The late '80s gave birth to the Beat ‘Em Up genre, and it’s no wonder.
This was the arcade era, and games were designed to be excessively difficult—the more lives a player lost, the more quarters he had to dump into the machine. And no game ate quarters like a beat ‘em up game. Just when you triumphed over one wave of enemies, another wave, or a massive boss, was ready to finish you off.
Beat ‘em up games eventually evolved into 3-D hack ‘n’ slash games, such as God of War and Devil May Cry. That’s another list for another day— today, we’re counting down the very best of the beat ‘em up genre—those classic, 2-D brawlers where you walked to the right side of the screen, kicked some ass, and walked to the right some more.
Tape up your hands and grab a bat. It’s about to go down.
The late '80s gave birth to the Beat ‘Em Up genre, and it’s no wonder.
This was the arcade era, and games were designed to be excessively difficult—the more lives a player lost, the more quarters he had to dump into the machine. And no game ate quarters like a beat ‘em up game. Just when you triumphed over one wave of enemies, another wave, or a massive boss, was ready to finish you off.
Beat ‘em up games eventually evolved into 3-D hack ‘n’ slash games, such as God of War and Devil May Cry. That’s another list for another day— today, we’re counting down the very best of the beat ‘em up genre—those classic, 2-D brawlers where you walked to the right side of the screen, kicked some ass, and walked to the right some more.
Tape up your hands and grab a bat. It’s about to go down.
Splatterhouse 3
System: Sega Genesis
Developer: Namco
Date: 1993
Gore. Lots and lots of remorseless gore. The Splatterhouse series made no excuses about what it was or what it aspired to. 'Grindhouse' would be the best way to describe it - a low art, gratuitous experience that shocked to entertain. Splatterhouse 3 had four possible endings depending on how well you played, but it's not like you needed the motivation. The meat cleaver weapon was enough incentive.
Batman Returns
System: SNES
Developer: Konami
Date: 1993
Look away. If you have an irrational fear of clowns, this is not the game for you. There's thin clowns, fat clowns, clowns on stilts, juggling clowns, cycling clowns, and everything evil and creepy in between. Batman Returns was always the dark, weird film in the Batman series, and this game lives up to that inspiration. This is about as far from Ringling, Barnum, & Bailey as you can get.
X-Men: The Arcade Game
System: Arcade
Developer: Konami
Date: 1992
The sheer number of mutants in X-Men raised the stakes to epic levels. Up to six friends could play at the same time (everyone fought over who got to be Wolverine), and you took on all manners of supervillain - Juggernaut, Pyro, and Magneto, to name a few. At its best, it felt like a long episode of the cartoon - every character had his or her own strengths, personality, and mutant powers. Let's hope that the Future's Past film reaches similar, heroic heights. One thing is for sure - Sentinels mean business.
River City Ransom
System: NES
Developer: Technos Japan
Date: 1989
This was an ambitious game for its time. With its trash talk and dialogue, River City Ransom told a funny story, in a genre that is not known for its humor. In many ways, this game resembled an RPG. Whenever you beat up a gang member, you jacked his money. You could then use that money to buy food, supplies, and abilities. And boy, did you need them. The Twins on the third floor of River City High School were no laughing matter.
The Simpsons Arcade Game
System: Arcade
Developer: Konami
Date: 1991
This is the best Simpsons game ever made. No other title has come close to capturing the show's eccentric, anarchic spirit. Two things still stand out to me. The first is the assist moves - I loved Homer's and Marge's powerful rolling attack. The second are the weapons - Bart had his trusty skateboard, Lisa had her jump rope, and Marge, progressive woman that she was, had a vacuum cleaner. The final bosses of the game were Smithers and Mr. Burns - it took rolls of quarters to emerge victorious.
Golden Axe
System: Arcade
Developer: Sega
Date: 1989
Here's an interesting game. Most early beat 'em up games took place in the current day, and they used big, urban metropolises as their backdrops. Golden Axe, by contrast, took place in a medieval/fantasy setting, You could play as a dwarf with a battle axe. and you could use fire spells to turn the tide of battle.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
System: NES
Developer: Technos Japan
Date: 1989
Billy Lee and Jimmy Lee were the original video game fighting duo. Double Dragon established the basics, and Double Dragon III was too unforgiving (One life? Really?), but Double Dragon II hit that rare sweet spot. With its diverse move list, improved story, and consistent mechanics, this title set a standard for all beat 'em up games to follow.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time
System: Arcade
Developer: Konami
Date: 1991
Don't get me wrong - the original TMNT arcade game set the bar high, but Turtles in Time perfected the formula. The Turtles went on a time traveling quest to save the Statue of Liberty, and along the way, they fought dinosaurs, pirates, and every sort of Foot Soldier imaginable. The fighting animations were fantastic, in addition to using your ninja weapons, you could just kick, charge, flip, slam, and throw your opponent at the screen. Totally radical.
Final Fight
System: Arcade
Developer: Capcom
Date: 1989
Is there a better politician than Mike Haggar? This man redefines badassery, and strikes fear into the heart of every Mad Gear gang member. A lot of mayors promise to be tough on crime, but Haggar personally administers his executive power. I could have selected Cody or Guy, but I chose the big guy every time. Speak softly and carry a big, lead pipe. That's the way to get shit done in Final Fight.
Streets of Rage 2
System: Sega Genesis
Developer: Sega
Date: 1992
Our #1 beat 'em up game had everything going for it. Streets of Rage 2 boasted a killer techno soundtrack and a fun, bright visual style - a perfect mixture of grit and fun. There was wonderful variety, from the racially diverse fighters you selected, to the enemies you faced, to the settings you fought in. Its final, difficult boss battle was a staple of our childhoods. No fair, Mr. X! You shouldn't be allowed to bring a machine gun to a fistfight.
