Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-’Em-Ups

Prepared exclusively for Marcus Kennedy / [email protected]

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First published in 2022 by Bitmap Books Ltd.
Copyright © Bitmap Books Ltd. 2022
Copyright © Dave Cook 2022
The right of Bitmap Books Ltd. and Dave Cook to be identified as the authors
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Published by Bitmap Books
Writing and original concept by Dave Cook
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Designed by Ryan Birse, Sam Dyer and Daniel Gruitt
Additional writing by Steve Gregson, SEGA Lord X and Chris Scullion

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CONTENTS

Introduction 4 DJ Boy 90

Foreword 7 Double Dragon 36

Preface 11 Double Dragon 2: Wander of the Dragons 402

What is a side-scrolling beat-‘em-up? 15 Double Dragon II: The Revenge 58

1980–1989 23 Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone 106

1990–1999 101 Double Dragon IV 414

2000–2009 335 Double Dragon Neon 392

2010–2019 381 Dragon Ball GT: Transformation 352

2020–2021 439 Dragon’s Crown 398

The End 454 Dungeon Magic 284

Credits and Thanks 456 Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara 318

Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom 286

Games Encyclopedia Dynamite Cop 328
64th Street: A Detective Story
99Vidas 128 Dynamite Düx 56
Abobo’s Big Adventure 410
Adventures of Bayou Billy, The 391 Dynasty Wars 96
After the War 66
Age of Heroes, The: Silkroad 2 98 Eight Dragons 437
Alien Storm 338
Alien vs. Predator 114 Fight’N Rage 416
Altered Beast 262
Altered Beast: Guardian of the Realms 44 Fighting Force 320
Arabian Fight 347
Arabian Magic 204 Final Fight 70
Armored Warriors 216
Astérix 290 Final Fight 2 258
B.Rap Boys 212
Bad Dudes vs. DragonNinja 206 Final Fight 3 296
Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker 62
Batman Forever Arcade 339 Final Fight: Streetwise 368
Batman Returns 312
Battle Circuit 238 Friends of Ringo Ishikawa, The 428
Battletoads 324
Battletoads (2020) 134 Gaia Crusaders 330
Battletoads Arcade 446
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs 292 Gang Wars 91
Battletoads/Double Dragon 254
Bébé’s Kids 254 Gekido Advance: Kintaro’s Revenge 346
Blade Master 273
Bouncer, The 167 Gekido: Urban Fighters 342
Brawl Brothers 340
Brute Force 196 Gladiator 32
Bucky O’Hare 120
Bud Spencer and Terrence Hill: Slaps and Beans 198 God Hand 364
Burning Fight 419
Cadillacs and Dinosaurs 153 Golden Axe 86
Captain America and the Avengers 224
Captain Commando 164 Golden Axe II 168
Castle Crashers 140
CB Chara Wars 372 Golden Axe III 234
Charlie Murder 191
Cliffhanger 396 Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder 183
Code of Princess 223
Coffee Crisis 390 Gourmet Sentai Barayarō 307
Combatribes, The 418
Comix Zone 109 Growl 176
Cosmo Police Galivan II: Arrow of Justice 298
Crime Fighters 231 Guardian Heroes 308
Crows: The Battle Action 99
Crystal of Kings, The 328 Guardians: Denjin Makai II 294
Cutthroat Island 343
Cyborg Justice 303 Guardians of the ‘Hood 209
D.D. Crew 236
Dancing Sword Senkou 182 Hachoo! 69
Dead Island: Retro Revenge 348
Death and Return of Superman, The 412 Hook 192
Death by Degrees 274
Denjin Makai 358 Iron Commando: Koutetsu no Senshi 302
Die Hard Arcade 288
314 Jackie Chan Adventures: Legend of the Dark Hand 345

Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl 445

Jim Lee’s WildC.A.T.S. 303

Jitsu Squad 444

Kamen Rider 230

Karate Blazers 150

King of Dragons, The 132

King of the Monsters 178

King of the Monsters 2: The Next Thing 220

Knights of the Round 160

Knights of Valour 332

Knuckle Bash 257

Kung Fu Kid 43

Kung-Fu Master 26

Legend 272

Lethal Weapon 222

Mad Stalker 293

Mazin Saga: Mutant Fighter 232

Metamorphic Force 242

Michael Jackson’s Moonwalker 104

Mighty Final Fight 248

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie 306

Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks 360

Mother Russia Bleeds 404

Mug Smashers 112

Mutation Nation 218

Mystical Fighter 172

Nekketsu Oyako 271

Night Slashers 240

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Ninja Baseball Bat Man 244 Spikeout: Battle Street 350

Ninja Clowns 121 Splatterhouse 50

Ninja Combat 108 Splatterhouse 2 199

Ninja Gaiden 54 Splatterhouse 3 255

Ninja Kids, The 113 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith 353

Ninja Saviours, The: Return of the Warriors 436 Stone Protectors 270

Ninja Warriors, The 42 Streets of Fury EX 378

Ninja Warriors, The (1994) 276 Streets of Rage 122

Oriental Legend 322 Streets of Rage 2 184

P.O.W.: Prisoners of War 66 Streets of Rage 3 280

Panzer Bandit 323 Streets of Rage 4 448

Peace Keepers, The 249 Streets of Red: Devil’s Dare Deluxe 426

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds 403 Super Double Dragon 190

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon 304 Takeda Shingen 68

Pu·Li·Ru·La 174 TakeOver, The 413

Punisher, The 250 Target: Renegade 67

Raging Justice 422 Tecmo Knight 98

Rastan 43 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 80

Renegade 34 Tekken Force 327

Renegade III: The Final Chapter 91 Three Dirty Dwarves 316

Riot City 177 Tick, The 293

Rival Turf! 195 TMNT 370

River City: Tokyo Rumble 412 TMNT III: The Manhattan Project 166

River City Girls 432 TMNT IV: Turtles In Time 154

River City Ransom 92 TMNT: The Hyperstone Heist 221

River City Ransom: Underground 417 Tough Turf 99

Robo Army 130 Toxic Crusaders 191

Rollergames 120 Treachery in Beatdown City 442

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game 384 Two Crude Dudes 151

Sengoku 162 UFO Kamen Yakisoban: Kettler no Kuroi 272

Sengoku 2 256 Undercover Cops 210

Sengoku 3 344 Vendetta 173

Shadow Force 228 Vigilante 67

Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn 424 Violent Storm 260

Shin Nekketsu Kouha: Kunio-Tachi no Banka 292 Warriors of Fate 194

Shui Hu Feng Yun Zhuan 317 Warriors, The 354

Silent Dragon 208 Warriors, The: Street Brawl 379

Simpsons, The 144 Way of the Passive Fist 430

Skull & Crossbones 78 Wulverblade 420

Sonic Blast Man 193 X-Men 200

Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage 278 Zombie Revenge 331

Spider-Man: The Video Game 152

Platform Key
Within the Games Encyclopedia section, each game lists the various platforms on which it has
appeared. These platforms have been abbreviated as per the key below. Where possible, the
region-specific platform names have been used to differentiate multiple regional releases.

