What are your fave beat em ups?

[titchgamer]

Leading on from the last thread I figured why not have a general brawler discussion.

What are your favourite or most memorable beat em ups?

Heres a list of mine:

NES:

The Adventures of Bayou Billy - This one popped my cherry Back in the day, Not a great game by any means but had to be on the list due to said cherry stealing.

Roller games - again not good but I played the hell out of it as a kid due to not having many games!

River City Ransom - nothing needs to be said really, prob the best beat em up on the platform along side...

Double Dragon.


Mega Drive:

SOR 1-3 - Best beat em up series bar none with SOR 2 being the best ever imo.

Golden Axe - Again another epic series

Altered Beast - lots of fun with the whole transformation mechanic.

Final Fight CD - Yeah this could of gone in SNES or arcade but I think the Sega CD version is prob the best home port (I will cover unported Arcade later)

SNES:

Battletoads - Hard as nails but much more fun tgan the new one....

TMNT - Another fun brawler series from konami...

Saturn:

Nekketsu Oyako - Really loved this after discovering it fairly recently.

PS4:

River City Girls - If you aint played it, Do!
Best retro style brawler I have played in aggeessss!
Obv based on River City Ransom.

Yakuza series - I dont really like 3D beat em ups but this one was fun and across multiple systems.

Arcade:

Pretty much anything made by Capcom or Konami!
Obv many were ported but things like:

Cadilacs & Dinosaurs
The Punisher
X-men
Simpsons
TMNT
Vendetta (Japanese version for laughs!)
AVP
Final Fights etc


Also golden axe revenge of death adder - god knows why that never got ported!

Prob think of more later but thats enough waffling for now!!

 

[yagamikun]

The fan game Streets of Rage Remake - hands down the best 2D beat-em-up I've ever played. All sprites and backgrounds were redrawn from scratch (although redrawn to adhere to the original look of the Mega Drive games). There are three paths (story arcs) to choose at the beginning of the game with the first path being a remix of the first SOR, the middle path being a remix of SOR 2, and the final path featuring all original stages and music - and each of the main paths have more branching paths along the way. The mechanics are an extension of SOR3 with a run, tons of combos, new specials, juggles, and the like. There are also three levels of everyone's fwd, fwd+attack special that builds and extends hits as you do better and better. The remixed music is absolutely fantastic, tons of hidden characters, etc. It's more robust than SOR4 and plays much faster.

Actually, it's because of this game that I think that SOR4 is just...fine. Really, SOR4 is an excellent brawler, but it doesn't feel like Streets of Rage to me. The small team that developed this fan-made love letter to SOR nailed it. SOR Remake is, essentially, the Sonic Mania of the series and it's a crime more people haven't played it. Granted it's not easy to find now, thanks to Sega threatening legal action, but it's still around.

I also like Turtles in Time on SNES a whole lot, and Battle Circuit on CPS2 is a wonderfully good time.

 

[titchgamer]

100% agree with you on SORR.
It was perfect to be fair.

Adding in the long lost stages and the extra characters really made it imo.

And the stupid thing about the Sega legal action thing is that the team approached Sega before they started and asked for their blessing!
They literally waited until it was released before shouting about it when they should of hired them imo!

Anyways its still easy to find just not on the devs page

Dont think I ever played battle circuit must try that.....

 

[DevilRedeemed]

Final Fight for SFC
Final Fight Guy for SFC
and that's that


Edit: ok arcade games such as Undercover Cops,
Aliens vs Predator, Double Dragon 1 and 2, Violent Storm, Knights of the Round

 

[Ip Man]

The first Streets of Rage was always a big thing for me and my favourite in the series. It has one of my favourite game soundtracks of all time and love the way the Soundstrack complements each level it's place in perfectly and adds to the great urban atmosphere of the 80'/90's New York feel.

