Before video games truly advanced, the arcade was where it was at.
Arcade games seemed like the zenith of what a video game could look and feel like.
One of the genres that truly felt like the soul of the arcade experience was the beat em up.
Heres a look at the games that truly defined the genres history.
Yeah, go figure.
Irem made various other beat em ups, but none that made any impact.
Enter 1986sNekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun, which changed it all up for the better.
Your character is armed with various attacks, including throwing and mounted punches on a downed opponent.
Most importantly, it introduced the idea of combination punches.
Not to mention they came with magic-based special attacks that could scrub the screen.
Unlike their Nintendo rivals, Sega went knee-deep into the genre when it came to first-party releases.
This led to a fantastic and improvedGolden Axeport for the Genesis.
Unfortunately, the game is bland and ugly, so theres not much to talk about.
), but theres a delightful and memorable grindhouse feel toFinal Fights lore.
And they fight a family made up of Andre the Giants.
Whats not to love?
While Im of the opinion thatPunisheris the best of the four, one cannotdeny the impact ofX-Men.
A mainstream juggernaut inexplicably carrying a bazooka.
What makesX-Mentruly memorable was that it took the main setup of these kinds of games and went bigger.
As big as you could get at the time.
If you were unlucky, you would find a mere two-player cabinet.
A lot of the time, your arcade would have a four-player cabinet.
Granted, that meant someone had to get stuck playing as Dazzler, but thems the breaks.
It was no huge revolution to the genre.
Regardless, it stands out because the game is one of the most overall fantastic beat em ups ever.
During the 16-bit era, this was one of the best entries.
One of the things that really stands out withStreets of Rage 2is that Sega reverse-ported it.
Thats absolutely insane to think about.
Unfortunately, its follow-up inStreets of Rage 3never hit the same heights, even with improved visuals.
It tried a little too hard with its added cutscenes and story elements and did not hit the landing.
Die Hard Arcade (1996)
By the mid-90s, the beat em up was losing steam.
The video game industry was becoming obsessed with polygons.
At least Sega had one more card up their sleeve.
Weapons are littered everywhere and youll need them to take out all the endless enemies.
I still think Argyle should have been unlockable.
Castle Crashers (2008)
The beat em up genre withered away for years.
Thankfully, the world of indie gaming was going to save everything.
Double Dragon Neon (2012)
WayForward had really outdone themselves when they were handed theDouble Dragonlicense.
Its rather telling that another revival attempt,Double Dragon IV, would arrive five years later.
It fell flat because others were realizing that you could celebrate the past while moving forward.
The World: The Game.
It found the roast beef sitting on the street and chowed down.
