Game trailer top 10 beat em ups

[PSXferrari]

Now, RANK ORDER ASIDE, I just can't question the list. Like everyone else, I did at first but now I've looked it over a bit further. Never played the Batman game so I won't bash it, but I'm sure it must be the weakest game on here (after all, that's why it's #10). Sure... you could replace Golden Axe with something I guess.... but you can't fault the choice of it. After that the rest are untouchable-- though Simpsons and TMNT4 might belong further down (no doubt though, neither of those games has any business being as good as they turned out; TMNT especially is an excellent game).

So seriously, tell me what game DEFINITELY belongs off that list (besides the repeatedly mentioned Batman game, which half those people have probably never played anyways)? And what game DEFINITELY deserves replacing it? I don't know that it's that easy to make say anything for sure. I mean, personally I think Guardian Heroes is tops (very few here probably played that; it's a Saturn game worth around $60 off eBay), but I can't fault a collective group of people for putting Final Fight and Double Dragon above it.

Let's face what the real problem here is-- the beat 'em up genre was just never that great to begin with. You're all looking through those 10 games there thinking "man, some of those are just average games; not Top 10s." But hey, it's not the lists fault.... the genre was lots of fun when only a few games were around, but then it got completely overdone. The reality is that the gameplay just offers very little depth, so you only need to play a few games in the genre before you realize its repetitiveness. Hence why the genre is now dead-- Guardian Heroes came out in like 1996/1997 area and it's the last great game of the genre; so I think that tells you exactly where the problem lies. You can only list about 7 or 8 games before you start leaving "great game" territory and get into "mediocre game" territory. Not many other genres have that same problem.

[Push Upstairs]

Well, I'd axe both "Batman Returns" and "Battletoads" off that list.

Batman because...it's not that great of a game. Limited moves really hurt the "beat em up" levels (there are some that aren't).

Battletoads probably because I never had the patience to make it past the speed bike level. And I never really found the game to be that great anyway.

I'd replace those games with two from this list:

Die Hard Arcade
(maybe)Dynamite Cop
X-Men Arcade
Gauntlet Legends/Dark Legacy <--Even if it includes spells, wizards, and leveling up, I still find it to be a beat 'em up.

[JamieH]

Turtles in Time is a great game. However, Captain Commando and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs are both better, if we're including arcade games...

[Hardcore]

That list is a fine example of how gametrailers is not that great of a site. Much like most of 1up.... It is as if kids made the votes, and not particularly bright ones at that.

[Garry Silljo]

That list is a fine example of how gametrailers is not that great of a site. Much like most of 1up.... It is as if kids made the votes, and not particularly bright ones at that.

For the record is was actually the people at Screwattack.com who made the list. It just happens to be on Game Trailers also.

[Technosis]

Never played the Batman game so I won't bash it, but I'm sure it must be the weakest game on here (after all, that's why it's #10).

Batman is quite forgettable.....

[diskoboy]

I'd take Batman Returns off the list and replace it with The Warriors.

[klausien]

I think we are all in agreement that this list sucks. The selections aren't totally off base, but the order is all wrong. And yes, The Simpsons arcade game doesn't belong on there at all. It is still quite possibly the best game to use the license, but it has aged worse than most of the others on their list. I will say that I actually liked their inclusion of the SNES Batman Returns though. It might not be in my top ten, but it is one of the best Final Fight clones ever produced, and the license makes it even better. It's nice to see it get a little respect for once.

Might as well give our own top 10's. They are always subjective, but great for conversation. I also think it is important to give some weight to historical context as well when judging genres like this one. They spotlighted the NES Double Dragon as a historical classic, but the arcade version is the one that is the one with historical value honestly. I also want to support the lack of newer games on their list. Games like The Warriors and God Hand are nice additions to the genre, but a good beat 'em up really stands its tallest at 30-60 minutes in length. It's that way with shmups too. Some things just shouldn't be overextended. There are exceptions to everthing though. Now a brawler structured like a Metroidvania in 2D... that might be cool.

10. Dungeons & Dragons (Both TOD & SOM) - Both the Capcom arcade games share my number 10 spot. It could be argued that they are better games than some of those that ranked higher, but they are also incredibly obscure and incremental improvements over the rash of brawlers Capcom released in the wake of the Final Fight juggernaut they unleashed. Still, these two offer some excellent gameplay and RPG-style character building that garners them a spot in the ten best for me.

