The evil Akuma destroyed the protagonist's homeland, killed several of his friends, and kidnapped Princess Mariko. Luckily, the hero is skilled in martial arts, so his inevitable quest to reach Akuma's palace and rescue Mariko has a chance of succeeding.

The karateka is seen from the side and presents a succession of increasingly difficult opponents. Three types of punches and kicks are available for both the player character and his enemies, differentiated by their size (low, medium and high). The protagonist has a health bar, which gradually fills up when standing still.