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

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Jaleco 1993 NSW, SFC, SNES

Enemies get stun-locked more clearly than in Prokop’s ground slams are so satisfying, THE PEACE KEEPERS
Brawl Brothers, making the combat far fairer. especially when they crack the floor.

This is the third and final game in Jaleco’s fighting style and varied two-button specials.
Rushing Beat series, following Rival Turf! (p195) There’s even the option to change characters
and Brawl Brothers (p196). It’s set in the far between stages if you feel like mixing things
future of 2015, in which the evil Deutschland up during the campaign.
Moldavia Corporation has seized the planet’s
resources and is conducting dangerous The combat system feels similar to the mechanics
genetic experiments. The game stars four in Brawl Brothers, with standard melee combos,
heroes who have had their lives impacted by dashing strikes, the neat ‘Angry Mode’ and
the company in some way and must fight to devastating throws, which together give you
tear it down. plenty of options for any given situation. As in
the Streets of Rage series (p122, p184, p280 &
The Peace Keepers has a deeper narrative than p448), the screen shakes violently whenever you
most side-scrollers, with a plot that plays out in slam an opponent into the ground or hit them
dialogue between your chosen character and with a powerful move, which makes you feel
enemies they encounter along the way. There incredibly powerful. It just feels good to beat
are even branching level paths that alter the the snot out of everyone in your way.
story, multiple endings that depend on your
route through the game, and even two The Peace Keepers is a nice end to the Rushing
additional fighters to find and unlock. Beat trilogy. While it feels a little slower and
less challenging than Brawl Brothers, it has
You have to applaud the team at Jaleco for the same tight combat and lush visuals the
putting so much replay value into the game, series is known for. Throw in the deep plot and
before you even consider its solid gameplay a multiplayer duel mode, and you have a great
and outstanding graphics. Each of the four overall package.
playable fighters feels distinct, with a unique

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Capcom 1993 ARC, GEN, MD

THE PUNISHER Look out for shadows on the ground to see The bottom-left counter shows how many
where Bonebreaker’s missiles will land. weapon uses you get before the thing breaks.

Capcom produced some truly stellar licensed brilliant in motion as both Frank and Nick twirl
side-scrollers throughout the ‘90s, including around the screen while pulling off gunslinging
Alien vs. Predator (p262) and the often trick shots. They even shoot behind themselves
overlooked Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (p224). from the hip without looking, which is as
Based on Marvel’s long-running comic series, awesome as it sounds.
The Punisher is another tie-in that absolutely
nailed its source material and brought a True to Frank Castle’s high level of skill from
grittier, more violent edge to the developer’s the comics, the shooting mode makes you feel
line-up of arcade brawlers. incredibly lethal, as you can utterly destroy
whole packs of goons in moments. You can
Just like the books, The Punisher follows even swap the pistol out for an Uzi, an assault
vigilante Frank Castle as he brings bloody rifle, or a makeshift flamethrower that bathes
justice to wrongdoers following the murder of large portions of the screen in fire. When the
his wife and child. He teams up with S.H.I.E.L.D. bullets aren’t flying, you can wield a range
operative Nick Fury to wage war against Kingpin of melee and bladed weapons, such as axes,
and his criminal syndicate across six explosive hammers, katanas and wooden bats, which
stages of aggressive beat-‘em-up action. all create huge blood sprays on impact. The
violence really captures the raw vibe of the
The core combat feels quite similar to that comics well.
in Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, but with more
emphasis on gunplay and weapon combat. Weapons aside, Frank’s no slouch when
For example, the game switches to a shooting it comes to hand-to-hand combat either.
mode whenever you’re faced with gun-toting Beyond your standard melee combos, you can
enemies, when a targeting reticule locks on to tap forward twice to pull off a dodge roll, then
enemies around the screen. This mode looks hit punch to end the roll with a devastating

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The neat gunplay mechanic lets you pull off The barrel game from Street Fighter II makes a
crazy trick shots when surrounded. comeback as a shooting gallery.

