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{{about|the video game series|the first game in the series|World Heroes (video game)}}
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{{more citations needed|date=September 2017}}
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{{Expand Japanese|ワールドヒーローズ|topic=vg|date=April 2011}}

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{{Infobox VG series
|title = World Heroes
|image = [[File:WorldHeroes logo.png|250px]]
|caption = The first and most commonly used logo for the ''[[World Heroes (video game)|World Heroes]]'' series.
|developer = [[ADK (company)|Alpha Denshi]]/[[ADK (company)|ADK]] (assisted by [[SNK Playmore|SNK]])<ref name="SNKcredits">Closing credits of ''[[World Heroes (video game)|World Heroes]]'', ''[[World Heroes 2]]'', ''[[World Heroes 2 Jet]]'' and ''[[World Heroes Perfect]]''.</ref>
|publisher = ADK, [[SNK Playmore|SNK]]
|platforms =
|genre = [[Fighting game]]
| first release version = ''[[World Heroes (video game)|World Heroes]]''
| first release date = July 28, 1992
| latest release version = ''[[World Heroes Perfect]]''
| latest release date = May 25, 1995
}}

{{nihongo|'''''World Heroes'''''|ワールドヒーローズ|Wārudo Hīrōzu}} is a series of four [[fighting game]]s created originally by [[ADK (company)|ADK]] with assistance from [[SNK Playmore|SNK]] for the [[Neo Geo (console)|Neo Geo]] family of arcade and home consoles. 

Over the years, the games have been ported to various non-SNK platforms as well including the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] and [[Sega Saturn]]. A fifth title ''World Heroes Pocket'' was announced for release on the [[Neo Geo Pocket]] around 1999 but later canceled.

==Gameplay==
The series plays similar to many other fighting games, but instead of a 6-button layout, the original ''[[World Heroes (video game)|World Heroes]]'' uses only 3 of the standard 4 Neo-Geo buttons: one for punching, another for kicking, and the last for throwing. The former two buttons can be held down longer in order to deliver stronger attacks, similar to the first ''[[Street Fighter (video game)|Street Fighter]]'' control scheme, with only two levels of strength and using standard buttons instead of pneumatic buttons. In the SNES version (and later games, starting with ''[[World Heroes 2 Jet]]''), it is possible to assign the 4 basic attacks to different buttons. In ''[[World Heroes Perfect]]'', each character had a traditional four-button attack layout, but could also achieve stronger attacks by pushing down two respective punch or kick buttons at the same time.

In ''[[World Heroes Perfect]]'', every character has an ABC Special Move that can be activated by pressing the A, B, and C buttons at the same time. Moves vary by character, though they all require strategic use and are easy to activate, allowing for more tactical battles. For example, the character Fuuma's ABC Special allows him to fake a special move; J. Max's ABC Special allows him to catch, hold onto, and throw back projectiles; and Kim Dragon's ABC Special allows him to perform counters while blocking.

Aside from the normal tournament mode, there is also the popular "Death Match" mode (which was removed in ''World Heroes 2 Jet'' and ''World Heroes Perfect''). In it, the arenas are filled with different kinds of traps that can change conditions in the bouts or even damage the characters (such as spiked walls, landmines, burning ropes, slick floors, etc.). The "Death Match" modes of the first two titles in the series may have been inspired by the growing popularity of [[Hardcore wrestling|deathmatch]] style [[professional wrestling]] in [[Japan]] at the time, mostly made famous by [[Frontier Martial-Arts Wrestling]].

==Story==
The general premise is that a scientist, Dr. Brown, having perfected a [[time travel|time machine]], organized a tournament for various "World Heroes" throughout all of history to engage in combat with each other. True to this plot, many of the fighters are based on actual historical figures, while some are fictional ones.