2600 Atari 2600 GG SEGA Game Gear PS4 PlayStation 4

360 Xbox 360 IBM IBM PC/DOS PS5 PlayStation 5

3DO 3DO IOS iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch PSP PlayStation Portable

3DS Nintendo 3DS LNX Atari Lynx PSV PlayStation Vita

7800 Atari 7800 MAC Apple Macintosh SAT SEGA Saturn

AMI Commodore Amiga MCD SEGA Mega CD SCD SEGA CD

AND Android MD SEGA Mega Drive SFC Super Famicom

APII Apple II MOB Mobile SMS SEGA Master System

ARC Arcade MSX MSX / MSX2 SNES Super Nintendo

C64 Commodore 64 N64 Nintendo 64 ST Atari ST

CPC Amstrad CPC NCD NEOGEO CD TCD TurboGrafx CD

DC SEGA Dreamcast NDS Nintendo DS TG16 TurboGrafx-16

FAM Nintendo Famicom NEO NEOGEO WII Wii

FDS Famicom Disk System NES Nintendo Entertainment System WIIU Wii U

FMT FM Towns Marty NSW Nintendo Switch WIN Windows

GB Nintendo Game Boy PCD PC Engine CD WSC WonderSwanColor

GBA Game Boy Advance PCE PC Engine XB Xbox

GBC Game Boy Color PS1 PlayStation XB1 Xbox One

GC Nintendo Game Cube PS2 PlayStation 2 ZXS ZX Spectrum

GEN SEGA Genesis PS3 PlayStation 3

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INTRODUCTION

The side-scrolling beat-‘em-up genre its near-death in the early disc-based
is gaming stripped back to some of its 3D console days and eventual resurgence
simplest, most fundamental qualities. in the late 2010s, side-scrollers have
In essence, all you’re really doing in endured a rollercoaster existence, full of
most side-scrollers is walking from left dizzying highs and depressing lows.
to right, beating up scores of the same
palette-swapped enemies until the end The genre’s legacy has been forever
credits roll. And yet it’s fascinating to cemented in gaming history, thanks to
see how developers have taken that passionate fans like you, who have fond
core foundation and built wonderful, memories of beating down goons on
memorable and genuinely exhilarating neon-soaked streets or picking up
experiences that have endured since steaming roast chickens off the tarmac
the genre was birthed in 1984. for health. Side-scrollers are back in a big
way, thanks to the players who never gave
It’s been eye-opening to play and up on them, the homebrew developers
document over 200 games for this book, who worked long into the night on passion
spanning four decades of face-punching, projects, and the indie studios that were
butt-kicking action. From the genre’s slow willing to keep the genre alive with their
beginnings and its arcade-era boom to own new releases.

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If you look beyond the fringes of classic Streets of Rage
2D brawlers, you can even see just how The original Streets of Rage opens
influential they’ve been on other genres. with a menacing city at night,
You can trace their influence and which perfectly sums up the gritty
mechanics all the way to celebrated vibe of not just the game, but the
franchises like God of War, Dynasty entire side-scrolling genre.
Warriors and Devil May Cry – and you
could even argue that these wouldn’t exist
as we know them without their scrolling
ancestors. In this light, the genre truly
has changed the face of gaming forever.

So make sure to crack those knuckles,
tighten that bandana and pick up a lead
pipe, because you’re about to experience
an action-packed celebration of side-
scrolling beat-‘em-up history in all its glory.

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Renegade
Kishimoto’s arcade smash
Renegade set the bar for
side-scrollers, while defining
the gang warfare aesthetic
that so many of its successors
would lean into.

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FOREWORD

Who better to introduce this
compilation of scrolling beat-‘em-ups
than Yoshihisa Kishimoto, the self-
titled grandfather of the scrolling
beat-‘em-up genre, and creator of
Renegade (released as Nekketsu
Kōha Kunio-kun in Japan) and
Double Dragon, one of the most
famous brawlers ever made.

My career in video games started in
the early ’80s at Data East, after
leaving art college. The company
was recruiting new graduates, and I
got a job as a game designer working
on Laserdisc titles such as Cobra
Command and Road Blaster. They
were successful enough to lead
to me being headhunted by Technōs
Japan, which was interested in
producing its own Laserdisc titles.

But instead I pitched my own idea.
At that time, shooting games were
at their peak, so I considered
something with strong hand-to-hand
fighting elements as a stress-relief
game. There was a time in high school
when all I did was get into fights. I had
family issues, and I was also dumped by
my girlfriend of the time, which pulled
the trigger and saw me getting into
fights on a daily basis. So I planned
a game based on the theme of high
schoolers’ brawls. The result, Renegade,
is sort of semi-autobiographical, with
the lead character based on myself
as a rebellious kid.

Renegade wasn’t the first side-scrolling
beat-‘em-up – that was Irem’s Spartan
X, better known as Kung-Fu Master –
but I thought the game, which was
based on Hong Kong martial arts films,
felt wrong, so instead I developed my
own worldview into a scrolling brawler.

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The success of Renegade led to my two people playing simultaneously
bosses at Technōs requesting a sequel. and defeating enemies while moving
They also asked me to make it a two- forward in one cut, just like a movie. You
player game, to increase profits in the could also steal weapons from enemies,
arcades, and to change the art style and pick up fallen items, like oil drums,
to appeal to a more international to throw at your opponents. I love the
audience. These elements, combined feeling of advancing steadily forward
with my love of the Bruce Lee film Enter and defeating enemies, as in a movie;
the Dragon, resulted in Double Dragon. being able to play with the feeling that
I think if there had been no Bruce you’ve become the protagonist in a film.
Lee, there would have been no Double
Dragon, so he really was a superstar Double Dragon went on to become a
who influenced various fields – not massive hit worldwide, and spawned
just film, but things like the game and lots of clones and similarly styled
music industries, too. games, but it was a real shock when
Final Fight came out. It wasn’t different
It’s amazing to think I designed this in the design aspect, but in the scale
system 35 years ago, but there are of the game. At the time, Technōs
parts of it that haven’t evolved much Japan’s hardware was able to show
even now. There’s no need to force new small characters, but the specification
elements into it, but development is requirements were too high to display
possible if you think about the system large ones. This is something Capcom
from a different angle. When we were did very well with Final Fight, and is
making Renegade, we had the idea of one of the reasons why it succeeded in
‘belt-scrolling’. The plan was to have taking the baton from Double Dragon.

Kishimoto’s vision for Double Dragon introduced and cemented many of the genre’s core tropes.

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Capcom simply had better hardware This book is a testament to the
and technology, and it also put a lot longevity of the genre, and a reminder
of money and effort into properly of the lasting legacy of games
branding its title. created many years ago. History is
really important: I think it’s good for
In the end I spent a decade at the next generation of developers to
Technōs Japan, and had a hand continue the process of evolution in full
in many games, but I was never so knowledge of how games were made
personally involved as I was with previously. I hope you enjoy this
Renegade and Double Dragon. I’m perilous journey through the ruined
really proud that we were able to back streets and darkened alleyways
release these series to the world, and of the scrolling beat-‘em-up!
that the belt-scrolling genre became
a worldwide hit. Even after all these Yoshihisa Kishimoto
years, I’m still involved in fighting Game designer
games, having consulted on Double
Dragon Neon and acted as director
on Double Dragon IV, and I am grateful
to all the Double Dragon fans who have
supported the series over the years.
After working on so many franchises
and sequels, I have a dream of designing
an original mixed martial arts game
that makes the fighting experience
more realistic. One day, maybe …

The Combatribes built upon Renegade’s arena-based format, adding many great new ideas.

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Streets of Rage 2
Streets of Rage 2 was a true
leap forward for the side-
scrolling genre and has
rarely, if ever, been bettered.

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PREFACE

The side-scrolling beat-‘em-up
genre has a long history full of iconic
franchises, laced with heaps of
nostalgia. Author Dave Cook recalls
his first brush with the genre as a kid
and reveals what makes it so enduring.

I got my SEGA Mega Drive for Christmas
in 1991. I still have vivid memories of
my dad helping me set it up in the
bedroom and then marvelling at the
then state-of-the-art graphics of
Sonic the Hedgehog. The rich colours,
bouncy soundtrack, slick animation and
blistering pace were unlike anything
I’d witnessed before.

