The beat 'em up genre is probably past its prime. What was once dominating arcades is now somewhat of a niche style of game. Elements of the beat 'em up can be perhaps found in action games nowadays, like the Batman Arkham series, but the standalone beat 'em up is something that isn't seen too often. But now, with the massive excitement surrounding the possible return of the Scott Pilgrim vs. the World game, it may be time to bring back the classic genre in a more profound way.
As amazing as the '80s and '90s were for the genre, there have been some great modern beat 'em ups as well. Whether it's classic series like Double Dragon or newer titles like Castle Crashers, the genre can be ridiculously entertaining.
Some of the best beat em ups of old were very simplistic, with the sidescrolling element of simply knocking out everyone on screen and moving onto the next part of the level. Capcom may be the king of the old-school beat em up. But some of the newer takes on the genre have added RPG elements, stores to buy items, and more. In the end, as long as the combat is fun and destroying hoards of enemies is entertaining, then the genre is perfect for brainless video game amusement.
Modern Beat 'Em Ups That Deserve Another Chance
One of the most popular brawlers of the modern era is Castle Crashers. Developer The Behemoth created Castle Crashers back in 2008. The four-player co-op game excels in a group setting, and the boss battles are still the highlight. Castle Crashers was remastered for the Xbox One in 2015, with slight improvements.
Castle Crashers Remastered is now available on all three major consoles, as the remastered version came to the Switch and PS4 in 2019. But in many ways that doesn't quite seem good enough. A true sequel to the hilarious beat 'em up would be glorious. The Behemoth is a unique game studio, in that every title it creates is a genuinely different experience as the last. Alien Hominid in 2004 was a shooter, Battle Block Theater was a puzzle platformer, and the newest game under the developer, Pit People is a strategy game. Although there are loose ties between the games, they are nothing alike in terms of gameplay. If The Behemoth were to finally create its first sequel, Castle Crashers would be an excellent choice.
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World's possible return would be a genuine treat to fans. The way the game handled its fighting mechanics was brilliant, with old-school abilities like picking up items and bashing enemies with them. But it also had a store for upgrades and a cool story to boot. Additionally, the soundtrack is one of the best in gaming. Although it would probably just be a re-release, many would be excited to play the game again, as it leads the list of amazing games that are currently unplayable in any form, even though it was only released a decade ago.
Old School Beat 'Em Ups That Should Come Back
Final Fight is often one of the first games mentioned when discussing the classic beat 'em ups of old. Starting back in 1989, the series is set in the same universe as Street Fighter. The last game in the Final Fight franchise dropped in 2010. With how successful Street Fighter has been, perhaps a creative tie-in back with the current Street Fighter games would be an avenue for Final Fight's return.
The first Double Dragon game launched in 1987. The series has seen over a dozen iterations, but the most recent Double Dragon in 2017 was seen as a massive failure. The typical '80s plot of two brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, fighting through the streets of New York to save Billy's girlfriend just fits for a fun brawler. Even as the franchise had a recent misstep, another shot at this iconic series would be nice.
Sega's huge beat 'em up game, Golden Axe, is one of the more unique games of its ilk. Trading out city streets for a medieval fantasy world helps set it apart. Golden Axe easily makes the list of Sega series that deserve a return.
There are tons of licensed beat 'em ups that may never see the light of day again. As the genre was so popular in the late '80s and '90s, it became a go-to genre for movie, TV show, and comic book adaptations. It's likely that many of the fan-favorites won't ever get a true sequel, as many Marvel and DC superheroes lit up the arcade screens, the Simpsons had one of the most popular arcade machines around, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles brawler is considered a classic. While some of the games get lucky enough to be re-released in one way or another, that's usually about as far as those types of licensed games will go as far as returning. Still, many fans will hold out hope.
Beat 'Em Ups That Have Finally Returned
River City Ransom is another classic beat 'em up franchise. Thanks to River City Ranson Underground and River City Girls, the old-school series has continued going strong recently.
Battletoads was once the first game mentioned by many fans as the brawler they'd like to see make a comeback. But thanks to Battletoads being revealed at E3 2019, fans can rest easy knowing the ridiculously difficult franchise is finally here again.
Streets of Rage 4 released just last month to wonderful reviews. The game truly looks and plays like an old-school beat 'em up, just with updated visuals and refinement for a new era. There are many arcade games that deserve new life, Streets of Rage finally got its turn and it's handling it fantastically.
The Indie Scene Beat 'Em Ups that Deserve More Love
The indie gaming scene often does a great job of stepping in to develop games of less-popular genres. While the big publishers want their developers to make the next big shared-world shooter, smaller teams can focus on more niche titles. This is where some more recent indie games have really stepped up.
The Takeover is a fun beat em up that is inspired by Streets of Rage, created by indie dev Pelikan13. Hopefully, the success of the game allows the dev to continue on with making wonderful games, including perhaps even a continuation of The Takeover. Fight'N Rage is another indie game that feels like it belongs right in the '90s. Playable on the Nintendo Switch, many old school fans who bought the hybrid console are loving some of these indie titles.
Games like 99Vidas, Dragon’s Crown, and Mother Russia Bleeds are all recent indie brawlers that do unique things with there gameplay and or aesthetic. Thanks to the indies, many genres that seem likely to die out, continue going strong. This is certainly the case with beat 'em ups.