Arcade Beat Em Up Games

Since the success of Double Dragon in 1986, beat ‘em up games have been synonymous with the arcade industry. There’s something intriguing about beating up screenfuls of bad guys, and perpetually walking to the right that tickles our fancy in just the right way. This is especially true back in the early ‘90s, when the genre hit its peak. Apr 19, 2015  We must pay respect to this beat ’em up OG. Gauntlet is the first multiplayer dungeon crawler ever released in the arcade scene. Four players were tasked with.

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Beat 'em up (also known as brawler) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat between the protagonist and an improbably large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, though some later games feature more open three-dimensional (3D) environments with yet larger numbers of enemies. These games are noted for their simple gameplay, a source of both critical acclaim and derision. Two-player cooperative gameplay and multiple player 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's Kung-Fu Master,[1][2] with 1986's Renegade introducing the urban settings and underworld revenge themes employed extensively by later games. The genre then saw a period of high popularity between the release of Double Dragon in 1987, which defined the two-player cooperative mode central to classic beat 'em ups, and led to 1991's Street Fighter II, which drew gamers towards one-on-one fighting games. Games such as Streets of Rage, Final Fight, Golden Axe and Battletoads are other classics to emerge from this period. The genre has been less popular since the emergence of 3D-based mass-market games, but still some beat 'em ups adapted the simple formula to utilize large-scale 3D environments.

  • 3History

Definition[edit]

Beat 'em ups, such as Streets of Rage 2, feature combat against multiple antagonists, often taking place on modern city streets.

A beat 'em up (sometimes also called a 'brawler')[3][4] is a type of action game where the player character must fight a large number of enemies in unarmed combat or with melee weapons.[5][6][7] 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.[8] Arcade versions of these games are often quite difficult to win, causing players to spend more money.[9]

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.[10] Such terminology is loosely applied, however,[10] as some commentators prefer to conflate the two terms.[11] 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.[10] Occasionally, a game will feature both kinds of gameplay.[12]

In the United Kingdom, gaming magazines of the early 1990s such as Mean Machines and Computer & Video Games (C+VG) referred to all games which had a combat motif as beat 'em ups, even fighting games.[13] However, they were differentiated by a specific prefix; games like Double Dragon or Final Fight were called 'scrolling beat 'em ups'[14] and games such as Street Fighter II or Mortal Kombat were referred to as 'one on one beat 'em ups'.

Game design[edit]

Beat 'em up games usually employ vigilante crime fighting and revenge plots with the action taking place on city streets,[15] though historical and fantasy themed games also exist.[16][17] Players must walk from one end of the game world to the other,[18] and thus each game level will usually scroll horizontally.[4] 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 gameplay and control systems.[19][20] Throughout the level, players may acquire weapons that they can use as well as power-ups that replenish the player's health.[4]

As players walk through the level, they are stopped by groups of enemies who must be defeated before they're able to continue.[21] The level ends when all the enemies are defeated. Each level contains many identical groups of enemies,[18][22] making these games notable for their repetition.[18][23] In beat 'em up games, players often fight a boss—an enemy much stronger than the other enemies—at the end of each level.[4][24]

Beat 'em ups often allow the player to choose between a selection of protagonists—each with their own strengths, weaknesses, and set of moves.[4][17][19][25] Attacks can include rapid combinations of basic attacks (combos) as well as jumping and grappling attacks.[4][25] Characters often have their own special attacks, which leads to different strategies depending on which character the player selects.[26] The control system is usually simple to learn, comprising as little as two buttons. These buttons can be combined to pull off combos, as well as jumping and grappling attacks.[4][25] 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.[4][15][17][25][27] Beat 'em ups are more likely to feature cooperative play than other game genres.[28]

History[edit]

Origin[edit]

The first game to feature fist fighting was Sega's boxing game Heavyweight Champ (1976),[10] which is viewed from a side-view perspective like later fighting games.[29] However, it was Data East's fighting game Karate Champ (1984) which popularized martial arts themed games.[10] The same year, Irem's Hong Kong cinema-inspired Kung-Fu Master (known as Spartan X in Japan) laid the foundations for side-scrolling beat 'em ups with its simple gameplay and multiple enemies.[10][30] Also in 1984, Bruce Lee combined multi-player, multi-character combat with traditional collecting, platform and puzzle gameplay.[31][32] 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 beat 'em ups to be successfully ported to home systems.[10]Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, released in 1986 in Japan, deviated from the martial arts themes of earlier games and introduced street brawling to the genre. 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 games.[15]Renegade set the standard for future beat 'em up games as it introduced the ability to move both horizontally and vertically.[33] 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.[34]