straight kick that’s great for making space. Stage transitions give the game more of a
Also, if you press jump while grappling enemies, cinematic quality than most brawlers.
you can crush them with a leaping pile-driver
for huge damage. The way the screen shakes that rock the screen and battles that get
when slamming your target into the dirt feels incredibly tense. The Punisher ticks off all the
incredibly solid and satisfying. key ingredients of what makes a solid side-
scroller, with a confidence and swagger
Thankfully there’s some method to all this that could only come from a developer
violent madness, as you get some nice detailed at the peak of its game.
cutscenes that spell out the story between
stages. As you tear down Kingpin’s operation
across America, you’ll face an impressive range
of enemy types, including ninja assassins,
trench coat-wearing gangsters, and freaky
robotic sentries with extending limbs and
human heads. There are even some cameo
boss appearances by Marvel villains such as
Bushwhacker, Jigsaw and Bonebreaker.

All of this helps the game stand tall among
the best side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups of all time.
Capcom managed to harness the raw intensity
of the Frank Castle character and use it to ramp
up the weight and aggression of the game’s
combat, with hits that feel hard, explosions

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WONDERFUL WEAPONS

Frank Castle is a master of weaponry in the

comics, so Capcom gave him a range of toys to

play with. Here are some weapons you can try …

FLAMETHROWER
Now we’re talking! This makeshift flamethrower runs
out quickly, so be careful not to burn up all your gas by
spamming it aimlessly. Try to let rip only when enemies are
clustered together in a pack, and watch as the fire spray
rips through them all at once.

PISTOL NINJA STAR
Frank always has his trusty pistol to hand and, luckily for Much like the knife, ninja stars are a dime a dozen in the
you, it never runs out of ammo. Both Frank and Nick will side-scrolling genre, except weapons are so much more in
enter shooting mode when faced with enemies holding The Punisher. When you press attack you’ll actually throw
firearms or tougher opponents like bosses. Just keep three stars at once in a wide spread-shot pattern, which is
hammering the trigger until they’re all dead. great for taking out crowds.

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BASEBALL BAT BATTLEAXE
There’s a pattern emerging here … Baseball bats only give As with the bat, you can make use of the axe’s long reach
you five attacks before they break, but even after they to keep enemies at bay. Be careful, though, as this weighty
shatter you can still use the splintered handle to stab an blade takes longer to swing, so you might find yourself
enemy if you get close enough. Make good use of the bat’s getting hit mid-attack. Try the powerful leaping swipe to
long reach to take out enemies safely. hurl it into an enemy’s face.

ASSAULT RIFLE GRENADE
Unlike your pistol, the assault rifle will churn through Always save the best till last! You get five grenades per
ammo if your aim is off. Pick your targets and only shoot life, and you can use them to create a devastating smart
in small bursts to ensure you’re not wasting bullets. Try bomb effect if you press jump and punch together while in
to avoid picking it up when there are weak enemies on the air. The blast can miss, so make sure you only do this
screen; save it for the bigger guys. when there are enemies nearby.

COMBAT KNIFE
Knives are common in side-
scrolling beat-‘em-ups, but
this version has a neat dual
twist. You can throw your knife
across the screen if you stand
directly in line with a target and
hit attack, or unleash a savage
stab combo if you get close
enough to an enemy.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Rare 1993 SMS, SFC, SNES

BATTLETOADS IN The body-morphing moves still look odd, but Move carefully to avoid the spikes and killer
BATTLEMANIACS they also feel weighty and satisfying. wasps of the tree trunk stage.

This is a true follow-up to the NES original, in It’s a wonderful game to look at, and the
which the Battletoads must fight through a combat still feels true to the first game, with
virtual world called the Gamescape to rescue weighty combat and weird body-morphing
their pal Zitz and the daughter of a futuristic moves. But it also has the same old brutal
tech company’s CEO. While it’s positioned as difficulty spikes, savage enemies and sadistic
a sequel, Battlemaniacs reimagines some traps, which see you dying several times on
mechanics and levels from the NES original, each stage. While the challenge can still be
including the sadistic Turbo Tunnel stage frustrating at points, Battlemaniacs is still
that’s been known to give gamers many worth playing to see Rare’s imagination running
high-speed nightmares. Thankfully, it’s far amok across many inventive stages. Give it a
more forgiving this time. try, but remember to breathe and stay calm
when it gets tough.

