Yoshihisa Kishimoto, the creator of the “High School” and “Double Dragon” series, has died at the age of 64. The news was confirmed by his son through Facebook that his father passed away on April 2, 2026. The family will first handle the family funeral-related matters. At the same time, he also left a very simple but important request to the players: “I hope you can continue to enjoy my father’s works in the future.”
Starting from Data East, to Technos Japan to create masterpieces
Kishimoto’s long gaming career began in the early 1980s at Data East, where he worked on LaserDisc arcade-related projects such as Cobra Command/Thunder Storm and Road Blaster. It was his later period at Technos Japan that really made him leave a heavyweight footprint: he designed “Hot-Blooded Hardcore”, which he even drew from his experience of “frequent fighting” during his student days; in the history of the fighting genre, this work is also regarded as one of the foundational representatives, and it later extended to the long-lived “Hot-Blooded High School” series.
In 1987, “Double Dragon” pushed the arcade to its peak: sequels, comics, toys, and Hollywood movies all came, and the series is still there today. If “Hot Blooded Hardcore” first set up the gameplay structure, then 1987’s “Double Dragon” directly pushed this set of things into the mainstream. Not only did it become one of the most well-known arcade works of the year, it also spawned a large number of sequels, and even spread to comics, toys and Hollywood movies, making “two-player cooperation and fun” a common memory of arcades for many people. This series is still alive today, which means that it is no longer a game, but a brand bloodline that can be constantly updated.
Son is proud of father
During the Technos Japan period, Kishimoto Yoshihisa also participated in many works. After leaving Technos, he took on projects under the name of Plophet and established Plophet Co., Ltd in 2010. Later, he also served as a creative consultant for “Double Dragon Neon” in 2012, which was another way to return to his most famous series.
For players, the most practical way to mourn is probably to play “Hot Blood High School” and “Double Dragon” again. Because those “quick-to-please” designs are originally gifts that make you happy.