Beat ’em up pioneer and Double Dragon creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto has died at 64

Yoshihisa Kishimoto has died at age 64; his son Ryubo announced the death on Kishimoto’s Facebook page, stating the date as April 2, 2026.

Kishimoto’s developer career began in the early 1980s; his early works include the 1984 laserdisc FMV games Cobra Command and Road Blaster.

Road Blaster was later ported to the Mega CD nearly a decade after its release and was renamed Road Avenger in the West.

He designed and directed Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (1986) — released as Renegade in the West — which predates Final Fight and is considered the first major example of the modern belt‑scrolling beat ’em up.

Kishimoto went on to create Double Dragon (originally planned as a sequel) and directed Double Dragon 2–4, Super Dodge Ball, and the arcade WWF Superstars and WWF Wrestlefest; WayForward said it was inspired by his work.