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Rare 1993 GB, GEN, MD, NES, SNES

BATTLETOADS/ Double Dragon’s classic baddie Abobo returns. Whether you’re a fan of Battletoads or Double
DOUBLE DRAGON He’s as tough as ever! Dragon, you’ll find that the combat styles of all
the characters are faithful to their core series.
Rare pulled off an amazing feat by seamlessly Rash, Zitz and Pimple all have their weird
blending the mechanics, characters and morphing special moves from the NES original,
fighting styles of two celebrated beat-‘em-up which see their feet transform into giant boots
franchises. The plot sees Battletoads (p134) to kick enemies across the screen. Meanwhile,
villain the Dark Queen teaming up with the the Lee Brothers have their trademark
evil Shadow Warriors organisation from uppercuts and spinning air kicks.
Double Dragon (p36). The two sets of heroes
decide to join forces and save the galaxy In typical Battletoads fashion, each stage
from total domination. mixes up genres and mechanics to keep the
action interesting, including vehicle sequences,
abseiling and the ability to climb walls while
duking it out with bad guys. Along the way you’ll
fight a mix of animal opponents from Battletoads
and Double Dragon regulars, such as Abobo,
who attacks you on top of a giant starship.

Naturally, being a Rare-developed game,
there are savage difficulty spikes in here that
will challenge your skills, but overall, this is
probably the fairest entry in the series to date.
There’s something fun in seeing these worlds
collide, so it’s a game you should seek out for
your collection.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Now Production 1993 GEN, MD

You need to learn how to beat the smaller Use your ‘POW’ meter to give yourself a fighting SPLATTERHOUSE 3
enemies quickly, to avoid wasting time. chance against stage bosses.

This is the first Splatterhouse to ditch the There are even secret doors that let you warp
flat 2D style of the earlier games and follow around the map at speed, and rooms that hide
the belt-scrolling format of games like Streets extra lives. The large areas are a nice change,
of Rage (p122). The story jumps years ahead but they also come with savage time limits that
to find Rick getting rich on Wall Street and can be incredibly frustrating, especially on your
buying a mansion of his own. His peaceful life first playthrough.
doesn’t last long, as an evil force kidnaps his
wife, Jennifer, and their son, David. Then, to For example, your first mission is to find and
make matters worse, the entity turns Rick’s rescue Jennifer within five minutes, or she’ll be
mansion into a grotesque house of horrors killed by a hideous blob monster. While the
overrun by demonic creatures. in-game map shows you where to go, it’s a bad
idea to waste time with enemies or spend too
While it tones down the blood sprays and pulped long exploring the rooms for health items. You’ll
heads of the original games, Splatterhouse 3 fail to save Jennifer and David on your first few
still lets you lay waste to an inventive cast of tries, but in time you’ll memorise the shortest
freaks and ghouls. The standard zombies and route to the boss.
flesh monsters aren’t too tough, and you can
destroy them by turning into a hulking beast While it’s not as violent as the first two games,
version of Rick by using your ‘POW’ meter. This Splatterhouse 3 is still a fine addition to the
also helps against the game’s tough bosses. series, with a dank, horrific atmosphere and
creepy levels that benefit from some superb
Interestingly, Splatterhouse 3 shakes up the artwork and sound design.
brawler template, having big, open levels with
many rooms containing enemies and pickups.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SNK 1993 ARC, NCD, NEO, NSW, PS4, WII, WIIU, WIN, XB1

SENGOKU 2 The tengu’s longer attack range is great against The stunning horseback segment demands skill
larger enemies or those with longswords. and quick reflexes to master. Stay focused!

