beat 'em up

A beat 'em up (also called a "brawler")Thomas, Lucas M., [https://archive.today/20120715184926/http://videogames.yahoo.com/gba/justice-league-heroes-the-flash/review-1079564 Justice League Heroes: The Flash], Yahoo! Games, Oct 27, 2007, Accessed Mar 22, 2009 is a type of action game where the player character must fight a large number of enemies in unarmed combat or with melee weapons.Davis, Ryan, [http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-games/the-hulk-xbox/4505-9582_7-30976135.html The Hulk (Xbox)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014172517/http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-games/the-hulk-xbox/4505-9582_7-30976135.html |date=2013-10-14 }}, CNET, May 5, 2003. Retrieved March 24, 2009.Ellis, David, [http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3173196&p=44 MadWorld Review for the Wii] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090326040113/http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3173196&p=44 |date=2009-03-26 }}, 1UP, March 10, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2009.Ashcraft, Brian, (2008) Arcade Mania! The Turbo-Charged World of Japan's Games Centers, Kodansha International, p. 159 Gameplay consists of walking through a level, one section at a time, defeating a group of enemies before advancing to the next section; a boss fight normally occurs at the end of each level.Navarro, Alex, [http://reviews.cnet.com/playstation-2-games/mcfarlane-s-evil-prophecy/4505-9581_7-30960404.html McFarlane's Evil Prophecy Game (PS2)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015063508/http://reviews.cnet.com/playstation-2-games/mcfarlane-s-evil-prophecy/4505-9581_7-30960404.html |date=2013-10-15 }}, CNET, June 15, 2004, Accessed Mar 27, 2009 Arcade versions of these games are often quite difficult to win, causing players to spend more money.Navarro, Alex, [http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-360-games/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles/4505-11457_7-32365165.html Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Xbox 360)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131015063554/http://reviews.cnet.com/xbox-360-games/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles/4505-11457_7-32365165.html |date=2013-10-15 }}, CNET, Mar 14, 2007, Accessed Mar 27, 2009

Beat 'em ups are related to but distinct from fighting games, which are based around one-on-one matches rather than scrolling levels and multiple enemies. Such terminology is loosely applied, however, as some commentators prefer to conflate the two terms.{{cite magazine|author=Anon.|date=May 3, 2006|title=E3 Feature: Fighting Games Focus|url=http://www.edge-online.com/features/e3-feature-fighting-games-focus/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130404043524/http://www.edge-online.com/features/e3-feature-fighting-games-focus/|archive-date=April 4, 2013|access-date=2015-01-11|magazine=Edge|publisher=Future plc}} At times, both one-on-one fighting games and scrolling beat 'em ups have influenced each other in terms of graphics and style and can appeal to fans of either genre. Occasionally, a game will feature both kinds of gameplay.Wales, Matt, [http://wii.ign.com/articles/884/884590p2.html Super Smash Bros. Brawl UK Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081016003953/http://wii.ign.com/articles/884/884590p2.html |date=2008-10-16 }}, IGN, June 8, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2009.

In the United Kingdom, video game magazines during the 1980s to 1990s, such as Mean Machines and Computer & Video Games (C+VG) for example, referred to all games which had a combat motif as beat 'em ups, including fighting games.{{Cite web|title=Street Fighter 2, The Ultimate Players Guide|url=http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/upload/media/scans/streetfighterguide.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190520063316/http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/upload/media/scans/streetfighterguide.pdf|archive-date=2019-05-20|access-date=2017-10-27|publisher=Mean Machines}} However, they were differentiated by a specific prefix; games like Double Dragon or Final Fight were called "scrolling beat 'em ups"{{cite web |url=http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/review/405/final-fight.php |title=Final Fight – Super Nintendo – Mean Machines review |publisher=Meanmachinesmag.co.uk |access-date=2018-01-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027180800/http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/review/405/final-fight.php |archive-date=2017-10-27 |url-status=dead }} and games such as Street Fighter II or Mortal Kombat were referred to as "one on one beat 'em ups".{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2021/3/1/22296705/street-fighter-the-movie-the-game-an-oral-history|title=Street Fighter: The Movie: The game: An oral history|first=Matt|last=Leone|date=March 1, 2021|website=Polygon|access-date=August 7, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807130413/https://www.polygon.com/2021/3/1/22296705/street-fighter-the-movie-the-game-an-oral-history|url-status=live}} Fighting games were still being called "beat 'em up" games in the UK gaming press up until the end of the 1990s.{{cite journal |title=Play Test: Soul Blade |journal=Official UK PlayStation Magazine |date=1999 |issue=Platinum Special |pages=82–5 |url=https://archive.org/details/Official_UK_Playstation_Magazine_1999_Future_Publishing_GB_platinum_special/page/n81/mode/2up}}

Beat 'em up games usually employ vigilante crime fighting and revenge plots with the action taking place on city streets, though historical and fantasy themed games also exist.Fitch, Andy, [http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160522224653/http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3166358 Dynasty Warriors 6 (Xbox 360)], 1UP, Mar 7, 2008, Accessed Mar 19, 2009 Players must walk from one end of the game world to the other, and thus each game level will usually scroll horizontally. Some later beat 'em ups dispense with 2D-based scrolling levels, instead allowing the player to roam around larger 3D environments, though they retain the same simple-to-learn gameplay and control systems.Sato, Ike, [https://archive.today/20130110222107/http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/dynastywarriors2/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review Dynasty Warriors 2 Review], GameSpot, Aug 17, 2000, Accessed Mar 19, 2009 Throughout the level, players may acquire weapons that they can use as well as power-ups that replenish the player's health.

