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Abeat 'em up (also known asbrawler and, in some markets,beat 'em all[1]) is avideo game genre featuringhand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place inscrolling,two-dimensional (2D) levels, while a number of modern games feature more openthree-dimensional (3D) environments with yet larger numbers of enemies. Thegameplay tends to followarcade genre conventions, such as being simple to learn but difficult to master, and the combat system tends to be more highly developed than otherside-scrollingaction games. Two-playercooperative gameplay and multipleplayer characters are also hallmarks of the genre. Most of these games take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical, science fiction or fantasy themes.
The first beat 'em up was 1984'sKung-Fu Master,[2][3] which was based onHong Kong martial arts films. 1986'sNekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun introduced thebelt scroll format employed extensively by later games, while also popularizing contemporary urban settings, while its Western localized versionRenegade further introduced underworld revenge themes. The genre then saw a period of high popularity between the release ofDouble Dragon in 1987, which defined the two-player cooperative mode and continuous belt scroll format central to classic beat 'em ups, and 1991'sStreet Fighter II, which drew gamers towards one-on-onefighting games. Games such asStreets of Rage,Final Fight,Golden Axe andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are other classics to emerge from this period. In the late 1990s, the genre lost popularity with the emergence of 3D-polygon technology.
In the 2000s, a sub-genre of 3Dhack-and-slash games emerged (also known as "character action games"), adapting the beat 'em up formula to utilize large-scale 3D environments, with popular franchises includingGod Hand,Devil May Cry,Dynasty Warriors,God of War andBayonetta. Since the 2010s, traditional 2D beat 'em ups have seen a resurgence, with popular titles such asDungeon Fighter Online,Dragon's Crown,Streets of Rage 4 andTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge.
A beat 'em up (also called a "brawler")[4][5] is a type ofaction game where the player character must fight a large number of enemies in unarmed combat or with melee weapons.[6][7][8] Gameplay consists of walking through alevel, one section at a time, defeating a group of enemies before advancing to the next section; aboss fight normally occurs at the end of each level.[9] Arcade versions of these games are often quite difficult to win, causing players to spend more money.[10]
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.[11] Such terminology is loosely applied, however,[11] as some commentators prefer to conflate the two terms.[12] 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.[11] Occasionally, a game will feature both kinds of gameplay.[13]
In the United Kingdom,video game magazines during the 1980s to 1990s, such asMean Machines andComputer & Video Games (C+VG) for example, referred to all games which had a combat motif as beat 'em ups, including fighting games.[14] However, they were differentiated by a specific prefix; games likeDouble Dragon orFinal Fight were called "scrolling beat 'em ups"[15] and games such asStreet Fighter II orMortal Kombat were referred to as "one on one beat 'em ups".[16] Fighting games were still being called "beat 'em up" games in the UK gaming press up until the end of the 1990s.[17]
Beat 'em up games usually employ vigilante crime fighting and revenge plots with the action taking place on city streets,[18] though historical and fantasy themed games also exist.[19][20] Players must walk from one end of the game world to the other,[21] and thus each game level will usuallyscroll horizontally.[5] Some later beat 'em ups dispense with2D-based scrolling levels, instead allowing the player to roam around larger3D environments, though they retain the same simple-to-learn gameplay and control systems.[22][23] Throughout the level, players may acquire weapons that they can use as well aspower-ups that replenish the player'shealth.[5]
As players walk through the level, they are stopped by groups of enemies who must be defeated before they're able to continue.[24] The level ends when all the enemies are defeated. Each level contains many identical groups of enemies,[21][25] making these games notable for their repetition.[21][26] In beat 'em up games, players often fight aboss—an enemy much stronger than the other enemies—at the end of each level.[5][27]
Beat 'em ups often allow the player to choose between a selection of protagonists—each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and set of moves.[5][20][22][28] The combat system typically tends to be more highly developed than other side-scrolling action games.[29] Attacks can include rapid combinations of basic attacks (combos) as well as jumping and grappling attacks.[5][28] Characters often have their ownspecial attacks, which leads to different strategies depending on which character the player selects.[30] The control system is usually simple to learn, often comprising just two attack buttons. These buttons can be combined to pull offcombos, as well as jumping and grappling attacks.[5][28] Since the release ofDouble Dragon, many beat 'em ups have allowed two players to play the gamecooperatively—a central aspect to the appeal of these games.[5][18][20][28][31] Beat 'em ups are more likely to feature cooperative play than other game genres.[32]
The beat 'em up or brawler genre includes several sub-genres:
