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

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Sunsoft 1989 ARC

As in Double Dragon, your kick has great range The classic lead pipe is brilliant here, letting you TOUGH TURF
and even stun-locks enemies. knock down thugs instantly.

SEGA and Sunsoft joined forces to develop this Strangely, while Double Dragon starred the
decent response to Technōs Japan’s Double Lee brothers, who were a pair of skilled martial
Dragon (p36 & p58). One of the first things artists, Tough Turf casts you as two anonymous
you might notice is how similar the gameplay office workers wearing fairly presentable shirts
feels across these titles. Tough Turf is maybe and ties. Did too many bad days at the office
a little more on the sluggish side, with slow send them into a violent rampage of vigilante
movement and languid combat. That said, all justice? Sadly, we’ll never know, as this game
of the key ingredients are present and correct, has zero plot. All you’ll do is walk to the right
with tight controls, light platforming and while punching everyone, so it’s best not to
plenty of bad guys to smack about. question the wanton violence you’re seeing.
Overall, Tough Turf’s not a bad effort and
deserves a try with a friend.

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Konami 1989 ARC, NSW, PS4

Kick at people all you want; there’s a good The positioning problem gets even worse when CRIME FIGHTERS
chance you’ll still only hit thin air. facing multiple enemies at once.

Konami was a true driving force of high- Annoyingly, your enemies don’t appear to be
quality arcade brawlers throughout the tethered to the same infuriating rules, as their
‘80s and ‘90s, but the woeful Crime Fighters hits sometimes connect even if they aren’t right
was a rare miss for the veteran developer. in front of you. So, much of Crime Fighters is
The biggest problem is its confusing hit boxes, spent on trying to position yourself in front of
which make for some seriously unappealing enemies properly so you can land a hit. You’ll be
combat. For example, you can line your thinking about this so much that you might lose
vigilante up directly with an enemy, and focus and start taking a savage beatdown from
hammer the attack buttons with all your all sides. Throw in tiny sprites, stock bad guys
might, but still completely miss your opponent. and poor graphics, and you have one of the
least enjoyable side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups
of the ‘80s.

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1990-
1999

The gaming medium as a
whole enjoyed a decade of
rapid growth throughout
the ‘90s. Games were no
longer seen as a niche hobby
for awkward kids or geeks,
thanks to the juggernaut
marketing machines at
both SEGA and Nintendo.
During their infamous
16-bit console war, both
companies reframed video
games as something that
only the coolest kids should
be playing. Basically, if you
weren’t playing the latest
and greatest new titles, you
were a nobody. As a way
of manipulating kids into
bugging their parents for
new games, it was a stroke
of genius.

The Simpsons
The quality of The Simpsons TV
show tanked years ago, but in
the ‘90s it was one of the biggest
cultural phenomena on Earth.
So naturally, an arcade game
followed. It’s great, too!

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While the Mega Drive/Genesis and Super Capcom, on the other hand, was more
Nintendo went at it like a pair of sweaty like a mad inventor who kept pushing the
heavyweights, it was the gamers who were genre in unexpected directions that few
this decade’s real winners, thanks to the had previously dared to explore. In the
strong and expansive libraries of games chaotic Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (p224),
available in both formats. We were truly the developer threw explosive gunplay
spoiled by the time Sony’s PlayStation into the mix, which really popped with
launched across Japan in 1994, sparking satisfying weight. The same is true of
a 3D revolution of polygon-based games, The Punisher (p250), a violent Marvel
full-motion video cutscenes and other adaptation that let players pull off neat
visual techniques that propelled the pistol tricks to keep the barrage of
medium forward in one massive leap. enemies at bay.

While home consoles were evolving But no title in Capcom’s glittering résumé
rapidly, the arcade scene still had much of beat-‘em-ups would expand the format
to offer. Notably, Konami and Capcom quite like its 1996 licensed game, Dungeons
propelled side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups to & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara (p318).
new heights by proving their mastery of the It truly was the culmination of everything
genre. Both companies released hit after the developer had learned over the previous
hit, starting with Konami’s new licensed decade, with role-playing game mechanics
tie-ins for The Simpsons (p144), Teenage that are far, far deeper than they initially
Mutant Ninja Turtles (p154, p166 & p221) appear. The game also features collectable
and Marvel’s X-Men cartoon (p200). Playing currency, an inventory system, and a spell
these games today reveals that they each wheel featuring offensive, defensive and
have similar mechanics, but they’ve all healing magic powers. It’s a staggering
gone on to become classics of the genre. achievement that today seems to be
continually overlooked in favour of
Capcom’s other brawlers.

Konami’s X-Men arcade game hasn’t aged too well, but it’s still a laugh.

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Thanks to all of this hard work, developers But from the ashes of these middling 3D
throughout the ‘90s changed the perception brawlers came something new and long-
of what a side-scrolling beat-‘em-up could lasting. You could make a solid argument
be. Gone were the days of simple belt- that without games like Fighting Force, we
scrolling stages and brainless button might not have 3D combat-based games
mashing, replaced instead with a selection like Dynasty Warriors, Bayonetta or God
box of mechanics from other genres. It of War. Look closely at the DNA of those
wasn’t all plain sailing, however, as the games and you’ll start to spot many
arrival of 3D gaming presented studios with crossovers with the side-scrolling beat-
a difficult question – how do you bring an ‘em-up genre.
inherently 2D genre into the polygon age
without losing what makes it so special? So, in a weird way, these distinctly
average early attempts to modernise the
Sadly, few studios had a good answer. genre weren’t really failures. It might be
Titles like Core Design’s 1997 effort, a stretch to call them pioneers, but they
Fighting Force (p320), were playable undoubtedly had a slow-burn impact
enough, but suffered from janky cameras on gaming at large.
and awkward combat that didn’t work so
well in 3D space. SEGA had greater success
with its absolutely mad Die Hard Arcade
(p314), which saw John McClane fighting
sumo wrestlers and robots in a tower block
to save the president’s daughter. It might
still be the decade’s best attempt at
creating a 3D side-scroller.

Cadillacs and Dinosaurs is a truly stellar side-scroller that deserves a remake, or at least a re-release.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SEGA 1990 ARC, GEN, MD, SMS

MICHAEL JACKSON’S The screen can quickly fill with enemies and Watching goons dance themselves to death is
MOONWALKER gunfire, so try to keep moving! worth the price of admission in itself.

Moonwalker is an obscure movie co-written boards, which were notorious for having
by the late pop legend Michael Jackson. It’s batteries that degraded over time. Once the
mostly just a collection of interconnected battery on the Moonwalker board expired or
music videos with a weird short film at the died due to a fault, the game would become
end. The final section focuses on a crime lord completely unplayable.
called Mr. Big, who wants to get every kid in
the world hooked on drugs. Naturally, the only It’s a real loss, as the Moonwalker arcade
one who can save our youth is Michael, who edition is pretty good fun. It supports three
in one iconic scene transforms into a giant players, each controlling a palette-swapped
robot. No really, this actually happens. Michael as he dances and fights his way
through each chaotic stage. The gameplay is
So yeah, this crazy premise isn’t exactly prime a little like those top-down legends, Smash T.V.
fodder for a side-scrolling brawler, but that and Gauntlet, as you battle huge waves of
didn’t stop SEGA and Triumph International from enemies that quickly swarm the screen.
doing it anyway. Adaptations of Moonwalker
made it into many formats, starting a weird era Rather than dish out melee combos, Michael
of collaboration between SEGA and Jackson, attacks with ‘Dance Magic’ that he fires at
such as their secretive partnership on the Sonic enemies from his hands. If an enemy gets too
the Hedgehog 3 soundtrack. Look that one up close, the blasts are swapped out for a last-ditch
on YouTube if you want your mind blown. spin attack, which is useful when completely
surrounded. You can also use a special move
The main event is Moonwalker for arcade, which that casts a spotlight on Michael as he dances.
put an interesting spin on the belt-scrolling This forces all the bad guys on screen to perform
format by shifting it to an isometric viewpoint. a choreographed dance number, before a hail
The game ran on SEGA’s System 18 arcade of energy wipes them all out. It’s genuinely

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Sadly, the graveyard level doesn’t use the song Michael’s robot form gives you an empowerment
‘Thriller’, presumably due to rights issues. kick as you shoot up the screen.