As players walk through the level, they are stopped by groups of enemies who must be defeated before they're able to continue.Nguyen, Thierry, [http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3173076&p=37 Watchmen: The End is Nigh (PS3)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090324230315/http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3173076 |date=2009-03-24 }}, 1UP, Mar 4, 2009, Mar 26, 2009 The level ends when all the enemies are defeated. Each level contains many identical groups of enemies,Cassidy, William, [http://www.gamespy.com/articles/495/495400p1.html Hall of Fame: Golden Axe] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818050558/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/495/495400p1.html |date=2009-08-18 }}, GameSpy, June 8, 2003. Retrieved March 24, 2009.Fudge, James, [http://xploder.net/xbox/reviews/379/X-Men-The-Official-Game-.htm X-Men: The Official Game] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230122450/http://xploder.net/xbox/reviews/379/X-Men-The-Official-Game-.htm |date=December 30, 2008 }}, Xploder June 13, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2009. making these games notable for their repetition.McGarvery, Sterling, [http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/madworld/961309p1.html Review – MadWorld (Wii)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120411203733/http://wii.gamespy.com/wii/madworld/961309p1.html |date=2012-04-11 }}, GameSpy, Mar 10, 2009, Accessed Mar 24, 2009 In beat 'em up games, players often fight a boss—an enemy much stronger than the other enemies—at the end of each level.Ramachandran, Ryan, [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19005 Gamasutra Opinion: Boss Design – Trial & Punishment] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218230213/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=19005 |date=2014-02-18 }}, GamaSutra, June 17, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2009.

Beat 'em ups often allow the player to choose between a selection of protagonists—each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and set of moves.Perry, Douglass C., [http://uk.xboxlive.ign.com/articles/772/772896p1.html Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Arcade Review] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100926025431/http://uk.xboxlive.ign.com/articles/772/772896p1.html |date=2010-09-26 }}, IGN, Mar 14, 2007, Accessed Mar 22, 2009 The combat system typically tends to be more highly developed than other side-scrolling action games. Attacks can include rapid combinations of basic attacks (combos) as well as jumping and grappling attacks. Characters often have their own special attacks, which leads to different strategies depending on which character the player selects.[http://superman.ugo.com/games/superman_death/ The Death and Return of Superman] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090819181305/http://superman.ugo.com/games/superman_death/ |date=August 19, 2009 }}, UGO, 2006, Accessed Mar 27, 2009 The control system is usually simple to learn, often comprising just two attack buttons. These buttons can be combined to pull off combos, as well as jumping and grappling attacks. Since the release of Double Dragon, many beat 'em ups have allowed two players to play the game cooperatively—a central aspect to the appeal of these games.Staff, [http://faqs.ign.com/articles/623/623396p1.html Game Help Editors' Picks Co-Op Games] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120827075132/http://faqs.ign.com/articles/623/623396p1.html |date=2012-08-27 }}, IGN, June 13, 2005. Retrieved March 24, 2009. Beat 'em ups are more likely to feature cooperative play than other game genres.Cifaldi, Frank, [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1719/the_quantum_leap_awards_the_most_.php The Quantum Leap Awards: The Most Important Multiplayer Games of All Time] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140218230211/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1719/the_quantum_leap_awards_the_most_.php |date=2014-02-18 }}, GamaSutra, Feb 2, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2009.

The beat 'em up or brawler genre includes several sub-genres:

• {{anchor|Scrolling beat 'em up}}Scrolling beat 'em up – Beat 'em up games which employ a 2D scrolling format.
• {{anchor|Single-plane beat 'em up|Side-scrolling beat 'em up}}Single-plane beat 'em up or side-scrolling beat 'em up – Scrolling beat 'em ups that move along a single side-scrolling plane of motion. This was the earliest style of beat 'em up, with the format established by Irem's Kung-Fu Master (1984), designed by Takashi Nishiyama. Other titles that followed in the sub-genre include Sega's My Hero and Flashgal (1985), Taito's The Ninja Warriors (1987), Data East's Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja (1988) and Namco's Splatterhouse (1988).{{cite web |last1=Plasket |first1=Michael |title=My Hero |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/my-hero/ |website=Hardcore Gaming 101 |date=May 4, 2017 |access-date=8 May 2021 |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508193557/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/my-hero/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=The Unconverted |url=https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20200123/281676846862054 |access-date=29 July 2021 |work=Retro Gamer |via=PressReader |date=23 January 2020 |archive-date=29 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210729194237/https://www.pressreader.com/uk/retro-gamer/20200123/281676846862054 |url-status=live }} This early style of beat 'em up is part of a broader genre of side-scrolling character action games, including 2D fighting games, scrolling platform games, and run and gun video games. A later example of this style is Capcom's Viewtiful Joe (2003).{{Cite web|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_viewtifuljoe_gc|title=Viewtiful Joe|first=Tom|last=Bramwell|website=Eurogamer|date=October 13, 2003|access-date=August 7, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807130910/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_viewtifuljoe_gc|url-status=live}}
• Belt-scroll action game or belt-scroll beat 'em up – The most popular type of scrolling beat 'em up, these games use a belt scroll format, a side-scrolling format with a downward camera angle where players can move both vertically and horizontally along a horizontally scrolling environment. The term "belt scroll action game" was coined in Japan, where it was named as such due to the scrolling style resembling conveyor belt motion. This format was introduced by Technos Japan's Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (1986), known as Renegade in the West, and further developed and popularized by its follow-up Double Dragon (1987). Later popular examples including titles such as the Sega's Streets of Rage series and Capcom's Final Fight series.{{cite news |title=人気キャラクターの原点にしてベルトスクロールアクションの始祖「熱血硬派くにおくん」 |trans-title=The origin of the popular character, the founder of the belt scroll action "Kunio-kun" |url=https://igcc.jp/%E3%81%8F%E3%81%AB%E3%81%8A%E3%81%8F%E3%82%93/ |access-date=8 May 2021 |work=IGCC |publisher=Institute of Game Culture Convervation (IGCC) |date=25 April 2019 |language=ja |archive-date=13 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213125846/https://igcc.jp/%E3%81%8F%E3%81%AB%E3%81%8A%E3%81%8F%E3%82%93/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=名作ベルトスクロールアクション7本を収録した『カプコン ベルトアクション コレクション』DL版本日配信！ |trans-title="Capcom Belt Action Collection" DL version containing 7 masterpiece belt scroll action games delivered today! |url=https://blog.ja.playstation.com/2018/09/20/20180920-cbac/ |access-date=8 May 2021 |work=PlayStation |publisher=Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. |date=20 September 2018 |language=ja |archive-date=10 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510143125/https://blog.ja.playstation.com/2018/09/20/20180920-cbac/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |title=約22年の時を経て，名作ベルトアクション「アイアンコマンドー 鋼鉄の戦士」がSFC/SFC互換機向けに発売決定。11月30日にリリースへ |trans-title=After about 22 years, the masterpiece belt action "Iron Commando Steel Warrior" will be released for SFC / SFC compatible machines. To be released on November 30th |url=https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999903/20170929038/ |access-date=8 May 2021 |work=4Gamer.net |publisher=Aetas, Inc. |language=ja |archive-date=8 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508193710/https://www.4gamer.net/games/999/G999903/20170929038/ |url-status=live }}
• Hack and slash – Beat 'em ups or brawlers that are centered around combat with melee-based weapons, such as swords or blades, rather than fist-fighting.
• 2D hack & slash or slash 'em up – 2D scrolling beat 'em ups centered around melee-based weapons. Examples include Sega's arcade series Shinobi (1987 debut){{cite magazine |title=Complete Games Guide |magazine=Mean Machines |date=May 1992 |issue=20 (28 April 1992) |pages=6, 14, 18, 20, 22, 26 |url=https://archive.org/details/Mean_Machines_Complete_Games_Guide_1992-05_EMAP_Images_GB_suppliment_issue_20/page/n4/mode/1up}}{{cite news |last1=Gass |first1=Zach |title=10 Awesome Hack and Slash Games That Aren't God of War |url=https://screenrant.com/best-awesome-hack-slash-games-arent-god-war/ |access-date=11 April 2021 |work=Screen Rant |date=11 May 2020 |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411204921/https://screenrant.com/best-awesome-hack-slash-games-arent-god-war/ |url-status=live }} and Golden Axe (1989 debut),{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/goldenaxegen/review.html |title=Golden Axe Review |author=Greg Kasavin |publisher=GameSpot |date=2006-11-30 |access-date=2008-10-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204233037/http://www.gamespot.com/wii/action/goldenaxegen/review.html |archive-date=2009-02-04}}{{cite web | url = http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/185688/golden-axe-beast-rider/ | author = Patrick Shaw | date = 2008-05-16 | access-date = 2008-10-07 | title = Golden Axe: Beast Rider | publisher = GamePro |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081017133630/http://www.gamepro.com/article/previews/185688/golden-axe-beast-rider/|archive-date=2008-10-17}} Data East's Captain Silver (1987), Taito's Rastan (1987){{cite web |last1=Reed |first1=Kristan |title=Taito Legends Power-Up |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/taito-legends-power-up-review |website=Eurogamer |access-date=11 April 2021 |date=4 January 2007 |archive-date=11 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411155725/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/taito-legends-power-up-review |url-status=live }} and Saint Sword (1991), Tecmo's early Ninja Gaiden (Shadow Warriors) 2D games (1988 debut), Capcom's Strider (1989),{{cite book |last1=Weiss |first1=Brett |title=Classic Home Video Games, 1989-1990: A Complete Guide to Sega Genesis, Neo Geo and TurboGrafx-16 Games |date=9 July 2018 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-9231-2 |page=206 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lmRjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA206 |access-date=8 May 2021 |archive-date=17 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230117222931/https://books.google.com/books?id=lmRjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA206 |url-status=live }} the Master System game Danan: The Jungle Fighter (1990), and Vanillaware's Dragon's Crown (2013).
• 3D hack & slash or character action game – These are third-person action games centered around weapon-based melee combat in three-dimensional environments. The sub-genre was largely defined by Capcom's Devil May Cry (2001), designed by Hideki Kamiya, with other examples including Koei Tecmo's Dynasty Warriors and 3D Ninja Gaiden games, later Devil May Cry games, Sony's God of War and Genji: Dawn of the Samurai, No More Heroes, Kamiya's Bayonetta, Darksiders and Dante's Inferno.{{cite news |last1=Hovermale |first1=Chris |title=How Devil May Cry's arcade inspirations shaped character action games |url=https://www.destructoid.com/stories/how-devil-may-cry-s-arcade-inspirations-shaped-character-action-games-545783.phtml |access-date=30 April 2021 |work=Destructoid |date=2019-03-10 |archive-date=2021-05-18 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210518055447/https://www.destructoid.com/stories/how-devil-may-cry-s-arcade-inspirations-shaped-character-action-games-545783.phtml |url-status=dead }}[https://web.archive.org/web/20131105225144/http://www.ugo.com/games/dantes-inferno-review Is Dante's Inferno Divine or a Comedy of Errors?], UGO Networks, February 9, 2010[http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/heavenly_sword/review.html Heavenly Sword Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105201916/http://www.videogamer.com/ps3/heavenly_sword/review.html |date=2013-11-05 }}, VideoGamer.com, 04/09/2007
• 3D beat 'em up – 3D brawlers that are closer to traditional beat 'em ups, with fist-fighting, but take place in larger 3D environments. Examples include Sega's Die Hard Arcade (1996){{Cite web|url=https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/260/688|title=Die Hard Arcade review|website=Die Hard Arcade review|access-date=2021-04-29|archive-date=2021-04-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429012030/https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/260/688|url-status=live}} and Yakuza series (2005 debut),{{Cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/reviews/yakuza_4|title=Yakuza Review for PS2 from 1UP.com|date=November 7, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121107054537/http://www.1up.com/reviews/yakuza_4|archive-date=2012-11-07}} Eidos Interactive's Fighting Force (1997),{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fighting-force-review/1900-2547543/|title=Fighting Force Review|access-date=2021-08-07|archive-date=2021-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807131445/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/fighting-force-review/1900-2547543/|url-status=live}} Squaresoft's The Bouncer (2000),{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-bouncer-review/1900-2692332/|title=The Bouncer Review|access-date=2021-08-07|archive-date=2021-08-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807131444/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/the-bouncer-review/1900-2692332/|url-status=live}} and Capcom's God Hand (2006).{{Cite web|url=http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/god-hand/731343p1.html|title=GameSpy: Divine Fist - Page 1|website=ps2.gamespy.com|access-date=2021-08-07|archive-date=2009-04-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090403170414/http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/god-hand/731343p1.html|url-status=live}} This sub-genre of beat 'em up is generally not as popular as 3D hack & slash games.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cbr.com/dead-game-genres/|title=10 Once-Prominent Game Genres That Have All But Died|date=July 19, 2021|website=CBR|access-date=August 7, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807131443/https://www.cbr.com/dead-game-genres/|url-status=live}}

• Crowd combat fighting games – 3D brawlers which feature a person fighting a crowd of enemies

Beat 'em up games have origins in martial arts films, particularly Bruce Lee's Hong Kong martial arts films. Lee's Game of Death (1972) inspired the basic structure of a beat 'em up, with Lee ascending five levels of a pagoda while fighting numerous enemies and several boss battles along the way,{{cite news |last1=Stuart |first1=Keith |title=Bruce Lee, UFC and why the martial arts star is a video game hero |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/09/bruce-lee-ea-sports- |access-date=20 July 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=9 April 2014 |archive-date=17 May 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190517200634/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/apr/09/bruce-lee-ea-sports- |url-status=live }} while another Lee film Enter the Dragon (1973) also influenced the genre.{{cite news |last1=Leone |first1=Matt |title=The man who created Double Dragon |url=https://www.polygon.com/2012/10/12/3495124/the-man-who-created-double-dragon |access-date=27 April 2021 |work=Polygon |date=12 October 2012 |archive-date=22 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122091834/https://www.polygon.com/2012/10/12/3495124/the-man-who-created-double-dragon |url-status=live }}{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |pages=143–6}} The first video game to feature fist fighting was Sega's arcade boxing game Heavyweight Champ (1976), which is viewed from a side-view perspective like later fighting games.Nadia Oxford, [http://www.1up.com/features/20-years-street-fighter 20 Years of Street Fighter] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20121206043053/http://www.1up.com/features/20-years-street-fighter |date=2012-12-06 }}, 1UP.com, 12/11/2007 However, it was Data East's fighting game Karate Champ (1984) which popularized martial arts themed games.Spencer, Spanner, [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-tao-of-beat-em-ups-article?page=2 The Tao of Beat-'em-ups] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120219161030/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-tao-of-beat-em-ups-article?page=2 |date=2012-02-19 }}, Eurogamer, Feb 6, 2008, Accessed Mar 18, 2009

Kung-Fu Master (known as Spartan X in Japan), designed by Takashi Nishiyama and released by Irem in 1984, laid the foundations for side-scrolling beat 'em ups. It simplified the combat system of Karate Champ, while adding numerous enemies along a side-scrolling playfield. The game was based on two Hong Kong martial arts films: Jackie Chan's Wheels on Meals (1984), known as Spartan X in Japan (where the game was a tie-in), and Bruce Lee's Game of Death,Kunkel, Bill; Worley, Joyce; Katz, Arnie, [http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_52.pdf#page=48 "The Furious Fists of Sega!"], {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510164801/http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/issues/cgw_52.pdf |date=May 10, 2013 }}, Computer Gaming World, Oct 1988, pp. 48-49 the latter inspiring the five end-of-level boss fights and the plot structure, variations of which were used in subsequent scrolling beat 'em ups.{{cite book |last1=Fox |first1=Matt |title=The Video Games Guide: 1,000+ Arcade, Console and Computer Games, 1962-2012 |edition=2nd |date=3 January 2013 |publisher=McFarland & Company |isbn=978-0-7864-7257-4 |page=162 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xzMYYrsDaAEC&pg=PA162}} Nishiyama, who had previously created the side-scrolling shooter Moon Patrol (1982), combined a shoot 'em up gameplay rhythm with fighting elements when he designed Kung-Fu Master.{{cite news |last1=Okamoto |first1=Yoshiki |author1-link=Yoshiki Okamoto |last2=Nishiyama |first2=Takashi |author2-link=Takashi Nishiyama |title=[ENG SUB] A Talk Between the Creators of Street Fighter and Fatal Fury: KOF (Takashi Nishiyama) |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqRFod7nuHo | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211116/uqRFod7nuHo| archive-date=2021-11-16 | url-status=live|access-date=17 July 2021 |work=世界の岡本吉起Ch |publisher=YouTube |language=ja |time=1:40}}{{cbignore}} The game was also distinctive for its use of health meters, for both the player character and each boss. Another 1984 release, Bruce Lee, combined multi-player, multi-character combat with traditional collecting, platform and puzzle gameplay.{{cite journal |date=May 1985 |title=Bruce Lee review |journal=CRASH |issue=16 |url=http://www.crashonline.org.uk/16/brucelee.htm |access-date=2007-09-26 |archive-date=2013-11-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103063834/http://www.crashonline.org.uk/16/brucelee.htm |url-status=live }}{{cite journal |last=Edgely |first=Clare |date=May 1985 |title=Spectrum Software Scene 2 |journal=Sinclair User |issue=38 |url=http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/038/sftwreb.htm |access-date=2007-09-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071105181811/http://www.sincuser.f9.co.uk/038/sftwreb.htm |archive-date=2007-11-05 }} Later that year, Karateka combined the one-on-one fight sequences of Karate Champ with the freedom of movement in Kung-Fu Master, and it successfully experimented with adding plot to its fighting action. It was also among the first martial arts games to be successfully developed for and ported across different home systems. Sega's My Hero (1985) adopted the gameplay format of Kung-Fu Master, but changing the more traditional martial arts setting to a more contemporary urban city environment with street gangs.{{cite magazine |last1=Roberts |first1=Mike |last2=Phipps |first2=Steve |title=Coin-Op Connection |magazine=Computer Gamer |date=October 1985 |issue=7 |publisher=Argus Press |location=United Kingdom |pages=18–9 |url=https://archive.org/details/Computer_Gamer_Issue_07_1985-10_Argus_Press_GB/page/n17/mode/2up}}

Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, developed by Technōs Japan and released in 1986 in Japan, introduced the belt scroll format, allowing both vertical and horizontal movement along a side-scrolling environment, while also popularizing street brawling in the genre.Spencer, Spanner, [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/a_taoofbeatemups_pt2_retro The Tao of Beat-'em-ups (part 2)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715094144/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/a_taoofbeatemups_pt2_retro |date=2011-07-15 }}, EuroGamer, Feb 12, 2008, Accessed Mar 18, 2009 Created by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, game was inspired by his own teenage high school years getting into daily fights, along with Bruce Lee's martial arts film Enter the Dragon. The Western adaptation Renegade (released the same year) added an underworld revenge plot that proved more popular with gamers than the principled combat sport of other martial arts games. Renegade set the standard for future beat 'em up games as it introduced the ability to move both horizontally and vertically.[http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2067970.htm Evolution of a Genre: Beat 'Em Ups] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110708064720/http://www.abc.net.au/tv/goodgame/stories/s2067970.htm |date=2011-07-08 }}, ABC Television, Nov 6, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2009. It also introduced the use of combo attacks; in contrast to earlier games, the opponents in Renegade and Double Dragon could take much more punishment, requiring a succession of punches, with the first hit temporarily immobilizing the enemy, making him unable to defend himself against successive punches.{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=2&cId=3151392 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718091646/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=2&cId=3151392 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-18 |title=Playing With Power |page=3 |author=Jess Ragan |date=2006-06-15 |publisher=1UP.com |access-date=2011-02-25 }} Rather than one-hit kills, the player needed to hit enemies multiple times, "beating them up," in order to defeat them. Compared to earlier side-scrollers, the environment was expanded to a scrolling arena-like space, while the combat system was more highly developed, with the player able to punch, kick, grab, charge, throw and stomp enemies.

In 1987, the release of Double Dragon, designed as Technōs Japan's spiritual successor to Kunio-kun (Renegade), ushered in a "golden age" for the beat 'em up genre that took it to new heights with its detailed set of martial arts attacks and its outstanding two-player cooperative gameplay.Cassidy, William, [http://www.gamespy.com/articles/488/488826p1.html Hall of Fame: Double Dragon] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818045122/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/488/488826p1.html |date=2009-08-18 }}, Gamespy, Jan 5, 2003, Accessed, March 24, 2009 It also had a continuous side-scrolling world, in contrast to the bounded scrolling arenas of Kunio-kun, giving Double Dragon a sense of progression, along with the use of cut scenes to give it a cinematic look and feel. Like Kunio-kun, the game's combat system drew inspiration from the Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon, while Double Dragon added a new disaster-ridden city setting inspired by the Mad Max films and Fist of the North Star manga and anime series. Double Dragon became Japan's third highest-grossing table arcade game of 1987,{{cite magazine |title=87' ゲーメスト大賞 |trans-title=87' Gamest Awards |magazine=Gamest |date=December 28, 1987 |volume=17 (February 1988) |pages=26–38 |language=ja}} [http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~dummy/gamest/magazine/gamest/v017.html alternate url] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903105746/http://www.netlaputa.ne.jp/~dummy/gamest/magazine/gamest/v017.html |date=2021-09-03 }} before becoming America's overall highest-grossing dedicated arcade game for two years in a row, in 1988{{cite magazine |title=Coin Machine: AMOA Jukebox, Games & Cig Vending Awards Winners |magazine=Cash Box |date=November 26, 1988 |page=30 |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox52unse_19/page/n29}} and 1989.{{cite magazine |title=AMOA Jukebox, Games & Cigarette Vending Awards Winners |magazine=Cash Box |date=1989-09-30 |page=36 |url=https://archive.org/details/cashbox53unse_10/page/36 |publisher=Cash Box Pub. Co.}}

Double Dragon{{'s}} success resulted in a flood of beat 'em ups in the late 1980s, where acclaimed titles such as Golden Axe and Final Fight (both 1989) distinguished themselves from the others. Final Fight was Capcom's intended sequel to Street Fighter (provisionally titled Street Fighter '89),[https://web.archive.org/web/20080701021834/http://www.snk-capcom.com/didyouknow/archives/00000001.htm Did You Know? Volume 1: Street Fighter '89], Capcom, Accessed Aug 17, 2009 but the company ultimately gave it a new title. In contrast to the simple combo attacks in Renegade and Double Dragon, the combo attacks in Final Fight were much more dynamic, and the sprites were much larger. Acclaimed as the best game in the genre,Navarro, Alex, [http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/action/finalfight/review.html Final Fight Review] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090707140056/http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/action/finalfight/review.html |date=2009-07-07 }}, GameSpot, May 10, 2007, Accessed Mar 21 2009Ashcraft, Brian, [http://kotaku.com/244633/clip-top-ten-beat-em-ups Clip: Top Ten Beat 'Em Ups] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090201032925/http://kotaku.com/244633/clip-top-ten-beat-em-ups |date=2009-02-01 }}, Kotaku, Mar 16, 2007, Accessed Mar 21, 2009 Final Fight spawned two home sequels and was later ported to other systems.Kalata, Kurt, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/finalfight/finalfight.htm Final Fight] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101235900/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/finalfight/finalfight.htm |date=2014-01-01 }}, Hardcore Gaming 101, Accessed Feb 04, 2010 Golden Axe was acclaimed for its visceral hack and slash action and cooperative mode and was influential through its selection of multiple protagonists with distinct fighting styles.Kasavin, Greg, [http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/action/goldenaxegen/review.html Golden Axe Review] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070128205017/http://uk.gamespot.com/wii/action/goldenaxegen/review.html |date=2007-01-28 }}, GameSpot, Dec 1, 2006, Accessed Mar 19, 2009 It is considered one of the strongest beat 'em up titles for its fantasy elements, distinguishing it from the urban settings seen in other beat 'em ups. Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja featured platform elements, while P.O.W.: Prisoners of War took the weapon aspect a stage further, allowing the players to pick up guns. Another beat 'em up—River City Ransom (1989), named Street Gangs in Europe—featured role-playing game elements with which the player's character could be upgraded, using money stolen from defeated enemies."Rated Wii Shop", Nintendo: The Official Magazine, September 2008 (issue 33), p. 129[http://uk.top100.ign.com/2005/091-100.html IGN's Top 100 Games] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090212073551/http://uk.top100.ign.com/2005/091-100.html |date=February 12, 2009 }}, IGN, Accessed Mar 22, 2009

