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2D Beat 'Em Up Recommendations

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sengoku denshou 2001/sengoku 3 is the best and deepest beat em up of all time. unfortunately it had no home port beyond the neo geo so unless you're okay with MAME it's probably too pricey to be worth it.

edit: i stand corrected! apparently it came out on wii VC. no excuses now!

alien vs predator and d&d shadow over mystara are close behind. avp never had a port to anything (MAME away!) and mystara was on saturn and psn/xbla/steam, but the japanese ps3 retail version in august looks like it'll be the one to get if you can wait.

otherwise you cant go wrong with final fight in any of it's forms, bare knuckle/streets of rage 1/2/3, guardian heroes, panzer bandit, turtles in time, the kunio-kun series (river city ransom, etc) which has the most recent game kunio-kun sp brawl concerto on 3DS this year, and dragon's crown (soon!). there's a whole world of awesome.
 
Are there any good 4 player beat em up co-op console games? Ideally, on a Gamecube or previous console. (Since I have 4 GC controllers and Wii's virtual console)
 
Lothar said:
Are there any good 4 player co-op console games? Ideally, on a Gamecube or previous console. (Since I have 4 GC controllers and Wii's virtual console)
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are you talking beat em ups? Not really. most of those didn't make their way to console in that era. Those that did were scaled way down to 1 or 2 player. Since only the N64 and the GC had 4 player ports, there was no point. Arcades were mostly dead by then.

MAME is your friend here.
 
If you have a Wii/Wii U, download Sengoku 3 on the Virtual Console. A classic 2D spirte based beat em' up released in 2001. Probably one of the most complicated and depth filled examples in the genre.
 
PandaPedinte said:
Check Dungeons & Dragons Chronicles of Mystara.
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I have definite plans to buy this on Steam at some point, but I have to ask: Is this considered to be on the level of Alien Vs Predator among beat-em-up vets? I think that AvP is generally considered to be Capcom's finest from the belt-scroller era, but I could never get over the art style enough to play it extensively. I'm talking about the absolutely repulsive, scantily clad predators in particular, not to mention the beefcake commander dude who was, like, the one alternative besides the chick.
 
Manmademan said:
are you talking beat em ups? Not really. most of those didn't make their way to console in that era. Those that did were scaled way down to 1 or 2 player. Since only the N64 and the GC had 4 player ports, there was no point. Arcades were mostly dead by then.

MAME is your friend here.
Click to expand...

Were there no 2D beat em ups for N64 or GC?

Anyone have any experience with a mame emulator on Wii?
 
GodParticle said:
Final Fight is my favorite beat-em-up of all time. Please play that game, for me
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My man! Final Fight is still the king of the beat-em-ups as far as I'm concerned.
Also I agree with the Streets of Rage suggestions, especially the remake. Played it in coop with a friend, we had so much fun.

Some other oldies you may consider - Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, the Golden Axe series, Capcom's Punisher.

For some reason I didn't really like Castle Crashers, or whatever little I played of it. It may have to do with the Flash-like graphic style, I'm not sure.
 
If you play ONE game, OP, make it Denjin Makai II. You'll probably need to play it through MAME. It might be the best game in the genre.
Tons of characters, tons of moves, tons of enemy types, branching stages, great bosses, everything is useful, everything is well-drawn, the difficulty curve is great, I could go on and on.

If not that, go for one of Capcom's arcade games.

Whatever you play, if it's an arcade game, give it a few shots without continues. Making progress that way is the most fun.
 
Denjin Makai II and Battle Circuit are my absolute favorites

playoverwork said:
I have definite plans to buy this on Steam at some point, but I have to ask: Is this considered to be on the level of Alien Vs Predator among beat-em-up vets? I think that AvP is generally considered to be Capcom's finest from the belt-scroller era, but I could never get over the art style enough to play it extensively. I'm talking about the absolutely repulsive, scantily clad predators in particular, not to mention the beefcake commander dude who was, like, the one alternative besides the chick.
Click to expand...

I don't think AvP is the best Capcom game. Or even the best of their CPS2 games.

I think both Battle Circuit and Shadow over Mystara are much better games.

and personally enjoy Final Fight and Captain Commando over it as well.

It has cool combo vids though
 
Alien Vs Predator (1994 CPS2)

Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara

Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom

Magic Sword

Guardian Heroes
 
If Nintendo doesn't get their shit straight and release D&D next week I'm going to be super pissed.
At this point it's freaking everywhere but Wii U >:(
 
It's already been said, but I'll say it again:

CADILLACS AND DINOSAURS

Probably my favorite arcade game alongside Metal Slug.
 
I'd try every Capcom beatemup.
Honestly they're all good to great in their own ways.
Final Fight (Avoid all the sequels, none of them measure up)
Battle Circuit
Both D&D games (They're quite different from one another)
Cadillacs & Dinosaurs (IMO their best beatemup)
Warriors of Fate
Knights of the Round
The Punisher
Captain Commando
AvP
Armored Warriors

Denjin Makai II is of course a required play. There's a ton of variety, a fantastic difficulty curve, and tons of characters/moves to play around with. The cyborg woman for example can chun-li heel stomp one dude and then air-throw another.