hilarious to see some of the enemies, such as samples. The quality is so bad it sounds like he’s
knife-wielding maniacs, vicious attack dogs and gargled a sandpaper smoothie. On the other
hulking mecha, joining in with Michael’s routine. hand, all of the music tracks sound brilliant and
You can only use this move once per life, but are incredibly catchy, with neat renditions of
you can find extra uses and health top ups by Jackson’s mega-hits, including ‘Bad’, ‘Smooth
saving imprisoned kids. You might even find a Criminal’ and ‘Beat It’.
few cameo appearances by Bubbles, who was
Michael’s real-life pet chimpanzee. This is a game that reads like a tripped-out
fever dream on paper. The components feel
Picking up Bubbles turns Michael into a giant utterly alien in isolation, but who knew that a
version of himself, then transforms him into his pop star using magical dance moves to defeat
powerful robotic form. His dance magic blasts a drug lord would work as a concept? SEGA
are replaced with a powerful twin laser, which knew, and the end result is one of the strangest
can also be charged up into a rocket attack yet most engaging brawlers of the early ‘90s.
that’s pretty helpful against end-of-stage
bosses. The robot form sounds silly, but seeing It’d be wrong to gloss over the home version
Michael mutate into a fearsome machine of entirely; it’s worth checking out today, just to
death is so utterly bizarre that it never gets old. see how bizarre it is. The gameplay basically
boils down to a game of hide and seek, as
Speaking of bosses, the evil Mr. Big shows you check every doorway and hiding spot in
up at the end of each stage in a series of each stage to find missing kids. The searching
increasingly powerful robotic contraptions, like aspect is incredibly tedious, but there’s enough
some musical version of Sonic’s Dr. Robotnik. in there to warrant a cheeky play-through.
It’s worth experiencing each boss fight, just to
hear Mr. Big’s shockingly acted digitised voice

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
East Technology 1990 AMI, ARC, C64, CPC, GB, GEN, IBM, MD, NES,
NSW, PS4, ST, WIIU, XB1, ZXS

DOUBLE DRAGON III: When you get swarmed like this, you’re probably Once you reach the Japanese swordsmen, you’ll
THE ROSETTA STONE going to get a severe beatdown. be in a world of pain.

There are two games called Double Dragon III. You only get one life and your pitiful health
The arcade version dropped in 1990 and is bar can be drained in moments if you get
subtitled ‘The Rosetta Stone’, while the NES surrounded by enemies. You can recruit other
edition was released in 1991 with the tagline characters along the way, who act as extra lives
‘The Sacred Stones’. It’s worth talking about once a fighter dies, but good luck getting far
both games at once, as they actually have enough to make the most of them.
some weird differences and oddball design
choices between them. Unfortunately, The arcade edition also had this system, but in
both games fell short of the Double Dragon the North American and European release you
pedigree and are notorious for their failures. could only recruit additional players by buying
them from the mid-stage store. This is where
The NES edition does the Lee boys wrong things get really controversial, as everything in
from the start, as the opening cutscene has the shop costs real money. It’s possible that the
a legendary typo that calls them ‘Bimmy Western arcade release of Double Dragon III
and Jimmy’. Double Dragon Neon developer was the first game with micro-transactions
WayForward Technologies riffed on this that required real currency. Needless to say, the
grievous error by making you fight two decision went down like a burst tyre and it was
bosses called Bimmy and Jammy, who are swiftly removed when the game launched in
mistranslated mutations of the brothers. Well Japanese arcades.
played to whoever came up with that one.
Thankfully, the Japanese build gave you the
You could overlook the mistake if the rest of option to play as all the characters from the
the NES version played well, but the game is start, with all of their moves as standard. Again,
just a chore, thanks to its outrageous difficulty. the Western release was happy to fleece kids of

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The Italy stage is full of half-naked archers, Buy an ‘Extra Guy’ and he’ll appear when your
which is just a bit silly. Lee brother falls in battle.

their pocket money in exchange for new at the end of stage two can smack you silly
moves, which is a pretty shady tactic. It’s a with his nunchaku from a crazy distance, while
crazy world when you’re ten years old and the Japan level’s ninja boss encounter is about
having to choose between spending your as much fun as being beaten up in real life. You
pocket money on a pick ‘n’ mix and pack of deserve a medal if you’ve made it to the end
football stickers or on upgrading Billy Lee’s of this game, not because it’s hard, but for the
command list. Utter madness. way its wonky balancing and crude design
test your patience to the utmost limit.
Store stuff aside, the arcade version of Double
Dragon III really isn’t much to write home about. Both versions of Double Dragon III are missed
The combat mechanics are so scrappy and opportunities that fail to make the most of their
sluggish that it’s hard to develop any real premise. In 1997, EGM magazine reported that
strategy against most enemy types. It’s entirely the NES edition was a true commercial failure,
possible to be directly in front of an enemy and which left publisher Acclaim Entertainment
have your attacks pass right through them, with around half a million unsold cartridges.
then other times you’ll hit them even if, visually,
it doesn’t look like your attack connected. What was meant to be an epic, globe-trotting
It also doesn’t help that the animation is very race to find some magical stones just ended up
choppy, as this makes it hard to read your being a plain kick in the stones instead. It was
opponent’s movements. surprising stuff from Technōs Japan, considering
the studio’s great track record with the first two
To make matters worse, some boss fights are Double Dragon entries, as well as the enjoyable
miserable slogs designed to guzzle even more Kunio games. What a waste.
of your hard-earned cash. The Bruce Lee clone

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Alpha Denshi 1990 ARC, NCD, NEO, NSW, PS4, WII, XB1

NINJA COMBAT Even the graphically impressive magic specials The big, chunky sprites look great, but they feel
can’t save the game from being tedious. a little wasted on the dull combat.

When a giant tower full of evil ninjas emerges but in some cases you can kill tough enemies
in the middle of New York City, twin warriors by simply standing still and spamming a single
Joe and Hayabusa must take to the streets button from a safe distance. They’ll just stand
and repel the Kage Ichizoku clan’s  invading there and take hits politely until they perish.
forces. While the plot sounds epic, Ninja
Combat received largely negative reviews Overall, the combat just feels pretty weightless
when it first launched in arcades, mostly for and lacks the punchy audio-visual feedback of
its unfair difficulty curve and repetitive, something like Streets of Rage (p122). It’s an
mindless gameplay. incredibly dull way to play, and after a while
you’ll yearn for weightier things like punishing
It looks similar to other side-scrolling beat-‘em- combos and crushing throws.
ups, as you walk from left to right, fighting
ninjas, barbarians and other baddies. However, Weak combat aside, the first stage actually
Joe and Hayabusa move like they’re trudging shows some promise. Set in an amusement
through treacle, and can only walk faster after park, the colourful backgrounds, detailed
picking up speed scrolls from inside barrels. sprite design and slick animation all look fairly
The actual combat doesn’t fare much better, impressive, but the tedium quickly sets in from
feeling more like a rote shoot-‘em-up than the second stage, as you continue to button-
a fighting game. mash your way through waves of cheap
enemies that flood the screen.
That’s because you’ll spend most of the game
hammering the attack button mindlessly, So while the visuals look genuinely great, it’s
hurling an endless barrage of ninja stars into unfortunate that a game called Ninja Combat
the faces of everyone in your path. There are has such mindless and unrewarding fighting
other weapons to be picked up along the way, mechanics at its core.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Technōs Japan 1990 ARC, SNES, WII

Avoid standing in line with the fire breathers to Fighting roller-hockey gang members might be THE COMBATRIBES
dodge their flames. the most ‘90s thing ever.

The Combatribes could be considered a Beyond basic punches and kicks, the special
spiritual successor to the Technōs Japan moves are crazy, such as the ability to grab
classic Renegade (p34). Rather than taking downed thugs by the ankles, spin them around,
players through a series of long, belt-scrolling then release them like a projectile. The weighty
levels that go from left to right, both games combat makes you feel unstoppable, while the
throw you into rectangular arenas that bizarre enemy designs make The Combatribes
represent the turfs of various gangs. a hilarious and fun experience.

