Hey Punk! Fighting Game Genre FIGHT!!!
My friend and I were having a talk the other night and I wanted to present it to the forum to see what you guys think.
We were discussing the definitions of the "beat-em-up" and "fighting" genres of games. We had been talking about playing some "beat-em-up's" on SNES, so naturally I brought over what I thought to be some of the best of the genre, Final Fight 3, Turtles in Time, Rival Turf (best of the genre, lmao), Knights of the Round, etc. When I got to his apartment, he had pulled from his shelves Street Fighter II, Alpha, MK 3 and Ranma 1/2 for the session.
What ensued was an argument over the definition of "beat-em-up" and "fighting". Is it a US thing to call those type (turtles, final fight) games "beat-em-up" and a PAL/Europe thing to call them "fighting"? He's american but he cited several overseas auctions describing "beat-em-ups" as "fighters".
To me, a beat-em-up suggests a free-for-all slugger, much like what Final Fight, Streets of Rage etc. very much are. Calling something a "fighting game" implies emphasis on one-on-one, technical executions of moves and fighting styles, etc. A beat-em-up is a button masher...
Do I just have it backwards? What do you guys distinguish those titles as?
Bonus Level:
Name your favorite "Beat-em-up"/ "Fighting" titles.....GO!!!!
1. Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis)
2.Turtles in Time would be 1st, but I can run it through in like 30 minutes now (SNES)
3. Final Fight/Golden Axe series
Fighting- Marvel VS. Capcom 2... I have never gotten over my unhealthy obsession of either Cammy or comic heroes
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