by an opponent.- ( or ) + : Performs a forward jump.
: Press down to crouch.
Attacks: Punches[edit]
Punches have a shorter range than kicks, so you must be closer to your opponent for them to connect. However, when thrown in rapid succession, they have the ability to keep normal opponents stunned, allowing you to defeat them much faster. Note: All punch attacks are replaced with a nun-chuck swing if you are in possession of nun-chucks.
: Press to throw a punch. Tap punch rapidly to alternate between left and right jabs.- +: Press to throw a crouching punch.
- +: Press up to jump, and press punch while in the air to punch in mid-air. This punch will only hit opponents that are high in the air. (Note that a mid-air nun-chuck swing can hit opponents who are lower.)
Attacks: Kicks[edit]
Kicks have a longer range than punches, so you can attack enemies from farther away, but kicks push enemies backwards, making it hard to attack them in rapid succession. However, when you successfully jump kick an opponent, you will bounce back from the target. At this point, you can actually turn around and kick an opponent in the other direction if you push the joystick the other way and press the kick button.
: Press to perform a high kick.- +: Press to perform a crouching kick.
- +: Press up to jump, and press kick while in the air to kick in mid-air.
Vigilante[edit]
You control the eponymous Vigilante throughout the game. He is given no specific name, but your mission is to rescue your girlfriend Madonna (or Maria in some home conversions) from a ruthless gang who have kidnapped her. You'll have to track her down as you traverse through five different stages, getting closer and closer to the gangs home turf, where you'll take on their leader atop a construction site.
You happen to be highly skilled in the use of martial arts. You have a variety of attacks at your disposal, including punches and kicks. You can attack while standing, while crouching, or while jumping. While the majority of the enemies you face are weak and are knocked out with just one attack, many of the more challenging enemies will require a number of hits before they go down. Your punches and kicks do the same damage to your enemies, but each attack can be more useful in different situations.
If you are not surrounded, and can focus your attack in one direction, a flurry of punches is your best bet. Repeatedly punching an enemy in the face can keep them stunned and in your attack range until they are knocked out. However, if you find yourself surrounded by strong enemies, consider using kicks to keep enemies at bay. If you perform jumping kicks towards an opponent, you will bounce off of them as a result. In that moment, you can turn around and attack someone behind you if you are fast enough with the controls.
Throughout the game, your current health is displayed by the red meter at the top of the screen. If you sustain too much damage and the meter is depleted, you will lose one life. If you run out of extra lives, your game will end. However, in the arcade version, you can insert more money for the chance to continue your game from where you left off. The game will also come to an end if you succeed in rescuing your girlfriend.