The Streets of Rage series was launched in the early 1990s and borrowed heavily from Final Fight.Cassidy, William, [http://www.gamespy.com/articles/488/488729p1.html Hall of Fame: Streets of Rage] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818081217/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/488/488729p1.html |date=August 18, 2009 }}, GameSpy, Sept 23, 2003, Accessed Mar 24, 2009 Streets of Rage 2 (1992) for Sega's Mega Drive/Genesis was one of the first console games to match the acclaim of arcade beat 'em ups. Its level design was praised for taking traditional beat 'em up settings and stringing them together in novel ways, and its success led to it being ported to arcades. The beat 'em up was also a popular genre for video games based on television series and movies, with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Batman Returns a surprise success, and encouraged many more beat 'em up games based on the characters.{{cite web | url = http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3109998 | archive-url = https://archive.today/20120717082044/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3109998 | url-status = dead | archive-date = 2012-07-17 | title = TMNT Games | publisher = 1up.com | access-date = 2009-03-26 }} Taito's arcade game Riding Fight (1992) combined beat 'em up gameplay with a pseudo-3D chase view and hoverboard racing gameplay.{{cite web |title=Riding Fight - Videogame by Taito |url=https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9315 |website=Killer List of Videogames |access-date=26 November 2021 |archive-date=26 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126162755/https://www.arcade-museum.com/game_detail.php?game_id=9315 |url-status=live }}{{cite web |title=Video Game Flyers: Riding Fight, Taito |url=https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=893 |website=The Arcade Flyer Archive |access-date=26 November 2021 |archive-date=26 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126162754/https://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=893 |url-status=live }} The "golden age" of the genre eventually came to an end during the early 1990s, following the success of Capcom's Street Fighter II (1991) which drew gamers back towards one-on-one fighting games, while the subsequent emerging popularity of 3D video games in the late 1990s diminished the popularity of 2D-based pugilistic games in general.

Another notable game from this era is Gang Wars, released in 1989.

Sega's Die Hard Arcade (1996) was the first beat 'em up to use texture-mapped 3D polygon graphics,{{cite magazine|last=Webb|first=Marcus |title=Up and Coming Coin-Ops |magazine=Next Generation|issue=20|publisher=Imagine Media |date=August 1996|page=18}} and it used a sophisticated move set likened to a fighting game.{{cite magazine |first=Rich|last=Leadbetter|title=Rage Hard! |magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine|issue=17|publisher=Emap International Limited |date=March 1997|pages=46–49}} It updated the Streets of Rage formula to 3D, while implementing moves and combos from the fighting game Virtua Fighter 2 (1994), the ability to combine weapons to create more powerful weapons, and in two-player mode the ability to perform combined special moves and combos.{{cite magazine |title=New Games: Die Hard Arcade |magazine=Computer and Video Games |date=9 September 1996 |issue=179 (October 1996) |page=96 |url=https://www.solvalou.com/arcade/reviews/260/688}} It also had cut scenes,{{cite magazine |title=Preview: Die Hard Arcade|magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine |issue=16|publisher=Emap International Limited|date=February 1997|pages=24–27}} with quick time events interspersed between scenes.{{cite magazine|title=Return of the McClane|magazine=Sega Saturn Magazine |issue=12 |publisher=Emap International Limited|date=October 1996|pages=86–89}} The game achieved a certain degree of success, and entered the Japanese arcade earnings charts at number-two in August 1996.{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=524|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=15 August 1996|page=21|lang=ja}} Core Design's Fighting Force (1997) was anticipated to redefine the genre for 32-bit consoles through its use of a 3D environment. However, it was met with a lukewarm reception.Gerstmann, Jeff, [https://archive.today/20130110221700/http://uk.gamespot.com/ps/action/fightingforce/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review Fighting Force Review], GameSpot, Dec 1, 1997, Accessed Mar 19, 2009 The beat 'em up genre declined in the late 1990s, largely disappearing from arcades by the end of the decade.

In 2000, Squaresoft published The Bouncer (2000), developed by DreamFactory and designed by former Virtua Fighter designer Seiichi Ishii, for the PlayStation 2 console. It was an ambitious project that attempted to deliver a cinematic, story-driven beat 'em up, combining 3D beat 'em up gameplay with action role-playing game elements, cinematic cutscenes, high production values and an "Active Character Selection" system where choices alter the storyline. It was highly anticipated due to Squaresoft's reputation with Japanese role-playing games such as Final Fantasy, but was met with a mixed reception upon release.{{cite web |last1=Barbato |first1=Steven |title=Bouncer, The |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/bouncer-the/ |website=Hardcore Gaming 101 |date=September 8, 2020 |access-date=29 April 2021 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417030412/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/bouncer-the/ |url-status=live }} The same year, Italian studio NAPS team released Gekido: Urban Fighters for the PlayStation console, which uses a fast-paced beat 'em up system, with many bosses and a colorful design in terms of graphics.{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/NextGen67Jul2000/page/n93/mode/2up|title = NextGen 67 Jul 2000|date = July 2000}}

In the early 2000s, game reviewers started to pronounce that the genre had died off. By 2002, there were virtually no new beat 'em ups being released in arcades.Epperson, Justin, [http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3157308&p=10 Die Hard Arcade EX: Asian Dynamite (Arcade)]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, 1UP, Feb 17, 2007, Accessed Mar 26, 2009

{{See also|Hack and slash}}

After 2000, the beat 'em up genre began seeing a revival in the form of popular 3D hack and slash games in the style of Devil May Cry (2001 onwards), including Onimusha, Ninja Gaiden (2004 onwards), God of War (2005 onwards), God Hand (2006), Heavenly Sword (2007), Afro Samurai (2009),{{cite web|author=Arnold Katayev|date=2009-01-31|title=Afro Samurai Review|url=http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-reviews/216.html|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715125840/http://www.psxextreme.com/ps3-reviews/216.html|archive-date=2011-07-15|access-date=2011-02-26|publisher=PSX Extreme}} and Bayonetta (2009).{{cite web|author=Jeff Bakalar, Scott Stein and Dan Ackerman|date=January 4, 2010|title=Bad hair day: Bayonetta hands-on|url=http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10424434-1.html|access-date=2011-02-26|archive-date=2014-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201141113/http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10424434-1.html|url-status=dead}} Featuring a more fantasy themed approach, with longer campaigns and the variety seen before in multiple characters now being present in the one and only main character. Giving the player multiple weapons and movesets based on a variety of martial arts and different weapons. These games are also known as "character action" games, which represent an evolution of traditional arcade action games. The subgenre was largely defined by Hideki Kamiya, creator of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta.

A best-selling Japanese series is the Dynasty Warriors series,Jenkins, David, [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22575 Japanese Charts: Yakuza 3 And Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Lead Busy Week] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219042131/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=22575 |date=2014-02-19 }}, GamaSutra, Mar 5, 2009, Accessed Mar 19, 2009 which beginning with Dynasty Warriors 2 (2000) offered beat 'em up action on large 3D battlefields with war strategy game elements, displaying dozens of characters on the screen at a time.Villoria, Gerald, [http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/dynastywarriors3/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review Dynasty Warriors 3 Review]{{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110920025309/http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/dynastywarriors3/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary%3Bread-review|date=September 20, 2011}}, GameSpot, Dec 18, 2001, Accessed Mar 19, 2009 The series to date spans 14 games (including expansions) which players in the West view as overly similar, although the games' creators claim their large audience in Japan appreciates the subtle differences between the titles.Nutt, Christian, [http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21080 Interview: How Koei Aims For Western Audiences] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219042028/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=21080 |date=2014-02-19 }}, GamaSutra, Dec 8, 2008, Mar 19, 2009 While critics saw Dynasty Warriors 2 as innovative and technically impressive, they held a mixed opinion of later titles. These later games received praise for simple, enjoyable gameplay but were simultaneously derided as overly simplistic and repetitive.{{cite web|first=Randolph|last=Ramsey|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/ps3/action/shinsangokumusou5/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120719032649/http://uk.gamespot.com/ps3/action/shinsangokumusou5/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read-review|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-19|title=Dynasty Warriors 6 Review|website=GameSpot|date=March 28, 2008|accessdate=March 18, 2009}}

File:Zeno Clash - Fight.jpg (2009) features beat 'em up gameplay from a first-person perspective.]]

On the urban-themed side of the genre was the Yakuza series (2005 debut), which combined elaborate crime thriller plots and detailed interactive environments with street brawling action.Stanton, Rich, "Yakuza 2", Official Playstation Magazine UK, Nov 2008 (issue 24), pp. 108-09 Rockstar Games' The Warriors (based on the 1979 movie of the same name), released in 2005, featured large scale brawling in 3D environments interspersed with other activities such as chase sequences.Navarro, Alex, [http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/warriors/review.html The Warriors Review] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090428182637/http://uk.gamespot.com/ps2/action/warriors/review.html |date=April 28, 2009 }}, GameSpot, Oct 21, 2005, Accessed Mar 22, 2009 The game also featured a more traditional side-scrolling beat 'em up Armies of the Night as bonus content, which was acclaimed along with the main game and was later released on the PlayStation Portable.Cundy, Matt, [http://www.gamesradar.com/psp/the-warriors/news/rockstars-retro-beat-em-up-revealed/a-20070124151834484037/g-2006102517554345031 Rockstar's retro beat-'em-up revealed] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313073609/http://www.gamesradar.com/psp/the-warriors/news/rockstars-retro-beat-em-up-revealed/a-20070124151834484037/g-2006102517554345031 |date=2016-03-13 }}, GamesRadar, Jan 24, 2007, Accessed Mar 22, 2009

File:Guacamelee! screenshot B.jpg (2013) is a brawling-based game based on luchadors fashioned after a Metroid-style adventure game.]]

Capcom's Viewtiful Joe (2003), directed by Devil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya, used cel-shaded graphics and innovative gameplay features (such as the protagonist's special powers) to "reinvigorate" its traditional 2D scrolling formula.Bramwell, Tom [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_viewtifuljoe_gc Viewtiful Joe] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081229130920/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/r_viewtifuljoe_gc |date=2008-12-29 }}, EuroGamer, Oct 13, 2003, Accessed Mar 19, 2009 Releases such as God Hand in 2006 and MadWorld in 2009 were seen as parodies of violence in popular culture, earning both games praise for not taking themselves as seriously as early beat 'em up games.Barnholt, Ray, [https://archive.today/20120727234357/http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?cId=3152276&p=2 God Hand Preview], 1UP, July 17, 2006, Accessed Mar 26, 2009 Classic beat 'em ups have been re-released on services such as the Virtual Console and Xbox Live Arcade; critics reaffirmed the appeal of some, while the appeal of others has been deemed to have diminished with time. Although the genre lacks the same presence it did in the late 1980s, some titles such as Viewtiful Joe and God Hand kept the traditional beat 'em up genre alive."Clover Studios Wilts and Dies", GameAxis Unwired, Nov 2006, p. 8