==List of games in the series==
{| class="wikitable"
|+Overview of ''World Heroes'' games
!scope="col"| Japanese Title
!scope="col"| English Title
!scope="col"| System
!scope="col"| Year
|- style="vertical-align: middle;"
| style="white-space: nowrap;" |{{lang|ja|ワールドヒーローズ}}
|scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap;" |'''''[[World Heroes (video game)|World Heroes]]'''''
| [[Arcade game|Neo Geo MVS]]<br /> [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo AES]]<br /> [[Neo-Geo CD]]<br /> [[Sega Mega Drive|Mega Drive/Genesis]]<br /> [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]<br /> [[PlayStation 2]]<br /> [[Virtual Console]]<br /> [[PlayStation Network|PSN]]
| style="white-space: nowrap;" |[[1992 in video gaming|1992]]
|- style="vertical-align: middle;"
| style="white-space: nowrap;" |{{lang|ja|ワールドヒーローズ2}}
|scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap;" |'''''[[World Heroes 2]]'''''
| [[Arcade game|Neo Geo MVS]]<br /> [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo AES]]<br /> [[Neo-Geo CD]]<br /> [[TurboGrafx-16#TurboGrafx-CD/CD-ROM²|PC-Engine Super CD-ROM²]]<br /> [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]<br /> [[PlayStation 2]]<br /> [[Virtual Console]]
| style="white-space: nowrap;" |[[1993 in video gaming|1993]]
|- style="vertical-align: middle;"
| style="white-space: nowrap;" |{{lang|ja|ワールド ヒーローズ2 ジェト}}
|scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap;" |'''''[[World Heroes 2 Jet]]'''''
| [[Arcade game|Neo Geo MVS]]<br /> [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo AES]]<br /> [[Neo-Geo CD]]<br /> [[Game Boy]]<br /> [[PlayStation 2]]<br /> [[Virtual Console]]
| style="white-space: nowrap;" |[[1994 in video gaming|1994]]
|- style="vertical-align: middle;"
| style="white-space: nowrap;" |{{lang|ja|ワールド ヒーローズ パーフェクト}}
|scope="row" style="white-space: nowrap;" |'''''[[World Heroes Perfect]]'''''
| [[Arcade game|Neo Geo MVS]]<br /> [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo AES]]<br /> [[Neo-Geo CD]]<br /> [[Sega Saturn]]<br /> [[PlayStation 2]]<br /> [[Virtual Console]]
| style="white-space: nowrap;" |[[1995 in video gaming|1995]]
|}

=== Other/canceled games ===
{{Video game titles|
{{Video game titles/item
|article=World Heroes Anthology
|title=World Heroes Anthology
|date={{vgrelease|JP|October 18, 2007|NA|March 11, 2008|PAL|2008}}
|refs=
|release=2007 – [[PlayStation 2]]
|notes=*Released in Japan as '''''World Heroes Gorgeous'''''
* A compilation of all four ''World Heroes'' titles in the series with exclusive features.
}}
{{Video game titles/item
|title=World Heroes Pocket
|date=Cancelled
|release=Cancelled
|notes=*A ''World Heroes'' game originally planned for release on the [[Neo Geo Pocket]] sometime in 2000,<ref name="whpocket">{{cite web|url=http://c-sunrise.game-host.org/ADK/sougu.html |title=ADK作品総合データ - ADK HEROES |access-date=2011-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080105042624/http://c-sunrise.game-host.org/ADK/sougu.html |archive-date=January 5, 2008 }}</ref> but the project was discontinued.
}}
}}

==Related releases==
Fuuma Kotaro appears as a playable character in the [[1994 in video gaming|1994]] fighting game ''[[Aggressors of Dark Kombat]]'', which was also created by ADK. However, some of his moves from the ''World Heroes'' series were removed to make him fair enough to fight. Every character from the ''World Heroes'' series as well as some characters from other ADK games were featured in the Neo Geo CD-exclusive title, ''ADK World''.

Since ''World Heroes Perfect'' and ''ADK World'', and during the [[Neo Geo Pocket]] era, ADK suffered enough financial difficulties to file for bankruptcy; however, all intellectual properties and copyrights to their video game and character library were bought by [[SNK Playmore]]. Due to the ''World Heroes'' series being entirely originally released for the Neo-Geo platform, some characters from the franchise returned in the fighting game ''[[NeoGeo Battle Coliseum]]'' and the card game ''[[SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters DS]]'' as a result, as well as ''[[SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy]]''.

