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Shanghai Kid
上海小子
Shanghai Kid is an action arcade game developed by Taiyo System under Data East license in 1985. Players control a martial artist navigating through horizontally scrolling stages filled with enemies and obstacles. The game features hand-to-hand combat mechanics with punch and kick attacks, along with special moves that can be executed through specific control combinations. Progression moves through multiple levels with increasing difficulty, each stage introducing new enemy types and environmental hazards. The gameplay emphasizes close-range fighting and timing, requiring players to manage positioning while dispatching waves of opponents. Controls are mapped to standard arcade inputs for movement and attacks.
- Developer
- Taiyo System (Data East license)
- Released
- 1985
- Platform
- Arcade
- Genre
- Action
- Rating
- 4.2 / 5 (3.3K)
- Last updated
Shanghai Kid Controls — Arcade Keyboard Keys
Default keyboard bindings for Shanghai Kid 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.
Shanghai Kid Longplay & Gameplay Videos
Watch a full playthrough of Shanghai Kid 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
"Shanghai Kid" Arcade longplay 1985
External references
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Shanghai Kid released?
Shanghai Kid was released in 1985 for the Arcade.
Who developed Shanghai Kid?
Shanghai Kid was developed by Taiyo System (Data East license), available to play in your browser on RetroGameSpace.
What type of game is Shanghai Kid?
Shanghai Kid is a Action game for the Arcade, playable instantly in your browser — no downloads, no installs.
How can I play Shanghai Kid for free?
Open this page and click "Play Now" — Shanghai Kid runs free in your browser via WebAssembly emulation. No account, no payment, no installer.
Do I need to download anything to play Shanghai Kid in the browser?
No. Shanghai Kid streams from a public archive into a browser-side Arcade emulator. Nothing is installed on your computer.
Can I save my progress in Shanghai Kid?
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 Shanghai Kid 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 Shanghai Kid this way?
RetroGameSpace is a transient caching reverse-proxy and does not host first-party copies of Shanghai Kid. 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.
