Geez, it's about time. Due to popular demand, (but mostly because we just now happened to get around to it), this week's episode of RetroforceGO! focuses on beat 'em ups. River City Ransom, Double Dragon, X-Men, and plenty of other titles that revolve around roaming the streets and pounding the ever-loving sh*t out of anyone unfortunate enough to be out and about at the same time as you.
We're big fans of this nigh-forgotten genre, and we know lots of you share the same love for haphazard asskicking. We'll be talking about some of our favorites, including the game you see pictured above, which is something you should most definitely know about if you don't already -- especially if you've been enjoying Castle Crashers over the past few weeks. Hit the comments and tell us your own favorites!
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Contest:
5:04 PM on 09.25.2008
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Who agrees with me that The Simpsons Beat'em up is the best beat'em up ever made?
DISAGREE AND DIE FOR ... DISAGREEING!!!
Also who is "em"?
Okay, Beat'em ups. I was a fan of Streets of Rage despite the fact that I never owned a Genesis. I would go over to my friend's house regularly to play it. It seems that the internet's favorite was Streets of Rage 2, however I enjoyed the third game more. I laughed when I heard that Sega execs forgot that they owned the rights to Streets of Rage, but I can't remember the source so I can't say that the story was accurate.
Anyways, With Castle Crashers release and popularity, do you think Beat'em ups can make a come back? And what do you think it would take to revive the old franchises?
Would you guys consider games like DMC, Ninja Gaiden, Godhand to be our generations version of beat-em-ups seeing as how the genre is pretty much non existent ?(with the exception of games like Castle Crashers)
/already thinks Streets of Rage 2 will win this, but whatever, Nintendo gets way too much love around here.
It's Mega Man 9
Super Dodgeball, Vectorman
FAP FAP FAP, FAP FAP!
P.S.
even though it may seem reminiscent of River City Ransom it actually came out a few years earlier.
Question: Of all the beat 'em up's y'all have played, which character would each of y'all want to be?
I would want to be one of the brothers from Double Dragon so I could kill my brother to win a slut-bag girlfriend.
:(
He asked my question before I could
But The Simpsons arcade game was the best thing ever. I wasted so much money on that
Also, alternative question that spawns from The Simpsons one
Favourite movie/TV/general media based beat 'em up EVER!?
And
What makes a good beat 'em up for the RFG crew?
Is it imaginative enemies, cool power ups, a proper storyline, co-op or anything else?
Question: What was your favorite boss battle in a beat-em-up?
Also, if you could make a beat-em-up based around a popular franchise (Mega Man, Metroid, Zelda), which would you chose?
Also also, I hope everyone liked their Perler bead figures. Stella and Rev, I'm still waiting to hear from you. You guys get ones as well, for being so awesome!
Finally, greatest beat-em-up = Turtles in Time. Anyone who says differently is a Communist. And not the cool kind of Communist, the indie douchebag kind who thinks Communism is awesome, even though they don't know the true ideals and just like wearing Che Guevera shirts.
- Battle Circuit
- Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
- From the image, I'm expecting Dad and Me, which is awesome.
- Sengoku 3 (first two were boring)
- Armored Warriors
- Knights of the Round
- Undercover Cops
- Warriors of Fate
- Ninja Baseball Batman (plain fun, it just makes no sense)
As an extra, there's also the freeware games Beats of Rage, and the Streets of Rage Remake.
Yeah, I'm already expecting the usual TMNT, X-Men, and Simpsons mentions, but I'm more hoping for the less known titles. So looking forward to this episode.
Also, I absolutely love the Simpsons game.
Also can we please have some love for Spider-Man and Venom on the SNES, I god damn loved playing that game as a kid, hell it was the sole reason I liked Spider-Man yet had not read a single comic of his up until a few years ago. Also has anyone played Star Wars Episode 3 Revenge of the Sith for DS or GBA, awesome 2d beat 'em up, its Like the Ninja Turtle Games but with Lightsabers and Force Powers.
AND OMFG you guys had better mention Tennage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4, Turtles in time, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beat 'em up question:
Are there any real sub-genres to beat 'em ups? It seems that the only way to define beat 'em ups is when they were released. (... and then there are also RPG beat 'em ups but whatever)
My favorite beat em up game has to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time for the SNES. I cant count how many times I beat that game and its levels such as "Prehistoric Turtlesaurus" and "Alley Cat Blues"!! As King3vbo asked, what are yours?
My question to you guys is: When given the option of 2P Mode A or 2P Mode B, which did you guys prefer?
I would usually pick the mode where you couldn't attack your partner, since I like to go crazy and steal my friends' kills. However, having that second mode where you could fight your partner WAS fun....often, in Double Dragon II, my brother and I would load that up and just kill each other, not even beating the game :P
Can't wait to hear this one! <3 <3 <3
Question: What kind of features do you look for in a beat 'em up? Unique setting, good characters, good combos, what?
A skate park I used to go to in Vermont had a Simpsons arcade cabinet. Absolutely amazing.
I myself would really love the Punisher Arcade game to get some download service love.
Also Mega Man 9= Amazing= Chad= Chad is Mega Man!
Also: Golden Axe was cool.
But please mention "Battletoads & Double Dragon" (SNES). That game had the MOST awesome music!
How do you feel about the game narratively compared to the rest of the series(that is, not just the Classic, but X, Zero, ZX and Legends. Ya know, the canon games). Are we starting to see the groundwork laid for a game that connects the Classic and X series?