==Characters==
This section lists the characters in the original game, and characters added or removed in subsequent releases.

===''World Heroes''===
*{{flagicon|Brazil}} '''Dr. Brown'''
*:This [[non playable  character|unplayable character]], and his involvement with the concept of time travel, serves as an apparent homage to [[Emmett Brown|Doc Brown]] from the ''[[Back to the Future]]'' film trilogy (he became fully known as "Dr. Brown Sugar" with the release of ''[[Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting]]''). Dr. Brown has been also responsible for bringing and helping [[Nakoruru]], Love Heart, and Mui Mui in the event of ''[[The King of Fighters XIV]]''.
*{{flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Hattori Hanzō]]'''
*:Hanzo is the protagonist of the series and uses many moves and commands similar to [[Ryu (Street Fighter)|Ryu]] from the ''[[Street Fighter]]'' series, a common occurrence in fighting games of the time. However, in later titles of the series, Hanzo became slightly less comparable to Ryu. Hanzo also appears in ''NeoGeo Battle Coliseum'' as a playable character. He is based on the [[Hattori Hanzō|historical ninja of the same name]].
*{{flagicon|Japan}} '''[[Fūma Kotarō]]'''
*:He is considered the rival of the main character Hanzo Hattori and as such they both share many similar moves (albeit using different names) in a similar fashion to [[Ken Masters|Ken]] from the ''Street Fighter'' series. Fūma also appears in both ''[[Aggressors of Dark Kombat]]'' and ''NeoGeo Battle Coliseum'' as a playable character. He is based on the actual [[Fūma Kotarō]], who allegedly killed the real Hanzo. In the ADK universe, Fūma is portrayed as a fun-loving bandit who is willing to adopt new ideas. Sometimes, he will stay in the modern era after time-traveling, which happens in ''Aggressors of Dark Kombat''.
*{{flagicon|Russia|1696}} '''[[Grigori Rasputin|Rasputin]]'''
*:A [[philosophy|philosopher]] of 13th century [[Russia]], was also a known [[Alchemy|alchemist]] and [[Magician (paranormal)|sorcerer]]. He discovered a way to expand his fists and feet so he could fight from a distance. He accepted the chance to fight Geegus because he sees Geegus as a [[fallen angel]]. He keeps pleading that loving one another is important and will not give into people who do not listen to his constant persuasion. He is based loosely on [[Grigori Rasputin]].
*{{flagicon|Kingdom of France}} '''[[Joan of Arc|Janne D'Arc]]'''
*:She is a 15th-century feminist, who protects the circus that raised her and has proven to be one of the toughest [[fencing|fencer]]s of her time. She accepted the invitation to defeat Geegus, only to prove that women are tougher than men. She puts all her worries about getting married into her blows. She enters the later tournaments to try to seek a husband, but finds out that men are intimidated by her strength as a fighter. She is loosely based on [[Joan of Arc]]. She is also a downloadable playable in ''[[The King of Fighters]]'' mainline-based tie-in crossover title, ''[[SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy]]'', where she was dragged into Kukri’s pocket dream dimension alongside some other girls who participated previous ''KOF'', with one of them are male fighters who are transformed into females in that dimension.
*{{flagicon|Mongolia|1945}} '''[[Genghis Khan|Jenghis/Julius Carn]]'''
*:He is fierce and merciless in hand-to-hand combat. J. Carn joined the World Heroes tournament to fight Geegus out of boredom. He has become a tyrant and wants to be victorious by hurling his raw brawn. He and Ryofu respect each other's power. He is loosely based on the actual [[Genghis Khan]], but his look and fighting style share some similarities to Uighur the Warden from ''[[Fist of the North Star]]''.
*{{flagicon|Germany}} '''Brocken'''
*:Brocken is a [[Third Reich]] produced android, and his moveset contains techniques involving mechanically-extended limbs and [[missile]] 'fists'. He is loosely based on [[Battle Tendency|Rudolph von Stroheim]] from the ''[[JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]]'' [[manga]] franchise. Some other parts of his look were also influenced by the [[Terminator (character)|titular character]] of the first two ''[[Terminator (franchise)|Terminator]]'' films, and (with his name) Brockenman or his son Brocken Jr. from the manga/anime series [[Kinnikuman]]. He later became the playable character of the side-scrolling shoot 'em up in the Japan-only, Neo Geo CD-exclusive title ''ADK World''.
*{{flagicon|China}} / {{flagicon|South Korea}} '''Kim Dragon'''
*:Dragon is a famous martial artist and a star of [[martial arts film]]s. Accused of lacking real skill, he accepted the invitation to fight against Geegus. He is based on real-life martial artist and actor [[Bruce Lee]], but in the first game, his stage is set in [[China]], whereas in ''World Heroes 2'', his stage is set at [[Yongdusan Park]] in [[Busan]], [[South Korea]]. He was possibly named after president of SNK's then-Korean distributor Viccom, Kim Kap-Hwan (after whom the ''[[Fatal Fury]]'' [[Kim Kaphwan|character]] was also named), to avoid copyright infringement. His rapid punching moves share some similarities to [[Kenshiro]] from the manga/anime series ''[[Fist of the North Star]]''. In the first game, his nationality is indicated as Chinese and the Chinese characters used to spell his name in ''World Heroes Perfect'' translate to "Gold Dragon".
*{{flagicon|USA}} '''Muscle Power'''
*:An American wrestler from the 21st century, he was the first competitor to win every Heavyweight Championship from every wrestling association. He accepted Doc Brown's invitation to fight Geegus because he took Geegus as a challenger of his multiple belts. He is based on the wrestler [[Hulk Hogan]]. His looks were slightly altered in ''World Heroes 2'' and subsequent titles to tone down the resemblance and avoid copyright infringement. Despite this, the first ''World Heroes'' has been re-released a few times without changing any parts of his look other than adding extra palettes in ''[[World Heroes Anthology]]''.
*{{noflag}}'''Geegus'''
*:Geegus is a cyborg created by the secret organization called D.A.M.D.; he can shapeshift into any of the eight fighters and use their moves at will, similar to [[Shang Tsung]] from the ''[[Mortal Kombat]]'' series. Geegus wants to destroy Earth; the ''World Heroes'' tournament was created to stop his evil plans. After all but one fighter have been eliminated, Geegus demands that the Champion fight him or he will destroy the entire planet. Geegus appears in ''World Heroes 2'' as '''Neo Geegus''', serving as the game's sub-boss. In this game, he can only transform into any of the six new characters of this game: Kidd, Erick, Ryoko, Mudman, Shura and Johnny. Neo Geegus also cannot be harmed while shape shifting, unlike in the first game. Geegus' design and abilities are, seemingly, a homage to the [[T-1000]] liquid metal cyborg from ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''. Geegus makes a cameo appearance in ''NeoGeo Battle Coliseum'' as part of Neo Dio's '''Geo-Geegus''' desperation move{{what|date=March 2023}}; he also appears as Geo Geegus in the game ''[[Neo Geo Heroes: Ultimate Shooting]]''.

