If you are a beat-'em-up fan, then you know all about the decline of the genre. While it was among one of the most popular styles of games during the 16-bit era, the action-games releasing in the 32-bit era started overshadowing the genre, which was increasingly being viewed as outdated. As time went on, the opportunity to sit down with a friend and battle through waves of baddies seemed to disappear. More and more, it felt like they were being replaced by character action titles like Devil May Cry or Ninja Gaiden.
However, with the release of excellent new entries into classic franchises like Streets of Rage 4, River City Girls, and Shredder's Revenge, it really feels like beat-'em-ups are back. And with the triumphant return of the genre, there are some notable franchises that have remained dormant for too long and clearly need to be revitalized alongside them.
9 Double Dragon
This is a tricky one, as Double Dragon IV did come out in 2017, which wasn't that long ago. However, that project was extremely limited, launching with NES-era graphics and similarly aged gameplay. The last time we saw someone put forward a sincere effort to release a new Double Dragon game was 2011's Double Dragon Neon.
Now that was an exciting new entry into the series. And people liked it, too! It is a little confusing, then, that Double Dragon Neon never had a follow-up. Double Dragon is too important a franchise to be lost to time. We need to see its return with another Double Dragon Neon-esque effort.
8 Spikeout
In a lot of ways, Spikeout was the last serious attempt made by a big publisher to launch a new traditional beat-'em-up franchise before the genre disappeared during the sixth generation. Spikeout still has a very unique feel to it. It has that classic Sega arcade feel. The way you transition between areas feels reminiscent of something like Time Cop.
It also plays really well, and has a completely unique input system, that focuses on holding the buttons in order to charge different specials (you can wedge these charges in between standard strings of attacks). It feels good to play, it has a great energy, and it pushes an extremely fast-paced tempo. We would love to see Spikeout given another opportunity to shine in the era of the beat-'em-up revival. At the very least, give us a collection of all the arcade games, Sega.
7 Golden Axe
What happened here? There was a brief moment where Golden Axe was among the most popular beat 'em ups on the scene. This series was known for its fantasy theming, its magic spells, and the ability for players to find mounts to use throughout the course of stages. Unfortunately, it felt like the series' momentum was mismanaged, and it lost a lot of relevance by the end of the 16-bit era.
There was, of course, the incredibly unfortunate Beast Riders on the PS2, but the less we say about that one the better. Golden Axe used to stand shoulder to shoulder with Streets of Rage. Well, it is time for the series to make a return and make that a reality once again.
6 Rushing Beat
There are a number of people who aren't even aware that the Rival Turfs games are a series. In North America all three games in this franchise were released as separate titles. However, "Rival Turf", "Brawl Brothers", and "The Peace Keepers" are in fact all part of the same series.
While this series certainly doesn't have the same cache as some other series in the genre, all three games are enjoyable romps. We think there is a lot of potential for a great fourth title in the franchise. Rushing Beat was marketed exceedingly poorly in North America. From legendarily bad box art, to butchering the music for the North American release, the series seemed cursed. Maybe if they take another stab at it, the fourth time would be the charm?
5 Dynamite Cop
Another arcady Sega title, Dynamite Cop is a tough-as-nails beat-'em-up that pushes a pulse pounding pace. It also features an early example of QTEs during the transition between stages, but instead of being frustrating, these were pretty novel interactions that never got in the way of the gameplay.
The first game in the franchise was rebranded as "Diehard Arcade" in North America, which is probably the name you would know it under. There were two Dynamite Cop games and both are a great time. We would love to see Sega give this title another chance in the modern era. We need more of these fast-paced arcady experiences on the market.
4 Dungeons And Dragons
When you think Dungeons and Dragons you probably don't picture an arcade beat-'em-up. However, not only did the classic tabletop role-playing game make a brief detour into the genre, but the Dungeons and Dragons beat-em-up titles were actually incredibly influential. Guardian Heroes is a series of titles that was directly influenced by these arcade games, as was the biggest beat-'em-release of the seventh generation: Dragon's Crown.
This Dungeons and Dragons duology of arcade titles (Tower of Doom and Shadow Over Mystara) beautifully blends RPG elements with classic beat-'em-up action. It also has a currency system, and branching paths. Obviously, this is a brand with a lot of pull, but there is no game we would want to see more attached to it than a sequel to Shadow Over Mystara.
3 Sengoku
Very few beat-'em-ups get as zany as the Sengoku games. You frequently jump between earth and heaven. You can transform into a number of characters. It is a fascinating series of games. While SNK's Sengoku series never seemed to fully catch fire, it did get three entries, and they are all genuinely quite good.
The third game is far more straight-forward, and eschews the more surreal mythological elements, but it also has the slickest gameplay of the bunch. We would love to see a fourth game play like the third, but have all the zaniness of the first two titles. There are literally no other games that play quite like the Sengoku series. That is reason enough to justify another title in this underappreciated franchise.
2 Guardian Heroes
The Guardian Heroes titles span exactly two games, one of which is an okay Gameboy Advance title. However, the second one on Sega Saturn is such a legendarily excellent game that it makes this franchise an important player in the beat-'em-up genre. It features branching paths, a leveling system, and fighting game-esque inputs.
Tether all of that to an attractive art style and a loveable cast of characters, and you get an absolutely classic title. We aren't sure what Treasure is up to these days, but we hope they are actively looking at bringing a new entry of this franchise into the market. The is one franchise that has lain dormant for far too long.
1 Final Fight
This is the big one. We have had all the most important beat-'em-ups reemerge. From River City Ransom to Streets of Rage, to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. All the biggest franchises from the early 90s have seen a return, yet, somehow, one of the most important games in the genre has remained uncannily dormant.
And that is as shocking as it is sad. Especially since Final Fight has remained relevant by being tethered to the ever-popular Street Fighter brand. So then, a Final Fight revival has to happen, right? We cannot have Street Wise be the final game in the series! If we allow that to happen, then all is lost.