9. X-Men - The 2 screen, 6-player simultaneous monolith that was the absolute zenith of absurdity for a genre at its peak. This is the beat 'em up equivalent of U2's Pop Mart tour. Over the top and ridiculous, but shallow upon further inspection. That said, it is still one of the ultimate WOW games out there and used the license incredibly well, but it is still a rehash of TMNT. It is in the top 10 for me because of the sheer gratuitousness of it.

8. Aliens Vs. Predator - In terms of the Capcom Final Fight based group of beat 'em ups (some of the best examples of the genre in existence), AVP is the pinnacle. It has the best graphics, sound & gameplay out of all of its peers. The ability to play as one of 2 humans or 2 Predators, as well as the constant horde of Aliens they mow down truly makes this a dream play for fans of the license. My reason for this being so low on the list though is that it just really isn't a "classic" so to speak (yet). I am not putting it down, but it doesn't have that special something that 1-7 have.

7. Golden Axe - Yet another game that wowed many of us back when it was released. Most of us also played the excellent Genesis home version to death as well. It too was bettered by its true sequel, The Revenge of Death Adder, but the original is the goods. The swords & sorcery theme, which was rare for Japanese titles at the time and done better than one would expect, is the main reason Golden Axe still stands out today.

6. River City Ransom - American Technos was the first king of the brawler, and their Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari was the king of the 8-bit beat 'em ups. It is the best game of its type on the NES, and is one of the only 2P simultaneous games of its type on the system (TMNT Arcade & Manhattan Project being the other major examples). Its RPG-styled conventions and gang war story make it stand smong the giants of the genre.

5. Double Dragon - The original arcade game, not any of the home ports. This one might not have been the first beat 'em up as most believe (not sure that it is myself), but it is undoubtedly the first of note. For most it is the first game of the type they ever played, and it remains a classic. Its pace and monotony keep it from top honors, but it belongs in the top 5 for significance.

4. Guardian Heroes - GH has one of the most complicated movesets, disparate character selections, and largest learning curve in the entire genre. It is incredibly innovative, looks spectacular (pixel haters be damned), and has an excellent soundtrack. The RPG-esque character leveling is as addictive as expected. The story also gives it some staying power, though the game would stand without it as well. In terms of gameplay I might actually take the stance that GH is really number 1, but its obscurity makes it a bit too much of a footnote for it to be ranked any higher.

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - The original arcade game may have been bettered by the sequel Screw Attack gave their top spot to, but it is also the more relevant choice. For all its flaws, it was 4-player insanity that capitalized perfectly on a license that was a cultural phenomenon at the time for kids everywhere. There are better games that fall below it on my list, but TMNT's historical significance gives it an edge.

2. Final Fight - If you were to ask me this question 10 years ago, Final Fight would have been my number 1, hands down, but things change. The game is responsible for the rebirth of the genre in the early 90's in many ways, and has a unique feel that is often imitated, never duplicated, yes, but the limited arsenal of moves drops it down one for me now. It is also designed to be a quarter-muncher, so there is a shallowness to its gameplay that becomes apparent after you are past the overload from the sights and sounds. It is tough to drop it down a rung on the ladder, but the extended playtime I have had with it due to Capcom Classics Collection exposes the game's flaws in a way that arcade ambiance never allowed. All of that said, I just need to say, Come on Screw Attack! Its frickin' Final Fight! No home version of an arcade sequel belongs above it in a top 10!

1. Streets of Rage 2 - Why not the sequel? SOR3 was too little, too late in my opinion (and the US version was RUINED), but Streets of Rage 2 is the absolute best. I used to hold this one as second best, but over time, it has become, for me, the archetype for the genre, and a fantastic nostalgia trip to a simpler time. It is a Final Fight clone at its root, and may be one of the most plagiaristic games out there, but it also betters the source material in so many ways, despite the hardware it runs on. Playing the game in 2007, it is still almost unbelievable that it is a Genesis game. It stands up to all of the arcade games that were running on far superior hardware more than favorably. Looking at it in comparison to the first SOR, it its quite shocking how much better SOR2 is. The arsenal of moves and differences between the characters are awesome, the gameplay is well-balanced for the genre due to it being a console game from the outset, and it also had a two player mode, which the SNES FF lacked at the time (You can keep your Rushing Beat series. It didn't really get good until Syura/PeaceKeepers). The main reason though for it taking the lead over the game it owes its very existence to is Yuzo Koshiro's soundtrack. It is a masterful replication of the popular club music at the time, and might be his best work. It really takes you back to 1992, and coupled with the impressive sound effects for the hardware, you have the best soundtrack in the genre. Dated in the best way possible.