Top 10 Awesome NES Beat 'em Up Games

Hello everyone, my name is Vladislav, and i'm glad to have you here on my "Playthrough Experience" channel. There was a time, when beat 'em up was one of most popular gaming genres on both, on arcade machines and home gaming consoles. Yeah, remember those games like "Streets of Rage", "Final Fight" or "Turtles" ? Yeah, so and at late 80's and early 90's "Nintento Entertainment System", which was one of most popular gaming consoles at that time, was totally packed with awesome gaming library, which was included games, that was developed specifically for this console, as well as gaming ports from arcade machines, but despite popularity of beat 'em up genre, there actually not that many beat 'em up games was ended up on "NES".

And so in today's video, we going to take a look at 10 awesome beat 'em up games that was released on "Nintendo Entertainment System", and yeah, if you ready, then let's get started. And first game on the list is "Renegade". Which was developed by "Technos" in 1986 for arcade machines, and then, in 1987 was ported on "NES" along with other gaming platforms of that time.

Of course "Renegade" didn't aged well, just like it's original arcade version, but still i wanted to start this list with this game, because "Renegade" was sort of first game in beat 'em up genre, that allow players to move character in 4 directions, and all this was followed up with intense and violent fighting.

Looks reminding yeah? That's because next game, which will utilize all those elements, will be legendary "Double Dragon", which was also developed by "Technos", and was also released on "NES". Yeah, that's iconic game opening with very familiar song, it's very hard to not recognize.

Just like "Renegade", 1st "Double Dragon" was released on arcades in 1987, and then year later, was also released on "NES". And yeah, speaking of "Double Dragon", let's keep in mind a whole "Nintendo Entertainment System" trilogy. What most interesting about "NES" versions of "Double Dragon", that those games wasn't 100% copy of their arcade versions, especially second and third game.

And i'm talking not about graphics now, although graphically "NES" versions of "Double Dragon" has it's own charm. There was other differences, like additional levels and gaming mechanics, that was absent in original arcade versions, and i know, some players like myself, even prefer more "NES" versions of "Double Dragon", to their originals or ports, that was based of arcade games, like "Sega Genesis" ports for example.

Okay, next game is "River City Ransom". Remember that i mentioned that "Renegade" in Japan was titled as "Nekketsu Koha Kunio-kun". So interesting thing that "Renegade" and "Kunio-kun", was followed with their own original unique sequels. "Renegade" was followed up with "Target: Renegade", which was also released on "NES", and "Renegade III", which actually wasn't released on "NES", and that's for good.

So "River City Ransom" is already 3rd game in "Kunio-kun" series, because previous one was "Super Dodge Ball" just in case, and yeah, that's strange i know, So "River City Ransom" made a small step into other direction, and yeah, it's still a beat 'em up game, and very violent one i say, despite that childish character looks, but aside of violent fighting, there is actually some "RPG" elements are present in this game.

So like in some other games, by killing enemies player may earn some money, that he can spend on various items, that may rise various character attributes. And yeah, like most classic game series, games that based on "River City" or "Kunio-kun" series, still being released even today.

Kenshiro: "Omaewa mo Shindeiru" Enemy: NANI? Yeah! "Fist of the North Star", which is also known as "Hokuto no Ken" in Japan. So "Fist of the North Star" is your classic platformer type of beat 'em up. Soon as beat 'em up type of games like "Renegade" or "Double Dragon" was become more popular, interest in this type of platform beat 'em up games, begun to gradually decline.

But of course, those games was still being released too, and there was even memorable games of that type, like "SplatterHouse", which of course turned into regular brawler since 3rd game. But yeah, "Fist of the North Star" i think, many of you maybe familiar with "Hokuto no Ken" manga or anime, so this game based on first part of second season of anime.

And unfortunately this game was only one of four games, that was actually released on "Famicom" in Japan, so this is already a second game in series. But just in case i did "Full Playthrough" video, with full game explanation on my channel, so if you interested in mechanics, how to beat this game, then feel free to check it out.

So "Batman Returns". Today, when i started to record this game, i straight away remembered this 1st level soundtrack, sometimes nowadays, you can hear that music on some gaming channels on YouTube. And also i remember, that there wasn't actually any bad games about "Batman" on "NES" at all, and despite that all 3 "Batman" games was released in totally different genres, and by different developers.