Golden age[edit]

In 1987, the release of Double Dragon ushered in a 'Golden Age' for the beat 'em up genre that lasted nearly five years. The game was designed as Technōs Japan's spiritual successor to Renegade,[15] but it took the genre to new heights with its detailed set of martial arts attacks and its outstanding two-player cooperative gameplay.[15][35]Double Dragon's success resulted in a flood of beat 'em ups that came in the late 1980s,[35] where acclaimed titles such as Golden Axe and Final Fight (both 1989) distinguished themselves from the others.[15]Final Fight was Capcom's intended sequel to Street Fighter (provisionally titled Street Fighter '89),[36] but the company ultimately gave it a new title.[37] 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.[34] Acclaimed as the best game in the genre,[4][38]Final Fight spawned two home sequels and was later ported to other systems. Final Fight was also the reason for Capcom's new found fame and for Technos Japan's bankruptcy.[37]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.[17] 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.[18]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.[39][40]

The Streets of Rage series was launched in the early 1990s and borrowed heavily from Final Fight.[41]Streets of Rage 2 for Sega's Genesis was one of the first console games to match the acclaim of arcade beat 'em ups.[15] Its level design was praised for taking traditional beat 'em up settings and stringing them together in novel ways,[41] and its success led to it being ported to arcades.[15] 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,[15] and encouraged many more beat 'em up games based on the characters.[42] However, the 'golden age' of the genre ended in the wake of 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 diminished the popularity of 2D-based pugilistic games in general.[15][35] By 1994, the genre suffered from a lack of innovation and popularity.[43]

32-bit era onward[edit]

Zeno Clash features beat 'em up gameplay from a first-person perspective

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.[19] The Dynasty Warriors series, beginning with Dynasty Warriors 2 in 2000, offered traditional beat 'em up action on large 3D battlefields, displaying dozens of characters on the screen at a time.[20][44] 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.[16][45] While critics saw Dynasty Warriors 2 as innovative and technically impressive,[16][20] 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.[16][46] In 2000, 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. Another best-selling Japanese series,[47]Yakuza, combined elaborate plots and detailed interactive environments with street brawling action.[48] Despite these releases, game reviewers started to pronounce that the genre had died off.[18] By 2002, there were virtually no new beat 'em ups being released in arcades.[49]

Guacamelee! is a brawling-based game based on luchadors fashioned after a Metroid-style adventure game.

Capcom's Viewtiful Joe (2003) used cel-shaded graphics and innovative gameplay features (such as the protagonist's special powers) to 'reinvigorate' its traditional 2D scrolling formula.[50]The Behemoth's Castle Crashers (2008) also featured cartoon graphics, quirky humor, and acclaimed cooperative gameplay.[51]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.[52] 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.[52][53] 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.[23][54] Classic beat 'em ups have been re-released on services such as the Virtual Console; critics reaffirmed the appeal of some,[4][17][39] while the appeal of others has been deemed to have diminished with time.[25] Although the genre lacks the same presence it did in the late 1980s, some titles such as Viewtiful Joe and God Hand kept the genre alive.[55]

After 2000, the beat 'em up genre has seen a revival in the form of popular 3D hack and slash games in the style of Devil May Cry (2001 onwards), including Ninja Gaiden (2004 onwards), God of War (2005 onwards), Heavenly Sword (2007), Afro Samurai (2009),[56] and Bayonetta (2009).[57] Several traditional 2D scrolling beat 'em ups have also been released in recent years, including Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (2010).[58] The popular Grand Theft Auto series also has elements of the beat 'em up genre.[citation needed]. 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.

The 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.[59]Streets of Rage 4 is scheduled for release in 2019.