Like Renegade, the format is pretty simple and The gangs are also over the top, including
that’s where much of the game’s fun comes a brilliantly named biker gang called The
from. Each stage starts with you laying waste to Motorcycle Nuclear Warheads, and stage
a few waves of low-level goons, before the gang’s two’s Demon Clowns, who have overrun a
leader appears for a tough boss showdown. While theme park with an army of circus performers,
the concept is pretty bare-bones, Technōs built fire-eaters and mimes. If you ever wanted
on this simple foundation with some genuinely to batter a mime, this is your chance.
fun combat and lashings of screwball humour.
The Combatribes has appeared on the Wii’s
The game’s biggest laughs come from its three Virtual Console service, but sadly hasn’t seen
protagonists, the amazingly named Berserker, a widespread release for some time. If you
Bullova and Blitz. They’re meat slabs who look fancy an original copy, there’s also a Super
look a little like Ivan Drago and are far bigger Nintendo edition, which boasts additional
than most enemies. The low-level thugs are tiny content, like a new duel mode and story
by comparison, and most of your moves let you cutscenes. Seek it out for a fun time.
tear through them as if they were made of
soggy kitchen paper.

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LEVEL UP

The Combatribes takes place across several large
arenas that sometimes have extra floors. Here’s a tour
of the places you’ll visit on your voyage of mayhem!

ACT 1: THE MOTORCYCLE NUCLEAR WARHEADS
Your battle begins with a scrap against many low-level goons. Some are unarmed,
but others have broken bottles and chains, so be careful. The boss is a burly biker
with a mullet who holds a huge plank of wood. Thankfully, he’s simple to defeat.

ACT 2: DEMON CLOWNS
This is a strange fight, as you’re basically laying waste to a mob of clowns and mimes.
The basic grunts shouldn’t give you much trouble, and you’ll eventually fight your way
up a big tower to face the boss, a ruthless fire-breather with a mean kick.

ACT 3: SLASH SKATE SCREAMERS
Things get tricky as you face a gang of roller-skating fighters holding lead pipes. They skate
around really quickly and can launch into jumping pipe attacks at a moment’s notice, so stay
frosty. The boss is a punk holding a sledgehammer. He has superior range, so fight smart!

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ACT 4: STADIUM BARBARIANS
This a simple stage that throws you against lots of basic thugs who shouldn’t give you
any trouble at this point. The boss is – for some reason – a native American war chief
with a tomahawk. Goad him into sprinting at you, then smack him with a flying kick.

ACT 5: SLAUGHTER TROOPS
Weirdly, this stage features guys that hold rifles. However, rather than shoot at you from a
distance, they get in close to rifle-butt you. Let them get near and give them a smackdown,
before taking the elevator to the rooftop helipad, where a drop-kicking general awaits.

ACT 6: THE FINAL BATTLE
It’s a dockside boss rush! You’ll fight all the previous bosses and some of their goons,
before fighting a female assassin with lightning strikes. Walk up or down to make her
attacks miss, then move in for a counter-strike. Keep doing that until you beat the game.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Electronic Devices 1990 ARC

MUG SMASHERS Be aware of your spacing to avoid the spikes Weapons give you a slight attack range
that shoot out of the floor. advantage over standard enemies.

You might not have heard of this little-known into a literal tornado and smashes into
brawler or its obscure Italian developer, but foes. Beyond the chunky base combat, Mug
Mug Smashers is actually a surprisingly fun Smashers is full of fun surprises, such as
game. The plot follows hardened vigilantes environmental hazards and a decent range
Axel and Miles as they fight across their city of weapons. You get standard weapons like
to restore order to the streets and save Sheila, knives and steel pipes, but you also have an
their captured police-officer friend. It might arsenal of brutal firearms, including simple
not be the best-looking game in the genre, pistols, a rapid-fire assault rifle and a hilarious
but dig beneath the surface and you’ll find it old-timey blunderbuss. It’s such a random
plays a little like a low-budget attempt at thing to find lying around the streets, but it just
replicating Capcom’s heavyweight, Final Fight sums up how wonderfully quirky the game is.
(p70). It even has a similar city map screen
before each stage, but it looks like it was Mug Smashers is a classic case of not judging
drawn in Microsoft Paint, which is just brilliant. a book by its cover. Look beneath the bizarre
character designs and you’ll unearth a fun and
The whole game has a weird yet charming competent brawler. It’s far from the best in the
art style, with character designs that are pure genre, but it has a quaint charm. Either way, the
‘90s. While it looks a little odd, the controls game seems too obscure to have a larger fan
are responsive, with a simple command list of base, but give it a try and it’ll keep you and a
moves that feel weighty enough. You can strike pal entertained for half an hour.
bad guys from above with flying kicks, throw
enemies, and let rip with a dashing elbow strike.
Axel also has a weird special whereby he turns

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Taito 1990 ARC, PS2, WIN, XB

Stay sharp and keep moving to avoid the This poor chap turns into a ravenous were- THE NINJA KIDS
gangster’s rolling attack. puppet and trashes a burger joint.

What’s the best remedy for defeating an evil There’s never a dull moment in each of the varied
cult that’s trying to summon Satan? Obviously, stages, which throw a great range of enemies at
the correct answer is to assemble a task force you to keep things interesting. It also helps that
of four ninja puppets and entrust them with the combat feels both responsive and satisfying
saving the planet from an eternity of hellish when you successfully land hits on enemy
rule. It’s certainly one of the more unique puppets. From heavily-armoured gunslingers
brawlers out there, as each of the characters to lanky zombies, the large cast of foes forces
looks like they just strolled off the set of you to change up your tactics on the fly.
Sesame Street, complete with those big
flappy muppet mouths. The bosses are also a real treat, as you never
know what oddball opponents you’ll face next.
The Ninja Kids isn’t just full of visual gimmicks, The Aliens-inspired power loader and the giant
though, as the gameplay and combat are fun flame that spawns from a pentagram are two
too. Each of the puppets has a distinct look and highlights. If you want even more variety, there’s
its own signature Japanese weapon. Hanzo lets a stage in which your puppet has to climb up
rip with his katanas, Sasuka lashes out with a the side of a building while goons hurl trash at
kusarigama chain sickle, Akane attacks at a you from the windows.
safe distance with throwing stars and, finally,
Genta batters enemies with a nunchaku-style Overlooked in 1990, The Ninja Kids is worth
staff. They all have unique two-button specials seeking out. It’s one of those obscure gems
that unleash screen-destroying elemental that deserves a bigger audience today.
attacks, similar to the magic specials in You’ll especially like it if you enjoy Treasure’s
Golden Axe. 1994 puppet platformer, Dynamite Headdy.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SEGA 1990 AMI, ARC, C64, CPC, GEN, MAC, MD, SMS,
ST, WII, WIN, ZXS

ALIEN STORM The Mega Drive home port lost the arcade Your weapons stun-lock enemies, but root you in
version’s fun cutscenes. place, so watch your back.

Earth has been invaded by a race of violent bombs, as well as a powerful flamethrower and
space monsters and it’s up to a heavily-armed assault rifle. Lastly there’s Scooter, a robot that
special forces unit called the ‘Alien Busters’ uses a laser whip, micro-missiles and gun boots
to save the day. Travelling undercover in their to dish out quick attacks. Interestingly, Scooter
armoured burger van, the team must battle is known as ‘Slammer’ in the Master System
across America to destroy the invaders once version of Alien Storm.
and for all.
Each character plays quite differently, which
Alien Storm is interesting for 1990, as it really helps give Alien Storm plenty of replay value.
mixes up the side-scrolling beat-‘em-up genre The enemies are also really inventive, with
by throwing shoot-‘em-up mechanics into the snail-like aliens that slither around from under
mix. Across the game’s stages, you’ll tackle post boxes and trash cans, and grotesque
classic belt-scrolling fighting areas, rail-based tentacled creatures that try to gobble you up.
run-‘n’-gun chase sequences, and even SEGA’s AM1 team went the extra mile to make
first-person shooting gallery sections. The sure the bad guys felt both inventive and gross
range of gameplay styles and fresh ideas is in equal measure, and you’ll feel genuinely
really neat, and helps keep the combat from powerful laying waste to them with your
growing stale. ridiculous firepower.