True to the original (p162), Sengoku 2 is a dark ability to transform into three different warriors,
and violent time-travelling brawler that pits each with their own attacks. There’s a ninja
you against an ancient Japanese warlord and who uses rapid-fire melee strikes and a tengu
his army of samurai, ninjas and demons. The warrior who is slow, but has superior attacking
game takes you from feudal Japan to the range, thanks to his staff. Lastly, the attack
battlegrounds of World War II, while taking dog from the first game makes a return to
occasional trips to mystical realms inhabited round out the trio of alternate forms.
by hulking monstrosities and savage beasts.
Things get even deeper once you factor in
Within each stage you’ll warp to the demon the various coloured orbs you can collect
realm and fight mid-bosses in some truly during each stage. Certain orbs will change
breathtaking environments. The first stage sees your weapon and attack mode, like switching
you fighting a katana-wielding general on the the tengu’s staff for flurries of explosive leaves.
back of a flying dragon as it swoops around a It’s worth trying as many orbs as you can to
blazing red sky. In another level, you’ll battle find the character and power that best suits
swordsmen on horseback as you gallop through your play style.
a grove of pink-blossomed cherry trees before
battling assassins on top of a modern fighter jet. While this particular game is awesome, the
entire Sengoku series demands your attention.
To call Sengoku 2 gorgeous would be under- It’s been re-released in several SNK collections
selling just how lavish SNK’s sprites are. But the and on modern digital platforms, so you don’t
combat also got an upgrade over the original, have to spend a small fortune to get your
with the opportunity to block attacks and clash mitts on it.
swords with enemies. As before, you have the

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Toaplan 1993 ARC

Crowd control is important to survival, so keep Use flying kicks to knock down enemies and to KNUCKLE BASH
moving and push enemies back. break up larger crowds.

The Mad Bull federation is corrupting the spirit Even the characters are an eccentric bunch
of wrestling to ruin it for fans everywhere, so who feel great to control. Star of the show is an
a trio of high-flying fighters hit the streets to Elvis impersonator called Michael Sobut, who
restore the sport to its original glory. With a somehow has the ability to summon a guitar
bonkers and fun concept, Knuckle Bash is an made of pure lightning and spin it around to
oddity that will make you laugh and give you hit enemies. He has a mean suplex that feels
plenty of fun from start to finish. so satisfying and weighty to use. There’s also
a Mexican wrestler called El Plancha, who can
Each level features enclosed arenas, rather grab enemies with his lariat special and spin
than belt-scrolling stages, as found in games their bodies so fast that they catch fire.
like Renegade (p34). Some levels are bizarre,
like the assault on a posh hotel where everyone Knuckle Bash is a superb, hilarious yet
inside is trying to kill you, including the bellhops overlooked gem. Sadly, Toaplan declared
who scoot around on luggage trolleys. bankruptcy in 1994, meaning that the game
couldn’t save the studio from collapse.
One of the best battles is on an American It’s unfortunate, as the developer gave the
football pitch, where you fight for your life gaming world some truly weird and inventive
against a squad of charging players, followed experiences, such as the arcade-style shooter
by a brilliant rumble against a scimitar-wielding Zero Wing, which is where the ‘All Your Base
prince in a wrestling ring made of barbed wire. Are Belong To Us’ meme came from.
Toaplan really went all-out with its crazy ideas
when coming up with fun situations for you to
fight through, and this really does keep the
game feeling fun right through to the end.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Capcom 1993 SFC, SNES, WII, WIIU

FINAL FIGHT 2 Haggar’s spinning lariat special is still amazing Keep an eye out for Chun-Li’s cameo and
for hitting enemies on all sides. appearances by other Street Fighters.