Over the next few months, I used pocket
money and Christmas cash to buy
more cartridges for the system, but
like all cash-strapped seven-year-olds,
I couldn’t afford that many. I looked
longingly at the games pictured on the
back of my Mega Drive console box,
wishing I could play them all.

Thankfully, my dad started something
of a weekly ritual that would change my
life forever. Every Friday after finishing
work, he’d go into our local Ritz video
rental store. It was a tiny shop that sold
the latest movies and had a surprisingly
decent selection of SEGA games on
offer. He’d come home from work every
Friday armed with another new game
he’d rented. It meant that each week I
got to dive into a different game world,
sampling the rich Mega Drive library
without having to buy the games outright.

Then one Friday in 1993, he came home
with a game called Streets of Rage 2.
The first thing that hit me was the
game’s manual, which showed a dark,
graffiti-tagged back alley that looked
kind of creepy to my young eyes. I saw
the four fighters, who I assumed were
the good guys, rumbling with denim-
clad thugs. It’s still a striking image to

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this day and wonderfully captures the It was well known among my school
violent, urban spirit of the side-scrolling friends for its amazing arcades, which
genre. From the moment I popped that had the hottest new cabs from Japan
cartridge into my Mega Drive, I knew and the States.
I had found something special.
One of my fondest childhood memories
The first stage opens with a banging is of partnering with three random kids
song by composer Yuzo Koshiro called to complete Konami’s arcade classic,
‘Go Straight’, which immediately gets The Simpsons. Most of my week’s pocket
you into a hyped-up fighting mood. The money had evaporated within an hour,
graphics were off the charts, showing but all four of us finished what we’d
the same quality I’d seen at the arcade, started by defeating the dastardly
with fluid, responsive gameplay to match. Mr. Burns. That social co-op experience
It’s still my favourite game of all time, was what made the side-scrolling genre
so this was truly love at first sight. My love so magical to me, but it’s something
for the genre has endured to this day. I fear has been lost over the years,
as local co-op modes have become
When I got a bit older, I started less common. Whether you’re playing
rummaging around for more side- Double Dragon on NES or bashing
scrollers at the Ritz rental store and punks in River City Girls on Nintendo
a magical second-hand shop called Switch, the experience is elevated by
Ruby’s, which had a colossal 16-bit a pal by your side. Thankfully, most
collection. It’s long gone now, but it modern brawlers have online modes
was a treasure trove of floor-to-ceiling that let us defeat the bad guys together
shelves packed with anything from once more.
games and cassette tapes to golf clubs
and toasters. We also used to take Even with a friend in tow, it’s true
summer holidays in Blackpool, which is that side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups are
a touristy waterfront town in England. textbook examples of repetition, as you

Final Fight was such a massive, transformative leap forward for the genre in 1989.

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hammer combos and the occasional It’s not all been plain sailing, however,
special move to defeat waves of the as I’ve had to play many sketchy games
same few enemies over and over. which were released during the 2000s
But that basic gameplay loop can and 2010s, whose developers seemed
be so utterly satisfying; it taps into unsure of how to modernise the genre
something almost primal in our brains. for new markets.
It helps you switch off from the rest
of the world for a while as you lay a The most glaring shift was the arrival
therapeutic smackdown on bad guys of 3D gaming, which led to games like
with a friend or two. The format has Fighting Force and Die Hard Arcade.
been reused, remixed, reshaped and They’re technically not side-scrollers,
totally turned on its head to make some but it would be silly not to include
truly excellent brawlers over the last few them here, as they are the same
decades, so this is very much a genre style of game viewed from a different
that continues to evolve today. perspective. Although those early 3D
efforts were a bit rocky, they paved the
Writing this book has been a way for new styles of 3D beat-‘em-up,
fascinating journey for me, as I’ve like the Bayonetta, God of War and
played each game in chronological Dynasty Warriors series.
order, starting with 1984’s Kung-Fu
Master, right up to Streets of Rage 4, It’s nice to see that the simple art of
which debuted in 2020. Along the way going straight and punching everyone
I’ve unearthed niche titles, homebrew in your path has had such a profound
projects and quirky bootleg games that impact on gaming at large.
I’ve never had the chance to experience
before. The process has left me with Dave Cook
a new-found appreciation of just how Award-winning comic book author
revolutionary the side-scrolling format and lifelong beat-‘em-up fan
was during its high point in the ‘90s.

Like many ‘80s kids, I have fond, nostalgic memories of playing The Simpsons in an arcade.

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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
As Konami’s Ninja Turtles arcade
hit shows, the base side-scrolling
template can be expanded to
include many different gameplay
elements.

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WHAT IS
A SIDE-
SCROLLING
BEAT-‘EM-UP?

One of the great things about this
genre is that developers have found
many interesting ways to stretch the
template until their game straddles
multiple genres. For example, SEGA’s
brilliant arcade brawler Alien Storm
has stages that are intercut with first-
person shooting galleries that let you
tear up convenience stores as you
blast alien scum. Other side-scrollers
have featured elements of role-playing
games, platforming sections and other
quirks that help keep things fresh.

However, while the genre is flexible,
there are some absolute musts that a
developer needs to get right for their
side-scroller to rank up there with the
best. Most importantly, the combat
needs to feel satisfying. This is usually
achieved through a mix of impactful
visual cues and chunky sound effects
each time you land a punch. Games
like Streets of Rage 2 and Capcom’s
Alien vs. Predator absolutely nail this,
making you feel both powerful and
skilled each time you strike your
opponents.

The combat has to feel huge, but it
also has to be fair. You might not realise
it from watching gameplay, but to get
good at many side-scrolling beat-‘em-
ups, you need to have a solid strategy
for each enemy type. Some bad guys
might have ranged weapons like swords,
which should be approached with caution,
while others might have anti-air moves
that render your flying kicks useless.
This is where the beauty of strategising
comes into play, forcing you to always
be thinking about your next move and
reacting with quick reflexes.

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However, all of that strategy goes right only four enemy types over the
out the window if the game isn’t fair. entire duration. These games can be
As you read this book, you’ll see many absolutely tedious and that’s where
examples of games that have unfair the enjoyable repetition that makes
mechanics, such as enemy moves that the genre so much fun suddenly turns
have crazy homing effects, dodgy hit ugly. It’s the difference between a fun
boxes that make it hard to gauge how and primitive gameplay loop and
to evade attacks, and bad guys that something that’s just plain monotonous.
can hit you right back through For a brawler to truly stay fun for the
your own combos. duration, it has to keep throwing new
surprises, enemy types, weapons and
There are many games in the genre features at you.
that are guilty of these issues, but some
still end up being fun. Those rare, janky Capcom is perhaps the master at
titles remind me a little of my favourite this, as seen in its stellar Dungeons &
non-side-scroller franchise, Dark Souls. Dragons adaptations, Tower of Doom
As in those games, there’s a weird and Shadow Over Mystara. These
pleasure in figuring out the flaws and games are full of features that stay true
quirks of each enemy, so you can learn to their role-playing influences, such as
how to beat them effectively. Jaleco’s experience points, the ability to level up
Rushing Beat trilogy is a great example your character, mid-stage shops where
of side-scrollers that might seem a little you can buy potions or weapons, and
average at first, but that also reward branching level routes. These games
your patience and dedication. These offer so many different mechanics and
are games you can definitely ‘get good’ features, yet they still feel like classic
at, and I’d definitely recommend that side-scrollers underneath. That’s not
you do, just to experience their hidden an easy thing to achieve, but when a
qualities. Speaking of enemies, there is studio manages to strike that balance,
a staggering number of side-scrollers great things tend to happen.
that, not counting bosses, have maybe

Capcom was the king of licensed side-scrollers, with titles such as Alien vs. Predator.

