The Evolution of Beat-Em-Up Games

If there was ever a genre in arcades that can bring friends together, it’s beat-em-up games. Competitive fighting games can tear friends apart; the camaraderie of beating up thugs on the streets can mend those wounds. However, there was a time when there was an excellent drought for these types of games. The zenith for beat-em-up games was in the 80s and 90s, and their popularity has steadily declined since then. However, our experts at Full-Sized Arcade Games have noticed that recent releases have shown that the genre is starting to make a comeback. Here are a few examples and reasons as to why. 

The Leading Titles

With the inception of the beat em game series, arcade goers had no shortage of different titles that they could get their hands on that were under this genre. Much like how the mid to late 2010s saw the rise of battle royale, the late 80s and 90s saw a significant surge in popularity for beat-em-ups. These side-scrolling games led you to smack around hordes of enemies in increasingly creative ways—often using the environment or weapons that you could find to help even the odds, combatting bosses through intense fights. Every bit of your life remaining could make the difference.

In the beginning, the genre had arcade games favorites that are still remembered today that left their mark, such as the following:

• Streets of Rage
• Final Fight
• River City Ransom
• Double Dragon
• Batte Toads

If that wasn’t enough, some developers even got their hands on licenses of big brands and universes to tie into their own beat em’ up games as well, increasing their popularity and notoriety in the arcades games such as:

• The Simpsons
• Spiderman
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• X-men

The Decline and Then Revival

After the 90s were over, beat ’em-ups underwent a drought for nearly a decade as players moved onto what they considered to be more new and exciting genres. There were some titles here and there, but nothing that could get the idea of such a style back into full swing. It wasn’t until around 2008 that the concept was given new life under the fan-favorite game of castle crashers made for the Xbox-360. The game brought new mechanics and a funny, engaging story with energy and graphics not seen in beat-em-up games up until that point. Other titles soon pick up where they left off, such as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. Eventually, even sequels to some of the previously mentioned titles! River City Girls would succeed River City Ransom in 2019, and Streets of Rage received another sequel in 2020. Some of these titles are worthy of getting if there are arcade games for sale.

Conclusion

It shows that the ideas inspired by the arcades of the past would regain momentum years later despite newly developed gaming genres and technology. The beat-em-up genre has adapted to the changing times and continues to exist. Thanks to the dedication and passion of those who truly appreciate the style it brings to gaming.

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