Arch Rivals

Arch Rivals
North American NES box art
DeveloperBally Midway
PublishersBally Midway
Ports
Acclaim Entertainment
DesignersJeff Nauman
Brian Colin
ProgrammerJeff Nauman
ArtistBrian Colin
Composer
Dan Forden
PlatformsArcade, NES, Genesis/Mega Drive, Game Gear
Release
May 1989
  • Arcade
    • NA: May 1989
    NES
    • NA: November 1990
    • PAL: 1991
    Genesis/Mega Drive
    • NA: July 1992
    • PAL: November 12, 1992
    Game Gear
    • NA: December 1992
GenresSports (basketball)
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Arch Rivals is a 1989 basketball video game developed and published by Bally Midway for arcades. Billed as "A Basket Brawl", the game features two-on-two full court basketball games in which players are encouraged to punch opposing players and steal the ball from them. Arch Rivals was the second basketball video game released by Midway, sixteen years after TV Basketball (1974). Home versions of the game were released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Genesis/Mega Drive, and Game Gear.

Arch Rivals allows players to select from a variety of fictional teams (although arcade operators can change the team names to reflect real ones) and players. One playable character, "Tyrone" was also featured in the animated The Power Team segments of the television series Video Power. In turn, the game has been considered a forerunner to Midway's popular arcade basketball game, NBA Jam. Emulated versions of Arch Rivals are included in the compilations Midway Arcade Treasures 2, Midway Arcade Treasures Deluxe Edition, and Midway Arcade Origins.