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Hawken, Kieren (16 February 2017). 'The A-Z of Atari 2600 Games: Volume 1'. Andrews UK Limited. Retrieved 2 March 2018 – via Google Books.
  2. ^'First side-scrolling beat-em-up'. Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  3. ^Thomas, Lucas M., Justice League Heroes: The Flash, Yahoo! Games, Oct 27, 2007, Accessed Mar 22, 2009
  4. ^ abcdefghijNavarro, Alex, Final Fight ReviewArchived 2009-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, GameSpot, May 10, 2007, Accessed Mar 21 2009
  5. ^Davis, Ryan, The Hulk (Xbox), CNET, May 5, 2003. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  6. ^Ellis, David, MadWorld Review for the WiiArchived 2009-03-26 at the Wayback Machine, 1UP, March 10, 2009. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  7. ^Ashcraft, Brian, (2008) Arcade Mania! The Turbo-Charged World of Japan's Games Centers, Kodansha International, p. 159
  8. ^Navarro, Alex, McFarlane's Evil Prophecy Game (PS2), CNET, June 15, 2004, Accessed Mar 27, 2009
  9. ^Navarro, Alex, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Xbox 360), CNET, Mar 14, 2007, Accessed Mar 27, 2009
  10. ^ abcdefgSpencer, Spanner, The Tao of Beat-'em-ups, Eurogamer, Feb 6, 2008, Accessed Mar 18, 2009
  11. ^Anon. (May 3, 2006). 'E3 Feature: Fighting Games Focus'. Edge. Future plc. Retrieved 2015-01-11.
  12. ^Wales, Matt, Super Smash Bros. Brawl UK ReviewArchived 2008-10-16 at the Wayback Machine, IGN, June 8, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  13. ^http://www.meanmachinesmag.co.uk/upload/media/scans/streetfighterguide.pdf
  14. ^'Final Fight – Super Nintendo – Mean Machines review'. Meanmachinesmag.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-01-09.
  15. ^ abcdefghijSpencer, Spanner, The Tao of Beat-'em-ups (part 2), EuroGamer, Feb 12, 2008, Accessed Mar 18, 2009
  16. ^ abcdFitch, Andy, Dynasty Warriors 6 (Xbox 360), 1UP, Mar 7, 2008, Accessed Mar 19, 2009
  17. ^ abcdeKasavin, Greg, Golden Axe ReviewArchived 2007-01-28 at the Wayback Machine, GameSpot, Dec 1, 2006, Accessed Mar 19, 2009
  18. ^ abcdeCassidy, William, Hall of Fame: Golden AxeArchived 2009-08-18 at the Wayback Machine, GameSpy, June 8, 2003. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  19. ^ abcGerstmann, Jeff, Fighting Force Review, GameSpot, Dec 1, 1997, Accessed Mar 19, 2009
  20. ^ abcSato, Ike, Dynasty Warriors 2 Review, GameSpot, Aug 17, 2000, Accessed Mar 19, 2009
  21. ^Nguyen, Thierry, Watchmen: The End is Nigh (PS3)Archived 2009-03-24 at the Wayback Machine, 1UP, Mar 4, 2009, Mar 26, 2009
  22. ^Fudge, James, X-Men: The Official GameArchived December 30, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Xploder June 13, 2006. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  23. ^ abMcGarvery, Sterling, Review – MadWorld (Wii), GameSpy, Mar 10, 2009, Accessed Mar 24, 2009
  24. ^Ramachandran, Ryan, Gamasutra Opinion: Boss Design – Trial & Punishment, GamaSutra, June 17, 2008. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  25. ^ abcdePerry, Douglass C., Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1989 Arcade ReviewArchived 2010-09-26 at the Wayback Machine, IGN, Mar 14, 2007, Accessed Mar 22, 2009
  26. ^The Death and Return of SupermanArchived August 19, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, UGO, 2006, Accessed Mar 27, 2009
  27. ^Staff, Game Help Editors' Picks Co-Op Games, IGN, June 13, 2005. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  28. ^Cifaldi, Frank, The Quantum Leap Awards: The Most Important Multiplayer Games of All Time, GamaSutra, Feb 2, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  29. ^Nadia Oxford, 20 Years of Street Fighter, 1UP.com, 12/11/2007
