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Beat 'em up

Genre
Beat 'em ups are video games in which the player must go through a series of areas in levels and fight against a set number of foes either unarmed or with a melee weapon. In many games the player must defeat the enemies in one section before moving on to the next.

The genre got its start in the mid-80s with Kung-Fu Master [スパルタンX] and Renegade [熱血硬派くにおくん] and soon rose to success with Gauntlet, Double Dragon, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Golden Axe [戦斧] and Streets of Rage [ベア・ナックル 怒りの鉄拳]. Most of these early games used 2D side-scrolling gameplay where the player could move up and down the screen as well as side to side, giving the feel of a simple 3D environment.

Since the revolution of true 3D video games, traditional beat 'em ups have become less prevalent in favor of crossing over into the hack and slash genre with games such as Devil May Cry [デビル メイ クライ], God of War and Bayonetta [ベヨネッタ], although games like The Bouncer [バウンサー], God Hand [ゴッドハンド], No More Heroes [ノーモア★ヒーローズ] and Zeno Clash have kept the genre alive.
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Also known as
  • brawler
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Games 1,225

Title / Release date
  • 2.07
    3
    1983 1983 Beat 'em up
  • 3.36
    22
    1984 1984 2D platformer Beat 'em up
  • 2.00
    21
    1984 oct 1984 Beat 'em up Martial arts
  • 2.56
    124
    3
    1984 dec 1984 Beat 'em up Martial arts
  • 1.50
    3
    1985 1985 Beat 'em up Science fiction
  • 1.59
    4
    Dragon Wang [ドラゴン・ワン]
    1985 1985 Beat 'em up
  • 1.33
    3
    Samurai Nihon-ichi [侍日本一]
    1985 feb 1985 Beat 'em up Feudal Japan
  • 2.59
    7
    1985 23 mar 1985 2D platformer Beat 'em up
  • 1.68
    5
    1985 apr 1985 Beat 'em up 2D platformer
  • 1.80
    9
    My Hero [青春スキャンダル]
    1985 jul 1985 Beat 'em up
  • 3.11
    148
    3
    1985 oct 1985 Maze High fantasy
  • 2.80
    6
    1985 nov 1985 Beat 'em up Shooter
  • 2.00
    1
    Police Story [ポリスストーリー]
    1985 dec 1985 Beat 'em up Police
  • 2.66
    34
    1986 1986 Maze Multidirectional shooter
  • 2.15
    3
    1986 1986 Beat 'em up Ninja
  • 1.91
    32
    Trojan [闘いの挽歌]
    1986 apr 1986 Beat 'em up Post-apocalyptic
  • 2.24
    37
    Renegade [熱血硬派くにおくん]
    1986 may 1986 Belt scroller Crime
  • 2.06
    6
    Hokuto no Ken [北斗の拳]
    1986 20 jul 1986 Beat 'em up Post-apocalyptic
  • 1.74
    8
    Hokuto no Ken [北斗の拳]
    1986 10 aug 1986 Beat 'em up Post-apocalyptic
  • 2.11
    17
    1986 nov 1986 Beat 'em up Martial arts
  • 2.17
    3
    Kyros [カイロスの館]
    1986 dec 1986 Beat 'em up
  • 1.45
    39
    1987 1987 Beat 'em up Karate
  • 1.66
    13
    1987 1987 Beat 'em up
  • 2.50
    1
    AshGuine [伝説の聖戦士アシュギーネ]
    1987 1987 Beat 'em up High fantasy
  • 3.03
    84
    1
    1987 1987 Ninja 2D platformer
  • 2.31
    13
    Avengers [必殺 無頼拳]
    1987 feb 1987 Beat 'em up
  • 1.81
    7
    Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll [飛龍の拳 奥義の書]
    1987 14 feb 1987 Beat 'em up Combat sports
  • 2.10
    10
    Wonder Momo [ワンダーモモ]
    1987 24 feb 1987 Beat 'em up Idol
  • 2.91
    26
    1987 mar 1987 2D platformer High fantasy
  • 1.33
    9
    Fist of the North Star [北斗の拳2]
    1987 17 apr 1987 Beat 'em up Post-apocalyptic
  • 2.54
    8
    Kung Fu Kid [魔界列伝]
    1987 17 may 1987 Beat 'em up Martial arts
  • 1.58
    6
    1987 jul 1987 Pirate Hack and slash
  • 2.83
    249
    2
    1987 aug 1987 Belt scroller Arcade
  • 1.25
    2
    Kyonshis 2 [キョンシーズ2]
    1987 25 sep 1987 Beat 'em up Adventure
  • 2.25
    14
    Tiger Road [虎への道]
    1987 nov 1987 Beat 'em up
  • 1.56
    10
    China Warrior [THE 功夫]
    1987 21 nov 1987 Beat 'em up
  • 2.12
    4
    Kozure Ookami [子連れ狼]
    1987 dec 1987 Edo period Belt scroller
  • 2.50
    5
    1988 1988 Superhero Beat 'em up
  • 2.22
    16
    1988 1988 Belt scroller
  • 2.00
    1
    1988 1988 Maze Hack and slash
  • 2.50
    1
    1988 1988 Beat 'em up
  • 2.86
    56
    1988 1988 Police Run and gun
  • 2.89
    37
    1988 1988 Ninja Belt scroller
  • 1.05
    14
    1988 1988 Hack and slash Beat 'em up
  • 2.61
    19
    1988 feb 1988 Beat 'em up Ninja
  • 2.21
    12
    1988 feb 1988 Beat 'em up Crime
  • 2.20
    5
    China Gate [西遊降魔録 流棒妖技ノ章]
    1988 mar 1988 Beat 'em up 2D platformer
  • 2.65
    51
    1988 apr 1988 Beat 'em up Ninja
  • 0.58
    2
    Masked Rider Black: Shadow Moon Showdown [仮面ライダーBlack 対決シャドームーン]
    1988 15 apr 1988 Beat 'em up Platformer
  • 1.86
    14
    Bravoman [超絶倫人ベラボーマン]
    1988 20 may 1988 Beat 'em up Science fiction
Examples
1980s-1996
23 mar 2015
8 apr - 12 may 2015
1998-05
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