Kicker is a 1985 arcade action game developed and published by Konami, arriving at a time when the arcade market was saturated with platform and action titles following the enormous success of Donkey Kong and Mario Bros. Konami, already well-established in arcades with titles like Frogger and Scramble, used Kicker to experiment with a sports-inflected action formula that set it apart from pure platformers of the era. The game casts the player as a soccer player — referred to as the "Kicker" — who must navigate side-scrolling stages while kicking a soccer ball to defeat enemies and overcome obstacles. The central mechanic revolves entirely around the ball: the player kicks it forward to stun or eliminate oncoming enemies, and must manage the ball's trajectory and timing carefully, as losing control of it leaves the character vulnerable. The ball can also be bounced off walls and surfaces, rewarding players who learn to use the environment to chain hits across multiple enemies in a single kick. Stages scroll horizontally and present waves of enemies with increasing speed and aggression, demanding quick reflexes and precise footwork. The controls are straightforward — movement and a kick action — but the depth emerges from mastering ball physics, enemy patterns, and positioning. The game features a looping difficulty structure common to arcade titles of the period, where completing a set of stages returns the player to earlier levels with heightened challenge, designed to consume quarters rather than deliver a finite narrative. Visually, Kicker uses the bright, chunky sprite work characteristic of Konami's mid-1980s arcade output, with a cheerful soccer aesthetic that gave it broad appeal on the arcade floor. Its cabinet was a standard upright design typical of the era. In its time, Kicker occupied a niche as a light, accessible action game that could attract both dedicated arcade goers and casual players drawn in by its familiar sporting theme. It was later ported to home platforms including the MSX and Famicom/NES under the title "Super Kick" or "Konami's Soccer" in some regions, expanding its reach beyond the arcade. The game is remembered as a compact, mechanically focused entry in Konami's prolific 1985 arcade lineup, demonstrating the company's ability to build engaging gameplay loops from a single, well-tuned core mechanic.
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Kicker
Kicker is an action arcade game released by Konami in 1985. Players control a character who must kick objects and enemies across the screen to progress through levels. The game features simple but challenging single-button controls, with timing crucial for success. Each level presents waves of obstacles that must be cleared by kicking them into designated areas or off-screen. The difficulty increases progressively, introducing faster enemies and more complex level layouts. Kicker combines straightforward mechanics with escalating challenge, requiring players to master precise timing and positioning to advance through its succession of themed stages.
- Developer
- Konami
- Released
- 1985
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Rating
- 4.3 / 5 (4.1K)
- Last updated
About Kicker
Pro tips
- Always keep the ball in play — losing it leaves you defenseless, so practice recovering quickly after a kick misses an enemy.
- Learn to angle your kicks so the ball bounces off walls to hit enemies approaching from behind or from awkward positions.
- Prioritize clearing fast-moving enemies first; slower ones can be dealt with after the immediate threat is neutralized.
- Stay near the center of the screen horizontally when possible, giving yourself room to react to enemies spawning from either side.
- Study each enemy type's movement pattern — many follow predictable paths that let you set up multi-enemy kills with a single well-placed kick.
Kicker Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Kicker 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.
Kicker Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Kicker 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
"Kicker" Arcade longplay 1985
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Kicker released?
Kicker was released in 1985 for the Arcade.
Who developed Kicker?
Kicker was developed by Konami, available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
What type of game is Kicker?
Kicker is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Kicker for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Kicker runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Kicker in the browser?
No. Kicker streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Kicker?
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 Kicker 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 Kicker this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Kicker. 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.
How difficult is Kicker for newcomers?
Kicker starts accessibly but escalates quickly as enemies move faster and appear in greater numbers. New players can expect to learn through repeated short runs, which suits the arcade quarter-feeding format it was designed around. Patience with ball control is the main skill barrier.
What is the best starting strategy for Kicker?
Focus first on mastering the timing of your kick so the ball connects reliably. Early stages are forgiving enough to practice wall bounces without heavy punishment. Building this muscle memory early pays off significantly in later, faster stages.
Is Kicker worth playing today?
For fans of tight, single-mechanic arcade games, Kicker holds up as a focused and satisfying score-chaser. It lacks the depth of Konami's longer-form titles but delivers the kind of clean, repeatable gameplay loop that defined quality arcade design in 1985.
What is a common mistake new players make?
New players often kick recklessly and then chase the ball into enemy clusters. The ball should be treated as both weapon and shield — kicking without a clear target frequently creates more danger than it resolves. Controlled, deliberate kicks are far more effective than rapid ones.
