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The top 10 beat-em-ups of all time

9:52 AM on 03.15.2007   |   Niero


The ever-prolific video-makin' ScrewAttackers have compiled another fun top 10 list of the best beat-em-ups of our time. The criteria: the game must have arcade style fighting, summon blinking arrows that tell you when to move, and have co-op modes. Classics like Golden Axe and Battletoads made the list ... but do you agree with the number one pick?  Discuss!








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94 comments | showing # 1 to 50
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Shipley's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 09:56
Shipley
and now that TMNT 1989 has come out on Xbox Live Arcade, I want the entire rest of this list on XBLA with co-op. Button mashers, forever!
Niero's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 09:57
Niero
Yes, exactly!
Snaileb 's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 09:58
Snaileb
Another broken vid from gametrailer.com? (suprise!)
pandlcg's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:00
pandlcg
snaileb, every trailer seems to be broken for you and nobody else...just sayin, but maybe it isn't the trailer that's broken

And unfortunately #1 is what i thought was released on XBLA yesterday. Needless to say i was disappointed to find out it was only the arcade version.
TheDemon In You's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:01
TheDemon In You
Yea Id have to atually agree with most of this list. TMNT in Time is probably the best beat-em game for the snes, if not for any system.

I miss that game lol
fromagex's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:02
fromagex
whats going on w/ those shirts?
Bob Muir's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:02
Bob Muir
I support Shipley's call for the rest of the list to appear on XBLA. In the event of one originally being an NES/SNES game (or a worthwhile port), I'd support an appearance on the Virtual Console as well.
JoshuaTR's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:06
JoshuaTR
Agreed. TMNT turtles in time wasted many days of my childhood.
World Famous's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:07
World Famous
Is there a Top 10 list game? I bet that'd be awesome. I wonder if it'd get on everyone's Top 10 list.
fromagex's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:09
fromagex
i think just simpsons needs to come to xbox...that would be good enough
DeusPayne's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:11
DeusPayne
Indeed. Simpsons needs to come to XBLA.
908peruvian's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:12
908peruvian
I STILL play Golden Axe 1 & 2 !!

XBLA give me Golden Axe 1, 2 & Golden Axe: RoDA!!

when is that new Golden Axe coming out!!?!???
scottus's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:32
scottus
oh, how i miss river city ransom. That was a looooonng game.
scottus's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:32
scottus
oh, how i miss river city ransom. That was a looooonng game.
ZeroTolo's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:33
ZeroTolo
I'm surprised that The Avengers didn't make in on there. Marvel did have a few of the better looking beat-em-ups out there back in the day.
ShinAmano's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:37
ShinAmano
I miss beat em ups...Guardian Heroes was incredible...and I miss 2D in general...so Castle Crashers is high up on my list of must buy XBLA games.
Buster's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:37
Buster
i pretty much agree with this list, i still play turtles in time and streets of rage 2, i play the crap out of them. two of my all time favorite games :P
Aetsen's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:39
Aetsen
The X-Men arcade beat-em up was good too.
BluDesign's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:40
BluDesign
Final Fight... I'd forgotten all about that game.

Snaileb, if it's any consolation, about half the time, GT shit doesn't work for me either. I don't know why...
JustAnotherName's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:47
JustAnotherName
HELLO! X-Men the arcade game?! i thought it cool at least.
deaddays's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:48
deaddays
GREAT LIST!! I agree with Aetsen, X-men should have mad the list, but I can't think of which one I'd kick out.
talon84's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:49
talon84
WTF?! No Aliens versus Predator arcade???? :(
bayushi's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 10:52
bayushi
Final Fight is one of my all time faves. I picked up the Dreamcast Compilation a while back that it was on. Good f'ing times! Streets of Rage 2 was no slouch in the kick ass dept either.
ShinAmano's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:08
ShinAmano
I would say that AVP and Xmen deserve to be on this list as well...anyone for Knights of the Round or the Sungeons and Dragons games? :)
ShinAmano's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:08
ShinAmano
*Dungeons
Fraggleupagus's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:09
Fraggleupagus
Guardian Heroes should be #1, but at least it made it on the list. Between that and Radiant Silvergun, my Saturn still gets love to this day.
ToasT's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:11
ToasT
How about some more recent titles. You might consider God of War to be a beat em up if it weren't for the puzzles. I agree, I wasted many a quarter playing X-Men arcade game and Turtles arcade. I had forgot about the Simpsons Arcade game. Now I want to play it.
Nick Chester's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:22
Nick Chester
I have never played any of those games.
Danzuke's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:26
Danzuke
you oughta
mandlebaum123's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:30
mandlebaum123
Great list, but arcade X-MEN with the two screens should have been on there somewhere.
tazarthayoot's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:31
tazarthayoot
How can you be a writer for Dtoid and have not even played just one of those games, Nick? I have lost minimal amounts of respect for you.

