The Golden Age Of The Beat-’Em-Up: Part 2

[@Cracky003]

Spiderman PS4? Straight up beat em up.

[@catoblepag]

Great list. I know you can't talk about them all, but I personally would've included Undercover Cops by Irem. Developed by the guys who later formed Nazca and gave us Neo Turf Masters and the Metal Slug series, great graphics and the first boss battle is pure genius (you can win in a single move if you throw him under the elevator, Terminator-style... or get crushed by the same elevator if you fall in that pit. Brillant.)

[@DanteJayce]

Urban Reign was one you didn't mention. A really fun beat-em-up for PS2 with a ton of different fighters and styles. It was a lot better than the disappointing Final Fight Streetwise that also came out around that time.

[@XDrifteRX]

Update: STREETS OF RAGE 4

[@Butterworthy]

I love watching older videos where Battle Chasers gets mentioned. Because we got it on Switch! And man am I ever glad, because aside from Guardian Heroes it may be my favorite beat em up.

[@benjammin316]

Love your vids man, you have a great voice for this.

[@jonko82]

The brawling in the Yakuza games by Sega feel very much like Streets of Rage in 3D (also made by Sega).

[@Haste666]

i enjoy how well spoken you are.

[@duncanrathband5492]

Epic video on a genre close to my heart. Thank you!

[@OldYagamikun]

Great videos, mate! Dunno if it was mentioned or not, but might be worth exploring a part 3 video containing fan ports/conversions/continuations of classic beat-em ups that time forgot. Streets of Rage Remake is a great place to start. Possibly my favorite brawler in my 37 years of gaming history. Cheers!

[@LukesGamePage]

Bransfield Sir, you are excellent. Golden Axe 2 arcade is night and day between the Megadrive 2 😬 Looks so sweet. Die Hard 4 lyfe, so underated, just done a playthrough recently

[@BackyardEpicMovies]

Shame you didn't mention Rockstar's The Warriors, I thought it was one of the best 3D beat 'em ups of the PS2 era.

[@SameNameDifferentGame]

Battle Circuit really does feel like a Captain Commando sequel, I recently played through it and thought exactly that. Also, if you haven't played River City: Tokyo Rumble on the 3DS, I highly recommend it. It's SO GOOD. Rival Showdown is ok, but Tokyo Rumble is super good.

[@JohnDoe-fi9li]

Yeah, it sure has the same scifi feel but with a more lighthearted/comical athmosphere.

[@onaretrotip]

I love Alien VS Predator too! Still play it a lot, along with Cadillacs & Dinosaurs on my bartop arcade. Not as good as a full size, but it's a good space-saving solution, and has all the classics on it. D&D is awesome too, I have the collection on Saturn, and they're on the bartop too. Have you ever played PuLiRuLa (arcade/Saturn)? It's absolutely insane!

[@Bransfiiiield]

I feel like I've heard of pulithingy, but never actually played it. There's just so bloody many...

[@ContractCAD]

1990 was the year I spent £20 on continues to complete Final Fight (perhaps I was just crap at it!) but there was something special about that game that drove me to see it through. For the home I had to choose between a Super Famicom and an Amiga. The 'home computer' won but only just. I might search for a Final Fight cabinet for my lottery winners man cave where it will sit along side Pac Man, Kung Fu Master, Hang on, Out Run, Operation Wolf, Virtua Racer, Sega Rally & LA Riders (plus, quite a few more....)

[@austinreed7343]

A lot of these old games have a depth alien to most indie brawlers.

[@cruz25617]

The Warriors for the PS2. Bully. Also Urban Reign. All 3 Great more "Modern" Beat em up's. The one's that flopped were of course Final Fight Street Wise, as well as Capcoms Beatdown Fists of Vengeance. Then there's Watchman, The End Is Nigh, for the PS3. As well as the Batman Arkham Asylum series. And here's one nobody ever seems to notice, but The Condemned for the PS3 is one of the Super Rare or one of a kind First Person Beat Em Up's. There's two in the series, with the second one "Bloodshot" having an online battle mode where everyone can beat the other up of course. Hack an Slash's were similar to Beat em Up's with a the exception being a more fantasy based twist, specifically using swords and other medieval weaponry and magic and animals to ride on an such. Now you have games on the PS4 that are Beat Em Up's in disguise. Slowly, the genre has made a comeback and nobody seems to notice. Their all over the place and have become a staple. Almost every game out now has beat em up elements in it somewhere. At some point. Except their classified by a whole new genre name: "Sandbox" titles. Red Dead Redemption 2 being an example. And all the older titles in the series before that. So their back, and better then ever. There's potential now to make a superb game. Bring back FF, DD, or SOR, more modernized. Can you imagine a remaster on any of those aforementioned classic's with todays advanced graphic engines?! The possibilities are endless...

[@Manfurias]

OpenBor has some hidden gems, and enough content for a part 3

[@natl9953]

You missed Spikeout on arcade, a masterpiece!