The Mad Gear gang is back, and they’ve Thankfully, the developer expanded the template
spread their criminal empire across Europe with Final Fight 3 (p296), which has a tonne of
and Asia. Metro City mayor Mike Haggar new moves, a super gauge and the ability to
assembles a team of skilled fighters for a cancel attacks if you’re really feeling fancy.
world tour to smash the criminal empire for
good. Final Fight 2 never received an arcade So basically, Final Fight 2’s combat mechanics
edition, but it mostly lives up to the standards are a classic case of not fixing something that
of the 1989 original. It doesn’t do too much to isn’t broken. Take Haggar for example: he still
flesh out the format, but it still has Capcom’s hits enemies with the force of a big rig truck and
signature level of quality, with fluid combat, can smash through them with his trademark
varied characters and superb graphics that spinning lariat and frog splash aerial attacks.
look wonderful on Nintendo’s 16-bit hardware. The other fighters are completely new, starting
The range of environments keeps things fresh, with Carlos, who is a fairly generic guy with a
taking you from a battle amid the windmills of sword. Give him a chance, though, and you’ll
Holland to a scrap on the waterways of Italy. find that his throw is great for hurling enemies
into packs of other bad guys. His two-button
The visuals are superb, by Super Nintendo special is a spinning sword slash that is great
standards, and the character roster is varied, for crowd control.
but the command list is basically the same as
it was in the original Final Fight (p70). This isn’t Lastly, Maki has the honour of being the Final
necessarily a problem, as Capcom nailed the Fight series’ first playable female character.
combat in that game, but if you were looking While her throw takes a little longer to execute,
for a command list with a little more depth, her handstand whirlwind kick has great range,
then you might feel underwhelmed here. which can help you bowl over multiple enemies

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It wouldn’t be Final Fight without an awesome Use your neutral special to defend against the
car-smashing bonus round. electric guy’s charge attack.

at once. Overall, the roster is decent, even if of when you picture London in your head,
there aren’t too many differences between the although perhaps a hipster digital marketing
fighters. It’s also worth noting that Final Fight 2 exec from Shoreditch might have been
comes with two-player co-op out of the box, cutting things too close to reality.
unlike the first SNES edition of its predecessor.
If anything, these weird design quirks help
So while the fighters aren’t wildly different, to keep Final Fight 2 interesting, as some
there’s a good variety of Mad Gear goons to stages do feel a little overlong, especially
slap about. There are guys wielding dual stun certain stretches that just throw a lot of similar
rods who can charge across the screen and enemies at you in rapid succession. Things do
give you a zap, as well as trendy-looking dudes get more varied as you progress, so it’s worth
with batons who wear bowler hats for some slogging through the rough sections to get
reason. You might even recognise a few to the good stuff. As a whole, this game feels
returning enemies, such as the notorious quite familiar to the first one, but then again,
wrestler Andore Jr., who remains a thorn in you can do far worse than mimicking one
your side throughout Final Fight 2. of the best side-scrollers of all time.

Then there are the bosses, who, while
inventive, are often quite bizarre. You’d think
that Capcom would theme each of these
opponents based on the country you’re in.
One great example is the London boss, who
is a nightstick-wielding circus clown called
Philippe. He’s not exactly what you think

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Konami 1993 ARC

VIOLENT STORM Dabel will lash out with a flying head-butt. Joe the conductor looks tough, but you can
Walk around it then counter. destroy him with your normal combos.

This is the last side-scroller that Konami it’s got a cast of weird enemies, such as a
released in arcades. While it was sad to train inspector who fights you using a giant
see the developer of such classics as The electrified ticket stamper. In case you were
Simpsons (p144), X-Men (p200), Vendetta (p173) wondering, yes, he can pick you up with it and
and Astérix (p212) leave the genre, Violent hole-punch you to death. That should give you
Storm ended up being one heck of a last a fair idea of the light-hearted, funny vibe that
dance. It took everything the studio had Konami was shooting for here.
learned about beat-‘em-ups since its Teenage
Mutant Ninja Turtles (p80) tie-in debuted in You can really feel that sense of fun in every
1989 and polished it to a crazy degree to make aspect of the game, especially the visuals.
something truly special. Each stage is full of animated background
details and quirky character designs that
Set after World War III, Violent Storm follows make the world feel alive with depth and colour.
three street enforcers who fight to protect the For example, there’s a moment in the second
population from street gangs and leather-clad stage where an unimpressed pig looks on while
raiders out to cause trouble. After their friend is you pick up its babies and throw them at bad
kidnapped by the worst crew of them all, the guys. To make things even weirder, the pigs
notorious Geld Gang, vigilantes Boris, Wade and turn into American footballs when you pick
Kyle go on a wild journey through seven stages them up – because footballs are also known
to get their revenge. as ‘pigskins’. Get it?