  30. ^Kunkel, Bill; Worley, Joyce; Katz, Arnie, 'The Furious Fists of Sega!', Computer Gaming World, Oct 1988, pp. 48-49
  31. ^'Bruce Lee review'. CRASH (16). May 1985. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  32. ^Edgely, Clare (May 1985). 'Spectrum Software Scene 2'. Sinclair User (38). Archived from the original on 2007-11-05. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  33. ^Evolution of a Genre: Beat 'Em Ups, ABC Television, Nov 6, 2007. Retrieved March 24, 2009.
  34. ^ abJess Ragan (2006-06-15). 'Playing With Power'. 1UP.com. p. 3. Archived from the original on 2012-07-18. Retrieved 2011-02-25.
  35. ^ abcCassidy, William, Hall of Fame: Double DragonArchived 2009-08-18 at the Wayback Machine, Gamespy, Jan 5, 2003, Accessed, March 24, 2009
  36. ^Did You Know? Volume 1: Street Fighter '89, Capcom, Accessed Aug 17, 2009
  37. ^ abKalata, Kurt, Final Fight, Hardcore Gaming 101, Accessed Feb 04, 2010
  38. ^Ashcraft, Brian, Clip: Top Ten Beat 'Em UpsArchived 2009-02-01 at the Wayback Machine, Kotaku, Mar 16, 2007, Accessed Mar 21, 2009
  39. ^ ab'Rated Wii Shop', Nintendo: The Official Magazine, September 2008 (issue 33), p. 129
  40. ^IGN's Top 100 GamesArchived February 12, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, IGN, Accessed Mar 22, 2009
  41. ^ abCassidy, William, Hall of Fame: Streets of RageArchived August 18, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, GameSpy, Sept 23, 2003, Accessed Mar 24, 2009
  42. ^'TMNT Games'. 1up.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-17. Retrieved 2009-03-26.
  43. ^Davis, Ryan, Comix Zone (Wii), CNET, Jan 31, 2007, Accessed Mar 27, 2009
  44. ^Villoria, Gerald, Dynasty Warriors 3 ReviewArchived September 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, GameSpot, Dec 18, 2001, Accessed Mar 19, 2009
  45. ^Nutt, Christian, Interview: How Koei Aims For Western Audiences, GamaSutra, Dec 8, 2008, Mar 19, 2009
  46. ^Ramsey, Randolph, Dynasty Warriors 6 Review, GameSpot, Mar 28, 2008, Accessed Mar 18, 2009
  47. ^Jenkins, David, Japanese Charts: Yakuza 3 And Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce Lead Busy Week, GamaSutra, Mar 5, 2009, Accessed Mar 19, 2009
  48. ^Stanton, Rich, 'Yakuza 2', Official Playstation Magazine UK, Nov 2008 (issue 24), pp. 108-09
  49. ^Epperson, Justin, Die Hard Arcade EX: Asian Dynamite (Arcade)[permanent dead link], 1UP, Feb 17, 2007, Accessed Mar 26, 2009
  50. ^Bramwell, Tom Viewtiful Joe, EuroGamer, Oct 13, 2003, Accessed Mar 19, 2009
  51. ^Francis, Don, Castle Crashers ReviewArchived December 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, GameSpot, Aug 28, 2008, Accessed Mar 26, 2009
  52. ^ abNavarro, Alex, The Warriors ReviewArchived April 28, 2009, at the Wayback Machine, GameSpot, Oct 21, 2005, Accessed Mar 22, 2009
  53. ^Cundy, Matt, Rockstar's retro beat-'em-up revealed, GamesRadar, Jan 24, 2007, Accessed Mar 22, 2009
  54. ^Barnholt, Ray, God Hand Preview, 1UP, July 17, 2006, Accessed Mar 26, 2009
  55. ^'Clover Studios Wilts and Dies', GameAxis Unwired, Nov 2006, p. 8
  56. ^Arnold Katayev (2009-01-31). 'Afro Samurai Review'. PSX Extreme. Archived from the original on 2011-07-15. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  57. ^Jeff Bakalar, Scott Stein and Dan Ackerman (January 4, 2010). 'Bad hair day: Bayonetta hands-on'. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  58. ^Chris Kohler (July 22, 2010). 'The Gamer's Guide to Comic-Con 2010'. Wired. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  59. ^https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-06-21-dungeon-and-fighter-gross-lifetime-revenue-exceeds-usd10bn

