"I hope you will continue to enjoy my father's works, including Kuno-kun. Thank you."
Those were the words Ryūbō Kishimoto shared on Facebook after confirming that his father, Yoshihisa Kishimoto, passed away on April 2, 2026, at the age of 64. The gaming world lost one of its most formative figures in the beat-em-up genre, a designer whose work at Technōs Japan helped define what arcade brawlers could be.
From a breakup to an arcade legend
Kishimoto's path into game design started at Data East, where he worked on laserdisc games before moving to Technōs Japan alongside several colleagues. His creative drive drew from personal experience, a difficult breakup during his school years and a deep admiration for Bruce Lee's martial arts films, particularly Enter the Dragon. That combination produced something that would outlast the arcades it was born in.
In 1986, Kishimoto created Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, released internationally as Renegade, the first entry in what became the River City franchise. The game put street-level brawling front and center in a way that felt immediate and physical. A year later, Double Dragon arrived and cemented his reputation entirely.
Double Dragon launched in arcades in 1987 and became one of the defining games of its era. The side-scrolling co-op brawler, following brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee through gang-infested streets, was a template that dozens of games spent the next decade trying to copy. It eventually made its way to the NES, SNES, and PlayStation, each port expanding the franchise's reach.
Building a franchise, then walking away
Kishimoto spent years at Technōs building out both Double Dragon and the Kunio-kun series, producing sequels for arcades and home consoles alike. But according to a 2012 interview with Polygon, he eventually left the studio out of frustration. He wanted to work on something new, and felt that Technōs was investing less and less into game development.
After leaving, he worked independently under the name "Plophet," creating original projects and consulting on games tied to his earlier franchises. His last major directing credit was Double Dragon IV in 2017, published by Arc System Works after it acquired the Technōs license. He also consulted on more recent River City entries in the years that followed.
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Arc System Works currently holds the Double Dragon license and released Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons in 2023, with Double Dragon Revive in active development.
Double Dragon IV, directed by Kishimoto
A family's farewell
Ryūbō Kishimoto followed his Facebook announcement with a message on X that spoke to how far his father's work had traveled. "I'm truly delighted to learn that there are people around the world who have played the Kunio-kun series extensively and understand my father even more deeply than I do," he wrote, thanking fans for their messages.
A private funeral was scheduled for April 3, 2026.
The beat-em-up genre Kishimoto helped build never really went away. Streets of Rage 4 proved in 2020 that the format still has a passionate audience, and Arc System Works has kept Double Dragon alive with new releases. For players who want to see where the franchise heads next, the latest gaming news covers the ongoing developments around the series.
Kishimoto was 64. His games are still in arcades, still on storefronts, and still being played by people who never knew his name until today. Make sure to check out more:
