Top 100 Best Beat 'Em Up Games
by Zabon | created - 21 Jul 2019 | updated - 22 Jul 2019 | PublicThis specific genre has been around since the very early stages of video games and has come a long way, generating a menagerie of titles in more than three decades. Although there's a large repertoire of these games, some have stood out more than others in terms of plot, story, characters and genuine fun factor. Of course, much like FPS games, this genre has offered a slew of games with awesome soundtracks and memorable boss battles. These are the select few that are definitely worth the time, effort, and patience in terms of proper usage of these elements in the perfect dosage. Slaying a slew of enemies before getting to the boss and the climactic boss battles themselves coupled with the memorable soundtrack make these the most compelling beat 'em up games.
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994 Video Game)
MA-13 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Side-scrolling beat 'em up game based on a 14-part Marvel comic book crossover featuring Spider-Man and Venom who team up with a host of other superheroes to face Venom's murderous offspring Carnage and his team of super-villains.
Votes: 236
2. Spider-Man & Venom: Separation Anxiety (1995 Video Game)
K-A | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Mayhem-packed sequel to Spider-Man & Venom: Maximum Carnage (1994), with appearances from loads of other Marvel Comic-Book characters.
Votes: 95
3. X-Men (1992 Video Game)
Action, Sci-Fi
Marvel's mutants face off against their nemesis Magneto in the popular arcade game from Konami.
Director: C. Lee | Stars: Kyle Hebert, Mela Lee
Votes: 123
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Arcade Game (1989 Video Game)
E10+ | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Shredder has kidnapped television reporter April O'Neill and the awesome foursome: Leonardo, Michaelangelo, Donatello, and Raphael must kick into gear and defeat Foot Soldiers and some bogus bosses and defeat the evil Shredder.
Directors: H. Ohyama, H. Toyoda
Votes: 1,376
5. Final Fight (1989 Video Game)
T | Action, Adventure, Crime
Metro City is the most dangerous place in the world. Mayor Mike Haggar's daughter:"Jessica" is kidnapped by the Mad Gear gang. So it's up to Haggar, Cody, and Guy to rescue her.
Directors: Akira Nishitani, Akira Yasuda
Votes: 594
6. Final Fight 3 (1995 Video Game)
T | Action, Crime
When a new criminal group named the Skull Cross Gang emerges as the new dominant criminal organization in Metro City, Guy and Haggar must once again save Metro City from its newest menace.
Votes: 156
7. Final Fight 2 (1993 Video Game)
T | Action, Adventure, Crime
Soon after Haggar, Cody, and Guy saved Haggar's daughter and defeated the Mad Gear Gang, they return with a new leader and kidnap Guy's fiancée, and the three must travel around the world to bring an end to the Mad Gear once and for all.
Votes: 170
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (1991 Video Game)
E10+ | Action, Adventure, Comedy
When Krang steals the Statue of Liberty, the turtles pursue the Foot Clan to the Technodrome, where Shredder sends them through a time warp. The Turtles must fight Shredder's army in both the past and the future in order to get home.
Director: G. Suzuki | Star: Miki Chang
Votes: 1,407
9. Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (2005 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Two members of the Shaolin Order, Liu Kang and Kung Lao, travel through the realms in an attempt to thwart Shang Tsung's plans to dominate Earthrealm.
Director: Martin Stoltz | Stars: Adam Hernandez, Ben Sarason, Beth Melewski, Brian Chard
Votes: 965
10. Streets of Rage 2 (1992 Video Game)
E | Action, Adventure, Crime
Mr. X kidnaps Adam and sends gang punks into the streets. Axel and Blaze, along with Adam's brother Skate and Axel's friend, set out once again to stomp Mr. X and his baddies into the ground.
Director: Noriyoshi Ôba
Votes: 1,107
11. Streets of Rage 3 (1994 Video Game)
E10+ | Action, Adventure, Crime
There is just no keeping Mr. X down. He's back again to terrorize the city. So Axel, Blaze and Skate, with the help of Dr. Zan, set out to stop him.
Votes: 636
12. Heavenly Sword (2007 Video Game)
T | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Legend says that The Heavenly Sword was forged in heaven and once wielded by a deity. When King Bohan seeks the Heavenly Sword, Nariko, a highly skilled young warrior, is shouldered with the task of protecting the sword from him.
Directors: Ben Hibon, Nina Kristensen, Andy Serkis | Stars: Anna Torv, Ewan Stewart, Lydia Baksh, Andy Serkis
Votes: 1,143
13. Bayonetta (2009 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A trigger happy witch wakes up with no recollection of who or where she is, when a flashback takes her 500 years back in time and leads her on a quest to retrieve artifacts known as "Eyes of the World".
Directors: Hideki Kamiya, Isao Negishi | Stars: Hellena Taylor, Grey Griffin, Chick Vennera, Yuri Lowenthal
Votes: 2,089
14. Samurai Warriors 4 (2014 Video Game)
T | Action, Adventure, Crime
Director: Osamu Mieda | Stars: Takeshi Kusao, Jûrôta Kosugi, Jôji Nakata, Yûji Ueda
Votes: 41
15. Dynasty Warriors 4 (2003 Video Game)
T | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
This entry in the Dynasty Warriors series includes more characters, a more robust story mode, and an encyclopedia of all the characters, major and minor, in this game based upon The Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Director: Akihiro Suzuki | Stars: Yasunori Masutani, Masaya Onosaka, Hirohiko Kakegawa, Yukimasa Kishino
Votes: 209
16. Toukiden: Kiwami (2014 Video Game)
T | Action
Three months have passed since the battle to prevent a second Awakening, and fall comes to Utakata Village, along with powerful northern Oni. The Slayers must unite once more to save the world.
Stars: Masumi Asano, Ryôhei Nakao, Akemi Satô, Kenji Nojima
Votes: 24
17. Viewtiful Joe (2003 Video Game)
T | Action, Adventure, Comedy
During a trip to the movies, average dude Joe's girlfriend Silvia gets pulled through the screen and into a surreal movie world. To save her, Joe becomes a slick, time-bending superhero. Henshin a go go, baby!
Director: Hideki Kamiya | Stars: Dee Bradley Baker, Cristina Pucelli, Gregg Berger, Mikey Kelley
Votes: 327
18. Alien vs. Predator (II) (1994 Video Game)
Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Play as either the Predators or Marines in a battle to destroy the Xenomorph.
Votes: 988
19. The Death and Return of Superman (1994 Video Game)
Unrated | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
When an unknown monster named Doomsday invades Metropolis, Superman must fight him in an epic and fierce battle to save the city.
Votes: 114
20. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (1994 Video Game)
E | Action, Family
Play as the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers as you save the planet from evil.
Stars: Ryan R. Johnson, Liz Logan, Richard Perez, Thuy Trang
Votes: 241
21. X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse (1994 Video Game)
Action, Adventure, Fantasy
You play as Cyclops, Wolverine, Beast, Gambit, or Psylocke as you rescue captured mutants on the island of Genosha from the evil mutant Apocalypse.
Votes: 52
22. The Tick (1994 Video Game)
Action, Comedy
We start under the skin of the Tick, a strange super hero (a parody of super hero, well said.) Who need to protect his city against an army of ninjas and funny super villians.
Votes: 15
23. Wolverine: Adamantium Rage (1994 Video Game)
K-A | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Designed for Sega Genesis, this version of "Wolverine: Adamantium Rage" is a side-scrolling platformer/beat'em up which is, similar to, but different from the version released on the SNES. ... See full summary »
Votes: 51
Tell Your Friends