The Beat 'Em Up genre is one of the oldest in the book, with plenty of arcade classics like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time and Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara being great examples of nostalgic brawlers that have aged surprisingly well. It's relatively rare for side-scrolling brawlers to be released in the modern era, but popular titles such as Streets Of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge have managed to keep the genre alive and kicking.

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Progression systems in beat 'em ups can be an unwelcome addition, especially when combos and special moves are withheld from players. However, while this may frustrate more experienced players, it could be argued that systems such as these improve the accessibility of the genre. Level systems, RPG mechanics, unlockable characters, and customizable gear can all be great additions to a beat 'em up when used well.

6 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge

Classic Beat 'Em Up Gameplay With Intuitive Linear Progression

This modern homage to arcade Beat 'Em Up games such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles In Time is a love letter to the TMNT games that came before it. Shredder's Revengefeatures multiple player characters, each of which levels up individually, along with a variety of secrets to find.

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This experience-based progression system, while simple, drip-feeds players new moves and extra health throughout the game's array of action-packed levels. Furthermore, leveling up happens frequently enough to give the game a good pace and a satisfying difficulty curve. This results in an experience that's rarely too easy, or too difficult.

5 D&D: Chronicles Of Mystara

An Old-School Arcade Brawler With RPG Progression

This package on Steam features two separate games: Dungeons & Dragons: Tower Of Doom, and Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara. These games were arcade classics of the time, both of which being fantasy-themed Beat 'Em Ups with RPG-style progression, evidently inspired by their source material.

Shadow Over Mystara is arguably the more defined experience, allowing players to level up and increase the strength of their character. The old-school look and feel, as well as the Dungeons & Dragons theme, work well with the game's progression system. However, the lack of choice when leveling up may disappoint some players.

4 Castle Crashers

RPG Elements And An Ensemble Cast Of Unlockable Characters

This classic indie Beat 'Em Up features several impressive set-pieces and standard action-focused gameplay, but it mixes things up with its RPG elements. In Castle Crashers, players can gain experience and level up throughout the game. This includes increasing Strength, Magic, Defense, and Agility, allowing players to specialize their character.

This progression system is especially important when playing in co-op, as players can strategize to create a well-balanced party. The variety of unlockable characters also adds to the replay value of the game, encouraging players to seek out meta-progression.

3 Charlie Murder

A Grungy, Gothic Brawler With RPG Systems

• Platform(s): PC, Xbox
• Released: 2013
• Developer(s): Ska Studios
• Genre: Beat 'Em Up

Developed by Ska Studios, the team behind indie games such as Salt And Sanctuary, Charlie Murder is an old-school Beat 'Em Up with a dark and Gothic visual style, punk-rock theme, and light RPG progression systems. Charlie Murder's overt violence and brutality, as well as its darker tone, won't be for everyone, but it provides a unique experience overall.

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Charlie Murder features a variety of weapons to use, as well as an array of armor to equip that grant players different stat bonuses. Furthermore, Charlie Murder features a level system and allows players to unlock new special attacks through tattooing their character. These separate systems all add up to create a consistently engaging progression system that complements the game's grungy tone and brawler gameplay perfectly.

2 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game

A Movie Tie-In With An Intuitive Progression System

This movie tie-in game features traditional Beat 'Em Up gameplay that retains the overall tone of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World while remaining an engaging game. However, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game stands out for its progression system, which allows players to level up throughout the experience.

When players level up in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game, they're able to gain access to new abilities that improve their strength in combat. Furthermore, players collect coins as they progress, which can be spent on a variety of useful items. This simple but intuitive progression system adds depth to the game without getting in the way of its weighty brawler combat.

1 Young Souls

A Mash-Up Of The Beat 'Em Up And Action-RPG Genres

Although Young Souls is a little light on its Beat 'Em Up elements, with relatively simple combos, this allows it to be a somewhat accessible brawler. Furthermore, its satisfying progression system manages to elevate the overall experience.

Young Souls features an Action-RPG style progression system, which helps to keep things engaging throughout its narrative. This system allows players to find, purchase, and upgrade a variety of armor and powerful weapons, which provide new special attacks. Another interesting mechanic in Young Souls is that, although players gain experience as they crawl through the game's various dungeons, they can't level up until they leave the dungeon and return home. This adds a particularly unique element of push-your-luck to the gameplay loop.

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The Best Beat 'Em Up Games of All Time, Ranked

The beat 'em up genre has been around since the days of arcades. Although it's not as prominent as it once was, games like these are still great fun.