External links[edit]

  • Genre: Beat 'em up / Brawler at MobyGames
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beat_%27em_up&oldid=917674392'

Beat-em-ups didn't die with the arcade, but they did enter a recession after the heyday of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Final Fight. After the rush in arcades, with classics pouring in from Konami and Capcom, they slowed to a trickle as interest in walking right and punching faded. But they didn't die. On Steam, the beat-em-up lives on. There are still gang-laden streets that need to be cleared by the fists of heroes.

With Streets of Rage 4 coming, we decided to dig into the surprisingly vibrant selection of indie beat-em-ups on PC that have kept the genre’s stylistic violence going. The best of them manage to channel the pure bliss of the arcade days, or add something novel to a genre famous for its 90s simplicity.

Sega Genesis Classics

Link:Steam

It’s a small cheat to open this list, but among the 59 games included in this compilation sit both the Streets of Rage and Golden Axe trilogies. Each entry in the Streets of Rage series is worth owning (they can be purchased separately as well), beginning with the dour original, into the brightly saturated sequel, and the oddball third game. In terms of the Genesis, these three represent the best of the genre on that hardware, and then by default, some of the best on PC too.

Don’t rule out Golden Axe either. The mystical, swords & sorcery aesthetic presents a morbid clash of weapons. The first two games follow similar paths, hacking away at the minions of Death Adder. The third game—a Japanese exclusive for decades—is worth a look, refining the mechanics, plus adding new characters and tighter action.

Streets of Fury EX

Link:Steam

Before taking the Streets of Rage 4 gig, developer Guard Crush Games worked on this kooky and irreverent brawler. In an alternate timeline where Mortal Kombat’s digitized sprites never went out of style, Streets of Fury EX is the standard. With technological progress, the dev team uses expanded animation possibilities, goofing around with the sprites. Characters acknowledge the screen, perform nunchuck skits, and slowly roll over and die. It’s nonsense.

Comedy aside, there’s a competent game underneath. Combos lift enemies up, up, up into the air and the range of attacks (oddball as they often look) keeps repetition at bay. Plus, there’s a bevy of characters to unlock and choose from, including YouTubers like Nostalgia Critic. They all set off to clear London of gang activity—even if not a single one of these people make a convincing street thug.

Fight'N Rage

Link:Steam

The best at capturing the true spirit of the arcade era, this beat-em-up is a furious and sprite-based game that just came out in 2017. It’s full of sleaze, and done in the form of an animal world. The foes? Rats, pigs, wolves, and others, reminscent of some of the enemies in the arcade Battletoads or TMNT brawlers. That set-up is done with a gorgeous, glossy glaze that emphasizes shadows and highlights. And you can bet there are CRT filters.

In action, it’s superlative. While the movesets don’t aim for depth, impact feels sold from every hit. The weight of the combat—and even better the speed—push Fight’N Rage to the top of Steam’s beat-em-up roster.

Mother Russia Bleeds

Link: Steam

Embracing the adult part of the M rating, Mother Russia Bleeds revels in exploitation-level violence. Weapons include syringes and knives and hits connect with plenty of blood. Punches hit like rapid fire tanks, mauling enemies as they slowly lose teeth and clothes the longer they hold on, like the after-effect of too many street drugs.

Adobe acrobat 7.0 serial number free. Make sure to use upper and lower case as they appear in the serial number, and do not insert any spaces.Solution 2: Make sure that your serial number matches the product version.Contact Adobe Customer Services at 1-800-833-6687 to make sure that you have a standard serial number for Acrobat 6.0,Acrobat 7.0 Standard,Acrobat 7.0 Professional, or Acrobat 3D.Alternately, you can open the CDInfo.txt file on x:Customer Support (where x: is the drive letter for your CD-ROM drive) to determine what disk you have. .Support Knowledgebase Error 'Invalid Serial Number' when you try to install Acrobat (6.0, 7.0, or 3D on Windows)IssueWhen you try to install Adobe Acrobat, the installer returns the error 'Invalid Serial Number' and quits.SolutionsDo one or more of the following solutions:Solution 1: Reenter the serial number.Start the installer and use the number keys at the top of your keyboard (not the keypad on the side of your keyboard) to reenter the serial number exactly as it appears on the title page of the user guide, registration card, or CD-ROM holder included with the application.

It all fits a cynical setting, set during a time of high post-Soviet Russia drug use. Fights happen in dreary alleys and prisons, but break out later inside a sex club where people “engage” each other in bondage gear, while others just watch. Mother Russia Bleeds has no morals. This genre is a suitable one.

River City Ransom Underground

Link:Steam

A reboot of an iconic NES game (and extension of the winding Kunio series that started it), River City Ransom Underground uses an open world where Japanese gangs run the streets. The heart of the series remains: It’s still about pummeling rivals, taking their cash, and upgrading your character. The Scott Pilgrim beat-em-up took great inspiration from River City Ransom with RPG-like experience and unlockable movesets, and those features are back here.

