Arch Rivals
Arch Rivals — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Arch Rivals on?
- Arch Rivals was released on Arcade, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Game Gear.
- When did Arch Rivals release?
- Arch Rivals was first released on May 1, 1989.
About Arch Rivals
Arch Rivals is a basketball game developed and published by Midway in 1989. The game introduces violence as an important part of the game, encouraging players to punch opposing players and stealing the ball from them. The game is regarded as the forerunner to Midway's popular arcade basketball game, NBA Jam.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Arcade, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Game Gear
- Developer
- Bally Midway
- Publisher
- Acclaim Entertainment
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Comedy
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Genesis | 1992 | $9 | $21 | — | 2 reviews | Low |
Also released on: Arcade · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · DOS · Nintendo Entertainment System · Sega Game Gear. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $6 | $17 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $1.37 in Oct 2007, $8.95 five years ago, and $8.99 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2008 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2009 | $0.75 | — |
| Jan 2010 | $2.16 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $1.49 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $1.02 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.57 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $3.99 | $8.00 |
| Jan 2015 | $5.49 | $4.95 |
| Jan 2016 | $3.86 | $18.95 |
| Jan 2017 | $6.23 | $13.14 |
| Jan 2018 | $7.14 | $10.13 |
| Jan 2019 | $6.87 | $11.00 |
| Jan 2020 | $7.76 | $10.62 |
| Jan 2021 | $6.24 | $17.73 |
| Jan 2022 | $10.00 | $18.40 |
| Jan 2023 | $10.13 | $21 |
| Jan 2024 | $9.50 | $18.97 |
| Jan 2025 | $5.99 | $18.25 |
| Jan 2026 | $10.90 | $19.99 |
| Oct 2026 | $8.99 | $21 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Barcode |
|---|---|---|
| North America | July 1992 | 741062111036 |
| Europe / PAL | 12 November 1992 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU
- Released
- 1992
- Authenticity
- Low
A rough-and-tumble two-on-two basketball brawler that is fun for a session or two, and a cheap cart.
Arch Rivals is the Genesis version of Bally Midway's 1989 arcade game, built by Arc Developments and published by Flying Edge. Two-on-two full-court basketball encourages you to punch opponents and steal the ball. It came out in North America in July 1992 and in Europe on 12 November 1992.
Reception was divided. Sega Force praised the Mega Drive game as a great two-player game, while Video Games & Computer Entertainment in August 1992 found the Genesis graphics and sound much better than the NES version but said it wears out its welcome after repeated play. Later accounts also say a glitch lets almost every shot from anywhere on the court go in.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Issue 22 | July 1992 | 40% |
| Sega Pro Issue 36 | September 1994 | 65% |
“While these extras may seem confusing and completely useless, they actually have the totally opposite effect, making Arch Rivals great fun to play.”
“A dull and frustrating release whose "comedy" facade doesn't dredge it from the bowels of tedium.”
“The two-player mode is fun for awhile, and younger gamers will enjoy the mindless violence, but most players will be bored stiff after a few hours of Arch Rivals. There’s just not enough game play here to hold anyone’s interest for long.”
“Beating up your chums is a laugh, but hey - you don’t need a Mega Drive to do that, right kids? Besides, with Team USA Basketball on offer, you really shouldn’t bother with this one.”
How the Sega Genesis version differs
Sega Force gave the Mega Drive version 86% and called it a great two-player game.
Also on other platforms
Arcade · NES · Game Gear
| Arcade | Bally Midway |
- Arcade. On a successful flying leap, the arcade original pulls down the opponent's shorts on a successful flying leap.
Before you buy
Among US carts it sits below the middle. The European cart usually costs less than the US one. Sega Retro lists it as a game that works with the three-button pad only.
Arch Rivals screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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