List of beat 'em ups
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Beat 'em ups are video games which pit a fighter or group of fighters against many underpowered enemies and bosses. Gameplay usually spans many levels, with most levels ending in an enemy boss. If multiple players are involved, players generally fight cooperatively.
It is often useful to characterise gameplay as either 2D (largely characterised by the player walking only to the left or right) or 3D (characterised by full movement in the implied horizontal plane, sometimes also with a button for jump). Graphics can likewise be categorised as 2D (with sprites, sometimes with an isometric or parallax effect) or 3D (polygons), or hybrid (e.g. sprite characters in front of polygon backgrounds, or vice versa).
Beat 'em ups[]
| Graphics | 2D gameplay | 3D gameplay |
|---|---|---|
| 2D (sprites) |
(Also known as single-plane or side-scrolling)
|
(Also known as belt scroll)
|
| 3D (polygons) | (Also known as 2.5D)
|
|
Games with beat 'em up sections[]
- The Adventures of Bayou Billy - Konami
- Asterix & Obelix XXL - Étranges Libellules
- Asterix & Obelix XXL 2: Mission: Las Vegum - Étranges Libellules
- Bébé's Kids - Radical Entertainment
- Bully - Rockstar Vancouver
- Bully: Scholarship Edition - Rockstar New England
- Crash of the Titans - Radical Entertainment
- Crash: Mind over Mutant - Radical Entertainment
- Darkman - Ocean
- Guilty Gear Isuka - Sammy
- Guilty Gear Judgment - Sammy
- Legend of Success Joe - Wave
- Lego video games - TT Games
- Mortal Kombat: Armageddon - Midway
- Ninja Golf - Atari
- - Konami
- Shenmue - Sega
- Street Fighter EX3
- Super Smash Bros. series - HAL Laboratory / Sora / Namco Bandai / Nintendo
- Super Smash Bros. - HAL Laboratory / Nintendo
- Super Smash Bros. Melee - HAL Laboratory / Nintendo
- Super Smash Bros. Brawl - Sora / Nintendo
- Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U - Sora / Namco Bandai / Nintendo
- Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Sora / Namco Bandai / Nintendo
- Tekken 3 - Namco
- Tekken 4 - Namco
- Tekken 5 - Namco
- Tekken 6 - Namco Bandai
- King Kong (2005 video game) - Ubisoft
Hack 'n slash[]
2D[]
- The Legend of Kage (1985)[1] - Taito
- Captain Silver (1987)[2] - Data East
- Rastan (1987)[2][3] - Taito
- Shinobi series (1987 debut)[2][4] - Sega
- Ninja Gaiden (Shadow Warriors) series (1988 debut)[2] - Tecmo
- Golden Axe series (1989 debut)[5][6] - Sega
- Strider series (1989)[1][7] - Capcom
- Danan: The Jungle Fighter (1990)[2] - Sega
- First Samurai (1991)[1] - Vivid Image
- Saint Sword (1991)[2] - Taito
- Dragon's Crown (2013)[4] - Vanillaware
3D[]
- 300: March to Glory - Collision Studios
- Afro Samurai - Namco Bandai Games
- Akuji the Heartless - Crystal Dynamics
- Astral Chain - PlatinumGames
- The Astyanax - Aicom
- Asura's Wrath - CyberConnect2
- Attack on Titan - Koei Tecmo
- Attack on Titan 2
- Bayonetta series - PlatinumGames
- Bayonetta
- Bayonetta 2
- Beowulf: The Game - Ubisoft
- Blades of Time - Gaijin Entertainment
- Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War - Omega Force
- Blood Will Tell - Sega Wow/Red Entertainment
- BloodRayne series - Terminal Reality
- BloodRayne
- BloodRayne 2
- BloodRayne: Betrayal - WayForward
- Bujingai - Taito/Red Entertainment
- Castlevania: Curse of Darkness - Konami
- Castlevania: Lament of Innocence - Konami
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Konami
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow - Mirror of Fate
- Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2
- Chaos Legion - Capcom Production Studio 6
- Conan - Nihilistic Software
- Dante's Inferno - Visceral Games
- Darksiders series - Vigil Games
- Darksiders
- Darksiders II
- Darksiders III
- Deadpool - High Moon Studios
- Devil Kings/Sengoku Basara series - Capcom
- Devil Kings/Sengoku Basara
- Sengoku Basara 2
- Devil May Cry series - Capcom
- Devil May Cry
- Devil May Cry 2
- Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening
- Devil May Cry 4
- Devil May Cry 5
- DmC: Devil May Cry - Ninja Theory
- Dragon Valor - Namco
- Drakengard series - Cavia
- Drakengard
- Drakengard 2
- Drakengard 3 - Access Games
- Nier
- Nier: Automata - PlatinumGames
- Dungeon Magic - Taito
- Dynasty Warriors series - Koei/Omega Force
- Dynasty Warriors 2
- Dynasty Warriors 3
- Dynasty Warriors 4
- Dynasty Warriors 5
- Dynasty Warriors 6
- Dynasty Warriors 7
- Dynasty Warriors 8
- Dynasty Warriors 9
- El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron - Ignition Tokyo
- Gauntlet series - Atari Games
- Gauntlet
- Gauntlet II
- Gauntlet (NES) - Tengen
- Gauntlet: The Third Encounter
- Gauntlet III: The Final Quest - Tengen
- Gauntlet Legends
- Gauntlet Dark Legacy - Midway Games West
- Gauntlet: Seven Sorrows - Midway Games
- Genji series - Game Republic
- Genji: Dawn of the Samurai
- Genji: Days of the Blade
- Ghost Rider - Climax Group
- Gladiator: Sword of Vengeance - Acclaim Studios Manchester
- God of War series - Santa Monica Studio
- God of War
- God of War II
- God of War III
- God of War: Ascension
- God of War (2018)
- God of War: Chains of Olympus - Ready at Dawn
- God of War: Ghost of Sparta - Ready at Dawn
- God of War: Betrayal - Javaground/SOE Los Angeles
