Black Belt
Black Belt — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Black Belt on?
- Black Belt was released on Sega Master System/Mark III.
- When did Black Belt release?
- Black Belt was first released on December 31, 1986.
About Black Belt
Black Belt is a side-scrolling single-plane beat 'em up game released for the Master System in 1986. It is a localization of the Japanese Mark III game, Hokuto no Ken, based on the manga and anime series of the same name (which would later be published as Fist of the North Star in English). The export version was released without the Hokuto no Ken license, forcing graphic alterations to the game. Black Belt was one of programmer Yuji Naka's early games prior to his involvement in Sonic the Hedgehog.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Developer
- Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
- Publisher
- Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
- Game modes
- Single player, Multiplayer
- Themes
- Action, Science fiction
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 Master System | 1986 | $11 | $25 | $117 | 7 reviews | Low (look-alike) |
Also released on: Sega Master System/Mark III. We haven’t priced or authenticated that version yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue label (later US print) | — | $75 | — |
| European (PAL) release | $7 | $18 | $44 |
| Japanese release (Hokuto no Ken) | $29 | $90 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about 2 times a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $3.25 in Jul 2009, $9.99 five years ago, and $10.73 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $2.95 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $1.29 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $3.23 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $2.75 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $4.99 | $8.00 |
| Jan 2015 | $5.00 | $12.99 |
| Jan 2016 | $5.25 | $8.99 |
| Jan 2017 | $8.99 | $11.99 |
| Jan 2018 | $6.03 | $10.68 |
| Jan 2019 | $7.89 | $16.95 |
| Jan 2020 | $10.69 | $19.47 |
| Jan 2021 | $9.99 | $15.00 |
| Jan 2022 | $10.50 | $13.62 |
| Jan 2023 | $12.34 | $19.92 |
| Jan 2024 | $12.32 | $19.99 |
| Jan 2025 | $10.09 | $19.96 |
| Jan 2026 | $11.10 | $15.00 |
| Oct 2026 | $10.73 | $25 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number |
|---|---|---|
| North America | November 1986 | — |
| Europe / PAL | August 1987 | — |
| Japan | 20 July 1986 | G-1303 |
| Brazil | 1989 | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP+BR
- Released
- 1986
- Authenticity
- Low
Sega's early martial-arts brawler, a Western reworking of a Japanese Mark III game based on a manga, and a cheap pickup.
Black Belt is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed and published by Sega. You play Riki, a martial artist trying to save his girlfriend from his rival, fighting waves of minor enemies and a sub-boss before a tougher boss in each stage. Each boss needs a specific attack.
It is a modified version of the Japanese Mark III game Hokuto no Ken, which is based on the manga known outside Japan as Fist of the North Star. The Japanese game came out on 20 July 1986, the US version in November 1986, the European one in August 1987, and a Brazilian release followed in 1989.
How it was made
Sega developed and published it. At the Summer Consumer Electronics Show the Western version was shown alongside the Master System and its launch software.
What the press said at the time
| Computer Entertainer Volume 5 Number 9 | December 1986 | Recommended |
| Mean Machines Sega Issue 3 | December 1992 | OVERALL 81% |
| Sega Pro Issue 23 | September 1993 | 41% |
| Sega Pro Issue 24 | October 1993 | 41% |
| Sega Pro Issue 25 | November 1993 | 41% |
| Sega Pro Issue 27 | December 1993 | 41% |
| Sega Pro Issue 26 | December 1993 | 41% |
“Riki flails his fists and enemies break apart like so many shards of china. … Gamers who love all-out action will certainly get thei fill.”
“It's definitely one of the better Sega beat em ups around, and is highly recommended.”
“Take control of a kung-fu expert and battle it out across a horizontally scrolling landscape beating seven kinds of shinola out of anyone stupid enough to cross your path. It's definitely one of the better Sega beat 'em ups around, and is highly recom¬ mended.”
“A criminally easy beat-'em-up. Incredibly poor graphics with backdrops containing little more than a wall and some sky. Unexciting and repetitive.”
In the sales charts
In one sales chart, March 1993; highest position #6.
Show the placing
- #6 in the Master System chart — Sega Force, Issue 15, March 1993
Sales charts as printed in the magazines of the time.
Before you buy
This one has four releases: US, European, Japanese and Brazilian, plus a later blue-label US print. The European cart costs noticeably less than the US one, loose and complete. The Japanese Hokuto no Ken cart costs several times as much as the US one, and it is a different, smaller shape that does not fit a Western console without an adapter. The look-alike risk is low. Check the manual is there on a complete copy.
Black Belt screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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