[@hibachifinal]

its funny you mention mikami's games, id like to think koei's dynasty warriors series is the other end of the spectrum of the beat em up genre where they take rpg-lite and add a bit of strategy and troop management too

[@dreamcastfan]

Nice to see Final Fight 2 get some love, usually it’s just dismissed as disappointing. I’d love a proper 2D Final Fight sequel as well, although I’d make it a prequel so it can be set in the ‘80s and continue the tradition of the thugs all being in leather and chains.

[@El3ctr0Lun4]

I remember playing and finishing all three Final Fight games on a SNES emulator with my cousin one summer.

[@kelleyjones9777]

Madworld is a great beat em up for the Wii.

[@rodrigolopez6642]

Preach mate

[@neogenesis7706]

I didnt care for it and i tried man i tried.

[@wolfganghaggar2708]

Don't forget the Sonic Blast Man games on the Super famicom!... (not to everyone's taste, but I loved the first games back in the day)

[@Chud_Bud_Supreme]

I loved Warriors of Fate! I spent a lot of quarters on that back in the day.

[@n64thstreet]

You are literally, not figuratively, my favorite channel.

[@AbdurrahmanKhallouf]

well this is what happens when idiots uses the word literally too much lol. now you have to say not figuratively to get the meaning you want

[@bonggzilla]

Make a part 3 with all the new indie beat em ups

[@brazilmugenteam]

I am working on fan made beat em up game, if you want some help :)

[@rodrigolopez6642]

Jackie Chan: Stuntmaster was if not a masterpiece, a really polished game.

[@spagbowlsparmacheese629]

I always fast forward when anyone talks about playstation and 2D.

[@DREAMSINDIGITAL]

I agree, punching stuff is fun!

[@AllinAllGames]

Best beat em ups of all time 1. Guardian heroes 2. River City ransom 3. Dungeons and dragons shadows of mystara 4. Final fight 5. Die hard

[@sega_kid4288]

I think I would count games like God of War, spiderman PS4, and Batman Arkham etc as beat'em ups. The Lord of the rings games for a few years ago, yea maybe beat'em ups have just evovled a bit but bashing some skulls is bashing some skulls.

[@Zephyr_Weiss]

Holy crap I've been looking everywhere for the game that has the guy that looked like The Flesh from Action League Now! Lol it was Guardians

[@lancelance4582]

I play the Ultimate Alliance series as a beat em up

[@goldenage]

Good show!

[@internetperson4963]

Hey! They returned!

[@gochasingwaterfalls9970]

Streets of Rage 2 is one of the best games ever made in any genre in my opinion.

[@shigshug8581]

We need a part 3......

[@willmistretta]

Will you all agree to stop with this "Nez" insanity if we back off on "Zee-X Spectrum?" We're willing to compromise here.

[@Bransfiiiield]

If insanity is being correct, then I need sectioning.

[@ModelJames13]

Night Slashers!

[@cinnamondan4984]

Good points all

[@MissiGNO000]

What about Dinasty Warriors? It's like a 3d golden axe :c

[@andrewthatcher1]

Check out Urban Lockdown and also bad ass babes on Steam. 2 super fun bet em up games

[@Cieje3]

Some say that the Koe/Tecmo "Warriors" series is an evolution of the old beat-em-up genre... I'd like to see your video response on that idea...

[@Bransfiiiield]

It definitely is, and it's a bit of an obvious oversight on my part there. Unlikely to do a video on them though, as they do nothing for me.

[@Cieje3]

No problem, I appreciate your honest response at least. Fully enjoyed your approach here. Looking forward to your future content.

[@nikkiwileman7033]

You missed out die hard arcade and dynamite cop

[@lrdalucardart]

Where is Gekido?

[@The_AOJ]

Geikdo on the PS1?

[@nefarious520]

GodHands the fukin shit!

[@cuiff62]

double dragon advance and neon

[@jonathanplooij3666]

mortal kombat shaolin monks should have been mentiont

[@kofkiller]

Lovely video, with one caveat... If you call yourself a beat 'em up fan and are avoiding Dragon's Crown solely on the way it looks, then you are really screwing the pooch there my friend, because that game is a masterpiece. Also, shout out to Shank 2, that game is so underrated it hurts.

[@Bransfiiiield]

I played it and enjoyed it, and believe I even reviewed it professionally saying as much. I cannot abide by its art style though, it makes me full-body cringe, so no I'm not going to show it in the video. Both Shanks were good, yeah.

[@GryphonICD]

It's at 11:17 in this video that I truly fall in love with you. Remember; the video game scene was almost utterly destroyed by E.T. ... except, yanno, in the bedrooms of most UK kids fiddling about with Basic and releasing games on tape. Also, Bon Jovi won WWII for us.

[@Bransfiiiield]

Tried to hide it/mask it as a joke, but it's a genuine source of consternation for me personally. THE WORLD IS NOT THE US.

[@ShadG]

Try Streets of Fury EX, pal. You won't regret it.