The Alien Busters squad is made up of Gordon, However, Alien Storm’s real power trip comes
who uses an electric rifle to zap enemies and a from its first-person shooter sections, which
rocket launcher to send them flying across the play out a bit like a scrolling light-gun game.
screen. He’s joined by Karla, who can summon Aliens leap at you and shoot projectiles as you
a drop-ship to lay waste to the screen with return fire with your main weapon, tearing up

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Shoot everything in sight to find energy tanks These plants look harmless, but can spit toxic
and deflect sneak attacks. clouds at you from a distance.

the destructible scenery with every shot. The Use your weapon’s range wisely to plan your
carnage is comically over the top, similar to the spacing and avoid back attacks.
infamous hotel dining room scene in the movie
Ghostbusters, with crazy collateral damage it even received a stellar home port on the
as you lay waste to supermarkets, electronics Mega Drive that’s readily available today in
stores and car dealerships. many formats. While it takes some hits in the
visual department, it’s a faithful version that
Don’t get too cocky with your military-grade can give you and a buddy a good hour of
arsenal, though, as Alien Storm can lay the alien-busting fun.
hurt on you when it wants. You’ll probably
be humbled by its tricky bosses: total bullet
sponges that eat up a crazy number of hits
before they finally die. Their designs are also
pretty grotesque; the first boss can only
be described as a mutated blend of spider,
scorpion and a witch’s face. Seriously, you
need to see it to understand. Either way, SEGA
did a great job of designing the aliens to look
hideous and deserving of a beatdown.

Alien Storm is an inventive and varied brawler
with superb graphics, outstanding enemy
design and wonderfully weighty combat.
Like most SEGA beat-‘em-ups of the era,

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ALIEN BREEDS

SEGA designed a lot of wacky and disgusting

aliens for you to fight. Here are a few of the

extra-terrestrial terrors you’ll face …

SHAPESHIFTER FLYING BEASTS
This is the first boss you’ll face. Its first form crawls around These aliens have tiny wings and big hands, which just
shooting lightning at you, while the second is a horned looks odd. Don’t let their appearance fool you though, as
demon that can morph its stomach into a giant punching they move fast and can flank you on both sides quickly.
fist. The last form is a big brain covered in eyes, and If you see a pack of these buzzing bruisers, just make
cannons that shoot explosives. sure to keep moving to avoid getting cornered.

TENTACLE HORROR STEALTH SNAILS
Be careful not to get too close to these slithering This covert creature hides under everyday objects, such
slimeballs, as they’ll use their tentacles to pull you into as plant pots, mailboxes and trashcans, just waiting to
their mouths and deal massive damage. Disgustingly, attack any hapless human who walks by. Sometimes
their tongues are actually the corpses of humans they’ve they’ll lie dormant until you least expect it, then spring
snacked on earlier that day. Gross stuff! to life to give you a tough time. Stay frosty, soldier!

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ALIEN SPIDERS FERAL FOOT SOLDIER
Popular in Alien Storm’s run-‘n’-gun sequences, these These grunts are smarter than most of the creatures you’ll
creepy crawlies will scuttle about quickly to avoid your face. They can get in close and start slashing at your face
gunfire. Every so often, they’ll take a running leap and try with their razor-sharp claws. They can even hit you with
to land on your head. You’ll take a chunk of damage if their extendable tongues to knock you down instantly.
they touch you, so try to keep moving. Try a dash attack to bowl them over.

FACE FLY YELLOW MAW
Sometimes, when you defeat an alien, these strange little You’ll only see these gnashing sets of fangs in Alien
face flies will appear. They won’t do any damage but they Storm’s first-person-shooter sections. Sometimes they’ll
will flit about the screen quickly. If you manage to kill one, leap out at you from behind the background scenery,
it’ll drop a much-needed energy tank that boosts your but other times they’ll be fired from the mouths of bigger
weapon and special meter. creatures. Shoot them quickly to avoid taking a chunk
of damage.

SPORE PLANTS BLOB MONSTERS
While these problematic plants can’t move, they are able There’s not much to say about these guys, as they really
to shoot a noxious cloud of stinky gas right at you from a are just small blobs that slither around on the ground.
distance. There’s no real warning of when they’re about to However, if your gun runs out of energy, your character
do this, so just keep sharp, avoid standing directly in line won’t be able to take them out as quickly and you might
with them and return fire when it’s safe. get swarmed. Grab energy tanks to stay safe.

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CLASSIC MOMENT

Alien Storm – shoot ‘em up!
SEGA flipped the side-scrolling format on its
head with Alien Storm’s first-person-shooter
stages. The first time you encounter them is
a real treat, as you let rip with heavy firepower
that tears through the alien scum and the
destructible scenery with huge collateral
damage.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Konami 1990 ARC, FAM, NES

ROLLERGAMES This unique brawler is based on the American Strategy be damned! Just spam the punch
TV series Rollergames, which was a neat button and you might win.
blend of roller derby and the classic show
Gladiators. As in wrestling, the show featured for even a moment. It’s almost a case of what
dramatic storylines to keep viewers tuning in will break first while mindlessly hammering the
each week as teams from across the country joypad – your mind or your body.
battled it out for glory in the Super Roller
Dome arena. It’s about as unashamedly That said, Rollergames still attempts to do
‘90s as TV gets. something unique. It’s an interesting mix of
genres that feels like a time capsule from an
Developer Konami tried to follow the show’s era when rollerskating was legitimately the
format as closely as possible. You start by coolest thing on the planet. Sure, the era
picking a team, then you hit the arena and maybe lasted a few months before yo-yos and
skate around an oval circuit, battling enemy Pogs came out, but every brawler fan should
crews and pulling off stunts for points. You can play this weird, flawed curiosity at least once.
punch and kick other skaters to make them lose
speed or throw them with some delightfully
over-the-top grapple moves that defy the
physics of skating. It can be a little hard to line
up attacks amid all the chaos, but the hectic
atmosphere can still be a lot of fun.

Peel back the ‘90s madness, however, and
Rollergames is just a wacky, nostalgic idea with
some admittedly mindless combat. The arenas
also seem to go on forever, which can sometimes
make the stages drag on a little. The computer-
controlled opponents are also highly skilled,
which means you’re likely to get your butt
kicked if you let up your button-mash attacks

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Leland Corp. 1991 ARC

BRUTE FORCE The top-down gunplay feels a little like the While the combat is okay, the small sprites do
original Grand Theft Auto in parts. remove some of the impact.

Brute Force is an interesting brawler hybrid The varied stages take you through a cinema
that lets you attack using melee strikes and swarming with thugs and a construction yard
guns in eight directions from a top-down teeming with heavies. One of the more bizarre
isometric view, similar to the classic Midway- highlights is a showdown on a baseball field
published shooter Smash TV. Developed by that’s ruled by a grenade-hurling pitcher.
the obscure Leland Corporation, the game There are a lot of pickups to help you out,
tasks up to three players with cleaning up such as sneakers to move faster, dumbbells to
a crime-infested city by taking down the strengthen your attacks, and armour to boost
heads of seven ruthless gangs. your defence. While it might look ropey, Brute
Force is actually a fun game that’s rammed
full of ideas and features.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Incredible 1991 ARC
Technologies, Inc.

Your standard kick has great range for keeping These little guys are a pain to hit. Try smacking NINJA CLOWNS
enemies at bay. them with aerial attacks.