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Another important quality that all with some of the dullest enemy designs
the best side-scrollers have is solid you’ll find in the genre. On the flip side,
characterisation. Ideally, you want every Technōs Japan went all-out with its
playable fighter and enemy to feel stunning arcade brawler, Shadow Force,
distinct. Final Fight is a great example which gives you a huge roster of
of this, in which the trio of Haggar, Cody enemies to battle. In a glorious twist,
and Guy all share the same base move- you can possess most of the enemies
set, but their two-button special moves and brawl as them for a while, like some
each feel unique. They also have subtle weird fighting-game spin on Pokémon.
yet key differences that really set them
apart, such as Haggar’s unique ability Studios are still experimenting
to grab an enemy, then pull off either with new ways to rework and evolve the
a standing wrestling slam or jumping bare-bones mechanics of side-scrollers.
piledriver. Likewise, Cody can attack But unless they nail these fundamentals,
multiple times with a knife, while Guy all of that extra imagination and effort
always throws knives instantly. Some might be for nothing. Keep these values
side-scrollers miss the mark here and in mind next time you play a side-
offer you a roster of characters that all scroller, and you might start to notice
feel the same. Taito’s admittedly fun how well it manages to capture the raw
brawler Growl (known as Runark in essence of what makes the genre
Japan) is guilty of offering palette- so effective.
swapped heroes that handle identically.

The same goes for enemy types; there
are a lot of side-scrollers that cheap
out on enemies, giving you way too
many identical baddies to slap about.
Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum
Carnage is guilty of this, throwing in
way too many repeating boss fights,

The Dungeons & Dragons side-scrollers expanded on the base template with many RPG elements.

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10
3

1

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4

6

9
5

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2

7
8

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THE KEY INGREDIENTS

While the beat-‘em-up genre is always changing, there are a
few common gameplay mechanics and tropes that you’ll find
in most (but not all) side-scrolling games. Here’s a breakdown
of the most important, genre-defining ingredients …

1. Walking in eight directions 6. Damaging special moves
In most traditional side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups, This one depends on the game, but in the majority
players are able to walk left and right, or move of side-scrollers you can unleash standard attacks,
around the foreground and background by pressing such as punches and kicks, as often as you like.
up or down. Diagonal movement is also allowed, You can also use special moves, when you find
giving players plenty of freedom to negotiate goons yourself in a tough situation, and these typically
and thugs with ease. Some games even let you cost you some health. You might lose some health
roll up and down to avoid pesky gunfire, or run by when the special attack connects with an enemy,
tapping a direction twice. or sometimes even if you miss, so it’s best not to
spam them! Some games, like Double Dragon, don’t
2. Going straight penalise you for using the Lee brothers’ deadly
The incredible stage 1 music track from SEGA’s spinning kick special, which is nice.
masterpiece Streets of Rage 2 is called ‘Go Straight’.
This title could be a play on how level progression in 7. Melee weapons and firearms
scrolling beat-‘em-ups typically works, with players Side-scrollers aren’t always about fists and feet.
walking through levels from left to right. Most (but Many games feature melee or firearm weapons that
not all) side-scrollers use this technique, though can help give you an edge against waves of foes, or
some have been known to mix it up a little. in a tricky boss encounter. For example, Capcom’s
post-apocalyptic brawler Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
3. Player and enemy life bars lets you pick up sidearms and rifles to help push
These are typically in the top left of the screen for back the crazed raiders in your path. Careful though:
player one and in the top right for player two. The weapons typically break or run out of ammo after a
health bars go down with each hit taken, but players few uses.
can heal themselves by picking up food or first-aid
items. The most common colour for health bars is 8. Multiple levels
yellow, turning to red as you lose health. Once the Many modern games are open-world, but the side-
bar is empty, you lose a life (boo!). scrolling genre typically sees players walking from
left to right through a variety of stages. Some might
With so many enemies on screen at one time, it can even give you the option of branching paths or secret
be hard to know who’s who. That’s why most side- rooms to discover for added replay value. Ubisoft
scrollers also feature enemy life bars, which flash Montreal’s adaptation of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
up on screen each time your attack connects with a even included a sprawling world map for players
bad guy. Enemy health bars typically follow the same to explore.
yellow and red colour scheme. Once a bar is empty,
its enemy character has been knocked out (yay!). 9. Co-operative play
Some side-scrollers are single-player only, such as
4. Time limits Konami’s licensed game Batman Returns, but it’s
Nothing adds to the tension of a tough fight like common for them to support at least two players.
a cruel time limit. Many scrolling fighting games Some gamers argue that having another player
have timers to add urgency to the battle, while makes it harder because you can accidentally
others keep things simple by doing away with limits hit each other. Thankfully, some games, like Double
altogether. When the timer runs out, all players will Dragon II: The Revenge, have modes that turn
typically lose a life, but you might be rewarded with friendly fire off to avoid frustration and damaged
bonus points for getting through a stage quickly. friendships.
Go! Go! Go!
10. Points and high score systems
5. Oddly-placed health items Many side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups started out as
Player health items have taken many forms over arcade games before making the jump to home
the years. In the Streets of Rage series, you can consoles. That’s why many of them have high-
punch bins or phone boxes to reveal revitalising roast score tables and point counters. You might even
chickens, while in Final Fight a crooked cop spits out find yourself earning extra lives after hitting certain
a ball of chewing gum that can be eaten for a tiny point milestones. Be sure to pick up any money
sliver of health. Disclaimer: we don’t recommend bags or gold bars you find in levels, just in case!
eating food off the ground!

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1980-
1989

With the video game crash
of 1983 still raw in the mind,
game developers around
the world were licking their
wounds and working on a
new wave of releases to help
them bounce back stronger.
The crash was largely felt
in the United States, due to
over-saturation with game
releases of declining quality,
far too many consoles
flooding the market, and
wavering interest in the
hobby overall.

Double Dragon
Although Double Dragon wasn’t
the first side-scroller, it defined the
template for other developers that
has been followed for decades.

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Following the crash, it looked like 1984 from Namco and, of course, the game
was going to be a precarious year for that set a gold standard for the genre,
the industry, but it’s also regarded as the Capcom’s legendary classic, Final Fight.
origin point of everything you’re going to
read about in this book. Our side-scroller While many of the early side-scrollers
story begins in Osaka, Japan, with Kenzo followed the simple template of walking
Tsujimoto – the president of a company to the right and fighting your way through
that manufactured pachinko and cotton scores of vaguely similar enemies, there
candy machines. were already some great examples of
studios trying to put their own stamp on
After making video game machines the format. While Taito’s dark fantasy
for other businesses for a few years, action classic Rastan might not be classed
the company started to make its own as a side-scroller in the true sense, it would
titles, before rebranding in 1980 as Irem be silly not to include it here, as it took the
Corporation. In December of 1984, Irem flat 2D format of Kung-Fu Master and built
released Kung-Fu Master in arcades, the upon it with vertical scrolling, platforming
game that’s widely regarded as the world’s and other neat features.
first side-scrolling beat-‘em-up. The game
proved to be a hit, and duly received a Boil Rastan down to its bare bones,
stellar home port on Nintendo’s NES, the however, and it’s very similar to Irem’s
juggernaut console that sold more than title, with waves of rushing enemies that
60 million units during its lifespan. From must be defeated using quick reflexes
that point onward, the side-scrolling and smart strikes. Another example is
genre started to slowly expand, before Renegade, which uses the familiar belt-
erupting towards the mid-to-late ‘80s with scrolling movement style that defined
a treasure trove of big-hitters. It was a heck the side-scrolling genre, but it traps the
of a decade, bringing us the Technōs Japan player in an enclosed arena to turn up
classics Renegade and Double Dragon, the heat. If you’ve played that game,
Altered Beast from SEGA, Splatterhouse you’ll know how stressful and urgent

The Ninja Warriors by Taito nailed the raw intensity of never-ending enemy waves.