Also I noticed earlier somebody posted DJ Boy. I consider its sequel B. Rap Boys a title worth looking into(even if it's just for the great soundtrack).

Some other good titles if you want to go the MAME route:

Vendetta, Violent Storm, and/or Metamorphic Force - Three of Konami's best beatemups. Although you'll want to play the JP versions (especially in the case of MF)

Ninja Baseball Batman & Undercover Cops - UC is available on a PC release called Irem Arcade Hits. Problem is IIRC that release doesn't include the improved JP version. Either way these are a fine pair of beatemups.

Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder - Some aspects of this game are pretty dumb like the wonky health meter and the overpowered Thief, but this is still a very satisfying beatemup. It does get repetitive towards the end with lots of boss re-fights.

Shadow Force - A strong showing from Technos. I believe it's actually a six-button beatemup with special moves and everything. It has more of a learning curve to it than most titles but it could be worth your time.

Gaia Crusaders / Sengoku 3 - Both games are by Noise Factory I believe. They tend to throw a bit more emphasis towards combos. Both games are very solid, though you may want to also try Sengoku 2.

For PS3/360 owners
If you have a 360 give Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds a peak. It is very mashy though with a lot of overpowered special moves. If you have a PS3 try Vanguard Bandits off the Japanese PS1 archives. It's essentially the prequel to PB:B, better in some ways, worse in others.

Also for 360 there's Guardian Heroes and Streets of Fury. SoF looks laughable but IMO it's surprisingly deep, customizable, and entertaining. Guardian Heroes isn't the best title in terms of strictly a beatemup, but it has a lot of great ideas and knows how to use them. You're liable to get more mileage out of the battle mode just because of the potential opponent combinations and chaos. Experimentation is half the fun when it comes to that game.

Hunt down the Streets of Rage Remake. Although it has been officially shut down you should still be able to find it. IMO sometimes there's no replacing the originals. Best bet is the recent SoR trilogy re-release by M2 on XBLA/PSN. SoR2 and Bare Knuckle 3 (again...JP version is better) are very good titles.

There are other games but they don't immediately come to mind.
 
Get MAME on PC, or a Wii. Prepare to feast on beat-'em-up godliness.

Particular to MAME:

Cadillacs & Dinosaurs

Battle Circuit

Armored Warriors/Powered Gear (OMG Capcom, new one please)

The Punisher

Aliens vs Predator, but that goes without saying...

Golden Axe: Revenge of Death=Adder

The Combatribes

King of Dragons

Knights of the Round

Dynasty Wars & Warriors of Fate

Arabian Fight

Crystal of Kings

Metamorphic Force

Gaiapolis (very unique, a vertical-screen beat-'em-up)

All Konami's licenced beat-'em-ups (specificially Asterix and Bucky O'Hare, both MAME exclusive - the Simpsons Arcade and X-Men Arcade are both available on Xbox Live Arcade)

If you have a PS3 or 360, buy Final Fight Double Impact (despite its stupid DRM - Magic Sword almost makes it worth dealing with) and the recent Dungeons & Dragons release. Also consider Double Dragon Neon if you're interested. Skip Scott Pilgrim if you dislike slow-paced fighting and can't afford the online multiplayer DLC.
 
If you are buying instead of going with MAME, try to grab ones on sale.

I love a good Beat Em' Up but the old ones are really not worth the asking price. They are fun for like half an hour before you remember why they kinda stopped making these.

I bought the D&D pack last week and managed to get through one game with a friend, and have had no desire to play the other one yet.
 
I've never been able to get MAME to work. Last time I played Cadillacs and Dinosaurs it was on the Nebula emulator. :P
 
Ceebs said:
If you are buying instead of going with MAME, try to grab ones on sale.

I love a good Beat Em' Up but the old ones are really not worth the asking price. They are fun for like half an hour before you remember why they kinda stopped making these.

I bought the D&D pack last week and managed to get through one game with a friend, and have had no desire to play the other one yet.
Click to expand...

If you go for no-continue runs (or even limited-continue runs), you'll get waaaaaay more than half an hour of value out of them.
 
PandaPedinte said:
Check Dungeons & Dragons Chronicles of Mystara.
Click to expand...

I've played the shit out of Streets of Rage 2, Turtles in Time, Golden Axe arcade, Golden Axe 2 Genesis, and a few other classics, and recently Scott Pilgrim and Castle Crashers. But none of them hold a candle to the sheer depth, replayability and polish of Shadow over Mystara. Unless Dragon's Crown manages to surpass it, it might remain the beat'em up of the forever.
 
Castle Crashers is the best current-gen beat 'em up. It's even better if you have people to play with, but also very good solo.
 
Undercover Cops Alpha Renewal
Night Slashers
Double Dragon (iOS/Android)
Rushing Beat Shura
The Ninja Warriors Return

Anything else I could say has already been mentioned.

And the Sengoku series is also available on the PS2 in Europe as a part of the Sengoku Anthology if you need another way to play Sengoku 3/2001.
 
Dambrosi said:
Get MAME on PC, or a Wii. Prepare to feast on beat-'em-up godliness.