- Golden Axe: Beast Rider - Secret Level
- Heavenly Sword - Ninja Theory
- Hulk - Radical Entertainment
- Killer Is Dead - Grasshopper Manufacture
- Legacy of Kain: Defiance - Crystal Dynamics/Nixxes Software BV
- The Legend of Korra - PlatinumGames
- Lollipop Chainsaw - Grasshopper Manufacture
- The Lord of the Rings series
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers - Stormfront Studios/Hypnos Entertainment
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - EA Redwood Shores
- Lucifer Ring - Toshiba EMI
- Mazan: Flash of the Blade - Namco
- Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance - PlatinumGames
- Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor - Monolith Productions
- Middle-earth: Shadow of War
- Muramasa: The Demon Blade - Vanillaware
- Nano Breaker - Konami
- Ninja Blade - FromSoftware
- Ninja Gaiden: Second Series - Team Ninja
- Ninja Gaiden
- Ninja Gaiden Black
- Ninja Gaiden Sigma
- Ninja Gaiden Dragon Sword
- Ninja Gaiden II
- Ninja Gaiden 3
- Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z
- Ninja Gaiden
- Ninja Spirit - Irem
- No More Heroes series - Grasshopper Manufacture
- No More Heroes
- No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle
- Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes
- The OneChanbara series - Tamsoft
- Onimusha series - Capcom
- Onimusha: Warlords
- Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny
- Onimusha 3: Demon Siege
- Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams
- Otogi series - FromSoftware
- Otogi: Myth of Demons
- Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time series - Ubisoft
- Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
- Prince of Persia: Warrior Within
- Prince of Persia: Revelations (PSP)
- Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
- Prince of Persia: Rival Swords (PSP)
- Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands
- Prince of Persia - Ubisoft
- Ragnarok Battle Offline - French Bread
- Red Steel 2 - Ubisoft
- Rune - Human Head Studios
- Rune: Halls of Valhalla
- Rurouni Kenshin: Enjou! Kyoto Rinne - Banpresto
- Rygar: The Legendary Adventure - Tecmo
- Samurai Champloo: Sidetracked - Grasshopper Manufacture
- Samurai Warrior: The Battles of Usagi Yojimbo - Beam Software / Firebird
- Samurai Warriors series - Koei, Omega Force
- Samurai Warriors
- Samurai Warriors: Xtreme Legends
- Samurai Warriors: State of War
- Samurai Warriors 2
- Samurai Warriors 2: Empires
- Samurai Warriors 2: Xtreme Legends
- Samurai Warriors 3
- Samurai Warriors
- Savage - Probe Software
- Seven Samurai 20XX - Dimps
- Severance: Blade of Darkness -
- - Technos
- Shinobi series - Sega
- Shinobi (Arcade)
- The Revenge of Shinobi
- Shadow Dancer
- The Cyber Shinobi
- Shinobi (Sega Game Gear)
- Shinobi II: The Silent Fury
- Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master
- Shinobi Legions
- Shinobi
- Nightshade
- Skull & Crossbones - Atari Games
- The werehog gameplay of Sonic Unleashed - Sega
- Soulcalibur Legends - Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Spartan: Total Warrior - The Creative Assembly
- Splatterhouse (2010) - Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed series - LucasArts
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed
- Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II
- Sudeki - Climax Group
- Sword of the Berserk: Guts' Rage - Yuke's
- Sword of Sodan - Innerprise
- - Silmarils
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan - PlatinumGames
- The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge - Capcom
- Transformers: Devastation - PlatinumGames
- Trinity: Souls of Zill O'll - Omega Force
- Van Helsing - Saffire
- Viking: Battle for Asgard - The Creative Assembly
- Warrior Blade: Rastan Saga Episode III - Taito
- Warriors Orochi series - Koei, Omega Force
- Warriors Orochi
- Warriors Orochi 2
- Warriors Orochi Z
- The Wonderful 101 - PlatinumGames
- -
- X-Blades - Gaijin Entertainment
- X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Raven Software
- Xena: Warrior Princess - Vivendi
- Yakuza Ishin
- Yakuza Kenzan
- Yakuza Kiwami
- Yakuza Kiwami 2
- -
See also[]
References[]
- ^ a b c "First Samurai". Computer and Video Games. No. 121 (December 1991). 15 November 1991. pp. 28–30.
- ^ a b c d e f "Complete Games Guide". Mean Machines. No. 20 (28 April 1992). May 1992. pp. 6, 14, 18, 20, 22, 26.
- ^ Reed, Kristan (4 January 2007). "Taito Legends Power-Up". Eurogamer. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ a b Gass, Zach (11 May 2020). "10 Awesome Hack and Slash Games That Aren't God of War". Screen Rant. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
- ^ Greg Kasavin (2006-11-30). "Golden Axe Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ Patrick Shaw (2008-05-16). "Golden Axe: Beast Rider". GamePro. Archived from the original on 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2008-10-07.
- ^ Weiss, Brett (9 July 2018). Classic Home Video Games, 1989-1990: A Complete Guide to Sega Genesis, Neo Geo and TurboGrafx-16 Games. McFarland & Company. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-7864-9231-2.
Categories:
- Video game lists by genre
- Beat 'em ups