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the combat becomes once your back is turn their IP into franchises that endured
up against the screen’s edge. It’s both beyond the game cartridge. This way of
painfully tense and thoroughly engaging. thinking brought about a boom in gaming
merchandise, animated tie-ins, and other
By looking at the ‘80s as a whole, you products that boosted gaming’s popularity
start to get a new-found appreciation for into the stratosphere. The effects of those
the earliest side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups. early efforts have gone on to define the
Here was a new genre that was basic on face of gaming today.
the surface but flexible enough that it
could be manipulated and stretched to While some of the ‘80s side-scrolling beat-
accommodate any number of mechanics ‘em-ups look primitive, they’re all well worth
from other games. Capcom embraced this playing today. By revisiting the genre’s
out of the gate with its 1989 title Dynasty origins you’ll unearth some genuinely
Wars, which whisked players off to war- great games. Of course, there are some
torn China. The action largely plays out on that aren’t so great, like Konami’s The
horseback, and includes military tactics, Adventures of Bayou Billy, but they at least
combat upgrades and other features that tried to do something new and fresh.
the studio developed over the years in
other brawlers. But to appreciate the genre as a whole,
as it exists today, we have to go right
As a whole, the ‘80s was a decade that back to the beginning …
thrust the concept of home gaming into
a new light. While it had a slow start in Ready? Fight!!
North America, the NES redefined what a
game console could be. Titles like Super
Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda
made consoles of the previous era feel
simplistic and outdated. More importantly,
studios were thinking more about how to

Golden Axe is one of the most recognisable side-scrollers ever made, and remains a fan favourite.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Irem 1984 2600, 7800, APII, ARC, C64, CPC, GB, MSX,
NES, ZXS

KUNG-FU MASTER Things get really hectic once serpents start Some enemies can sweep low, so be ready to
appearing, as you have to jump over them. counter with your flying kick.

The very first game in our odyssey through the At the top waits Mr. X, the gang leader who
history of scrolling beat-‘em-ups comes from kidnapped Sylvia for reasons that are never
Irem, a Japanese developer you’re going to see fully explained.
a lot of throughout this book. It has released
some truly great scrolling beat-‘em-ups over As threadbare as the story is, you can see some
the years, but few have had such a profound similarities with Bruce Lee’s 1973 movie Game of
impact on the genre as 1984’s Kung-Fu Master. Death, in which a martial artist must fight his
way up through the floors of a pagoda, each
It was originally released in Japan as Spartan guarded by a skilled warrior. While nowhere
X, a licensed tie-in to the Jackie Chan movie near as deep as Lee’s movie, Kung-Fu Master
Wheels on Meals. But, aside from the hero in does manage to ramp up the challenge and
both the game and movie being called Thomas, tension of each floor very well.
there were barely any similarities. To avoid
confusion, the North American version was Part of that tension comes from the game’s
distributed by Data East as Kung-Fu Master, unrelenting speed. Bog-standard enemies rush
while the Nintendo Entertainment System Thomas from both sides and if any manage to
home port is simply known as Kung Fu. slip past your attacks, they’ll latch onto you and
drain your entire health bar in seconds. The idea
Both the Japanese and Western editions open is to quickly dispatch enemies before they have
with a quick intro that sees Thomas and his a chance to reach you. The danger of being
girlfriend Sylvia getting beaten up by a gang grabbed by multiple enemies makes this a very
of thugs. Our hero then gets a written invitation stressful game indeed, but after a few retries
to the perilous Devil’s Temple, where his skills you should get used to its pace.
will be tested by five grand masters in battle.

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Duck as soon as you see a falling pot to These pesky small ninjas can be defeated
avoid the dragon’s fire breath. with a quick ducking leg sweep.

Thankfully, Thomas can punch, kick, sweep and arcade game, Kung-Fu Master has clearly been
unleash a jumping strike to the face of anyone designed to hoover up the coins of newcomers;
unlucky enough to get in his way. You really do it’s truly savage unless you have the time to
need to learn the range of each attack and learn how all the enemies attack. Thankfully,
when they’re most effective. Some enemies, Nintendo’s home port for the NES is far more
such as the slithering serpents on the second forgiving.
floor, can only be taken out with a low sweep,
while magic orbs can only be shattered with The NES port, simply called Kung Fu, is an
a jumping kick. absolute classic. While the visuals are far
simpler, the port features smooth scrolling,
Some foes are particularly challenging, such slick gameplay and a neat soundtrack by Super
as the knife-throwing goons who alternate Mario Bros. composer Koji Kondo. One of the
between high and low attacks. There are hardest aspects of the arcade version is how
even fire-breathing dragons to contend with, difficult it can be to shake off enemies when
demanding that players quickly duck beneath Thomas gets swarmed. Thankfully, it seems a
their flame jets then counter-attack with a lot easier in the Nintendo version, as you can
quick leg sweep. break free quickly by rocking the D-pad and
mashing buttons for a moment. But don’t
Learning these patterns is another layer of be fooled; this is still a punishing little gem
Kung-Fu Master’s simple yet brilliant gameplay. that takes time, patience and quick reflexes
It almost feels like you’re playing a rhythm- to master. Over 3.5 million copies were sold
action game as you punch, jump, kick, duck worldwide, making the original cartridge
and sweep your way through the waves of easy and affordable to pick up today.
enemies in your path. Originally released as an

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BECOME THE MASTER

You’ll need quick reflexes and precise placement to

beat Kung-Fu Master. Here are some tips to help you

defeat the enemies on each floor …

RUNNER KNIFE THROWER
These guys can’t punch or kick, but if they touch The stress of Kung-Fu Master becomes clear as
you they’ll grab you in a powerful hold that soon as this knife-chucking pest shows up. You’ll
drains your health in mere moments. Don’t need to duck and jump to avoid his blades while
underestimate them, and use your kick’s long fending off the never-ending stream of runners
range to knock them out. If you get caught, charging at you. Take out the runners first then
waggle the joystick quickly to break free. sweep his leg to continue.

POLEARM WARRIOR SNAKE IN A VASE
This chap guards the stairwell to floor two and he Some rude beggar’s trying to drop vases on you from
won’t let you pass easily. You can predict how he’s the floor above! Once a vase shatters on the ground
going to attack by getting close then watching how a snake springs forth and quickly scuttles toward you.
his shoulder moves. If he attacks high, duck low and Your best bet is to stop walking when you see a vase
sweep. If he attacks low, retreat as fast as possible. falling, and focus on jumping over the snake.

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Below
Both the plot and your character’s motivation are succinctly
delivered in this hostage note. Are you ready for a challenge?

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DRAGONS SHRAPNEL
Like the snakes, this mythical menace drops from the These multi-coloured devices hover in the air for a while
sky in some kind of vessel before appearing in a plume before they explode and shoot out three spiked projectiles.
of smoke. If a dragon lands nearby, your only option is to It’s wise to retreat as far away as possible if you see one, or
duck underneath its raging fire breath, which leaves you could try to take it out with a well-timed jump-kick.
you defenceless. Try to retreat instead.

TINY RUNNER BOOMERANG BOSS
It’s not clear if this shorter version of the runner is just tiny You must defeat this tricky opponent to make it to floor
or if they’re actually meant to be children. Either way these three. Duck or jump to avoid his boomerang, then get in
pint-sized attackers run right under your standard punch close to hit him a few times. Don’t get too distracted while
and kick, then latch onto you until you’re dead. Attack low attacking, as you’ll have to dodge the boomerang again
to take them out. when it flies back to him.

