Beat ‘em ups were once a staple in arcades back in the day. Clad in colorful game cabinets and boasting at least two joystick control panels, these games were the bane of many quarters: players would throw tons of tokens on these machines hoping to get past levels and even finish the game entirely.
One would think that teaming up with friends or other players can make finishing beat ‘em ups easier. But here are some titles that can take hours to beat especially for players who think such games can be conquered by button mashing and spamming super moves.
8 Full Metal Furies (2018)
Full Metal Furies is a fun beat 'em up that can play up to four players. There are four eponymous Furies to choose from, and each of them has distinct moves and play styles that give various strengths and weaknesses. Triss, for example, plays more like a tank that can provide defensive options for the team. Meanwhile, Meg is a sniper who specializes in damaging enemies from long range.
Players need to get familiar with the Furies’ gameplay and strategize each stage since teamwork is one of the core components to beating up the baddies and bosses they would encounter. While discovering all the combos each Fury can do with one another is fun, choosing when to execute those combos is essential since the enemies in the game will not give players any breathing room.
7 River City Girls Games (2019-2022)
Coming from the Kunio-kun universe known for the River City Ransom game, the River City Girls games are the modern successor that picks up the tradition of high school fisticuffs in games. A throwback to 2D side-scroller beat 'em ups, players choose between Kyoko and Misako, two high school girls with panache and a knack for getting into trouble with other delinquents in and out of their school.
Both Kyoko and Misako have unique moves and other unlockable abilities that further set them apart from one another. Hooligans will swarm players and will give them the business if they keep mashing buttons or spamming their super moves. To get good at this game, players have to master Kyoko's and Misako’s moves and remember when to use them against thugs and bosses who also have bothersome attacks and projectiles at their disposal.
6 Fight’N Rage (2019)
Combining two game genres is usually a hard task to do. But Fight ‘N Rage managed to do so in spades. Another colorful pixel art beat 'em up title, this game combines the pugilistic fun of classic side scrollers and the complexity of fighting game mechanics.
Apart from the basic light and heavy attacks, characters have unique moves that can combo into one another and deal massive damage. It is up to the players to figure out which moves link with what and how to dish out the biggest hits to enemies. This game also has a parry system which opens up how players deal with enemy encounters.
But this also means that enemies and bosses have access to the same moves and combos which makes fights feel like a mini fighting game match. For gamers who play fighting games, this might translate easily in the gameplay, but for non-fighting game players, this title might prove to be challenging.
5 Streets of Rage 4 (2020)
One of the more popular beat ‘em ups back in the day, the Streets of Rage franchise, known as Bare Knuckle in other regions, was a staple game in home consoles like SEGA back in the 90s. Fast-forward to 2020, and Dotemu releases Streets of Rage 4. This title follows up on its predecessors and gives this vaunted series a much-needed modern facelift.
Perennial characters return such as Axel, Blaze, Adam, and Max, along with new fighters like Cherry, Floyd, and Estel. Each character sports a variety of moves players can utilize to pummel all manner of baddies across different stages. Enemies, bosses, and stage hazards are nothing to scoff at: baddies can adapt to how aggressive players are and will pick their time when to smack them and break their combo multiplier. Boss fights are also memorable as they are difficult since they also have combos and annoying gimmicks that can quickly wear players down.
4 X-Men Arcade (1992)
Before there was Marvel Ultimate Alliance, the one arcade game where players could play as the X-Men with friends is X-Men Arcade. This beat ‘em up fits up to six players in one arcade cabinet.
Controls are simple: one button for attack, one for jump, and another for a super move. Each X-Men has their own unique Super Move that chips away at the player’s HP. Each stage sees players encounter a variety of enemies that would pile up on them if they aren’t quickly thwarted, culminating in a boss fight that will test players’ reflexes and dexterity to avoid the boss’ strong attacks.
What this game lacks in complexity, it makes up for in chaos since the number of enemies players can pummel on the screen at one time can be overwhelming. Players need to be aware of when to use their Super Moves to get some space from the endless Sentinels that want to take them out.
3 Captain Commando (1991)
Another gem in the beat ‘em up genre, Captain Commando is another title that older gamers will surely have fond memories of. Created by Capcom during the time when they were churning out a lot of iconic games back in the early 90s, this title sees players choose between the titular Captain Commando and his teammates, Mummy Commando, Ninja Commando, and Baby Commando.
What makes this game hard is the enemy variety. Every new level sees a unique group of enemies and mini-bosses that have annoying attacks. In the later levels, the enemies also become harder to take down, with their HP having a significant boost. This makes for a delicate juggling act for players who need to focus on one opponent to defeat while keeping an eye on the other ruffians in the background.
On top of that are the difficult boss fights. Each boss has a peculiar gimmick that can get grating at times. For example, there is a boss that shoots a harpoon gun at different angles, while also being able to do a diving kick that deals massive damage.
2 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge (2022)
Another Dotemu passion project, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge is a modernized take on the cult classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time arcade game. This title allows for a whopping six players to play at one time, either in couch co-op or online.
Sporting a colorful 2D and pixel art style, TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge stays true to the source material while providing crisp and punchy gameplay. Each of the playable characters has its unique strengths and weaknesses: Michelangelo hits quickly with his nunchucks but doesn’t deal too much damage. Meanwhile, Donatello has superior range at the expense of slower attack speed. It is up to the players to pick which turtle’s play style feels the best, and complete stages.
What makes this game hard is trying to complete the challenges per stage. Some stages have players attempt to finish the level without getting hit once: this difficulty ramps up when there are more than two players while the dastardly Foot Clan are hurling a myriad of projectiles and weapons toward them.
1 Battletoads (1991)
When one talks about notoriously hard beat ‘em ups, Battletoads is often the first title that comes to mind. And for good reason: this game was known for being tough to beat. This is due in large part to the janky hitboxes which sometimes work for players but oftentimes work against them.
Another notorious aspect of Battletoads is that this game has friendly fire. Players back in the day who played couch co-op would have to be pitch-perfect with their movements and attacks. Those who button mash would likely hit their teammates more times than enemies, which would result in them seeing the game over screen time and time again.
Add to that are some levels that are designed to test players’ patience. The infamous jet ski level is a constant gauntlet of sudden low walls, pitfalls, and ramps that players have to jump over and land on precisely in order to progress.