Although the sequels improved on the game, But I always enjoyed the gameplay of Streets of Rage 1 and was one of the only Beat em ups I knew at the time that had a clear all screen attack which added to the strategy of gameplay.


Final Final 1. In my mind this was always the real Street Fighter 1. It fits in the the Street Fighter series a lot better than the actual Street Fighter 1 does. I know a lot of people shit on the Snes port, But it's the one I played the most and usually the one I pick up and play when I'm in the mood for some Final Fight. And the sequels were also awesome.


Alien Vs Predator. It's great that this game has the same visuals as the Street Fighter Alpha and Dark Stalkers games and Linn Kurosawa is one of my favourite Beat em up characters ever.


Turtles 2 the arcade game Nes. probably on of my favourite games on the Nes.


Ninja Warriors new Generation and X men Mutant Apocalypse great Visuals with huge sprites especially on X men with great gameplay.

 

[andsuchisdeath]

Alien Vs Predator. It's great that this game has the same visuals as the Street Fighter Alpha and Dark Stalkers games

I think Alien Vs. Predator's visuals represent more of a transition from the SF II style into the Darkstalkers/SF Alpha sprite style.

They look somewhere in between the two. The same could be said for Powered Gear as well.

 

[neo_mao]

I got that beat em up collection on Switch and absolutely fell in love with Armorrd Warriors - best best em ever!!!!

 

[BlackaneseNiNjA]

As the decades stack up, these always seem to rise to the top of what I’m playing in the genre at any given time:
(in no particular order)

Oldschool Consoles:
Ninja Warriors Again
X-Men Mutant Apocalypse
Streets of Rage 1-3
Final Fight CD
Final Fight 2 & 3
TMNT Turtles in Time
Super Double Dragon
Guardian Heroes
Mad Stalker Full Metal Force***
***(Highly recommended if you love Ninja Warriors Again)

Arcade:
Ninja Gaiden
Double Dragon 1 & 2
Renegade
Final Fight
Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara
Alien vs Predator
Battle Circuit
Shadow Force
Dungeon Magic
Arabian Fight
Mutation Nation
Sengoku 1-3

Modern Consoles:
Ninja Warriors Once Again/The Ninja Saviors
Ikkitousen Xross Impact
Dragon’s Crown
Advance Guardian Heroes
Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge
Yajuu Keiji: Tokyo Douji Tahatsu Tero wo Chinatsuseyo
Guilty Gear Judgement
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive
Senran Kagura Burst
I Am the Hero
Streets of Rage Remake
3D Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 4

3D:
Urban Reign
God Hand
UPPERS
Hokuto no Ken Seikimatsu Kyuuseishu Densetsu (ps1)
The Nadeshiko
Ikkitousen Shining Dragon
Rise to Honor
Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks
Shin Hokuto Musou
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Transformers Devastation
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3
Bayonetta
Yakuza 2/0

 

[andsuchisdeath]

Mad Stalker Full Metal Force***
***(Highly recommended if you love Ninja Warriors Again)

Very fun game! Ninja Warriors Again takes the "single plane beat 'em up" to a level no other title ever really had, but if I were to sit around and think of some sort of distant runner up, I'd probably mention Mad Stalker Full Metal Force.

Though which version of the game are you referring to? Being a fan of anything juggly by fill-in-cafe (Asuka 120% series, Panzer Bandit), I really like the playstation release. I haven't played the earlier entries in the series though (x6800, PC Engine). Maybe you're referring to those?

 

[BlackaneseNiNjA]

Very fun game! Ninja Warriors Again takes the "single plane beat 'em up" to a level no other title ever really had, but if I were to sit around and think of some sort of distant runner up, I'd probably mention Mad Stalker Full Metal Force.

Though which version of the game are you referring to? Being a fan of anything juggly by fill-in-cafe (Asuka 120% series, Panzer Bandit), I really like the playstation release. I haven't played the earlier entries in the series though (x6800, PC Engine). Maybe you're referring to those?

