Let's talk about beat em ups

[Himu]

For the past few years, in any time I want a quick gaming session or I want to load off some stress, I play a beat em up. Usually by myself, though that's the least preferable option. It doesn't matter the kind of beu, I can get into Dynasty Warriors, first person Beat em Ups like Breakdown, if I'm feeling adventurous - like I did a month ago - I'll go with something with more scope like Yakuza 2. In the mood for some oldies? I'll load up something like Alien vs Predator, Kung Fu, Battle Circuit, Streets of Rage 2, or The Simpsons arcade.

Beat em ups are great! They're so simplistic and yet such a varied genre.

You've got















in the same genre.

Blessed are beat em ups.

They kick ass.

In the few years a few good beat em ups have dropped: Warriors Orochi 2, Double Dragon Neon, Castle Crashers, and Phantom Breaker. Lots to like!

[Momo]

oh you mean this kinda beat em up.

came here for the fighters, leaving remembering how much i love AvP Arcade

[archnemesis]

I've come to the conclusion that it's a boring genre unless you're playing it cooperatively with friends. The combat isn't deep enough compared to the stylish action genre and you need at least some RPG mechanics to make it worthwhile for a single player campaign.

[The Sceneman]

BURNING MOTHERFUCKING FIGHT

I consider myself a connoisseur of 2d side scrolling BEUs, and this is my favourite one. I mean it's a straight Final Fight knock off including dead ringers for Guy and COy, but the gameplay is super fast paced and enjoyable. Some hysterical boss sprites make an appearance, with funny names like "Robert Baun","Thomas Anderson" and "Marshall"



Borys is right there with one of the best though, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs is insanely good

[The Sceneman]

I've come to the conclusion that it's a boring genre unless you're playing it cooperatively with friends. The combat isn't deep enough compared to the stylish action genre and you need at least some RPG mechanics to make it worthwhile for a single player campaign.

for me nostalgia plays a major part. In the early 90s home console offerings paled in comparison to the incredible shit I was playing in the arcades, even Final Fight (1989) was head and shoulders above anything you could play on Master System or Megadrive. The genre still hits a home run in my heart

[Great Rumbler]

[bork]

[bork]

I've come to the conclusion that it's a boring genre unless you're playing it cooperatively with friends. The combat isn't deep enough compared to the stylish action genre and you need at least some RPG mechanics to make it worthwhile for a single player campaign.

Depends on the game.  Older stuff, from Konami in particular, are mindless quarter munching button mashers.  Games like TMNT, X-Men, and the Simpsons are interchangeable and did not age well IMO.

For classic beat-em-ups I still Final Fight and Streets Of Rage, but for some depth, it's games like Guardian Heroes, Panzer Bandit, D&D, Sengoku 3, and Double Dragon Advance.

[archnemesis]

I really loved that D&D game that recently had a remake back when I tried it in the arcade. I'll get it from Steam once it's cheap and see if it still holds up. Games like Streets of Rage are still great if you have a friend sitting next to you, but when I for instance tried playing Scott Pilgrim by myself it was boring as hell.

[Joe Molotov]

Streets of Rage 2

[bork]

I wasn't thrilled with Scott Pilgrim myself.  Never did buy it.  Loved the art style though.

I really loved that D&D game that recently had a remake back when I tried it in the arcade. I'll get it from Steam once it's cheap and see if it still holds up. Games like Streets of Rage are still great if you have a friend sitting next to you, but when I for instance tried playing Scott Pilgrim by myself it was boring as hell.

It's not a remake...you can just try it in MAME or any other emulator that supports Capcom CPS2 titles.

[Raban]

I've mentioned it to himuro the other day, but recently I've been playing Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble on PSP because it's $3.49 on PSN it's a cool beat'em'up/RPG hybrid. The production quality leaves something to be desired, but it's still a fun game. The load times are kinda getting on my nerves though

[Himu]

I've come to the conclusion that it's a boring genre unless you're playing it cooperatively with friends. The combat isn't deep enough compared to the stylish action genre and you need at least some RPG mechanics to make it worthwhile for a single player campaign.

I think it really depends. As Lyte said, Konami beat em ups haven't aged that gracefully and they lack depth. However, there's a surprisingly amount of variety in the genre despite the interchangeability. There's a massive difference between Guardian Heroes, AVP, Final Fight, River City Random, and Dungeons and Dragons: Mystara.

And then there's fucking Die Hard Arcade.

[Himu]

The thing about stuff like X-Men was the experience of having 6 players kick ass all at once. If you play it solo today, I think that experience is lost on you; it was a social experience. Beat em ups were DEFINITELY at their peak form at the arcades.

is devil may cry or ninja gaiden a beat em up

I honestly don't know. Enemies in DMC and NG take effort to go down, and they aren't fodder. But that's not really a prerequisite for a beat em up either because Comix Zone's enemies are punch sinks. I guess I wouldn't mind if someone called them beat em ups, but in the traditional sense I have never seen them as beat em ups.

[Positive Touch]

i always thought of them as beat-em-ups with combat systems that were closer to fighting games.

[Tucah]

I love a good beat 'em up. I've been going through Castle Crashers with some friends and it's been a blast.

[MoxManiac]

I think my favorite beatemup is Golden Axe: Revenge of Death Adder. A shame it never got ported to anything.

BTW, I bought that D&D collection that Capcom put out recently, and man, I dunno, but I remember those games being a lot better then they were.