Screenshots
Combat Hawk
Combat Hawk is an arcade action game released in 1987 by Sanritsu and Sega. Players control a soldier fighting through enemy-occupied territory in a vertically scrolling format. The gameplay involves shooting enemy troops, vehicles, and aircraft while avoiding incoming fire and obstacles. Players can pick up weapon power-ups to enhance their firepower, including grenades and stronger guns. The game is structured across multiple stages, each featuring different enemy types and increasing difficulty. Controls use a joystick for movement and buttons for attacking. The action is fast-paced, requiring players to manage both ground-level threats and airborne enemies simultaneously. Combat Hawk shares design similarities with other military-themed action games popular in arcades during the same period.
- Developer
- Sanritsu / Sega
- Released
- 1987
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Rating
- 4.7 / 5 (3.2K)
- Last updated
Combat Hawk Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Combat Hawk on our in-browser Arcade emulator. Plug in a USB or Bluetooth gamepad to auto-detect mappings, or rebind any key from the emulator settings menu.
| Keyboard | Console button | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ↑ | Joystick Up | Move up |
| ↓ | Joystick Down | Move down |
| ← | Joystick Left | Move left |
| → | Joystick Right | Move right |
| X | Button 1 | Primary action (jump / confirm) |
| Z | Button 2 | Secondary action (attack / cancel) |
| S | Button 3 | Tertiary action |
| A | Button 4 | Quaternary action |
| Q | Button 5 | Fifth button |
| W | Button 6 | Sixth button |
| 5 | Insert Coin | Insert coin |
| 1 | 1P Start | Start / Pause |
Coin and Start are convention "Insert Coin: 5" and "1P Start: 1". Some arcade boards expect specific button mappings — check the in-game prompts on coin-up.
Rebind any key from the EmulatorJS in-game settings menu (gear icon → Controls). A connected gamepad auto-maps to the same buttons.
Combat Hawk Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Combat Hawk on Arcade before you dive in — recommended for getting a feel for the game's pacing, story beats, and difficulty curve.
Watch longplay on YouTube
"Combat Hawk" Arcade longplay 1987
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Combat Hawk released?
Combat Hawk was released in 1987 for the Arcade.
Who developed Combat Hawk?
Combat Hawk was developed by Sanritsu / Sega, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
What type of game is Combat Hawk?
Combat Hawk is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Combat Hawk for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Combat Hawk runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Combat Hawk in the browser?
No. Combat Hawk streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Combat Hawk?
Yes. Save states are stored in your browser (IndexedDB) per game, and you can also use any in-game save the original Arcade cartridge supported.
Does Combat Hawk work on mobile devices?
Yes — the Arcade emulator runs on iOS Safari and Android Chrome. Touch controls overlay the game; landscape mode is recommended.
Is it legal to play Combat Hawk this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Combat Hawk. Game files are fetched on demand from publicly-accessible archives. You are responsible for compliance with your local laws and the bring-your-own-ROM principle.
