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Author Topic: Sidescrolling Beat 'em up games  (Read 3302 times)

Kimimaru

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« on: November 26, 2012, 10:12:49 PM »
Beat 'Em Ups are some of my favorite games, especially classic sidescrolling ones like Final Fight and Streets of Rage 2. Does anyone know of any recent games that are like this? It seems like they've mostly been abandoned for the sidescrolling action RPGs with leveling up and other stuff.
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The Chef

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« Reply #1 on: November 26, 2012, 11:00:28 PM »
Ever play GOD HAND ? There's a couple other people on here who can vouch for GOD HAND .

« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2012, 02:26:49 AM »
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Double Dragon Neon
Castle Crashers

These are all good newer 2D beat 'em ups. They all have leveling up stuff, and I wish they didn't, but they're all good. Check them out and bring a friend.

WarpRattler

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« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2012, 03:15:58 AM »
God Hand isn't sidescrolling! (And has a character progression system!)

But it's mad fun, so yeah, play it.

The whole "sidescrolling beat-'em-up with a level system" thing (not sidescrolling action RPGs as much; when I think those, I think post-SotN 2D Castlevania, a very different sort of game) has been around since at least 1996, and even River City Ransom on the NES had a stat system, so it's not exactly a recent trend. It stuck because people apparently like it more than Final Fight-style "enemies get stronger and you don't" beat-'em-ups, and that's part of why I can't think of any modern sidescrolling beat-'em-ups off the top of my head that don't have some sort of character progression system.

Anyway, some of my favorite modern (past decade or so) sidescrolling beat-'em-ups, plus a few digital rereleases:

Viewtiful Joe
Odin Sphere (your mileage may vary, but it's pretty cheap now that it's available digitally on PS3)
Guardian Heroes (available on XBLA for $10 with online play and stuff added)
Advance Guardian Heroes
Code of Princess
Final Fight: Double Impact (you already mentioned liking Final Fight, but if you haven't played Magic Sword, it's definitely worth a try)

Definitely play all of LD's suggestions, as well. Scott Pilgrim and Double Dragon Neon are both available for free* through PlayStation Plus as part of the Instant Game Collection, so if you have a PS3 (or a friend with one and a PS+ subscription), you can get immediate access to both that way.

If you're willing to emulate stuff, try some mid-'90s and later arcade games like Tower of Doom and Shadow over Mystara. Definitely try for four-player co-op if you can; Shadow over Mystara has a designated channel in the GGPO client, so you may be able to get a game together there. You'll likely find hundreds of other arcade beat-'em-ups looking through a MAME list, as well, though whether or not most of them are any good is another story.

Unfortunately, the modern fork on the evolutionary path of beat-'em-ups, hack-and-slash-and-maybe-QTE-'em-up games like Devil May Cry and God of War, is even further from what you're asking for than anything I've listed. Definitely worth playing, though.

« Reply #4 on: November 27, 2012, 04:00:42 AM »
The only current-gen beat-em-up I can think of with NO leveling-up junk is Turtles in Time: Re-Shelled.

« Reply #5 on: November 29, 2012, 03:38:53 PM »
Definitely give Viewtiful Joe a shot. And if that's your bag, try Viewtiful Joe 2 as well.
I also recommend
Castle Crahsers
Double Dragon Neon

And go get Sonic's Ultimate Genesis collections, which has a bunch of good ones on there (plus Ristar. Yay Ristar!).
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