The title of this one alone sets the mind to getting hit have to be applauded. Special
racing with excitement, and thankfully the mention goes to the chicken boss, which
actual game isn’t too shabby. It’s still a bit squawks and bursts into a bug-eyed cloud
of a false promise, though, as the titular of feathers every time your attacks connect.
clowns aren’t really ninjas at all. Sure, they
throw a few punches and pies, but highly- Ninja Clowns handles okay too, with punches
skilled badass ninjas they ain’t. and kicks, mid-air attacks and a clown tumble
that’s great for rolling into shorter enemies that
Ninja Clowns was created by the American are too hard to hit, like cookie-selling girl scouts
developer Incredible Technologies, Inc., which and pairs of chattering, wind-up comedy teeth.
only released ten arcade games in its lifetime, You can also pick up seltzer bottles, rotten
including the mega-popular Golden Tee golf tomatoes, custard pies and extendable boxing
series. The plot stars a pair of martial arts gloves to hit tougher enemies at range.
circus performers armed with hard-hitting
comedy props. You’ll fight from the gritty city While it’s lacking in the ninjitsu department,
streets to the big top against a cast of weird you can’t deny that this game lives up to the
and utterly bizarre enemies that look like they ‘clown’ part of its title. The only real gripe
belong in a Toejam and Earl game, such as is that the levels feel repetitive as you jump
lawyers and violent cops. back and forth between urban, evil laboratory
and circus settings on rotation. Otherwise,
One of the first things that hits you is the this is an obscure brawler that you might
cartoony animation. Even though some enemy get a kick out of.
movement is a little choppy, the animated style
of the enemies and their over-the-top reactions

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SEGA / Ancient 1991 360, 3DS, AND, ARC, GEN, GG, IOS, MAC, MD,
NSW, PS3, PS4, SMS, WII, WIN, XB1

STREETS OF RAGE Each of the characters feels distinct and has The lead pipe has great range and a satisfying
their own strengths and moves. impact on each hit.

Known as Bare Knuckle in Japan, the first series without commenting on its music, which
Streets of Rage was a revelation when it hit is a blend of banging techno-inspired beats,
the Mega Drive in Japan, on 2nd August 1991. high beats-per-minute house, and elements of
At the time, the arcade brawler scene was the new jack swing genre.
dominated by Capcom and Konami, two
juggernauts that seemingly had the genre The game stars supercops Axel Stone, Blaze
sewn up with heavyweight releases like Final Fielding and Adam Hunter as they fight to save
Fight (p70) and Ninja Turtles (p80). Their their city from the evil Mr. X and his criminal
dominance over the genre didn’t stop SEGA syndicate. All of the action takes place across
from trying to recreate an authentic side- a single night and takes you through neon-
scroller arcade experience in the home, and drenched streets, graffiti-tagged back alleys
although Streets of Rage ran on inferior 16-bit and an industrial plant swarming with thugs.
hardware, the end result sparked a cultural Thankfully, each of the playable fighters comes
phenomenon that has outlasted the equipped with a mind-boggling range of moves
competition to this day. to use against enemies, with a level of depth
that far surpassed anything seen in the
Streets of Rage isn’t just a great game, it also arcades at the time.
has a unique, ultra-cool vibe that sets it apart
from everything else in the genre. It’s almost a For example, you can grapple enemies from the
time capsule of ‘90s culture, thanks to its neon front by simply walking into them. From there
colour palette, retro fashion, and a stunning you can choose to smack them about with a
soundtrack by legendary composer Yuzo simple melee combo, throw them across the
Koshiro that has become synonymous with the screen, or vault over their head to position
franchise today. You simply can’t talk about the yourself behind them for a devastating body

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Don’t use the cop car if there are no enemies on You can throw enemies into the factory crushers
screen! for huge damage.

slam. This contextual throwing system might many side-scrollers get wrong. For example,
sound basic today, but it’s actually a stroke of when you hit enemies they’ll be rooted to the
genius from SEGA, as it meant that players had spot with a stun-lock, which means they can’t
a ton of combat options on the Mega Drive’s hit you back while being hit themselves. When
limited three-button pad. You can even hold up games get this wrong, it can break the flow of
and jump when thrown, to land safely on your combat and mean there’s no tactical way to
feet. It works every time, so give it a try next deal with them. SEGA nailed this perfectly
time you play. so that if you get hit by an enemy it’s always
because you were either careless or sloppy.
The biggest omission from SEGA is the lack The challenge feels fair, with precise hit boxes
of unique special moves for each of the and a wonderful pace that keeps every fight
characters, which was thankfully rectified in the feeling fluid and responsive.
phenomenal Streets of Rage 2 (p184). Instead,
the special button pauses the action as a With Streets of Rage, SEGA played the role
friendly police car rolls up to rain down mortar of a brash upstart that dared to challenge
fire on your targets. It’s a brilliant way of the arcade brawler scene with a home release.
clearing the screen or taking a chunk of health It might have borrowed its core mechanics
away from bosses, not to mention that the from Final Fight, but the team perfected the
resulting burst of flame looks and sounds template and built upon it with a gloriously
amazing. Just remember to not use it by fine-tuned command list that kept evolving
accident right at the start of a level. with each sequel. Most importantly, the series
has a really clear identity, thanks to its unique
Streets of Rage also manages to iron out some visual tone and those killer soundtracks that
of the worst of the recurring issues that so have stuck in the heads of players for decades.

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MEET THE SYNDICATE

Mr. X has employed a varied range of martial
artists and criminals to take you down. Here are
some handy tips to help you defeat them …

ANTONIO ZAMZA
The stage one boss hurls a boomerang at you, which This clawed cretin can be tough at first, but there are a
you can easily avoid by walking up or down. Wait for him few tactics that can help you beat him easily. Always try
to walk about the screen and go in for either a melee to stand above him and he’ll have a tough time hitting
combo or throw. Try to grab him from above or below you with his claw swipes. Press down to walk into him
to avoid his kick. from above for an easy grab.

ABADEDE BONGO
Be careful when walking around the screen as this He might look slow, but he can sprint across the screen
muscular menace rushes toward you when you’re both while breathing fire. Walk up or down as far as possible
parallel. His brutal uppercut can kill you quickly, but you once you see him opening his mouth and you should avoid
can actually jump-kick right through it. Stand on the spot his flames. After you dodge his charge, turn around and
and let him run into your jump-kick until he collapses. punch him in the back repeatedly.

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GALSIA SIGNALS
A mistranslation of the name ‘Garcia’, this guy is simple The Signals have a sliding kick that they’ll unleash
enough but can destroy you in packs. Punch him as he when you stand parallel with them, which can be avoided
starts walking towards you and you’ll keep him at a safe by jump-kicking or walking up and down. They can also
distance. Some Galsias rush at you with knives and can throw you, which you can neutralise by holding up and
run right through your punches. Jump-kick them instead. jump to land on your feet.

HAKUYO NORA
These guys are pretty tricky in Streets of Rage 2 but are This devilish dominatrix can knock you down instantly with
far simpler in the first game. Once you see them perform her whip attack. Try to avoid standing directly in front of
a jumping flip, it means they’re about to dash towards you her and she shouldn’t be able to hit you with it. She’ll also
with a roundhouse kick. Either jump-kick them or walk out kneel down to make herself invincible for a moment, but
of the way when it happens. can quickly stand back up and whip you.

JACK ONIHIME
Perhaps the strangest enemy type in the game, you’ll find Also known as Mona and Lisa in Streets of Rage 3, these
Jack juggling battle axes or flaming torches, which he’ll twin sisters look like Blaze and can be an absolute
throw at you if you stand parallel to him. His weapons will nightmare unless you know their attack patterns. Wait
hit you if you try grabbing him from the front, but you can for them to jump and land near you then go in for a few
safely jump-kick or punch through them. punches. Don’t stop moving for a moment!

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CLASSIC MOMENT

Streets of Rage – becoming the villain
If you reach Mr. X’s penthouse in two-player mode,
he asks you to join his syndicate. If one player agrees
and the other declines, you’ll fight each other to the
death. If the player who said yes wins, the bad ending
shows you sitting on Mr. X’s chair.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Jaleco 1991 ARC, IOS, NSW, PS4

64TH STREET: Rick’s flaming uppercut has a huge hit box Skirt around this hammer thug, land some hits,
A DETECTIVE STORY that’s great for making space. then back off to beat him.

