Beat 'em ups (aka brawlers) sorted by release date
A beat 'em up video game, also known as a brawler, is a genre of action video games that focuses on close combat fighting against multiple enemies. In these games, players control a character who must battle through hordes of enemies using hand-to-hand combat or melee weapons.
Beat 'em up games often feature side-scrolling or 2D gameplay. Players move across the screen, progressing through levels or stages, while encountering waves of enemies. The primary objective is to defeat all the enemies and progress further in the game.
These games usually provide a variety of moves and attacks, including punches, kicks, throws, and special abilities or power-ups. Sometimes, beat 'em ups allow cooperative multiplayer, where two or more players can join forces to fight enemies together. Classic examples of beat 'em up games include Double Dragon, Golden Axe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Most popular beat 'em up games
Sort by:
Bushido
DOS1983 Ebenel enterprises
Step into feudal Japan with Bushido, a game that tries to simulate samurai life on a machine barely capable of rendering a convincing circle. Still, there’s something charming in its ambition. You duel, you train, you try to...
Bob Winner
DOS1986 Loriciels
Ah, Bob Winner (1986, DOS), the game that asks: what if Indiana Jones had a cousin who got lost in a side-scroller? You play as the titular Bob, an adventurer who walks like he’s late for a dinner date and punches wildlife l...
Karateka
DOS1986 Broderbund
Karateka is a martial arts themed action / fighting game released by Broderbund in 1986 for DOS. Karateka is the first game designed by Jordan Mechner, the father of the Prince of Persia franchise. Karateka was also publ...
Ninja
DOS1986 Acclaim Entertainment
Bad Street Brawler
DOS1987 Beam Software
Bad Street Brawler is a beat 'em up video game developed by Beam Software and published by Mindscape. Originally released for the Commodore 64 in 1987 and later for other platforms. The game features Duke Davis, a former punk rock...
Bad Dudes VS Dragon Ninja
DOS1988protected Data East
Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the president? If that line doesn’t make you want to punch a ninja through a hotdog stand, nothing will. Bad Dudes VS Dragon Ninja is peak 80s: mullets, muscles, and more side-scrolling be...
Double Dragon
DOS1988 Technos Japan
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
DOS1988 Technos Japan
Renegade
DOS1988 Technos Japan
Vixen
DOS1988 Intelligent Design
Axe of Rage
DOS1989 Palace Software
If Conan had a bad day and took it out on a few dozen goblins, you'd get something close to Axe of Rage. This 1989 DOS hack-n-slash isn't exactly subtle—you're a barbarian, there’s an evil warlord, and everything must ...
Fallen Angel
DOS1989 Emerald Software
Robocop
DOS1989 Data East
Robocop is an abandoned beat 'em up / run and gun shooter game developed and released by Data East in 1989 for a number of platforms, including DOS. Robocop is a conversion from an arcade game released by Data East in 1988 an...
Shinobi
DOS1989 Sega
Targhan
DOS1989 Silmarils
X-Men: Madness in Murderworld
DOS1989 Paragon Software
Altered Beast
DOS1990 Sega
Altered Beast is a classic side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade game developed and published by Sega. It was originally released in arcades in 1988 and later ported to various home consoles, including the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis.Play...
Cougar Force
DOS1990 Coktel Vision
Crime Wave
DOS1990 Access Software
Ikari III: The Rescue
DOS1990 SNK Corporation
Lorna
DOS1990NSFW Topo Soft
Ninja Gaiden
DOS1990 Tecmo
Ninja Gaiden, released in 1988 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and later to other platforms, is a side-scrolling action-platformer developed by Tecmo. It follows the story of Ryu Hayabusa, a skilled ninja on a quest fo...
Ninja Gaiden 2: The Dark Sword of Chaos
DOS1990 Tecmo
Onslaught
DOS1990 Arc Developments
Blade Warrior
DOS1991 Image Works
Blade Warrior (1991) is a side-scrolling beat 'em up that looks like it was illustrated entirely in heavy metal album covers. You’re a silhouette of rage, cutting through demonic hordes in a world where nobody believes in co...
Golden Axe
DOS1991 Sega
Golden Axe is a classic arcade game developed by Sega and released in 1989. It's a side-scrolling beat 'em up game set in a fantasy world where players choose one of three characters: a barbarian, a dwarf, or an amazon, each with ...
International Ninja Rabbits
DOS1991 Flair Software
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Manhattan Missions
DOS1991 Distinctive Software
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
DOS1991 Syntetic Dimensions
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is one of the many adaptations of the Terminator franchise. This one is based on the movie of the same name, but it's not as good as the movie, according to critics. Terminator 2 is an action game develo...
The Simpsons
DOS1991 Konami
The Simpsons Arcade Game, developed and published by Konami, is a classic side-scrolling beat-'em-up that became highly popular in arcades during the early '90s. Players take on the roles of the Simpson family members: Homer,...
- 1
- 2