![]() For that reason, it certainly deserves a spot on this list. The game is far from perfect but does a wonderful job of defying expectations and making you question what you expect from this kind of game. ![]() You can work a job, hit the gym, or just explore Ringo’s life. You can head to lessons to collect experience if you want, you can roam the streets looking for trouble – holding R to activate delinquent mode – making this firmly a conscious decision to engage in combat. ![]() It’s very open-ended and rarely tries to push you down a specific path. You play as the titular Ringo, a teen finishing high school, and the game examines the tedium of existence for him before he heads off to college. It’s also another single-player-only venture, but unlike Batman Returns, we think co-op would detract from the experience. And certainly, it’s one of loosest fits of the genre in our rundown – with far more introspection and nuance to its story as the game’s centre, with the side-scrolling action more of a passenger on the journey. There’s something strangely comforting and nostalgic about The friends of Ringo Ishikawa, like a fist wrapped in a warm hug. The story is deep and rich, with multiple paths and endings to discover, and the enemies and world are a joy to discover. Another inclusion that seems obvious but was uncommon at the time is the ability to play as the same character – so if you and a friend both wanted to be a cleric, no arguments would ensue. This is a blessing and a curse, as while it does add depth to the gameplay, it can be frustrating not to have all tools at your disposal from the off. There were many qualities that set this game apart from other arcade entries in the same vein, including gaining experience to unlock new spells – something much more common in RPGs you would play at home. While both are worth a look, the latter of the pair is unsurprisingly the best. Both are included in this Japan-only Saturn double pack (yes, we know we said no compilations, but we're allowed to bend the rules) and both were more recently released digitally on PS3, 360 and Wii U. It's also important to note that the following list isn't presented in any kind of order.īy the middle of the 1990s, Capcom had achieved mastery over beat ‘em ups, and this is reflected in its two Dungeons & Dragons brawlers – Tower of Doom and Shadow Over Mystaria. This is not some free-for-all, though there are rules for this list – we've tried to steer clear (where possible) of compilations, no matter how excellent (I’m looking at you, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection) and only one entry from a particular franchise is allowed – so you’re getting the best of the best from a wide range of series. With the genre seemingly enjoying a long overdue renaissance – plus accessibility at an all-time high thanks to some fantastic recent collections and dedicated hardware like the Sega Astro City Mini, not to mention exciting entries like Dickey Krime: Traveller of Time and Streets of Chaos on the horizon – now seems the perfect time to tackle this list head-on (or throw it over your shoulder). Here at Time Extension, we have strived to unearth the top 25 beat 'em ups of all time and seek to understand what makes them so great, taking a peek at their plot, how combat feels and that elusive ‘easy to pick up but tricky to master’ quality that adds an extra layer of satisfaction. So, if these games are so simple, how is it that some are better than others? What makes a good beat ‘em up good and a bad one, well, Altered Beast (apologies, Centurian stans). Perhaps their greatest strength is the inherent simplicity of their structure – move left to right (usually) and destroy anything that gets in your way. Nothing was as intense or rewarding as seeing the credits roll and knowing you had saved the day as a team. Even with the constraints of only two playable characters on home ports (lots of arcade titles supported as many as four players), we would all find ways to join in – hopping on and off between lives, barking directions when observing, or everyone just pitching in with strategies in real-time as a particularly ferocious boss battle raged. As a kid growing up in the late '80s and early '90s, it was arguably the genre of choice these games were king when playing with friends. The 'beat 'em up' is an absolutely classic video game genre.
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