TALL FIGHTER MOTHRA
Although he looks intimidating, this guy is actually not They might just be bugs, but these hovering hooligans
so scary. If you have a full health bar you can just walk can quickly swarm the screen and evaporate your health
up to him and repeat sweeps until he dies. You might in mere seconds. The trick here is to move slowly and take
take damage but you’ll still win. Otherwise, get in close them out calmly one by one while making small advances
and sweep low when he punches high. towards the boss. Don’t try to rush it!

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Allumer 1986 ARC, C64, CPC, ZXS

GLADIATOR Tap up and down in perfect rhythm to block Choose your moment wisely and hit this guy
each wave of projectiles. with a low stabbing lunge.

Known as Golden Castle in Japan, Gladiator The key to survival is to raise or lower your shield
feels quite similar to Kung-Fu Master, but at the precise moment to deflect everything in
with some interesting and ambitious design your path. It sounds simple enough, but the
choices for the time. You play as Great pace of the incoming objects might overwhelm
Gurianos, a skilled warrior who must fight you a bit at first, and it doesn’t help that the
through a castle filled with knights, barbarians shield degrades with each successful block.
and relentless hazards to reach a coveted Thankfully, floating replacement shields can
treasure room. It’s a simple concept that takes be obtained, if you manage to grab them
many cues from Irem’s classic brawler, with 2D quickly enough.
stages that assault you with waves of
obstacles and vicious enemies that rush In a weird way, the obstacle sequences feel like
towards you without mercy. those in a rhythm-action game, as you need
laser focus to move your shield in time with the
Gladiator offers a neat mix of challenging barrage of objects flying towards you. Things
gameplay styles, as each of its stages is split get even more intense if you get hit by a few
into two different sections, starting with an obstacles, as this can leave you with very little
obstacle sequence that puts your blocking armour by the time you reach the stage boss.
skills and reflexes to the ultimate test. During
this initial phase, you’ll be hammered with For example, if Gurianos takes a blow to the
projectiles like throwing knives and fireball- head, the impact knocks his helmet off. Get hit
spewing bats that hurtle towards you quickly there a second time and you lose a life. It’s a
from the right edge of the screen. neat mechanic that makes you frantically

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Hang back when facing quick enemies and only Block high to deflect these bricks, but be ready
attack when it’s safe. to quickly defend your legs.

defend exposed body parts from attacks, and Enemies also use shields, and they tend to have
it gets even more stressful when Gurianos has a long attack range, so you need to hang back
none of his armour left. You’ll probably get your and wait for the right moment to land that killer
butt handed to you many times before you get blow. It feels weirdly similar to more tactical
used to the pace of these sections, but with fighters like Bushido Blade or Messhof’s
some practice you should be able to make it sword-fighting game Nidhogg, which also
through to the area boss with all of your armour let you attack and defend with your sword at
intact. Once you reach an opponent, the action different heights. You also have the option of
switches to a one-on-one battle mode that hammering away at your opponent’s shield
forces you to think tactically about both your until it breaks, but you have to be careful not
attacking and blocking heights. to get carried away, and remember to keep
one eye on blocking correctly.
The bosses aren’t pushovers either, and as in
the NES classic Punch-Out!! you’ll need to work It’s impressive just how tense these fights can
out the specific strategies needed to defeat be, given that the game looks quite basic at
them all. For example, one of the bosses is a first glance. Some of the later one-on-one
heavily-armoured knight who fights defensively. battles are utterly relentless, such as that with
This battle is a war of nerves, as you slowly the hulking stage two boss, who can crumple
chip away at his armour pieces with precision your shield with just a few strikes of his spiked
strikes. Keep it up, and the armour eventually mace. Overall, Gladiator won’t win any awards
cracks and fall away, giving you a small window for its gloomy presentation or weird voice
to land a killing blow. It’s very stressful! samples, but there’s a nice tactical layer to
the combat that offers a decent challenge.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Technōs Japan 1986 3DS, AMI, APII, ARC, C64, CPC, GB, GBA, IBM, IOS,
NES, NSW, PS4, SMS, ST, WII, WIIU, WIN, XB1, ZXS

RENEGADE Use running strikes on weapon-wielding thugs, Enemies will crowd you, so watch your back and
or attack from slightly above or below. don’t fall off the stage!

Renegade is the first entry in the Kunio-kun Each of Renegade’s four stages sees you
series, which includes many classic games, like throwing down against a different gang,
River City Ransom (see p90), Super Dodge Ball, complete with its own theme. The aim is to
Crash ‘n’ the Boys: Street Challenge and the defeat all of the crew’s low-level goons before
stunning brawler River City Girls (see p432). It taking on its leader, and, interestingly, Technōs
also feels like a trial run for developer Technōs Japan decided to set each battle inside an
Japan’s legendary Double Dragon franchise, enclosed arena rather than a typical side-
with a similar visual style and familiar gameplay scrolling environment. The game’s format will
mechanics. While it seems quite basic today, be familiar to anyone who has played Atari’s
the game set a standard that influenced the visceral 1990 arcade brawler, Pit-Fighter.
entire beat-‘em-up genre as we know it.
Four stages might not sound like much, but
The original Japanese version was known as there’s a good chance you’ll get your butt
Hot-Blooded Tough Guy Kunio, and starred a handed to you very quickly on the first level.
brash high-school kid who must defeat four You really are swarmed by thugs from the
street gangs to save his classmate, Hiroshi. first moment and absolutely whaled on by a
Arcade audiences in the West got a slightly barrage of brutal punches, energy-sapping
different story, which follows a nameless grapples and hard-hitting weapon strikes. The
vigilante who fights to win back his kidnapped key to surviving Renegade is to think fast and
girlfriend, as well as a visual style that was act even faster, which actually gives this short
apparently altered to match the tone of Walter experience plenty of weight and intensity. Drop
Hill’s cult movie, The Warriors. Incidentally, The your focus for a moment and you’re probably
Warriors would later get its own beat-‘em-up going to pay dearly for it.
adaptation in 2005, courtesy of developer
Rockstar Toronto (p354).

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Bikers are a real pain, but can be taken down Getting stuck in enemy combos is a quick way to
with a few flying kicks. lose all your health.

Thankfully, Kunio has some slick moves of his If you make it this far, you really deserve some
own. You actually have one button for attacking kind of medal.
left and another for attacking right, which
helps you quickly fend off any gang members Whether you love or hate Renegade, there’s no
trying to get the drop on you from behind. Kunio denying that it helped to popularise the gritty
can also put foot to face with a nice jumping urban vibe that went on to inspire countless
kick, and can even topple his opponents with a other fighting games in years to come. Every
charging clothesline that is ideal for creating fighting game fan should try it at least once.
valuable breathing space. When an enemy is
downed, you can straddle them and hammer
their face with a flurry of punches, but you
should only do this when there’s no chance
of another enemy attacking you.

Even once you realise all of this, Renegade’s
opening subway stage can still be a punishing
experience. Thankfully, it’s one of those ‘one
more try’ games that you’ll want to keep
attempting just to see if you can make it a
little further. However, players with a short
attention span or wafer-thin patience might
feel their blood boiling pretty quickly.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Technōs Japan 1987 2600, 360, 3DS, 7800, AMI, ARC, C64, CPC, GB,
GBA, GEN, IBM, LNX, MD, MSX, NES, NSW, PS4,
SMS, ST, WII, WIIU, XB1, ZXS

DOUBLE DRAGON Marian gets punched during the intro sequence, Thrown barrels are powerful but slow, leaving
which was a shock to see in 1987. your body open to punches.