At first glance, 64th Street doesn’t do much style is quicker, and his spin kick special makes
to stand out from the pack. It looks like short work of enemies both in front and behind.
someone tried to copy Final Fight (p70) on a He also has a lightning-fast dash attack that
smaller budget, which makes it hard to avoid cuts through packs of bad guys to deal some
forming comparisons to Capcom’s classic. big damage.
But once you get your hands on it, you start
to realise that it’s got plenty of charms of Both characters have weighty attacks, but
its own, decent fight mechanics, and some the icing on the cake is a throw that lets you
tricks that other fighters didn’t have in 1991. hurl goons into the background. It’s similar
to the slam attack in Konami’s 1993 brawler
As the game’s full title suggests, 64th Street Batman Returns (p238) that lets you chuck
stars a detective called Rick Anderson, who’s enemies through benches and shop windows.
been tasked with rescuing a rich man’s daughter You can do the same in 64th Street, but here
from an evil group called Legacy. He rocks a it actually plays a more tactical role in the
mean moustache and packs an even meaner gameplay.
punch, with a scrappy but weighty fighting
style. His flaming two-button special uppercut Once you grapple someone, you can toss
starts with him rolling through enemies before them into bins, barrels, walls and storefronts.
flooring them with a fiery punch. He also boasts If you get lucky, they’ll sometimes break apart
a dashing punch that knocks down bad guys to reveal much-needed health items, such
immediately. as chicken legs, chocolate bars and sushi
platters. It never stops feeling satisfying to
The second playable character is Allen Tombs, decimate enemies with this move, and it feels
a former street thug who became Rick’s even better when you time it right and throw
assistant after changing his ways. His fighting them into hazards. After you get used to the

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Try not to spam the pipe here, and stay wary of Allen’s special kick has a strange hit box but
these guys at all times. you’ll get used to it.

throw, and become familiar with the characters’ The pirate boss is easy and sums up how weird
moves, you’ll realise that 64th Street stands up 64th Street can get.
on its own merits. There’s a real charm to the
sprite designs and animation, as well as the start to reward you if you’re willing to put
hilarious, over-the-top speech samples. the effort in. Thankfully, 64th Street and the
Enemies grunt, wail and roar when you defeat Rushing Beat series have been re-released
them, which should elicit a chuckle or two. on several platforms, so you don’t have to
look very hard to try them.
Things get more fun from there, with some truly
absurd boss battles as you progress. In one
stage, you’ll fight an old-time pirate for literally
no reason, complete with eye patch, captain’s
hat and peg leg. He spins around the screen
like a tornado on his wooden appendage,
swiping at you with his hooked hand. It feels
like he was inserted from a different game, but
that just adds to 64th Street’s oddball charm.

The game isn’t as polished as Jaleco’s Rushing
Beat trilogy (p195, p196 & p249), but they share
similar DNA. All four games look a bit average
at first glance, until you start to play them and
uncover their hidden depths. You might have to
play all of Jaleco’s brawlers for a while before
you begin to appreciate them, but they should

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SNK 1991 ARC, NCD, NEO, NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1

ROBO ARMY The pixel art in Robo Army is up there with the Avoid the ape’s mean haymaker punch with a
best of the NEOGEO library. well-timed flying kick.

Neo-Detroit has been invaded by a cybernetic moves depending on how much power they
warlord called Jeed and his army of robo-terrors. have stored up. For example, Maxima’s first
His wicked (and bizarre!) plan is to collect special attack lets him fire a quick burst of
human brains so he can clone his people energy from his fist. It has short range but
and turn Earth into his own mechanised hits hard if you aim it just right, so be sure
homeworld. The team at SNK came up with to aim carefully and not just spam it.
a pretty wild premise for this great brawler,
and it gave the developer plenty of creative Save up even more power and you can use
licence to design many weird and wonderful Maxima’s second-tier special, which lets him
robotic enemies for you to fight along the way. shoot a salvo of powerful fireballs across the
screen from his chest cannon. Lastly, his third
Robo Army is a blast to play, thanks to its ultimate attack sees him let rip with huge
two controllable heroes, robotic cops Maxima waves of pure energy from panels in his chest
and Rocky. The action really does make you and back, which destroy everything on screen.
feel like a weighty, powerful machine, as you Amazingly, you can even find a pickup that lets
rip through mechanised enemies with ease, you transform into an armoured car for a short
sending their parts flying and exploding across time, which feels similar to the tank in Metal
the screen. Making Maxima karate-chop robot Slug. Once transformed, you can just drive
sentries clean in half with his bare hands around the screen, gleefully mowing down
always feels satisfying, and is typical of the all the enemies in your path.
kind of power trip you’ll get from this game.
Combat aside, SNK really went above and
Aside from standard melee combos, weighty beyond with the game’s variety. Each stage
throws and crowd-clearing jumping attacks, feels distinct from the last and looks amazing,
both characters can unleash various special thanks to the developer’s signature high-end

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This frog gobbles up scrap and spits out troops. The robot cop’s baton hits hard, so move around
Defeat them quickly! him to avoid it.

pixel art. The game opens in a dense jungle
that’s been overrun by oppressive military
forces, then you’ll venture down a cracked,
lawless highway as you journey into the city,
where the real fight against Jeed’s army
begins. You really do sense a distinct tone
from each stage, something the studio should
be applauded for. It’s all down to the great
visual design and background art.

The enemies are also varied and inventive, such Throw cars to break up crowds and create some
as swift robotic wolves that leap and gnash at much-needed breathing space.
you, swooping metallic bats that blast you with
sonic screech attacks, and strange Terminator down to it only being ported to the NEOGEO
heads made of crystal that fly around the AES and CD consoles, which were less popular
screen. There’s even an epic rumble with a huge in the West. Thankfully, the game has been
mechanised boss that has a car for a head, re-released digitally on modern formats, so
for some reason. You’ll go into each stage gamers today have a chance to revisit it.
wondering what new and bizarre creations you’ll
have to fight next, which means there’s never
really a dull moment in the game’s entire span.

There is one glaring downside to Robo Army,
and it’s that it doesn’t have the appreciation
among gamers that it should. This is probably

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Capcom 1991 ARC, NSW, PS4, SNES, WIN, XB1

THE KING OF DRAGONS Line yourself up with the shadows on the ground The cleric is slow but strong, so makes short
to hit the hydra’s heads. work of skeleton packs like these.

Capcom released a few dark fantasy brawlers of your character automatically blocking an
in the ‘90s, including the brilliant Knights incoming strike. This is a curious choice as
of the Round (p160) and their legendary there’s no option to block manually, like in other
Dungeons & Dragons tie-ins (p286 & p318). fantasy side-scrollers, and it’s not clear exactly
The King of Dragons is arguably the weakest what conditions make your character block an
of the bunch, but it still manages to deliver attack, or if it’s just based on random chance.
solid gameplay, wonderful visuals and some The wizard is probably the pick of the bunch
neat mechanics. You could almost view it as because, although he doesn’t have a shield, his
a trial run for the D&D titles, as a few of the upgraded magical blasts feature a large arc
base concepts were transferred over to both and long range, helping you take down enemies
Tower of Doom and Shadow Over Mystara. from a safe distance.

The game follows five champions as they fight There are other benefits to levelling up that
to take down the evil red dragon, Gildiss, and aren’t really made clear to you, such as
his hordes of invading monsters. Each of the additional health. Overall, the levelling system
playable warriors comes with unique gear is basic enough that it doesn’t interrupt the
that can be upgraded throughout the game, flow of combat, but it does feel rather shallow
either by killing enemies for experience points, compared to some of Capcom’s other efforts.
collecting gold, or finding upgrades in treasure It also lacks things like consumables, player
chests. For example, the elf’s arrows have quite inventories and mid-stage stores, but
a stubby range at first, but over time they’re sometimes all you want is the chance to batter
swapped out for stronger, larger arrows that some mythical creatures without thinking too
shoot faster and further. The fighter and cleric hard about it. That’s The King of Dragons
both carry shields that increase the likelihood summed up, basically.

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Compensate for this guy’s height and range When the minotaur lowers his head, it means
advantage by attacking from the sides. he’s about to charge at you.

Speaking of creatures, Capcom dove deep This guy’s punch has a clear wind-up, so walk up
into the mythical playbook with this one, giving or down to avoid it.
you a range of fantasy beasts to slay during
your quest. The standard foot soldiers are fluid controls and light upgrade mechanics.
mostly orcs and skeletons, who can block your You’ll blitz through its 16 short stages in no
incoming attacks with shields, so you’ll need to time at all, so it’s fine for a quick burst of
fight smart to overcome their defences. You’ll largely mindless fun.
also throw down against some huge bosses
that fill a large portion of the screen.

To tip the fight in your favour, you can trade
some of your health bar to unleash an
unblockable magical attack, such as a burst
of flaming jets that erupt from the earth or a
barrage of lightning strikes. Health items are
pretty scarce, so you don’t want to spam your
spells unless you really need them. You might
also come across floating orbs that you can
hit to obtain a magical attack that doesn’t
spending any of your health.

