Top 10 Beat 'Em Ups
11 November 2009

The fighting genre we know today (i.e. one-on-one combat with super moves, combos, and super duper super moves) found its origins here. The beat 'em up got on the map in the late 80s with the iconic Double Dragon. The concept is simple (i.e. smash buttons to defeat myriad oppenents in as life-preserving a fashion as possible), yet the finest examples of the genre reward players who understand the nuances of various attacks and the subtle differences in each enemy's behavior.

Final Fight took Double Dragon's core concepts and improved the gameplay greatly by including three different playable characters—each with their own unique moves, strengths, and weaknesses—yet it was actually home consoles that pushed the genre even further. River City Ransom added brilliant RPG elements (increase your character's statistics through buying food at shops, along with non-linear game progression). Final Fight 3 took a very different evolutionary path and basically added Street Fighter II-style special moves to the characters. But that's not to say that the classic beat 'em up formula was perfected in the arcades, either. Sega weighed in on that, as you'll see soon...

One more quick caveat about the genre and its nomenclature—Beat 'em up has a fisticuffs sound to it, but in fact old school hack-and-slash games that are equally deserving of being listed here. The earliest example that comes to my mind is Golden Axe. Of course, many others followed. Perhaps most importantly—I should have highlighted this earlier—the beat 'em up genre was instrumental in promoting two-player simultaneous games. After all, the only thing better than punching the crap out of thugs/monsters/ is kicking twice the crap out of them with the help of a friend!