The traditional 2D beat 'em up genre has seen a resurgence in Asia, where the South Korean online beat 'em up Dungeon Fighter Online (2004) is very popular. Dungeon Fighter Online has become one of the most-played and highest-grossing games of all time, having grossed over $10 billion.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-06-21-dungeon-and-fighter-gross-lifetime-revenue-exceeds-usd10bn|title=Dungeon Fighter Online gross lifetime revenue exceeds $10bn|website=GamesIndustry.biz|date=21 June 2018|access-date=2019-05-20|archive-date=2018-06-29|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629102243/https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-06-21-dungeon-and-fighter-gross-lifetime-revenue-exceeds-usd10bn|url-status=live}} Other traditional 2D scrolling beat 'em ups were released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network including The Behemoth's Castle Crashers (2008), featuring cartoon graphics, quirky humor, and acclaimed cooperative gameplay,Francis, Don, [http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/castlecrashers/review.html Castle Crashers Review] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202045120/http://uk.gamespot.com/xbox360/action/castlecrashers/review.html|date=December 2, 2008}}, GameSpot, Aug 28, 2008, Accessed Mar 26, 2009 The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile (2011), Double Dragon Neon (2012) and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (2010).{{cite magazine|title=The Gamer's Guide to Comic-Con 2010|author=Chris Kohler|date=July 22, 2010|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/gamelife/2010/07/comic-con-games/|access-date=2011-02-26}}

Fable Heroes (2012) is an Xbox Live Arcade only title released in 2012.{{Cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/22/22173025/xbox-live-games-with-gold-2020-games-list-analysis|title=Xbox Games With Gold gave us few options to consider in 2020|first=Owen S.|last=Good|date=December 22, 2020|website=Polygon|access-date=August 7, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807125919/https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/22/22173025/xbox-live-games-with-gold-2020-games-list-analysis|url-status=live}} Saints Row IV (2013) featured a parody of Streets of Rage entitled "Saints of Rage", where the player rescues Johnny Gat from a virtual prison. Dragon's Crown (2013) is a 2D fantasy game with a mix of beat 'em up and ARPG elements that were specifically inspired by Golden Axe and Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom.{{Cite web|url=https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-dragons-crown/|title=Review: Dragon's Crown|date=July 31, 2013|access-date=August 7, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807125922/https://www.destructoid.com/reviews/review-dragons-crown/|url-status=live}} Streets of Rage 4 (2020) was also released to critical acclaim and has renewed interested in both the series and genre.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/streets-of-rage-4-review-the-beat-em-up-boys-are-b/1900-6417460/|title=Streets Of Rage 4 Review - The Beat-'Em-Up Boys Are Back In Town|access-date=2021-08-07|archive-date=2020-11-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103034650/https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/streets-of-rage-4-review-the-beat-em-up-boys-are-b/1900-6417460/|url-status=live}} Dragon's Crown sold over a million copies by 2017,{{cite magazine|url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201709/29143103.html|script-title=ja:『ドラゴンズクラウン・プロ』PS4で完成度に磨きがかかったゲーム内容が公開|language=ja|magazine=Famitsu|date=2017-09-29|access-date=2020-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191214163508/https://www.famitsu.com/news/201709/29143103.html|archive-date=2019-12-14|url-status=live}} while Streets of Rage 4 has sold over {{nowrap|2.5 million}} copies {{as of|2021|4|lc=y}}.{{Cite web|last=Romano|first=Sal|url=https://www.gematsu.com/2021/04/streets-of-rage-4-dlc-mr-x-nightmare-and-free-update-announced-downloads-top-2-5-million|title=Streets of Rage 4 DLC 'Mr. X Nightmare' and free update announced; downloads top 2.5 million|website=Gematsu|date=April 8, 2021|access-date=July 27, 2021|archive-date=September 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210919210254/https://www.gematsu.com/2021/04/streets-of-rage-4-dlc-mr-x-nightmare-and-free-update-announced-downloads-top-2-5-million|url-status=live}} Also other well known classic franchises gained new titles such as Battletoads (2020) and The Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors (2019) and River City Girls (2019).

The beat 'em up genre has also seen a resurgence within indie game development, resulting in unique titles such as DrinkBox Studios' 2013 indie title Guacamelee! and its 2018 sequel, which are both noted for their hybrid 2D Metroidvania-style platform brawler gameplay.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/08/guacamelee-review|title=Guacamelee! Review - IGN|date=8 April 2013|via=www.ign.com|access-date=7 August 2021|archive-date=7 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807130200/https://www.ign.com/articles/2013/04/08/guacamelee-review|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|url=https://blog.playstation.com/2018/07/24/guacamelee-2-brings-pollo-power-to-ps4-august-21/|title=Guacamelee! 2 Brings Pollo Power to PS4 August 21|date=July 24, 2018|access-date=August 7, 2021|archive-date=August 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210807130200/https://blog.playstation.com/2018/07/24/guacamelee-2-brings-pollo-power-to-ps4-august-21/|url-status=live}} Other indie titles are The Takeover (2019), Ninjin: Clash of Carrots (2018), and the critically acclaimed Fight'N Rage (2017).{{Cite web|title=Fight'N Rage|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/fightn-rage/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-4|access-date=2021-09-06|website=Metacritic|language=en|archive-date=2021-07-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210726235523/https://www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/fightn-rage|url-status=live}}

• List of beat 'em ups
• Shoot 'em up
• Hack and slash

{{reflist|30em}}

• [http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/genre-beat-em-up-brawler Genre: Beat 'em up / Brawler] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210701153231/https://www.mobygames.com/game-group/genre-beat-em-up-brawler |date=2021-07-01 }} at MobyGames

{{Video game genre}}

{{Martial arts}}

Category:Video game genres