While the post-war setting sounds dark, Violent Even the soundtrack seems to be in on the gag,
Storm is actually a colourful and upbeat game delivering an eclectic mix of cheesy pop bangers
that feels closer to a Saturday morning cartoon and original raps about fighting. It’s almost like
than a gritty Mad Max knock-off. For starters, the team at Konami just said ‘screw it’ and

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This bozo looks like a bad cosplay of Ripley and Use the frog splash to bowl over packs of
the Power Loader from Aliens. enemies with one big blow.

decided to have as much fun as possible while and yellow life bars, but by this point in time,
making their final arcade brawler. Capcom’s tried and tested format had set
a standard for the genre that everyone else
When you think of it like that, Violent Storm was adapting with their own neat ideas. Heck,
is actually kind of sweet, like a little present even the mighty Streets of Rage uses many
the developers gave to themselves for their elements of the Final Fight template at its
years of hard work in the genre. core, but the most important thing is how
developers expanded on that template to
It’s not just all fancy visuals and silly gimmicks, make something of their own.
though, as Violent Storm also plays like a dream.
If you have a lot of experience with Konami’s The difference with Violent Storm is that it
fighting games, then you probably know that took ingredients from all the best brawlers up
many of them handle almost identically to to that point and mashed them together in
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. This game is quite a way that made them work perfectly, like
the opposite, as its combat mechanics are far taking pieces from different jigsaw sets and
deeper, with standard melee combos, two- magically making them all fit. The studio didn’t
button crowd control specials and the option stumble at all, and delivered a fun, anarchic
to grab people by walking into them. You can game with perfectly honed combat that
even press down and attack together to pull off makes you feel great from start to finish.
a low move, such as Kyle’s handy sliding kick.
It’s a fitting end to Konami’s five-year run of
Some players feel that Violent Storm ripped arcade brawlers, which gave gamers around
off Final Fight’s combat mechanics, which isn’t the world many nostalgic memories that
exactly an unfair thing to say. Both systems will last a lifetime.
are nearly identical and use the classic red

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Capcom 1994 ARC

ALIEN VS. PREDATOR Tap the attack button in bursts to use the Air moves and flanking attacks are the best
flamethrower’s fuel sparingly. tactics against the Power Loader.

Capcom initially developed this stunning Each character has an expansive command list
brawler as a licensed tie-in to a movie that mixes up gunplay and melee combat. For
adaptation of the Alien vs. Predator comic example, the Predator Warrior can evaporate
books. Sadly, the movie never happened, but enemies with shots from his explosive shoulder
the game saw huge success among critics and cannon and take down crowds of enemies on all
fans, and it’s even been name-dropped as an sides with his spinning staff twirl. Meanwhile,
inspiration for Treasure’s legendary SEGA Dutch can pile on pressure with his augmented
Saturn beat-‘em-up Guardian Heroes (p308). chain gun arm, and while he can’t jump, he
compensates with a powerful dash that lets
The game kicks off with an alien infestation him punch out a line of enemies in one go.
taking over an American city. Two colonial
marines, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch Your firearms overheat when continually fired,
Schaefer and a cyborg character called Linn and they can even run out of ammo, so it’s
Kurosawa, team up with a pair of friendly worth keeping one eye on your gun’s condition
Predator warriors to drive back the alien swarm when the battle gets intense. Thankfully, you
and bring down the villains behind their sudden can find bullet clips inside breakable objects
appearance. It’s a simple setup for what ends that give you ten seconds of uninterrupted gun
up being a slick and utterly chaotic brawler fire without overheating. To add some intensity,
experience, with huge numbers of aliens the Predators can drop their signature weapons
being torn to shreds by your attacks, massive if they get knocked down by enemies, which
explosions, and an intense challenge from leaves them a little weaker. These are all simple
start to finish. touches that make you think tactically about
how you approach each battle.

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You can really jazz and get creative with The Colonial Marines make an appearance,
Kurosawa’s big command list. armed with their infamous smart guns.