Hell yeah same here! I was referring to the ps1 version of Mad Stalker.

 

[Ip Man]

I think Alien Vs. Predator's visuals represent more of a transition from the SF II style into the Darkstalkers/SF Alpha sprite style.

They look somewhere in between the two. The same could be said for Powered Gear as well.

You're right. AVP wan't quite Alpha/Darkstalkers but you could see the transition of the art style in AVG from that generation of a lot of Capcom games.

 

[Naika]

The first Streets of Rage was always a big thing for me and my favourite in the series. It has one of my favourite game soundtracks of all time and love the way the Soundstrack complements each level it's place in perfectly and adds to the great urban atmosphere of the 80'/90's New York feel.

As a kid who grew up in Chicago in the 80s and 90s, I think that backdrop helped propel me into Streets of Rage 1. It's also my favorite in the series. I love 2 and I played it a lot more that 1, but goddamn, SOR1 had the feel of an urban brawler, had a balanced roster of playable characters and the music is amazing.

If you're asking me about Genesis beat 'em ups, its SOR1, SOR2 and Golden Axe 2 for me.

The SNES beat 'em up for me has to go to Ninja Warriors Again. I rented it a bit as a teen but owning it as an adult made me appreciate it on another level. TMNT Turtles in Time is also up there for me too.

 

[Ip Man]

As a kid who grew up in Chicago in the 80s and 90s, I think that backdrop helped propel me into Streets of Rage 1. It's also my favorite in the series. I love 2 and I played it a lot more that 1, but goddamn, SOR1 had the feel of an urban brawler, had a balanced roster of playable characters and the music is amazing.

If you're asking me about Genesis beat 'em ups, its SOR1, SOR2 and Golden Axe 2 for me.

The SNES beat 'em up for me has to go to Ninja Warriors Again. I rented it a bit as a teen but owning it as an adult made me appreciate it on another level. TMNT Turtles in Time is also up there for me too.

The atmosphere in SoR1 is deep. Adam was always my Favourite character and although he's back in SoR4 I didn't like what they did with his appearance. I really liked the Philip Michael Thomas from Miami Vice look he had in SoR1. Don't know why they removed him in the sequels. I'm guessing because he was too similar to Axel.

But Ninja Warriors Again s definitely one of my favourites on the Snes. I actually wasn't that impressed with it when I first played it. But through the years it's become one of my favourites as well.

 

[Neorebel]

Mad Stalker Full Metal Force***
***(Highly recommended if you love Ninja Warriors Again)


Modern Consoles:

Ikkitousen Xross Impact
Gekido Kintaro’s Revenge
Yajuu Keiji: Tokyo Douji Tahatsu Tero wo Chinatsuseyo
Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive
Senran Kagura Burst
I Am the Hero


3D:
Urban Reign
UPPERS
The Nadeshiko
Ikkitousen Shining Dragon
Shin Hokuto Musou

Never heard of these, thanks for the recommendation!

 

[titchgamer]

I always find in interesting how some people prefer SOR1 and others SOR2.
SOR1 was gritty and dark which I loved, And 2 was more colourful with the thumping sound track.
If I was basing it purely on background looks ide say I prefer the first, but with the music, move set, and better sprites SOR2 takes it for me.

SOR3 was a tragedy, They did everything right with the move set but took a massive step back with everything else!

I have never played ninja warriors but after seeing so many people mention it I will give it a shot the weekend

 

[Naika]

I always find in interesting how some people prefer SOR1 and others SOR2.
SOR1 was gritty and dark which I loved, And 2 was more colourful with the thumping sound track.
If I was basing it purely on background looks ide say I prefer the first, but with the music, move set, and better sprites SOR2 takes it for me.

SOR3 was a tragedy, They did everything right with the move set but took a massive step back with everything else!

I have never played ninja warriors but after seeing so many people mention it I will give it a shot the weekend

Hope you like it man. It's a neat game and the soundtrack is great as well.