First one and "Return of The Joker" was released by "SunSoft", and this one "Batman Returns" was released by "Konami" in 1993 for "Super Nintendo" and "NES". And since this is a "Konami" game, of course it has to be good game, and well... it is. "Batman Returns" for "NES", is a high speed and very intense beat 'em up, with good graphics, good music, and even this game have some in between levels, that look very great.

And so, this game is definitely worth to check out even nowadays. "Toxic Crusaders", yeah... There was actually 3 games that based on "Toxic Avenger" film, and "Toxic Crusaders" cartoon series. So this is obviously an "NES" version, that was released by "Bandai" in 1992.

And yeah, i can't say that this game is great beat 'em up, but due shortage of this type of games on "NES", i just couldn't pass it and not to remember this masterpiece. Ok, i just joking, i had this game during my childhood, and i can say, game is not that actually bad.

At first "Toxic Crusaders" may be seem as frustating, and very high difficulty game, but it's actually not. Enemies position is very easy to memorize, Health and Broom, which you can lose after single hit, you can find in barrels, which will pop up few times during level.

And same goes for bosses, that may seem hard and frustrating at start, but their moves and patterns not that hart to memorize, but of course, this wasn't great game at launch, and it aged not very well, which i can't say about next game. "Prisoners of War", yeah! "Prisoners of War" is very intense beat 'em up, with action elements, that came on "NES" straight from arcades.

And this is i say a very good arcade port, i played both versions of game, and still can't decide, which one i prefer more. Of course arcade version have better graphics and ability to play in 2 player mode, but "NES" version, looks and plays for real no worse.

And you couldn't play arcade games in you home backdays, so yeah , this game is definitely worth to check, and it's worth to check even both, "NES" and "Arcade" versions of game. Once again familiar melody plays right at first level of game, yeah, "Mighty Final Fight".

Despite success of first "Final Fight" game on arcade machines, "Mighty Final Fight" wasn't actually a direct port of arcade original, this game is some sort of "Spin-off", with addition of some new gaming mechanics, like level up system, and dialogs before boss battles, and there's much more.

Plot wise "Mighty Final Fight" follows nearly same story as original game, but with toned down violence and more childish graphics, like in "River City Ransom". But same time, beat 'em up elements remains very intense and brutal. Only sad thing about this awesome game, that this game was released in 1993, which means after already "Super Nintendo" hits the market, and so if you missed that masterpiece, it's definitely really worth to check it even nowadays.

"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project". Backdays, there was a tonns of great games, that based on "Turtles", yeah, i bet most players loved them all, as i did too, so "Arcade Game", "Turtles in Time", "Hyperstone Heist", many many good games.

But what most interesting about this particular game, that "Manhattan Project" is "NES" exclusive game, and not only exclusive, but this game is very good beat em up, and can easily stand with every 16-bit game of same genre. And of course let's not forget "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Arcade Game", which was also released on "NES".

So on "NES" it was labeled as second game, but this is actually port of original first arcade game, and labeled second, only because before this game, on "NES" already came up one more game, that based on "Turtles", and yeah, that's hardcore one. So yeah, "Turtles" beat 'em up games on "NES" is awesome, and really great to play even nowadays, because unlike most old games, those aged very well.

And last game on my list, is "Battletoads & Double Dragon - The Ultimate Team". Which was originally released on "NES", and only then was ported on "Sega Genesis" and "Super Nintendo". Since this game is sequel to first, hardcore "Battletoads", and i really enjoyed original "Battletoads" beat 'em up levels, i was surprised, how actually second game packed with this intense beat 'em up elements, and since difficulty of this game is toned down, nothing like it was in first game, this game is very fun to play in 2 player modes, and also not to forget, this was a crossover game with a "Double Dragon" characters and bosses of course.

Yeah, how awesome to kick Abobo out of spaceship. Yeah, of course some elements remained from previous "Battletoads" game, like platform elements, and deadly traps, like on level 3 and level 5, and even turbo tunnel version 2, but of course also heavily toned down in difficulty.

But still, if is previous game was more platformer/adventure with beat 'em up elements, second game is an absolutely beat 'em up game, with some platform elements in it, and personally i like second game more, because yeah, first it's a beat 'em up, which is one of my favorite genre, and of course characters, from both "Battletoads" and "Double Dragon" games series.