Weapons aside, the base melee combat Another neat touch is that Alien vs. Predator is
mechanics are absolutely stupendous. By far full of brilliant nods to both the movie franchises
the most impressive character from a melee and their expanded lore. All the characters can
point of view, Kurosawa feels more like a Street wield the colonial marine pulse rifle, complete
Fighter combatant. After hitting an enemy with with its iconic burst fire sound effect from the
a flying kick, you can keep jumping from one movie. The hulking smart guns are in there too,
bad guy to the next, kicking their heads until as are the marines’ APC and Power Loader from
they’re dead. The timing can be tricky, but it James Cameron’s Aliens. Even the Weyland-
feels brilliant when you nail it. She even has Yutani corporation appears to give you trouble
mid-air throws, lightning-fast combos, and along the way. You also get some nice-looking
a katana-swipe special that can be used in cutscenes and dialogue between stages that
multiple directions. help set the scene a little, before the next
onslaught of action begins.
Kurosawa just feels so perfectly at home in the
broader Capcom multiverse and has become a Could Alien vs. Predator be one of the best
fan favourite over the years. She’s made cameo licensed video games ever made? Capcom
appearances in a few Capcom titles, such as certainly made a strong case for it taking the
Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter III: 2nd crown, thanks to the development team’s stellar
Impact and Namco x Capcom. It’s also been work across the board. You have fast-paced and
theorised that her design was the basis for weighty combat, lots of onscreen enemies to
Street Fighter’s popular ninja character, Ibuki. tear through, a varied range of new alien types
to fight and some truly eye-watering visuals for
1994. Give it even a quick try and you’ll see why
fans of the arcade era love this game so much.

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BUG HUNT!

Capcom used classic aliens as the game’s
cannon fodder, but there are lots of new and
varied bad guys you’ll face along the way …

POWER LOADER RAZOR CLAWS
This mechanised monster dishes out the hurt with huge Living up to its name, Razor Claws has a massive set of
clamp arms that spin around like a drill. The Power Loader claws that will tear you shreds if you’re careless. Its main
also has an on-board flamethrower that can scorch you attack is a sliding lunge that can cross the screen in a
from a great distance, and its powerful arms can strike second, so the key to surviving is to keep moving and jump
you with various punches and rising sweeps. away if needed.

INFECTOID CHRYSALIS
These poor souls have been impregnated by face huggers. Say hello to the first boss you’ll face. This alien is armoured
They’ll walk around like zombies while clinging onto their last and uses its hard shell to spin around the screen and bowl
shreds of humanity. Some of them can still hold weapons you over. The Chrysalis can also whip you from a great
such as machetes and pulse rifles. Kill them quick or chest- distance with the sharp spike on its tail. Hang back until
bursters will explode out of them and attack you. it’s safe to attack!

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WARRIOR ALIEN ROYAL GUARD
This is the basic alien type from the movies. They’ll scuttle This alien is huge and mean. The Royal Guard can hit you
about on all fours or stand on their hind legs to unleash a with a running headbutt charge, or grab you then bite
quick swipe of their razor-sharp claws. They stun and die your face with its extendable mouth. It can also coil you
easily though, so a quick combo or burst of gunfire should up in its tail and slam you into the dirt with a jumping
send them packing. pile driver.

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ALIEN QUEEN COLONIAL MARINE
This big mama gets mad after you destroy her eggs and It’s a double-cross! Weyland-Yutani has ordered the
set fire to the alien hive. The Queen can’t move, but her Colonial Marines to clean up all evidence of their deeds.
claw swipes, acid spit and tail lashes have huge range. You’ll face many varieties of these guys, armed with knives,
Stand just by her hind legs to avoid most of her attacks, pules rifles and even smart guns. They’re smarter than the
and move when needed. aliens and won’t let you escape easily.

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FACE HUGGER GENERAL BUSH
First seen in the 1979 movie Alien, Face Huggers hide inside This sneaky rat is up to no good. General Bush is working
eggs, then launch a sneak attack when you least expect with the Weyland-Yutani corporation on some mischievous
it. You can destroy their eggs before they have a chance scheme to cover up a terrible experiment that’s gone horribly
to hatch, but you’ll be defenceless for a while if one grabs wrong. After you sneak onto his dropship, you’ll face this
you. Mash all the buttons to escape its grip! cornered creep in a deadly encounter. Who will win?