[@gerot201]

the warrirors

[@iraplikeyoubreathe]

Sengoku 2 is so weird but its fun as heck. But i am a neogeo ho.

[@lancelance4582]

See Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks

[@radicaledwards3449]

what do you mean when you say SNK NEOGEO had no truly great beat em ups, neo geo is known for the genre

[@cbarger2327]

Not really. He pretty much named all of them and I think most people would agree that Mutation Nation, Robo Army, and Sengoku 3 are the 3 best beat 'em ups on the Neo Geo. Also, make sure you aren't confusing beat 'em ups (beat THEM, as in multiple dudes, up) with fighting games, which are one-on-one versus matches. The Neo Geo was known for its fighting games. Beat 'em ups, not so much.

[@hybridvigga]

Radical Edwards - I think you're confusing fighting games with scrolling beat-em-ups. Streetfighter style games - SNK is genius. Streets of Rage style games, no, not genius. Two different things.

[@gaboon7777]

Mother Russian Bleeds?

[@cbarger2327]

I kind of don't understand the tone regarding modern beat 'em ups. I mean, you acknowledge that they exist sort of, but it seems like you think Devil May Cry and the games that follow it somehow aren't really beat 'em ups. I don't see it that way; I don't see how Bayonetta is less of a beat 'em up than Die Hard Arcade. There are, and always will be, games where you hit large numbers of enemies with your fists or a weapon until they die. Beat 'em ups have evolved, but they have always been evolving really, and while games like Monster Hunter World, Dynasty Warriors 8, and Absolver are all quite a bit different from each other, they are all still beat 'em ups, and it seems like they are still quite popular (MHW and God of War have sold better than most games this year).

[@hybridvigga]

They are their own genre 'character action games' Its like complaining that Contra isn't on platform game lists because there are technically platforms and you can not technically jump, but its a different 'run & gun' genre.

[@cbarger2327]

Yes but I don't really see the difference. In some of these games where you are using a weapon instead of your fists, some may call it a hack 'n slash instead of a beat 'em up, but its really pretty much the same thing. What makes a "character action game" distinct from a beat 'em up? I mean, it's easy to see why Contra is a run 'n gun. The focus of the game is shooting dudes with a dude you control in an environment (instead of scrolling through an environment automatically or shooting on a fixed screen, which would make it a shmup). There is jumping on platforms, but it's not a game about jumping on platforms. Maybe with something like Megaman or Ghouls 'n Ghosts its more of a mix of those things, but we can all agree that Contra is a run 'n gun. It's not a question of perspective or 3D graphics either. Bad Dudes, Double Dragon, and Dynamite Cop all have different perspectives but they are all beat 'em ups, just like Ikari Warriors, Desert Assault, and Metal Slug all have different perspectives and are all considered run 'n guns. What makes Fighting Force a beat 'em up but Bayonetta a character action game? The little bit of character customization? I mean, I can see in a game like Bloodborne how that would make it more of an action RPG, but with something like Bayonetta, it seems like splitting hairs.

[@radicaledwards3449]

6:45 An actual platform game....... you don't know wtf you talkin bout do you

[@Champion2D]

I'd also say the God of war series including the latest one are evolutions of the best em up. An argument could even be made for The Last Of Us as well. Glad you brought up Battle Circuit. That's definitely an underrated gem I discovered on mame and one I go back to a lot. Night Slashers, Ninja Baseball Batman and Metamorphic Force are other gems I never got to play in it's day but discovered afterwards.

[@hybridvigga]

God of War is 'Character Action', if that deserves a spot on the list so do Bayoneta, Devil May Cry, Enslaved, Nightmare Before Christmas and hundreds of others that also aren't beat-em-ups. And Last Of Us is a janky broken stealth game with limited ammo to make it seem more interesting than it is, with a half-decent story instead of a super-shitty story that people wrongly think is brilliant.

[@Champion2D]

Jammill Khursheed I never said they were beat em ups but yes all the games you mentioned are rooted from the beat em up genre.

[@oldmanharley4018]

you've made a terrible mistake. a terrible mistake called Knights of the Round, the best beat em up ever created

[@cinnamondan4984]

Final Fight 2 was so bland, while Final Fight Final was actually pretty good despite its flaws.

[@zensoredparagonbytes3985]

Sleeping Dogs

[@GELTONZ]

"Denjin Makai...They're hardly more than fine as games" WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?! Holy crap your taste in beat 'em ups is awful. I'm sorry, Final Fight is overrated tripe, Golden Axe 3 is an underrated gem, and Guardians/Denjin Makai II is the greatest beat 'em up ever past, present, and even future because the longer indie beat 'em up devs go without playing that lost classic the longer they will go without topping the genre's very best. I mean...I GUESS that's just my opinion but...like...I kinda judge beat 'em ups based on how many moves they give me and the depth of their combat so...yeah.

[@CriminalMacabre]

the problem with snk is that they worried more about eye candy than gameplay, burning fight was gorgeous and spectacular with the van attack and the metro, but in the end was pretty repetitive