I agree about the whole xmen/AVP thing, as well as if any Battletoads game was gonna make it on that list, it should have been the arcade version, just for the fact that it allowed at least 3 players playing at a time, and it was hard as holy hell. I think the reason those didn't make the list was the fact that they all pretty much were the same cabinet type (dual screen, up to 4 player game).
bigpixels's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:39
bigpixels
Top 10 *Console* Beat'em'Ups. Few things bug me more than the NES version of Double Dragon being considered up to par with the arcade. Not enough Capcom Arcade titles here. Captain Commando? Cadillacs and Dinosaurs? Punisher? AVP? Or even Vendetta? Combatribes? The Original Ninja Gaiden? [pause] ok, ok, I'm leaving..
meshgiath's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:39
meshgiath
I agree with the list... but COMBATRIBES has to be in there somewhere. That game was a PAIN and the characters were friggin HUGE like my CAPS TEXT that I'm OVERDOING!
mono's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:44
mono
The X-Men and AVP were cool, but I think Spider-Man arcade is more deserving of being on this list. It was a blast, and the back and forth between beat 'em up and 2D platforming blew my tender, prepubescent mind.

Am I the only one that feels THE WARRIORS should be on this list? It took everything great about these games and made them not only better, but relevant again (cause if you hadn't noticed, there's not a game on their released after 1996).
ZealousD's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:47
ZealousD
TMNT: Hyperstone Heist > TMNT: Turtles in Time

Yeah, I said it.
mono's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:47
mono
My first post, and I blow the "there, their, and they're" thing. That's about right.
an800lbGorilla's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:48
an800lbGorilla
Hey, guys. First time poster, long time reader. I just had to throw in the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers game. That game ruled. I don't care how old you were when that game came out (my little brother rented it, I swear on my testicles), but that game just had a clean finish to it.
Lethal Dosage's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:50
Lethal Dosage
As much as I adore everything about Turtles In Time, Guardian Heroes should've been number one.

They left out X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse and X-Men: The Arcade Game, which is a crime in my world.

I'm sure I'll get shit for this, but The Bouncer should've been on the list before Batman Returns. Tremendously short length aside, The Bouncer was actually somewhat fun, and looked gorgeous in its time.
Ling Ling's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 11:57
Ling Ling
they left out michael jacksons moonwalker...
ShinAmano's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:02
ShinAmano
"I have never played any of those games."

Do yourself a favor and try and play these classics...

Look I know we all did not grow up with these games, but I get sick of Playstation generation kids disrespecting the classics (I know this is not what you did here)...
Snaileb 's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:03
Snaileb
Thanx DvD, but I know that there are a handful of people like me that just get blank screens and so on from gametrailers. I know pandlcg 'I think' said it might just be me, but that's a fat chance.

I know some people with the same problem... oh look it's up now. I'll shut up. *goes to speculate the top 10*


If what Lethal Dosage is saying is true, that they left out an X-men game (specially the arcade, that thing ate quarters so quick) then I am not pleased..

The better have put River City Ransom on there.
S'all I'm sayin..
Ling Ling's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:08
Ling Ling
@shinamano - spot on...

and folks while you're at it... be sure to try out Activision's Starmaster for the atari 2600... a friggin classic!
nic_disassembly's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:09
nic_disassembly
*Borat voice* WHAAAAAT? No Rival Terfz? Not even with sexy box photo?
[IMG]http://img.gkblogger.com/blog/imgdb/000/000/037/183_1.gif[IMG]
*end Borat voice*
HungLaser's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:16
HungLaser
Warriors.....Come out to playyyyeyyyy!
i like classics and all but come on.
Snaileb 's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:25
Snaileb
"Go ninja, go ninja go; Ninja, Ninja, RAP! Ninja, Ninja, RAP!"
ShawnKelfonne's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:31
ShawnKelfonne
I've always said that if more mayors took after Mike Haggar, there would be absolutely no crime.
LostCrichton's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:32
LostCrichton
great list...especially Battletoads...I lost a whole summer playing that with my friends. Guardian Heroes is another great one from the list but I'm waiting for the other Turtles games to make it to XBLA. I spent pretty much half of yesterday (after ducking out from work early) playing the 1989 arcade game. Then I capped the evening with God of War 2.
Positronbob's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:41
Positronbob
Am I seeing things wrong, or was the Double Dragon title shown predominantly in the video the sequel for NES and not the original? It's been a long time so I might just be retarded. Also, I have to agree that leaving off AvP is criminal, even if you had to make it a top 11 there is no way you can make a scrolling beat em up list without it.
Creamsnake's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:56
Creamsnake
Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder should be up there. NOT the origional Golden Axe.

Also I think Capcoms Aliens vs Predator arcade game should at least get an honorable mention.

Capcom also made a really interesting game called Battle Circuit for arcade. Anyone ever heard of it?

My all time favorite is Gekido for Playstation. There were so many combos and special moves I was actually overwhelmed. There were several game modes(including versus), lots of weapons, branching paths, and a nice variety of enemies and bosses who could be unlocked. I kicked the game's ass so bad using the final boss LOL.
mono's Avatar - Comment posted on 03/15/2007 12:57
mono
ShinAmano,

While I understand your issue with kids that have less knowledge of/interest in the games we grew up with - though I don't really agree, as I feel it's something akin to faulting teenagers that like The Flaming Lips just because they don't own the White Album - I don't quite see how that is relevant to this discussion.

I know I already mentioned The Warriors, but to elaborate: my opinion is that the game should be near the top of this list not because it's a recent addition to the genre, but because it both paid homage and built upon the basic ideas behind these amazing games in a way that almost all other developers failed to do so (Die Hard Arcade and Fighting Force, anyone?) for nine long years. TWO generations.

That said, I trust you will join me in boycotting Biosphere, because kids today just don't know what it's like to be ten-years-old and trying to slug your way through the clunky first-person sections of The Mafat Conspiracy.
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