===''World Heroes 2''===
*[[File:Flag of Edward England.svg|22px]] ( {{flagicon|British Empire}} ) '''[[William Kidd|Captain Kidd]]'''
*:A [[Piracy|pirate]] who steals treasures from all over the world. He is based on the infamous [[William Kidd]]. His special moves involve ghost sharks, impressive kick moves and even throwing a blue miniature ghost pirate ship at the opponent. He also has a hanging rope for his super move in ''World Heroes Perfect''. Although he has no nationality, he was born as an Englishman in the British Empire.
*{{flagicon|Norway}} '''[[Erik the Red|Erick]]'''
*:A Viking who wants to see his family. He is loosely based on the explorer [[Erik the Red]]. His special moves are named after features from Norse mythology, such as [[Odin]], [[Thor]] and [[Æsir]].
*{{flagicon|USA}} '''Johnny Maximum'''
*:An [[American football]] player who describes himself as a "killer machine". In his ''World Heroes Perfect'' ending, it is revealed that he has a son, who wants to be like him, though Johnny does not approve of that. He is loosely based on American Football player [[Joe Montana]].
*{{flagicon|Papua New Guinea}} '''Mudman'''
*:A [[Pacific Islander]] wizard with a large wooden mask and no real historical basis apart from appearing primitive. However, he is similar to the protagonist of [[Daijiro Morohoshi]]'s "Mud Men" series in ''[[Monthly Shōnen Champion]]''. He also appears in ''[[NeoGeo Battle Coliseum]]'' as a playable character. Mudman attacks using blue spirits and flying mask-spinning attacks.
*{{flagicon|Japan}} '''Ryoko Izumo'''
*:Ryoko is a 16-year-old girl and a master of [[Judo]] who wants to prove her power against the rest of the fighters of the tournament. She admires Janne and Hanzo, considering them her role models; Janne for her beauty and strength, Hanzo for his skill. She is based on the famous real-life judoka [[Ryoko Tani|Ryoko Tamura]]. 
*{{flagicon|Thailand|1767}} '''Shura (Naï Khanom Tom)'''
*:Shura is a 25-year-old [[Muay Thai]] fighter who has joined the tournament to prove his worth to his feared dead older brother (even though his brother is actually alive and well). He is based on the legendary Muay Thai hero, [[Muay Thai#Folklore|Nai Khanom Tom]].
*{{flagicon|Italy}} '''Dio'''
*:Another cyborg created by D.A.M.D. to finish what Geegus started, but went rogue and is now on a worldwide killing spree. He is the final boss of ''World Heroes 2'' and later reappears in ''World Heroes Perfect'', also as the final boss, with the name '''Neo Dio'''. He is inspired by the main character of ''[[Baoh]]'' and shares similar attacks to him. He also resembles another character created by [[Hirohiko Araki]], Kars, the leader of the "Pillar Men" from the second series of ''[[Jojo's Bizarre Adventure]]'': he has sharp blades on his elbows just like him and he is a shapeshifter as well. His name, Dio, is also another homage to Araki: in fact, the historic villain of the series is named [[Dio Brando]]. He is also a boss and playable character in ''NeoGeo Battle Coliseum''. The Super NES version lists his occupation as "Ultimate Being". "Dio" also means "God" in Italian.