Beat 'em up games have origins inmartial arts films, particularlyBruce Lee'sHong Kong martial arts films. Lee'sGame of Death (1972) inspired the basic structure of a beat 'em up, with Lee ascending five levels of apagoda while fighting numerous enemies and severalboss battles along the way,[54] while another Lee filmEnter the Dragon (1973) also influenced the genre.[55][29] The first video game to feature fist fighting wasSega'sarcade boxing gameHeavyweight Champ (1976),[11] which is viewed from a side-view perspective like later fighting games.[56] However, it wasData East's fighting gameKarate Champ (1984) which popularized martial arts themed games.[11]
Kung-Fu Master (known asSpartan X in Japan), designed byTakashi Nishiyama and released byIrem in 1984, laid the foundations forside-scrolling beat 'em ups. It simplified the combat system ofKarate Champ, while adding numerous enemies along a side-scrolling playfield. The game was based on two Hong Kong martial arts films:Jackie Chan'sWheels on Meals (1984), known asSpartan X in Japan (where the game was a tie-in), and Bruce Lee'sGame of Death,[11][57] the latter inspiring the five end-of-level boss fights[54] and the plot structure, variations of which were used in subsequent scrolling beat 'em ups.[58] Nishiyama, who had previously created theside-scrolling shooterMoon Patrol (1982), combined ashoot 'em up gameplay rhythm with fighting elements when he designedKung-Fu Master.[59] The game was also distinctive for its use ofhealth meters, for both the player character and each boss.[29] Another 1984 release,Bruce Lee, combined multi-player, multi-character combat with traditional collecting, platform and puzzle gameplay.[60][61] Later that year,Karateka combined the one-on-one fight sequences ofKarate Champ with the freedom of movement inKung-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 andported across different home systems.[11]Sega'sMy Hero (1985) adopted the gameplay format ofKung-Fu Master, but changing the more traditional martial arts setting to a more contemporary urban city environment with street gangs.[33][62]
Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, developed byTechnōs Japan and released in 1986 in Japan, introduced thebelt scroll format, allowing both vertical and horizontal movement along a side-scrolling environment,[36][33] while also popularizing street brawling in the genre.[18] Created byYoshihisa Kishimoto, game was inspired by his own teenagehigh school years getting into daily fights, along with Bruce Lee's martial arts filmEnter the Dragon.[55][29] The Western adaptationRenegade (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.[18]Renegade set the standard for future beat 'em up games as it introduced the ability to move both horizontally and vertically.[63] It also introduced the use ofcombo attacks; in contrast to earlier games, the opponents inRenegade andDouble 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.[64] 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.[29]
In 1987, the release ofDouble Dragon, designed asTechnōs Japan's spiritual successor toKunio-kun (Renegade),[18][55] 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-playercooperative gameplay.[18][65] It also had a continuous side-scrolling world, in contrast to the bounded scrolling arenas ofKunio-kun, givingDouble Dragon a sense of progression, along with the use ofcut scenes to give it a cinematic look and feel.[55][29] LikeKunio-kun, the game's combat system drew inspiration from the Bruce Lee filmEnter the Dragon, whileDouble Dragon added a new disaster-ridden city setting inspired by theMad Max films andFist of the North Starmanga andanime series.[55]Double Dragon became Japan's third highest-grossingtable arcade game of 1987,[66] before becoming America's overall highest-grossing dedicated arcade game for two years in a row,in 1988[67] and1989.[68]
Double Dragon's success resulted in a flood of beat 'em ups in the late 1980s,[65] where acclaimed titles such asGolden Axe andFinal Fight (both 1989) distinguished themselves from the others.[18]Final Fight wasCapcom's intended sequel toStreet Fighter (provisionally titledStreet Fighter '89),[69] but the company ultimately gave it a new title.[70] In contrast to the simple combo attacks inRenegade andDouble Dragon, the combo attacks inFinal Fight were much more dynamic, and the sprites were much larger.[64] Acclaimed as the best game in the genre,[5][71]Final Fight spawned two home sequels and was later ported to other systems.[70]Golden Axe was acclaimed for its visceralhack and slash action and cooperative mode and was influential through its selection of multiple protagonists with distinct fighting styles.[20] 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.[21]Bad Dudes Vs. DragonNinja featured platform elements, whileP.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), namedStreet Gangs in Europe—featuredrole-playing game elements with which the player's character could be upgraded, using money stolen from defeated enemies.[72][73]
TheStreets of Rage series was launched in the early 1990s and borrowed heavily fromFinal Fight.[74]Streets of Rage 2 (1992) for Sega'sMega Drive/Genesis was one of the first console games to match the acclaim of arcade beat 'em ups.[18] Its level design was praised for taking traditional beat 'em up settings and stringing them together in novel ways,[74] and its success led to it being ported to arcades.[18] The beat 'em up was also a popular genre for video games based on television series and movies, withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles andBatman Returns a surprise success,[18] and encouraged many more beat 'em up games based onthe characters.[75]Taito's arcade gameRiding Fight (1992) combined beat 'em up gameplay with apseudo-3D chase view andhoverboardracing gameplay.[76][77] The "golden age" of the genre eventually came to an end during the early 1990s, following the success of Capcom'sStreet 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.[18][65]
Another notable game from this era isGang Wars, released in 1989.
