10-Yard Fight

10-Yard Fight
Developer	Irem Tose (NES port)
Publisher	Irem Retro-Bit (Generations)
Distributor	Irem Retro-Bit (Generations) JNNEX (Generations in Japan)
Platforms	Arcade, Generations, Generations IV, MSX, NES, PS4, Super Retro Cade, Switch
Released	Arcade Japan: December 1983 Europe, United States: 1983 Nintendo Entertainment System/Famicom Japan: August 30, 1985 North America: October 18, 1985 Europe: December 6, 1985 MSX Japan: 1986 Retro-Bit Generations Japan, North America: November 10, 2016 Super Retro Cade North America: December 15, 2017 Nintendo Switch (Arcade Archives) Worldwide: May 2, 2018 PlayStation 4 (Arcade Archives) Japan: May 2, 2018 North America: June 14, 2018 Europe, Oceania: June 22, 2018 Retro-Bit Generations IV Japan: July 5, 2018
Added to Museum	Super Retro Cade (Arcade): June 19, 2019 Generations (NES): October 13, 2019

10-Yard Fight (10ヤードファイト) 10-Yard Fight is a 1983 sports video game simulating gridiron football, also known as American football or simply football, developed by Irem.

Game basics

10-Yard Fight is presented in a top-down view that scrolls vertically while following the player with the ball. The game is straightforward, lacking the play options of more simulation-oriented gridiron football games.

While on offense, the offensive center snaps the ball under the legs to the the quarterback. The quarterback catches the ball and can run or pass to another player. If passed, the players that can receive the ball, and then be controlled, are the running back and the long distance retriever. They try to avoid being tackled while running toward the end zone.

The kicker can be controlled to attempt to score a goal by kicking the ball between the uprights and over the crossbar of the goal. The punter can also be controlled, to punt the ball downfield to the opposing team.

While on defense, one of two players on the field can be chosen to be controlled. The other players on the team are controlled by the computer. There are five levels of difficulty. From least difficult to most difficult, these levels are high school, college, professional, playoff, and Super Bowl. If a game is won, the team moves on to the next level of difficulty.

Rules of the game

The game follows American football rules. The winning team is the one with the most points. The team on offense needs to take the ball down the field before reaching four downs.

A down is given when the player with the ball does not advance at least ten yards.

A new first down is given after going ten yards before being tackled. If the ball falls from a player's hands, it is a fumble and the opposing team can try to get the ball. The exception is when an uncompleted pass, after which, the offense gets a down.

After four downs, the opposing team goes on offense. On the fourth down, if a touchdown is not accomplished or field goal is not attempted, the ball is punted to the opposing team, after which the opposing team goes on defense.

If the ball arrives across the end zone, three points are awarded. After this, the offensive team has the chance to receive one point by achieving a goal by kicking the ball between the uprights and over the crossbar.

Versions

It was first developed and distributed by Irem for the arcade market in Japan on December 5, 1983. It was then distributed in arcades in North and South America by Taito in 1983. It was also released in arcades in Europe in 1983. ADP Automaten distributed it in Germany and Electrocoin distributed it in the rest of Europe.

A Family Computer, or Famicom, port developed and published by Irem followed next in Japan on August 30, 1985. This port was published by Nintendo on the Nintendo Entertainment System, or NES, the international version of the Famicom. It was released in North America on October 18, 1985 and in Europe on December 6, 1986.

Although all 677 officially games released in the United States were also licensed for sale in Canada and Mexico, 10-Yard Fight was one of the 64 games officially distributed by Mattel in Canada. This included localized packaging in English and French.

Japan saw a port to the MSX, developed and published by Irem, in 1986.

10-Yard Fight was included through emulation as built-in games in several Retro-Bit consoles. The North American releases were distributed by Retro-Bit and the Japanese releases were distributed by JNNEX. The Retro-Bit Generations was released in Japan and North America on November 10, 2016. The Famicom version was included in Japan and the NES version was included in North America. The North American arcade version was included in the Super Retro Cade, which was released in North America on December 15, 2017.

Hamster handled emulation of the arcade version for Nintendo Switch, through their Arcade Archives line, and published it worldwide on May 2, 2018 and in New Zealand on May 3, 2018. The PlayStation 4 received the Arcade Archives emulated version, also published by Hamster, in North America on May 2, 2018 and in Europe on June 14, 2018.

The Japanese arcade version was included in Retro-Bit Generations IV, which was released on July 5, 2018.

The North American arcade version was released through emulation for the gaming service for the iiRcade worldwide on September 7, 2021. This version was published by Irem Software Engineering, the then-current name of Irem, and distributed by iiRcade.

The North American arcade version was released through emulation on the Antstream Arcade online gaming service. This release was published by Irem Software Engineering and distributed by Antstream in Europe, North America, and the United Kingdom, on September 6, 2022.