The King of Dragons is simple compared to
Capcom’s other fantasy brawlers, but it’s still
worth playing for its nice visuals, basic but

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Rare 1991 AMI, FAM, GB, GEN, GG, MD, NES, XB1

BATTLETOADS Colourful cutscenes give the cast of zany Look out for these dots. Jump into them to warp
characters more personality. ahead a few stages.

This sadistic hybrid brawler from Rare is Most notorious of all is the third stage, the
considered by some players to be one of the sadistic Turbo Tunnel. The level starts off
hardest games ever made. Battletoads is a simple, as you fight a gang of rats and perform
clear riff on the anthropomorphic hero craze some light platforming. Eventually, you’ll reach
started by Ninja Turtles, which also gave us a jet bike that takes off at a ludicrous speed
‘90s shows like Biker Mice From Mars, Street and puts your reflexes to the ultimate test. You
Sharks and Samurai Pizza Cats. Back then you have to dodge up and down to avoid concrete
didn’t have to look hard to find a kids’ show walls with a mere fraction of a second to react,
starring humanoid animals with fighting skills, while also pulling off some tricky jumps.
and, sure enough, Battletoads also received a
short-lived series that served as a prequel This legendary stage defeated many players
to the game. back in the day, meaning few made it past the
Turbo Tunnel to see what else the game offered.
You can play Battletoads solo or with a friend, This is a shame, as Battletoads is brimming with
as the wonderfully named heroes Rash and neat mechanics and ideas, such as a punishing
Zitz. They have to fight across many brutal high-speed stage where you have to dash
stages to save their kidnapped pal Pimple and around on the back of a robotic snake as it
Princess Angelica from the clutches of the evil barrels around the screen. Some sequences are
Dark Queen. Your intergalactic quest takes you savagely brutal and require plenty of failures
through traditional side-scrolling levels in which and restarts to memorise the best way through
you punch and kick enemies, to vertical stages them – it’s definitely not a game for players
where you rappel down perilous chasms filled who are thin on patience.
with robot sentries and killer crows.

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Aim your overhead smash just right and you’ll Smash up a mech walker and you can use its
embed enemies into the ground. broken leg as a staff.

The combat mechanics within each of the Don’t just spam with the sword or you’ll get hit.
side-scrolling areas work just fine, with chunky, Time your swipes carefully instead.
responsive moves that feel great. Each of your
combo strings ends with a satisfying power hit the studio even collaborated with Technōs
that absolutely hammers enemies and makes Japan on a great crossover game with the cast
them fly across the screen. Weirdly, both Rash of Double Dragon (p36). Fans had been calling
and Zitz have the strange ability to morph out for a modern sequel for years until finally,
parts of their body and unleash moves that at the E3 2018 conference, Microsoft revealed
deal big damage. a new game in the series, developed by Rare
and Dlala Studios (p446).
For example, if you hit forward, forward then
punch, your head morphs into a pair of
giant rams’ horns that send enemies flying.
Similarly, if you’re kicking a downed enemy
your foot transforms into a huge combat
boot that punts your target off the screen.
This crazy feature has appeared in all of the
Battletoads titles and, while it sounds odd,
the effect actually gives the combat a lot
of weight.

Crushing difficulty aside, Battletoads was
a huge hit for Rare that quickly grew into a
cherished side-scrolling beat-‘em-up franchise;

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TOAD TOUR Below
Battletoads opens with your chosen
The Turbo Tunnel stage is so brutal hero rappelling down from their
that many gamers may not have spaceship. Between the perilous
seen past it. Here’s a tour of what stages, Professor T. Bird gives you
lies beyond that fiendish level … updates via the ship’s radio.

RAGNAROK’S CANYON WOOKIE HOLE
The first stage is an act of mercy from Rare, as it eases you Named after the real-life village of Wookey Hole in
into the gruelling challenge that lies ahead. Beat up the Somerset, this stage has you rappelling down an impact
pig warriors using your melee combos and remember to crater infested with crows, Venus fly traps and robot
pick up the legs of destroyed robo-walkers – you can use sentries. The big crows will cut your cord, so either move
them like bo staffs. above them or smack them in the beak first.

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TURBO TUNNEL ARCTIC CAVERNS
Now you’re in a world of pain. This stage starts off as a This is a platforming stage full of snowmen that pelt you
traditional side-scroller before dragging you into the with snowballs. Duck under them and return fire, then get
pits of despair with one of the toughest vehicle sections ready for some tricky jumps over spikes. Approach icicles
committed to code. The biggest tip here is to not press carefully to make them fall down before advancing slowly
jump on ramps. Simply hold forward instead. to stay in control on slippery platforms.

SURF CITY KARNATH’S LAIR
Yup, this is basically another Turbo Tunnel, but now you’re This tricky stage has you climbing up the back of a giant
skipping over water on a surfboard. Move quickly to avoid snake while dodging hazards. One wrong move and you’ll
logs and whirlpools, but make sure you take a moment to fall right down to the bottom of each section, so your
work out their timing before advancing. Eventually you’ll timing and skills need to be flawless. It’s like a platform
reach a beat-‘em-up section, which is a welcome breather. version of the Nokia 3310 game, Snake.

VOLKMIRE’S INFERNO INTRUDER EXCLUDER
Talk about a false sense of security! This stage opens This is another platform stage that’s full of robot sentries
with some easy beat-‘em-up brawls against giant mice who zap you with laser blasts. The moving platforms in
and a few simple jumps over lava pits. But then the cave the first section can be slippy, which is a problem as the
explodes and you have to escape on a rocket ship. Move bottom of the screen kills you instantly. Just keep jumping
quickly to dodge the flame walls. up when the timing is right.

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CLASSIC MOMENT

Battletoads – so long, Turbo Tunnel
Many players have never seen beyond the Turbo Tunnel
stage, which hurls you head-first into a high-speed
gauntlet of pitfalls and barriers that can only be cleared
using quick reflexes and intense pattern memory. You’ll
feel like a million bucks the moment you finally beat it.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Capcom 1991 ARC, NSW, PS1, PS4, SFC, SNES, WIN, XB1

CAPTAIN COMMANDO Use controlled bursts to make sure you don’t This mech’s flame burst is superb for engulfing
burn through your rifle ammo. whole packs of enemies.

Few side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups are as Together with Captain Commando, this rag-
strange and varied as Captain Commando. tag band of warriors is tasked with keeping the
The titular character was something of a peace and crushing criminals in Metro City,
mascot for Capcom in the ‘80s, making which is the same setting as Final Fight (p70).
appearances on many of the studio’s game Interestingly, Ginzu even uses Bushin-ryu Ninpo,
boxes and manuals as a heroic intergalactic which is the same fighting style used by Final
warrior. Some packaging even included a Fight character Guy. Does this make the game
message from the Captain thanking players a sequel? That might be a bit of a stretch, but
for buying the game. Keep an eye out for him it definitely lives up to the quality of Capcom’s
on your game pack if you have boxed copies of iconic brawler.
Commando, Mega Man or Duck Tales on NES.
As always with Capcom’s fighting games,
In 1991, Captain Commando made the leap Captain Commando’s beauty hides beneath
from plucky mascot to star, thanks to the the surface of its simple base combat
madcap vision of co-designer Akira Yasuda, mechanics. All the standard ingredients are
an animator and planner on such heavyweight here, including standing melee combos, aerial
fighting games as Street Fighter II, Final Fight moves and two-button specials, but it all works
and The Punisher. The game definitely felt like a fluidly and feels satisfyingly chunky as you tear
unique vision, with an odd cast of heroes, such through packs of futuristic criminals. Things
as a mummified alien blademaster called Mack really get interesting when you dig into all the
the Knife and a skilled ninja swordsman with subtle yet important differences between each
super vision called Ginzu. Strangest of all is of the characters, such as the way they handle
Baby Head, literally a baby genius who pilots weapons differently. For example, Ginzu is the
a hulking mech suit that he built himself. only character who can throw ninja stars.

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Ginzu’s charging sword stab has great range, The mech gives you a power trip, but be careful
which can help in this fight. not to get knocked off.