Particular to MAME:

Cadillacs & Dinosaurs

Battle Circuit

Armored Warriors/Powered Gear (OMG Capcom, new one please)

The Punisher

Aliens vs Predator, but that goes without saying...

Golden Axe: Revenge of Death=Adder

The Combatribes

King of Dragons

Knights of the Round

Dynasty Wars & Warriors of Fate

Arabian Fight

Crystal of Kings

Metamorphic Force

Gaiapolis (very unique, a vertical-screen beat-'em-up)

All Konami's licenced beat-'em-ups (specificially Asterix and Bucky O'Hare, both MAME exclusive - the Simpsons Arcade and X-Men Arcade are both available on Xbox Live Arcade)

If you have a PS3 or 360, buy Final Fight Double Impact (despite its stupid DRM - Magic Sword almost makes it worth dealing with) and the recent Dungeons & Dragons release. Also consider Double Dragon Neon if you're interested. Skip Scott Pilgrim if you dislike slow-paced fighting and can't afford the online multiplayer DLC.
Click to expand...

Kudos and props for putting in the effort to make this awesome list. A top notch list at that!
 
You could look at this thread:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=608341

Anyway i want to suggest a game no one else suggested, splatterhouse 3, you are a jason clone and kill monsters with your hands(or with mask powered headbutts lol)in a ville with a non-linear level you can freely explore(but you need to complete level before the timer to save your beloved).
It's a really awesome and hard game, try it! ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDjZEWrNWHw
 
Final Fight (best 2D beat 'em up)
Castle Crashers
Scott Pilgrim
TMNT: Turtles in Time

Btw how are Final Fight 2 & 3? Never played them.
 
SoR Remake is so good that I would pay $60 for a home console version with online support.

TMNT 3 The Manhattan Project. Best TMNT game. Long, difficult and tons of fan service
 
Host Samurai said:
SoR Remake is so good that I would pay $60 for a home console version with online support.

TMNT 3 The Manhattan Project. Best TMNT game. Long, difficult and tons of fan service
Click to expand...

No way, Turtles in Time is tops.

Modern title: Castle Crashers. Fantastic game that is immensely fun if you have friends to play with.

Classic title: Guardian Heroes, Final Fight, X-Men, Turtles in Time.
 
Panzer Bandit

I will forever hail this as a great game that went unnoticed.

PanzerBandit-ps-jp1.jpg


Nice music, good animation, crazy combos, good bosses, and just the right amount of challenge.
 
WIIIIIIZE FROM YOUR GWAVE!!!!!!

The following post.....


Dambrosi said:
Get MAME on PC, or a Wii. Prepare to feast on beat-'em-up godliness.

Particular to MAME:

Cadillacs & Dinosaurs

Battle Circuit

Armored Warriors/Powered Gear (OMG Capcom, new one please)

The Punisher

Aliens vs Predator, but that goes without saying...

Golden Axe: Revenge of Death=Adder

The Combatribes

King of Dragons

Knights of the Round

Dynasty Wars & Warriors of Fate

Arabian Fight

Crystal of Kings

Metamorphic Force

Gaiapolis (very unique, a vertical-screen beat-'em-up)

All Konami's licenced beat-'em-ups (specificially Asterix and Bucky O'Hare, both MAME exclusive - the Simpsons Arcade and X-Men Arcade are both available on Xbox Live Arcade)

If you have a PS3 or 360, buy Final Fight Double Impact (despite its stupid DRM - Magic Sword almost makes it worth dealing with) and the recent Dungeons & Dragons release. Also consider Double Dragon Neon if you're interested. Skip Scott Pilgrim if you dislike slow-paced fighting and can't afford the online multiplayer DLC.
Click to expand...

Deserves to be archived into the NeoGaf hall of fame. It's that damn good. Excellent recommendations my friend.

I've been jonesing for some beat 'em ups lately and decided to come back to this thread for some suggestions. Unbelievable how I was TOTALLY oblivious to such classics such as Arabian Fight and Battle Circuit!!!!

MAME is such a fucking God tier emulator. One of the greatest programs ever invented for the personal computer.
 
- Streets of Rage 1 and 2
- Final Fight
- TMNT IV: Turtles in Time
- TMNT Arcade '89
- The Simpsons
- X-Men
- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
- Castle Crashers

Streets of Rage 2 is my favorite beat 'em up of all time. An absolute must-play if you haven't already!
 
Godofnerdiness said:
I just finished Shank 1 and 2 from the recent Humble Bundle and absolutely loved them. I'm not too familiar with the genre but I really like the combo system. What are some similar games?
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What systems do you own?
JPN PSN has some PSX beat'em-up games that might interest you. I'll need to remember their names first though, so I'll get back to you on them if you're interested.

Guacamelee could count despite being like Metroid/Metroidvania.
 
Guardian Heroes and Streets of Rage 2/3 are my favourites. I never tried the fanmade Streets of Rage though.
 
I think Charlie Murder on XBLA is one of the best entries into the genre, and woefully overlooked. Really nailed the progression of loot and streamlined the inventory management so you are always progressing forward.
 
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