18 August 2010

I highly recommend you check out the latest Racketboy 101 Feature, because it's devoted to the beat 'em up. Not only does it provide a fabulous history of the genre, from the start in the arcades to Castle Crashers on the Xbox 360, it also touches upon many of the 8-bit and 16-bit titles below.
#1
Streets of Rage 2
Developer: Sega AM7
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1992
This series began as a Final Fight clone but rapidly outgrew its role model. Simply put, this beat 'em up has the strongest combination of level design, gameplay, graphics, and sound. Not only does it represent the best of the genre for the 8- and 16-bit eras; it's one of the best beat 'em ups ever. You'll notice that there's even a graphically enhanced version available on Xbox 360 Live Arcade. Streets of Rage 3 may have deeper gameplay, but in all other areas it lags comparatively.
#2
Final Fight 3
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: 1995
The Final Fight series had a shaky start on the SNES, omitting one of the best characters, Guy, and Final Fight 2 was pretty much SOSDD. Fortunately, the third game got it right. FF3's gameplay sets a new standard, adding Street Fighter II-style special attacks to the mix. The character sprites are large and impressive as well. Indeed, it's a tight race for the #1 spot, but SoR2's greater attention to detail, particularly in level design, along with it's more inspired musical score, FF3 has to settle for 2nd best.
#3
Comix Zone
Developer: Sega Technical Institute
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1995
Innovation and one of the finest uses of the Genesis hardware. The presentation is the big standout. Rather than scroll through stages, you move through the panels of a comic book, breaking up the normally linear progression of the genre. Along the way, you'll hear some of the best music ever emitted from the Genesis, and be spoiled with some of its most colorful graphics. The only dissapointment is that there's no two-player option.
#4
River City Ransom
Developer: Technos
Publisher: Technos
Released: 1989
Precocious. The style and gameplay are so far ahead of their time, it's ridiculous. Visually, all the characters are rendered in super deformed style, giving them a chunky, comic-book-like appearance that covers for the NES's lack of graphical power perfectly. The gameplay is as deep as the art style. You've got RPG elements (buying items that power up your stats and bestow new abilities), weapons (brass knuckles, chains, etc.), and numerous special moves (i.e. Javelin Man). All this and one of the most non-linear layouts ever seen in the genre. Forget Double Dragon!
#5
Final Fight CD
Platform: Sega CD
Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Released: 1993
There isn't anything complex here. It's the elegance of simply busting a whole bunch of heads at once. No dashing, only one special move per character (Haggar has one more with his piledriver). It's the giant sprites, tons of action on the screen at once, awesome two-player co-op play, and tight gameplay that make this title so awesome. It's also an impressive technical feat, since the game is much better (even graphically) than the SNES ports.
#6
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV
Platform: Super Nintendo
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1992
Cowabunga, dude! On a list populated by comic book characters and anthropomorphic toads, you knew that the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would have to appear somewhere. Once you get beyond the cheesiness of—well, everything—you'll find a rock solid title with distinct characters with unique animations, smooth gameplay, and a wide array of moves. You have to search a little bit to find what makes it unique, though, but it's there: the ability to seamlessly interact with the environment during fights, whether you're kicking street cones or busting open fire hydrants.
#7
Batman Returns
Platform: Super Nintendo
Developer: Konami
Publisher: Konami
Released: 1993
There's no 2-player co-op, and you're stuck with only one character (guess which one), but beyond those criticisms this is a top-notch beat 'em up, featuring dark Tim Burtonesque settings, ominious music, and an entertaining array of enemies. I particularly like the way you can switch between utility belt weapons (i.e. the grappling hook and batarang), and there are numerous choice animations, like slamming enemies up against the wall as well as grabbing two enemies at once and slamming their heads together.
#8
The Punisher
Platform: Sega Genesis
Developer: Sculptured Software
Publisher: Capcom
Released: 1994
We're not talking about the tightest gameplay or pushing hardware to limit. What we do have, though, is one of the most impressive uses of weapons-based combat. You can pick up everything from pistols to machine guns and unload on any enemy anywhere. There is also a multitude of special moves, nearly as impressive as Final Fight 3.
#9
Battletoads (in Battlemaniacs)
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Tradewest, NCS (Japan), Sega (Japan), Virgin (EU)
Released: 1991
Think non-traditional—that's what makes this game special. Only the first stage is a traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up. Then you're dangling vertically down the inside of an infected tree. And after that you're racing around obstacles on speeder bikes. Another great quality is the creative art direction and animations. You'd think that it's all based on a comic book, but in fact it's 100% original, testament to the brilliance of Rare.
#10
Golden Axe
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1989
Riding beasts and casting magical spells defines this entry. While the stages are rather simple, the gameplay has held up remarkably well over the years—this game hit the arcade scene in 1989. Golden Axe also represented an important milestone for the Sega Genesis, showing how the console's muscle could produce very high quality arcade port. As simple and old as this game may be, I never get tired playing it through, especially when a friend joins the quest.
Honorable Mention
Streets of Rage 3
Developer: Sega AM7
Publisher: Sega
Released: 1994
The SoR2 vs. SoR3 debate remains a heated one. Obviously, I weigh in on the former. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that SoR3 has some of the best gameplay the genre has ever known. If Sega had taken the time to sharpen up the graphics, and Yuzo Koshiro hadn't embarked on such a non-harmonious experimental adventure this would have probably been the best beat 'em up ever.
Honorable Mention
Battletoads & Double Dragon
Platform: Sega Genesis, Super Nintendo, NES
Developer: Rare
Publisher: Tradewest
Released: 1993
More characters (five in all), and a focus on classic brawler action set this sequel apart from the original. The crossover with Double Dragon is delightful, something that would later be replicated in fighting games (Marvel vs. Capcom anyone?). Moreover, the animations for the various characters are some of the best in any beat 'em up. B&DD would be higher on the list if the gameplay was deeper and there was greater diversity between the toads and humans.
Honorable Mention
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Platform: NES
Developer: Technos
Publisher: Technos
Released: 1989
It's doesn't get much more old school and genre-defining than this. This port of Double Dragon holds up amazingly well, even against the Double Dragons for the more powerful 16-bit consoles. Thank Technos, the wondrous developer that brought us the aforementioned River City Ransom. While DD2 may not wow you in terms of graphics, the gameplay is deeper than the Battletoads games, and the sound is surprisingly good, though I still prefer the tunes of the first one. Where the sequel truly steps it up, though, is the addition of two-player co-op, complete with two modes, one where you don't need to worry about hitting your partner, and another where friendly fire hurts.
Other Recommendations
Title
Console
Developer
Characters
Players
Release
Double Dragon NES Technos One One 1988
SMS
Arc System Works
One
Two
1988
NES
Capcom
Three
 One
1993
Genesis
Sega AM7
Three
 Two-Player Coop
1991
SMS
Sega
Three
 One
1993
TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist Genesis Konami Four Two-Player Coop 1992
NES
Konami
Four
 Two-Player Coop
1990
NES
Konami
Four
 Two-Player Coop
1991