===''World Heroes 2 Jet''===
*{{flagicon|China}} '''[[Lü Bu|Ryofu]]'''
*:A Chinese warrior that wields the Heaven Scorching Halberd (方天画戟 ''fāng tiān huà jǐ'') and is the rival of J.Carn. He is loosely based on the warlord [[Lü Bu]] of the [[Three Kingdoms]] era.
*{{flagicon|UK}} '''[[Jack the Ripper|Jack]]'''
*:A punk serial killer with claws on his hands. He is loosely based on the historical serial killer [[Jack the Ripper]]. 
*{{flagicon|Byzantine Empire}} '''Zeus'''
*:The main boss in this title. His look and some moves are inspired from Souther and Raoh, two of the main antagonists in the ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'' saga. He originally appeared in ADK's ''[[Ninja Commando]]'', where he is referred to as "Spider", the leader of [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]] Corporation.

===''World Heroes Perfect''===
*{{flagicon|China}} '''Songokū'''
*:He is based on the famous mythological character [[Sun Wukong]] ("[[Journey to the West]]").

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/nbc/museum/worldheroes/ ''World Heroes series''] at NBC Museum of [[SNK Playmore]]
*{{Official website|http://www.snkplaymoreusa.com/game_wh.php}} for ''[[World Heroes Anthology]]'' at [[SNK Playmore]]

{{World Heroes series}}
{{KOF}}
{{SNK}}

[[Category:ADK (company) games]]
[[Category:SNK franchises]]
[[Category:SNK games]]
[[Category:SNK Playmore games]]
[[Category:Fighting games]]
[[Category:2D fighting games]]
[[Category:Video game franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1992]]
[[Category:Video games about ninja]]
[[Category:Video games about time travel]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Erik the Red]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Genghis Khan]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Grigori Rasputin]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Hattori Hanzō]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Jack the Ripper]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of Joan of Arc]]
[[Category:Cultural depictions of William Kidd]]
[[Category:Muay Thai video games]]