It’s hard to imagine what the gaming The core of Double Dragon’s combat feels
landscape would be like today if it weren’t similar to the mechanics found in the 1986
for this absolute classic from Technōs Japan. Technōs Japan release Renegade, except the
Double Dragon stands alongside Final Fight studio broke away from that game’s arena-
(p70) and Streets of Rage (p122) as part of the based levels and expanded the template,
holy trinity of side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups, with true belt-scrolling levels and elements of
with all three games contributing massively to platforming thrown into the mix. The action
the evolution of the genre over the years. The takes the Lee brothers through four stages,
1987 original hasn’t aged too gracefully, but in including seedy back alleys, industrial factories
its day the game set a new level of excellence and ancient temples, where you’ll face a
for the rest of the pack to follow. challenging cast of gang members who will
really put your skills to the test.
Double Dragon is set in a weird world that
feels slightly post-apocalyptic, but it’s never Aside from some basic punches and kicks,
confirmed exactly what state the planet’s in. you can grab enemies and knee them in the
The Black Warriors gang rules the streets with face or strategically throw them over the edge
an iron fist and raises hell with its army of of dangerous pitfalls for an instakill. There’s
brash punks, whip-wielding dominatrixes and even a backward elbow smash which can be
hulking muscle men. Martial artists Billy and invaluable when flanked by enemies on both
Jimmy Lee swear revenge on the gang after its sides. It’s essential that you put the back attack
members beat up Billy’s girlfriend Marian and to good use and keep moving as much as
haul her off to their lair. possible, as getting crowded in Double Dragon
is a fast pass to the ‘Game Over’ screen.

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It’s tempting to just keep whaling on goons, but Don’t stand in line with this guy. Attack his big
be mindful of sneak attacks. hitbox from slightly above or below.

The enemies can be pretty relentless, especially Getting past these spear statues takes lots of
fan-favourite Abobo, an aggressive bald patience and great reflexes.
wrestler chap who can throw you over his
shoulders with ease, causing huge damage. the slowdown issues that dogged the arcade
Abobo proved to be so popular, in fact, that release, and ended up handling exceptionally
he’s made cameo appearances in other games, well. It’s what many players consider to be the
including 2019’s River City Girls (p432) and the definitive version, but the game’s available in
bonkers fan-made tribute game Abobo’s Big lots of formats so it’s worth checking out a few
Adventure (p391). Thankfully, the Lees can pick versions and deciding for yourself.
up weapons such as whips and baseball bats
to send the brute packing.

While Double Dragon is hailed as one of the
originators of the scrolling beat-‘em-up format,
Technōs Japan would eventually outdo itself
with the truly sublime Double Dragon II: The
Revenge. The original is perfectly playable
today, but it feels far more sluggish than its
successor and becomes tedious thanks to
slowdown when too many foes are on screen.
It’s still a fun game, but suffers from scrappy
fighting mechanics while lacking the tactical
combat and fluid mechanics of its peers.
The 1988 NES port of Double Dragon eased

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THE PORTS

The original Double Dragon has appeared in
an impressive range of formats over the years.
Here are how some of the ports stack up …

NES MASTER SYSTEM

Arguably the most popular home version of Double Dragon, SEGA’s 8-bit port is a solid effort that handles almost
the NES edition has sharp sprites and vibrant colours, as identically to the arcade edition. The artwork is vibrant and
well as a superb rendition of the arcade soundtrack. It plays is largely more detailed than the NES release’s. However,
well, and the NES versions of the Lees have appeared in this version suffers from some brutal sprite flicker when
other games over the years. there are two or more enemies on screen at once.

MEGA DRIVE ZX SPECTRUM

Ported by Accolade, the Mega Drive version looks very Despite running on Sinclair’s primitive hardware, the
similar to the original arcade release, but plays like a total Spectrum edition of Double Dragon doesn’t play too badly.
slog due to some baffling design choices. The enemies It even has faithful recreations of the arcade stage design
move really fast, have tonnes of health, and home in on and some chunky sound effects when anyone gets hit.
you with brutal efficiency, making it an unfortunate and The total absence of music is really noticeable, but overall
frustrating edition. it’s not a bad attempt.

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ATARI LYNX GAME BOY ADVANCE

Released in 1993, the Lynx edition is quite impressive for a This superb edition of Double Dragon is by Atlus. It features
handheld release, with surprisingly fluid animation and revamped artwork and offers a new survival mode to test
none of the sprite flicker or slowdown that dogged other your skills. The controls now give you dedicated buttons for
ports. The crazy enemy tracking is as frustrating as it was throw and jump, which make it easier to pull off moves.
in the Mega Drive build, but otherwise this is still playable. This could be the best port of them all.

ATARI 2600 GAME BOY

This port was scaled back in every way to make it Don’t let the monochrome visuals fool you: the Game Boy
possible on the Atari 2600. However, its soundtrack is port of Double Dragon handles wonderfully, suffers no
genuinely impressive, with faithful renditions of the sprite flicker and even has a wonderful recreation of
original arcade score, recreated with wonderful bleeps the arcade soundtrack. The only weird thing about this one
and blops. Music aside, though, this is basic stuff with is the floaty jump physics, but overall it’s a superb effort.
some ludicrously massive hit boxes.

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CLASSIC MOMENT

Double Dragon – we fight for love
Sometimes, love can make people a little crazy.
That’s exactly what happens if you reach the final
stage of Double Dragon in two-player mode, in
which the Lee brothers fight each other to win
the affection of Billy’s girlfriend, Marian. It was
an inventive plot twist for its day.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Taito 1987 AMI, ARC, C64, CPC, MCD, NSW, PS4, SCD, ST,
TG16, WII, ZXS

THE NINJA WARRIORS You have to keep watching your back to avoid Get used to ducking under gunfire – it’s an
being rushed from behind. absolute must to survive each stage.

In a parallel, dystopian 1993, American Work out the angle of the tank’s cannon, then
president Benglar has the country under leap over it to get clear.
martial law. His armies roam the city to keep
the population in check, while a resistance Things get tougher as the game progresses,
leader called Mulk fights back with two android throwing you up against other androids,
ninjas, codenamed ‘Kunoichi’ and ‘Ninja’. These armoured tanks and attack dogs. While the
skilled warriors must take on an entire army to music and animation are superb, the gameplay
wrench America from the clutches of evil. gets old quite fast. Thankfully, the 1994 SNES
reimagining by Natsume (p276) is far superior
This game’s arcade cabinet was unusual, using and is an absolute must-play for scrolling
a mirror technique to emulate a widescreen beat-‘em-up fans.
format that appeared three times the size of a
normal arcade screen. The extra screen space
gives you more time to react to the waves of
savage enemies rushing at you from both sides.

It’s definitely a tough game, so the extra
breathing room is really welcome. As Kunoichi
or Ninja, you have simple standing and
crouching blade attacks, as well as a limited
supply of throwing stars, so you really don’t
have many moves at your disposal. That said,
if you want to cheese the game, you can simply
crouch-walk to the right while attacking to
take down most of the basic enemies.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Taito 1987 ARC, C64, GG, IBM, MSX, SMS, ZXS

RASTAN

Time your sword-swings properly to slay rushing Tougher enemies can block your strikes. Use

enemies before they make contact. strategy and patience to beat them.

As the lone barbarian Rastan, you must in Rastan demands lightning reflexes, some
journey across a dark fantasy land, while pattern memorisation and a cool head.
battling hordes of mythical beasts, to slay
an evil dragon. While this classic from Rastan deserves inclusion here, as Taito
Taito is more of an action-platformer, it expanded Kung-Fu Master’s flat but flexible
has similarities to the flat 2D side-scrolling template by infusing it with platforming
format introduced by Irem’s Kung-Fu Master. elements and verticality, character upgrades
to improve your chances of survival, and other
As in Irem’s classic, enemies constantly rush features that would resurface in future side-
you from both sides and attack at different scrolling beat-‘em-ups. It’s a fun, tough-as-
heights. While you’re reacting to enemies, nails arcade classic that all beat-‘em-up
you’ll also have to overcome perilous hazards, fans should try. Just don’t expect to get
tricky jumps and sadistic traps. Getting far far on your first few attempts.