As to the topic at hand(beat'em ups):
How did you guys feel about Legend Of Mana's battle system? Did you feel it mixed the beat'em up style combat system into a (relatively)traditional RPG formula well? Are there any other games that aren't primarily beat'em ups that you think incorporated beat'em up mechanics for combat in a way that didn't turn the game into a turd?
In TMNT II: The Arcade Game and TMNT IV: Turtles in Time (AMAZING GAMES!) which turtles do each of you always play as?
Also, I love you guys.
Second, should I be ashamed for liking the power rangers beat em up on SNES?
Last, Serious Question, Castle Crashers shows an amalgam of beat em ups, and RPGs. Would there be a genre mashup with beat em up you would like to see? Beat em up plus shooter, topher? Could that even work? I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.
If you guys could get a specific artist to do a new 2d Beat em up who would it be? I know there are obvious answers like Paul Robertson who did the awesome "Pirate Baby's Cabana Battle Street Fight 2006", but I personally would love to see something done by the teams behind either FLCL or the Gorillaz, with huge pixelly sprites. Fap.
P.S.
We need a Comix Zone sequel.
Also, how do you feel about Beat 'em Ups as of late? It seems to be a genre that has fallen though the cracks of gaming history, but they're have been several made over the years, the most notable of course being Castle Crashers, which will hopefully usher in a new era of glory for the lost genre, but other less discussed ones have come out to; like the awesome remake of River City Ransom for the GBA, the fantastic Viewtiful Joe titles, and even Super Smash Bro's Brawl's Subsapce Emissary mode. Were there any particularly notable ones (either for their brilliance, or lack there of) you guys can think of?
Also, this is a little more retro limbo material, but would you consider Gauntlet Legends, on the N64, a beat em up? That game created the same atmosphere around the tv as Castle Crashers.
Pick a ninja...aaaaaand Go!
For me, it's arcade game all the way. I have so many memories of that and hardly any of IV...
(heck, maybe TMNT III for the NES beats both of them...)
MEGAMAN 9 !!!!!!!!!!!!!
MEGA
MAN!!! NIIIIIIINNNNE!!!
Which beat-em-up do you feel is overlooked a lot of the time, and deserves at least some praise?
And yeah, talk about Megaman 9, in spite of topher :P
Which Final Fight is your favorite and which character from the series do you like the most? Why?
Does Final Fight deserve a true re-make (not like Streetwise) on the current generation of consoles? If so, how do you envision it?
And most importantly:
When talking with Dan Paladin at PAX, he told me his work on Dad 'n' Me was what inspired him to create Castle Crashers. With that said, if you were to each make a beat 'em up game, which games would be your inspirations and why?
Oh, and I'm new to D-toid, but not your podcast. So hi!
What are your favorite Japanese Beatemups?...the ones that weren't released across the pacific (I'm sure topher will answer this one). Has anyone played the other versions of River City Ransom?
If not play this after the show.
It was technically a beat'em up I think, though it was a lot like a fighter. It had a Mortal Kombat sort of thing going on graphically, and I really thought that game was awesome, in the arcades and on Genesis.
How big were my retrogoggles? :)
To be honest I'm so sick of this console generation that I've all but forsaken my PS3 and 360. I recently (off of ebay) ordered a refurbed NES, refurbed SNES, and about two dozen games (most of which are beat em ups.
Tee hee! So much TMNT 4 love! I love you guys. Oh and TMNT 4 was better than 2...only cause of that level where you throw the foot soldiers to the screen to beat Shredder, and the fact you could cartwheel..
(I used to play as Raphael cause of his speed, although Donatello's always been my favorite turtle)
Beat 'em up + Shooter =
But speaking of genre mixing, I had this crazy idea for a hybrid Beat 'em up/Light Gun game for Wii where players can go between jacking fools up on the ground and blasting them House of the Dead style via a Alt. Form or Super Move.
Does anyone get what I'm saying or am I just crazy?
P.S. I request that you talk about the Power Rangers Game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNlnysSKtLg
Between the giant bosses of Final Fight (ARCADE), the great gameplay of Streets of Rage 2 (GENESIS), the difficulty of Battletoads (NES), the horrible NARC (NES), the coin-eating Captain Commando (ARCADE), the adictive Ninja Turtles (ARCADE) or the gorgeous graphics of The Simpsons (ARCADE), which is the most memorable game to you? Also, I wasn´t one of the lucky bastards who owned a Neo Geo. Could you name the best beat´em ups of this system?
======
Oh, and by the way, my prize for the Megaman episode just arrived this week. Thanks for the gift, it was awesome!
Sadly, I don´t own a SNES anymore... But that Megaman X empytness I just felt will be filled perfectly By Megaman 9. Man, this game is every bit as tough as the old ones. Damn you cursed spikes!
What beat 'em ups have the best characters?
On the topic of a lot of people complaining about Megaman dlcl Who's fault is it really about bad dlc is it the developers for making it or is it more of the consumers fault for buying it?
What platform has the best beat 'em ups?
What do you guys think of co-op in beat 'em ups does double the people equal double the fun?
Out of the following moments, what is the most significant addition to the beat-'em-up pantheon?
Alex washing his bare ass in River City Ransom:
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~wmv23/rcr.jpg
The Final Fight continue screen, where you blow out the fuse on some dynamite:
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~wmv23/finalfight.jpg
Roo, the fighting kangaroo from Streets of Rage 3:
http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~wmv23/roo.jpg