Underground fuels itself with a deluge of animation, extending combat and forcing strategy. Each punch counts, and slew of playable characters offer unique ways to execute even base combos. Better still, this all connects to the original game (or at least the American adaptation) where the original River City stars return, now aged and grizzled. It’s a smart reset, both different and advanced enough to feel new. And yes, *Barf still remains.

Castle Crashers

Link:Steam

The modern tentpole of the genre is this wacky four-player weapons-based beat-em-up. Doused with an eclectic sense of humor and coupled with a catchy leveling system, this is, like River City, the rare beat-em-up worth losing a dozen or more hours to.

Castle Crashers uses a delightfully cheery color palette and wild bosses (including a memorable river cat) to keep itself interesting, and if you obsess over leveling and unlocking characters there are multiple difficulty levels to progress through. The chaos of multiplayer with up to four people is a joy, and there's enough depth here to really sink your teeth into. Catching low-level foes in a combo trap only adds to the sense of melee. And the scenery is drizzled with low-brow humor, which really brings out the laughs when among friends.

Double Dragon: Neon

Link: Steam

WayForward revitalized the Double Dragon brand with a remarkable do-over. It’s part parody, playing to an audience of nostalgia-rich 30 year-olds who grew up on hair bands and Saturday mornings. The level of detail (including individual songs playing for every power-up) goes beyond expectations. Not only colorful, the dialog is pure glee, and holds up on multiple playthroughs as the screechy villain Skullmageddon realizes his failing plot.

And really, this is no straightforward update. Neon demands mastery of an accessible counter system and timing, rare in an often brainless genre. It works. Heroes Billy and Jimmy Lee sport all of their classic moves, and the enemy roster? That’s an update of the classics too. Note the original Double Dragon Trilogy is available for download too (along with a recently released fourth entry), but Neon is that rare reboot better than the original.

Big Action Mega Fight!

Link:Steam

With the tempo and simplicity of a mobile game and the look of something from the modern Cartoon Network, there’s little special about Big Action Mega Fight! Not even the exclamation point counts.

However, it’s snappy, and the restrained combat system opens up as levels get cleared. Each stage only lasts a minute or two, breaking up the small time action to make everything digestible. Each punch connects with a tight pop, and a small assist by the way of auto targeting adds the right amount of aggression in the fight. Seeing what Big Action Mega Fight! has to offer down the line makes dealing with the routine early levels a worthy endeavor.

Raging Justice

Link:Steam

Published by Worms developer Team17, Raging Justice brings back pre-rendered sprites at high resolution to embody a cruel, pro-police spectacle. There’s a choice though: Either punch enemies into submission to play bad cop or make an arrest for good cop. Both earn points, and stages offer awards no matter which route you choose. In the middle of a fight, playing good cop is a challenge, so a perfect run is something to strive for.

Raging Justice isn’t pouring out depth. It’s routine. Punch, kick, and grab, and that's about it. It’s even a little stubby in terms of strike impact. However, that unique look, so rarely employed as traditional pixel art or low count polygons dominate the indie scene, gives Raging Justice a memorable quality.

Capcom Beat Em Up Arcade Games

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara

Link:Steam

This list is intentionally light on classic ports, but Capcom's Dungeons & Dragons beat-em-ups arrived on PC in rare form: two games in one, with modern updates including online play and leaderboards. An achievement-style system with fun goals, modifiers and new modes give you a lot of new ways to play, but you could also ignore it all and simply play two of Capcom's best, and certainly deepest, 90s beat-em-ups.

These D&D games combined Capcom's penchant for great-feeling walk-right-and-punch action with weapons, items, magic, and classes. If you crave depth in a classic beat-em-up, look no further.

Best Mame Beat Em Ups

Bonus: Streets of Rage Remake

Arcade Style Beat Em Up Games

If you know where to look, this fan remake (once eight years in the making) is a celebration of everything Streets of Rage. Sadly, Sega’s cease-and-desist rendered this unavailable on any fan-official channels, but it’s out there and worth tracking down.

Virtual Reality Arcade Beat Em Up Games

Each Streets of Rage offered a unique combat system and this remake used and combined them all. From the outset, it’s possible to choose between your favorite, and every character is playable, including their alternate costumes. Locations, enemies, and weapons come together in a massive beat-em-up. Although hardly using any new assets (nearly everything is pulled from the original Genesis games, with some from the Master System/Game Gear editions), this is—or was, rather—a gloriously all-inclusive celebration of a 16-bit icon.