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SEGA 1987 SMS

In some stages you can keep jumping to avoid Leaping zombies are a real pain. Press kick a KUNG FU KID
enemies entirely. little early to hit them safely.

At first glance you might mistake Kung Fu Kid Kung Fu Kid builds on Kung-Fu Master’s
for a sequel or spin-off to Kung-Fu Master template with some light platforming and
(p26), but there’s no direct relation between backdrops that look impressive on SEGA’s 8-bit
them. It’s actually a follow-up to SEGA’s SG- hardware. Both games are similar in that they
1000 action game, Dragon Wang, from 1985. play out on a flat 2D plane and have endlessly
charging enemies, but it’s definitely an easier
This sequel sees Wang return in the lead game than Irem’s classic. That said, it feels
role, as he fights deadly swordsmen and different enough that it’s not a direct copy of
leaping zombies who rush at him from both Irem’s title, helped by the platform sections,
sides. Along the way you’ll face a series of quirky soundtrack, bright visuals and fast
challenging stage bosses with precise attack gameplay. Kung Fu Kid is worth a play if you
patterns that you’ll need to learn. can find a cartridge.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SEGA 1988 360, 3DS, AMI, AND, ARC, C64, CPC, GEN, IBM,
IOS, MAC, MSX, NES, PS3, SMS, ST, TCD, TG16, WII,
WIN, ZXS

ALTERED BEAST The first time you transform into the wolf is a Use the tiger’s dash to clear whole rows of
real power trip. enemies in one go.

When it comes to arcade beat-‘em-ups, As the name suggests, Altered Beast is all about
Altered Beast needs little introduction. transforming into animal forms, such as a
It’s one of those games that never spawned fireball-hurling tiger, a bear that can turn bad
a huge franchise, but still has a huge and guys into stone, and a dragon that shoots
dedicated following among gamers who lightning bolts. While these altered forms are
remember it fondly from their childhood. It’s incredibly powerful, they don’t come for free, as
a flat 2D brawler, rather than a traditional you’ll start each stage in your default, laughably
belt-scrolling beat-‘em-up, but it deserves weak, human state. To transform into a beast,
a special mention here for its impact on you have to kill three white wolves in a stage,
the genre at large. then collect the blue orbs that they drop. That’s
easier said than done, especially in the later
The action is set in ancient Greece, which is stages, in which enemies have the ability
under attack from the evil warlock Neff and his to knock you around the automatically scrolling
hordes of ravenous monsters. To make matters screen like a pinball, which can drain all your
worse, the cackling sorcerer has abducted health in a matter of seconds.
Athena, daughter of Zeus, which convinces
the old god to resurrect a nameless champion, Scrambling around for orbs while in human form
who has the ability to transform into a range is definitely the most frustrating part of Altered
of powerful beasts. As the mighty morphing Beast. On paper it sounds fine, but it doesn’t
champion, it’s your job to kick Neff’s bony help that you have next to no invincibility frames
butt back to the underworld. after you get hit, meaning you don’t really have
time to gather your thoughts before taking
damage again. You can definitely learn how
to rise to the game’s challenge, but it will take

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Watch out for the serpent’s tail – it signals Use the dragon’s electric burst to get through
you when it’s about to attack. the second boss’s eye bullets.

some time, thanks to the constant waves of bad The golden wolf is your strongest form, but
guys on screen at once, attacking you from don’t expect an easy time here.
various heights and sometimes with weapons or
projectiles. You definitely need to work out which Interestingly, SEGA initially bundled Altered
of your human attacks works best for each Beast with Genesis consoles in North America,
enemy type, such as countering leaping blob but it was later replaced with Sonic the
monsters with your rising crouch kick. Hedgehog due to concerns that the zombie
characters might upset religious players.
In a weird way, the unrelenting challenge
kind of works, as you’ll feel a massive wave of
empowerment as soon as you morph into your
beast form. There’s something so refreshing
about tearing through a horde of demon soldiers
and gargoyles with the wolf form’s charge attack
that you can almost overlook the flaws of the
combat mechanics. It’s almost like you’re getting
your own back on the game for all the frustration
it caused you at the start of the stage.

Being an arcade game, Altered Beast feels like
the brutal combat and difficulty were designed
to guzzle the pocket money of unsuspecting
kids, but thankfully the home versions give you
a decent supply of lives.

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BEAST MODE

Your beast forms have signature attacks that help you
defeat Neff’s demons. Here are some tips for each beast
and how to deal with a few of the trickier enemies …

WOLFMAN DRAGON
This is your first beast form, and it gives you one Stage two is quite a challenge, but your dragon form
heck of a power trip after slogging through the helps make things far easier. This beast handles
level in your human state. The wolf’s fireball punch like a spaceship in a scrolling shoot-‘em-up, with the
lets you take out enemies at a safe distance, while ability to fire lightning blasts straight ahead. It can
its charging dash lets you rip through a whole row also surround itself with a defensive aura of sparks.
of demons at once.

WERE-BEAR TIGER
This is perhaps the silliest beast form to look at, Like your wolf form, the tiger can shoot fireballs
but the bear is actually one tough cookie. He can across the screen with his fists. He also has the same
turn enemies to stone with his magical breath and dashing charge, but he can only perform it vertically.
then shatter them with an attack. You can also This is really useful when blasting into flying enemies
use his spin jump to tear through opponents like at the top of the screen, or avoiding demons down low.
a fuzzy wrecking ball.

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DRAGON SNAKE ORB WOLF
Time to move on to enemies, starting with this These two-headed wolves contain the precious orbs
stroppy serpent from stage two. These guys shake you need to transform into your beast personas.
their rattling tails before bursting forth from the floor They can be tricky to catch when leaping across the
or ceiling to take a bite out of you. The snake won’t screen, so your timing has to be perfect to avoid
appear at all if you destroy its tail first, so be quick! taking damage. Hit them with a crouching punch
or upward kick.

THE UNDEAD GARGOYLES
Like most zombies, these shuffling corpses are Flying enemies can be a handful in Altered Beast,
essentially cannon fodder for your attacks, but especially when you’re in human form. If you hold
they can pose a threat in greater numbers. Make down and press kick, your champion pulls off
the most of your punching and kicking range by a clumsy-looking upward kick. The attack looks
hitting then from a safe distance. They can still foolish, but it will kill slow-flying enemies if you
hurt you even when decapitated, so be careful. time it just right.

BLOBBIES CHICKEN LEGS
These gelatinous gits hop towards you slowly. They This club-tailed creature debuted in Altered Beast
might look silly, but once they get close they’ll try before becoming a rideable mount in the Golden Axe
to leap on your head, and if they manage it you’ll series. He’s quick and crafty, so you have to act
be rooted to the spot while they rapidly suck away rapidly to jump over his tail swipes. Stay low and try
all your health. Waggle the joystick and mash to punch him in the beak when you get an opening.
buttons to escape.

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UNICORN WARRIOR
These horned brutes appear during the final stage
and, unfortunately for you, they’re smarter than
most enemies you’ve faced before. They can jump
between platforms to get the drop on you from
above and below, while lashing out with a painful
flying kick. Aim your attacks wisely to beat them.

ROCK TURTLE
More of a nuisance than a threat to your life bar,
these rocky rogues can be found slowly crawling
around the third stage. Each turtle is massive,
so it will force you to navigate around it, unless
you can land a well-timed punch or kick square
into its face.

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