Each fighter also has their own signature Baby is slow but causes great damage. Just
special that really sets them apart, starting keep an eye on your spacing.
with Captain Commando’s ground punch that
sends lines of ranged electricity snaking along Strangeness aside, this game is just a blast to
the tarmac, zapping anyone who makes play. Its crazy ideas, occasional bursts of gore
contact. Meanwhile, Mack’s special is more and moments of pure comedy make it one of
close-quarters, and sees him attaching knives the most original and entertaining games the
to his bandages and twirling around like a living side-scrolling beat-‘em-up genre has to offer.
buzzsaw. Throw in unique dashing moves with
throws that all work differently, and you have
a truly diverse cast of characters.

All of this technical finesse is backed up by
Yasuda’s world-setting and design, which
takes you to some strange locations and
pits you against a roster of weird enemies.
One stage has you rumbling with a pair of
giant mecha inside a circus big top, while
another pits you against a strange lizard
man in an underwater city. It might be a
coincidence, but the lizard guy fights and
moves like Final Fight’s last boss, Belger.
Could they be related?

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GOING COMMANDO

Capcom put a lot of effort into creating a weird

and diverse cast of Commandos and bad guys

for you to meet. Here’s a quick roll call!

DOLG MECH SUIT
This criminal is trying to rob the Metro City bank. He has You can ride in these rigs for a while to give you an edge in
a running punch that’s similar to the dash moves used by battle. They move slowly but pack a powerful punch, and
Andore and Abigail in Final Fight. Simply walk around it you can grab enemies and toss them over your shoulder
and counter-attack with a combo or throw, and he’ll be with ease. You’ll get knocked off if you take too much
knocked out in no time. damage though, so be careful!

GINZU BABY HEAD
An exponent of the Bushin-ryu Ninpo fighting style, He might be a baby who’s incapable of controlling his
Ginzu can be a tricky character to use at first. He has the bowels, but he’s also a genius who designed his own
shortest attack reach, but his sword combos are savage mech. Baby Head is the best if you like tank class fighters
and he can even slice human enemies clean in half. His who move slow but hit hard. He can shoot rockets from his
smoke bomb special is great for interrupting enemy knees to deal big explosive damage.
attacks.

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CAPTAIN COMMANDO MACK THE KNIFE
He’s the leader of the Commando Team and a good all- Although he looks like an Egyptian mummy, Mack is
rounder. His electric punch special is a great evasive move actually an alien, because why not? His knife combos give
for when you get surrounded, and his dashing kick has him great reach and his throw is useful for hurling enemies
great range if you need to attack from a safe distance. into crowds. Use his brilliant spinning attack special to
His suit is apparently made from ‘Captanium’ metal. twirl through enemies and deal big damage to bosses.

BRENDA SHTROM JR.
This electrifying individual comes armed with a pair of This lizard man dwells in the caves beneath the dinosaur
spark plugs that she’ll use to zap you. Get ready to move exhibit in Metro City’s museum, which are weirdly full of
out of the way once you see them light up with electricity, real cavemen. Shtrom fights a lot like Belger from Final
as it means she’s about to either send a spark along Fight, as he hops around while shooting at you with a
the ground or lunge towards you. crossbow. Use jumping kicks to deflect his arrows.

MUSASHI YAMATO
This towering samurai warrior hits hard. Try not to If you’re careless, this staff-wielding warrior can slice you
stand in line with him and you should avoid his running in half with his brutal swipes. Never approach Yamato
katana swipes. Move out the way if you see him scuttle from the front if you can help it, and try to walk into him
backwards, as it means he’s about to rush you. Counter for a grab, either from above or below. Deal with his
his sword blocks by grabbing then throwing him. summoned minions first, then target him.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Konami 1991 ARC, C64, IBM

THE SIMPSONS The art design replicates the style of the Flying kicks deal minimal damage, but are
show’s early seasons really well. great for breaking up packs.

One of the most celebrated licensed games Software aside, Konami’s physical arcade
of all time, The Simpsons pulls characters cabinet for this one was a sight to behold. The
and locations from the TV show and lovingly sides were splashed with colourful Simpsons
reworks them into a joyous arcade brawler. artwork, while the controls offered support for
The game’s core combat mechanic feels quite up to four players. You can choose to play as
similar to that of Konami’s Teenage Mutant any member of the family, starting with Marge,
Ninja Turtles arcade release (p80), but it who fights using her vacuum cleaner for some
has enough subtle variation to keep each hefty long-range blows. Homer attacks with his
character feeling fresh. At the end of the day, bare hands but can find bowling balls to hurl at
though, the fighting is incredibly slick and goons, while Bart bashes enemies with his
when combined with gorgeous visuals that feel skateboard and slingshot. Lastly, Lisa is similar
close to those in the animated show, you have to Michelangelo from Ninja Turtles, as she’s
a complete package that still holds up today. quick and lets rip with a flurry of quick attacks
with her skipping rope.
The plot is wonderfully silly, starting with a
great cutscene that shows Homer accidentally While each family member has a simple
bumping into Smithers, who just happens to be command list, the combat still manages to
fleeing a crime scene after stealing a priceless feel hefty, thanks to the animated, over-the-top
diamond. The gem flies into the sky and lands reactions of bad guys when you smash them.
in Maggie’s mouth, but because she won’t stop Their eyes bulge, they pull funny faces and they
sucking it, Smithers and Mr. Burns abduct her flop about the screen under the might of your
to the nuclear power plant. The Simpson family attacks. This is all down to Konami’s slick
then have to fight through the Springfield animation, which makes every character feel
streets, Krustyland, Moe’s Tavern and even the like they were ripped straight from an episode of
land of dreams to get her back. The Simpsons. There was simply nothing like it in

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Hammer the buttons as fast as possible to Marge’s vacuum cleaner gives her the
blow up your balloon first in this mini-game. longest range of the family members.

1991, and the game rode the wave of Simpsons Lisa has the worst range but dishes out the
mania to great success, just as the series was fastest multi-hit combos.
becoming a worldwide phenomenon.

The game is genuinely funny too, with
lots of background gags and weird, varied
enemies to encounter. You don’t have to
wait long to see something new, with unique
bad guys and cameos from the show coming
thick and fast. There’s also a lot of incredible
sprite-scaling effects at play, which makes
some enemies stretch and expand before your
eyes. Some of the best examples are the giant,
expanding Krusty balloon that you have to
fight in the Krustyland amusement park, and
the killer bowling ball that tries to crush you
in the Dreamland stage. Some of these boss
battles feature enemies that take up most
of the screen, which just adds to the tension
and excitement, especially when playing with
three other people. The Simpsons is tricky
to play now, due to licensing issues, but if
you’re lucky enough to find a cabinet in an
old arcade somewhere, you absolutely have
to give it a shot.

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ROUND SPRINGFIELD

The Simpsons is full of locations and characters

from the animated series. Here’s a tour of every

stage and what to expect along the way …

STAGE 1 STAGE 2

DOWNTOWN SPRINGFIELD KRUSTYLAND
The chase is on to save Maggie! This short stage helps you Bad guys have overrun the amusement park, including
get to grips with each family member’s attacks and only Krusty impersonators and big guys riding runaway teacups.
throws basic gangsters at you. The stage boss is a clumsy The challenge steps up a bit here, with a new gangster type
wrestler whose trunks keep falling down. Wait for them to who throws his hat at you like a Frisbee. The boss is a giant
drop then hammer him! Krusty head. Try not to get squished!

STAGE 3 STAGE 4

SPRINGFIELD DISCOUNT CEMETERY MOE’S TAVERN
Things are getting spooky, as it seems there are actual It looks like Moe has done some renovations, as his bar is
zombies roaming around the cemetery. Watch out for their now massive. You’ll fight regular goons through the bar
underground sneak attacks. Eventually, you’ll find a secret and pass familiar faces like Barney, before rumbling with
elevator that leads down a dank mineshaft, where a pair of a drunk and disorderly punk at the end. Goad him into
burly boss henchmen await to test your skills. attacking then counter while dodging his flame breath.

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Below
The Simpsons opens with a brilliant
pixel art rendition of Springfield, as
seen in the show’s original opening
sequence, along with that timeless
theme song by Danny Elfman.

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Prepared exclusively for Marcus Kennedy / [email protected]