Times are great! We are in the middle of a beat ’em up renaissance right now, and to be quite honest, we can’t get enough of it. While modern beat ’em up games generally try to ride the wave of nostalgic sentiment, it doesn’t mean developers aren’t pushing the genre forward with new mechanics and more narrative-driven progression. The last two years have been especially great for gamers who are into 2D brawlers. In our opinion, these are the 10 games that everyone (brawler fan or not) should have played. So without further ado, here are Retrolike’s Best Modern Day Beat ‘Em Ups.
10. Scott Pilgrim : Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010)
Who would ever thought Ubisoft would be co-responsible for the resurgence of the lost art of the Beat’em Up? While not the first game, without a doubt, the comic book and film spin-off has been a major contributor to the renewed interest in the genre. Yes, it somewhat slow pacing and grindy nature makes that it is surpassed in terms of snappy fast paced gameplay newer offerings provide, but due to its solid structure and the sheer importance to the ‘modern 2D beat ’em up’-genre it definitely deserves its position at the 10th spot on our best Beat em ups list.
9. Castle Crashers (2008)
Castle Crashers may be the real OG when it comes the the modern 2D beat em up genre. is another example of the original set of games that reignited the interest in the forgotten genre. If you played Castle Crashers back in 2008 you may have witnessed the template of future things to come. It offered -now- stable features like RPG elements, four player online support and tactical gameplay. Although it may be more ‘hack-n-slash-ey’ than the other games in this list, no one will deny the influence Castly Crashers had on many games in the Brawler genre (and even this list… *coughs -turtles- *coughs again)
8. Dawn of the Monsters (2022)
If you wish to spice up your brawling with some Kaiju-action, you should definitely boot up Dawn of the Monsters. Although the story is thin as can be, the the monster-sized brawling action is unique and filled with layers of intricacies. To boot the game is a go to game to show of you OLED Switchs and Steam Decks with vibrant colors popping out looking amazing. The game throws in a simple but effective power up system which lets you develop your Kajiu (or mech) with additional special moves and finishers. A definite buy for every gamer that always wished for a King of the Monsters and Streets of Rage hybrid game.
7. Final Vendetta (2022)
Bitmap Bureau has build quite a name with their pixel art retrolike gems Xeno Crisis and Battle Axe. With Final Vendetta they take on the Best ’em up genre for the first time. And if your in for a rowdy hardcore brawler, this game is made for you, just you. Adhering to the old school console ports of the 16-bit era you have to manage to clear the game as effectively as possible due to the limited continues and severe difficulty.
the difference between easy and hard difficulties are not as significant as I might have wanted, though. Apart from the solid gameplay, players are treated with Neo Geo inspired pixel art that manages to walk the fine line between gritty and colourful like no other in this list.
6. Double Dragon Gaiden : Rise of the Dragons
Just like the original game from 1986, Double Dragon Gaiden : Rise of the Dragons rewards gamers that willing to put in the energy to really master the game, with a layered and intricate fighting system that could keep you entertained for a quite long time. It looks absolutely amazing and evolved from it the series it spawned from. The very light RPG elements will keep you coming back for more
5. Paprium (2020)
Paprium may be the most unusual game on our Best Beat em ups list. Developer Watermelon Games, led by the enigmatic Gwénaël Godde, released the game exclusively for the Sega Mega Drive and Genesis. It was in development limbo from 2012 until its eventual release in 2020. The initial launch faced cartridge issues, and the added ‘DATENMEISTER’ chipset prevented the cartridge from being used on Megadrive emulation hardware. Despite the development hell and its confinement to only original Sega hardware, the game plays and looks amazing. It’s the most you might ever expect from a 16-bit beat ’em up. Its color palette and cyberpunk setting are very pleasing to the eye. As a beat ’em up, Paprium does not diverge much from the standards set by Streets of Rage 2. That’s a solid foundation, of course, and the mix of setting, graphics, and gameplay makes it worthy of the fifth place in our list.
4. River City Girls 2
With it’s lighthearted and fun narrative, the brilliant mix of anime and pixel art graphics and catchy music by Megan McDuffy River City Girls 2 is the most charismatic of the bunch. The second game improved on the pacing and added a many new locations and baddies to the city scape that was laid out in the first game. While part one could end up feeling dragging on for a bit too long, the second keeps you on your toes from front to end and should keep you entertained for a good 15 hours per playthrough.
3. Fighting Rage
Fighting Rage manages to merge authentic Beat ’em up mechanics with classic 2D fighting game elements, making the game look old but feel extremely fresh. Every character packs a bunch of moves and special attacks that really make a difference. With branching paths, there are eight possible endings, which adds immensely to Fighting Rage’s replayability. Fighting Rage is starting to steer into Cult Hit category in the beat’em up fan communities, and we sure know why.
2. Teenage Muntant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge
Of the games on this list Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is without a doubt the most fun and addictive multiplayer brawler in this list. As the game was available in Game Pass, Xbox gamers en masse took the opportunity to rally up to six mates to take on Shredder in a high octane cocktail of team combos, turtle high fives flying Footclan members. 9 out of 10 multplayer matches will end up in absolute mayhem but always retain its solid brawler gameplay, so it never falls into the trap of being fun for laughs but not for the core game.
With the hype over its peak and matchmaking not always resulting in getting the most out of its multiplayer prowess, you are more or less left with a still excellent single player experience.
1. Streets of Rage 4
The greatest achievement of Streets of Rage 4 isn’t rooted in its incredible translation of the original mechanics of its prequels. Or its luscious hand-drawn graphics. Not even for its incredibly nostalgic and banging soundtrack (with the help of Yuzo Koshiro and others). No, Streets of Rage 4’s biggest achievement is that it brought this niche genre out of the shadows of the video game landscape and into the mainstream. Across all consoles and PC, there are 2.5 million units sold. Excluding the fact it being available on both Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus for over a year. DotEmu showed the way to IP right holders and publishers to breathe new life into dormant beat ’em up IPs like TMNT and Double Dragon. Streets of Rage 4 didn’t just revive a genre—it set a shining example for others to follow. That’s why Streets of Rage 4 is number one on our best Beat em up list.