Sega'sDie Hard Arcade (1996) was the first beat 'em up to usetexture-mapped 3Dpolygon graphics,[78] and it used a sophisticated move set likened to a fighting game.[79] It updated theStreets of Rage formula to 3D, while implementing moves and combos from the fighting gameVirtua 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.[80] It also hadcut scenes,[81] withquick time events interspersed between scenes.[82] The game achieved a certain degree of success,[29] and entered the Japanese arcade earnings charts at number-two in August 1996.[83]Core Design'sFighting 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.[22] The beat 'em up genre declined in the late 1990s, largely disappearing from arcades by the end of the decade.[29]
In 2000,Squaresoft publishedThe Bouncer (2000), developed byDreamFactory and designed by formerVirtua Fighter designerSeiichi Ishii, for thePlayStation 2 console. It was an ambitious project that attempted to deliver a cinematic, story-driven beat 'em up, combining 3D beat 'em up gameplay withaction role-playing game elements, cinematic cutscenes, high production values and an "Active Character Selection" system wherechoices alter the storyline. It was highly anticipated due to Squaresoft's reputation withJapanese role-playing games such asFinal Fantasy, but was met with a mixed reception upon release.[84] The same year, Italian studioNAPS team releasedGekido: 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.[85]
In the early 2000s, game reviewers started to pronounce that the genre had died off.[21] By 2002, there were virtually no new beat 'em ups being released in arcades.[86]
After 2000, the beat 'em up genre began seeing a revival in the form of popular 3Dhack and slash games in the style ofDevil May Cry (2001 onwards), includingOnimusha,Ninja Gaiden (2004 onwards),God of War (2005 onwards),God Hand (2006),Heavenly Sword (2007),Afro Samurai (2009),[87] andBayonetta (2009).[88] 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 byHideki Kamiya, creator ofDevil May Cry andBayonetta.[45]
A best-selling Japanese series is theDynasty Warriors series,[89] which beginning withDynasty 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.[23][90] 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.[19][91] While critics sawDynasty Warriors 2 as innovative and technically impressive,[19][23] 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.[19][92]
On the urban-themed side of the genre was theYakuza series (2005 debut), which combined elaboratecrime thriller plots and detailed interactive environments with street brawling action.[93]Rockstar Games'The Warriors (based on the1979 movie of the same name), released in 2005, featured large scale brawling in 3D environments interspersed with other activities such as chase sequences.[94] The game also featured a more traditional side-scrolling beat 'em upArmies of the Night as bonus content, which was acclaimed along with the main game and was later released on thePlayStation Portable.[94][95]
Capcom'sViewtiful Joe (2003), directed byDevil May Cry creator Hideki Kamiya, usedcel-shaded graphics and innovative gameplay features (such as the protagonist's special powers) to "reinvigorate" its traditional 2D scrolling formula.[96] Releases such asGod Hand in 2006 andMadWorld in 2009 were seen asparodies of violence in popular culture, earning both games praise for not taking themselves as seriously as early beat 'em up games.[26][97] Classic beat 'em ups have been re-released on services such as theVirtual Console andXbox Live Arcade; critics reaffirmed the appeal of some,[5][20][72] while the appeal of others has been deemed to have diminished with time.[28] Although the genre lacks the same presence it did in the late 1980s, some titles such asViewtiful Joe andGod Hand kept the traditional beat 'em up genre alive.[98]
The traditional 2D beat 'em up genre has seen a resurgence in Asia, where the South Korean online beat 'em upDungeon Fighter Online (2004) is very popular.Dungeon Fighter Online has become one of the most-played andhighest-grossing games of all time, having grossed over $10 billion.[99] Other traditional 2D scrolling beat 'em ups were released on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network includingThe Behemoth'sCastle Crashers (2008), featuring cartoon graphics, quirky humor, and acclaimed cooperative gameplay,[100]The Dishwasher: Vampire Smile (2011),Double Dragon Neon (2012) andScott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (2010).[101]
Fable Heroes (2012) is an Xbox Live Arcade only title released in 2012.[102]Saints Row IV (2013) featured a parody ofStreets Of Rage entitled "Saints Of Rage", where the player rescuesJohnny 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 byGolden Axe andDungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom.[103]Streets of Rage 4 (2020) was also released to critical acclaim and has renewed interested in both the series and genre.[104]Dragon's Crown sold over a million copies by 2017,[105] whileStreets of Rage 4 has sold over2.5 million copies as of April 2021[update].[106] Also other well known classic franchises gained new titles such asBattletoads (2020) andThe Ninja Saviors: Return of the Warriors (2019) andRiver City Girls (2019).
The beat 'em up genre has also seen a resurgence withinindie gamedevelopment, resulting in unique titles such asDrinkBox Studios' 2013 indie titleGuacamelee! and its 2018 sequel, which are both noted for their hybrid 2DMetroidvania-style platform brawler gameplay.[107][108] Other indie titles areThe Takeover (2019),Ninjin: Clash of Carrots (2018), and the critically acclaimedFight'N Rage (2017).[109]
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