Below
The Colonial Marines’ Armoured Personnel
Carrier (APC) from Aliens makes a welcome
return. You ride atop the vehicle while
fending off swarms of xenomophs for the
duration of stage three.

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CLASSIC
MOMENT

Alien vs. Predator –
another bug hunt
After surviving swarm after
swarm of aliens, you’ve
finally tracked the Weyland-
Yutani corporation’s mad
general to his lair. The stage
is all set for an epic final
showdown when suddenly,
the alien queen appears
and guts the poor chump
before facing you herself.
Game on!

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Eurocom 1994 SNES

STONE PROTECTORS Clifford’s grappling hook has great range, Careful with that flamethrower there, Chester
making him a solid beginner’s pick. mate, you’re made of plastic.

If you were playing video games in 1994, then grappling hook, and then there’s Cornelius, who
you’re probably old enough to remember the is a straight-up samurai who slices and dices
troll doll craze. Stone Protectors was an everything in his path. Don’t tell the others, but
attempt to reboot the ugly little terrors and he’s by far the coolest.
market them to boys instead of girls. The
franchise started off as an animated show For a licensed game, the production value is
with a supporting toy line, which only ran pretty much spot-on, with fun stages, cartoony
for 13 episodes before it was canned. cutscenes and a diverse range of moves for
each hero. You can even hold down punch for
While the show was short-lived, the game tie-in a few seconds to unleash a unique attack that
was a genuinely neat brawler that broke away instantly topples enemies to the floor, giving
from the glut of crappy ‘90s licensed games. you some much-needed breathing space when
The plot sees five heroic trolls battling against your health is low. It’s identical to the knock-
an army of lizards known as The Predators. down move found in Streets of Rage 2 (p184),
Sadly this has nothing to do with the John which you might not be aware of if you don’t
McTiernan action movie Predator, but you can have the game manual!
only imagine how incredible that mash-up
could have been. Developer Eurocom really did a great job
with this one, and they didn’t lower the game’s
The heroes each have their own move-sets difficulty just to pander to kids. If you like
and gimmicky personas, such as Chester games based on ‘90s cartoons then Stone
the wrestler, who frog-splashes and suplexes Protectors absolutely has to be on your list.
enemies with brute force. There’s also Clifford
the rock climber, who whips bad guys with his

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Technosoft 1994 PS1, SAT

To be fair to the developers, this isn’t something The smart bomb-style super attack feels great NEKKETSU OYAKO
you’d see in every side-scroller. to use, which is pretty nice.

Of all the side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups that the at once, most of which had excellent animation
SEGA Saturn would receive over its lifespan, or special effects like sprite scaling, while still
Nekketsu Oyako was perhaps the most running smoothly.
traditional. Its flavour of 2D side-scrolling
action looked like something you’d see on the Technical power aside, you certainly couldn’t
Super Nintendo or SEGA Genesis, rather than argue much with the critique of the gameplay,
a 3D console. Amazingly, it was also released because it felt as tried and true as the genre
on the original PlayStation in Japan as a had been for the previous seven years, ever
day-one launch title. since Double Dragon first hit arcades across the
globe. Play it for a short while and you’d feel
The gameplay was also much like that of 16-bit that nothing much had changed since then.
games, with one attack button, a jump and a
screen-clearing nuke attack that damaged The developer behind this game, Technosoft,
every enemy on screen. The game gives you was known for excellent music in its wares, and
a choice of three fighters, each with their own that is one area where Nekketsu Oyako excels.
stats, unique attack types, and powerful special It’s extremely similar to the style used in many
moves. This variety didn’t really help the game Capcom brawlers, and is a nice mix of jazz,
win over reviewers, as it was lambasted in synth and rock rhythms.
magazines as being nothing more than an
old game on new hardware. The name loosely translated means ‘Hot Blooded
Family’ and the game’s best consumed in its
However, it did take advantage of SEGA’s two-player co-op mode. It runs better on Saturn
system in a few ways. It could display an than on PlayStation, and has an improved
impressive number of enemy sprites on screen soundtrack, so that’s the version to go for.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
KID 1994 SFC

LEGEND UFO KAMEN YAKISOBAN: This bizarre brawler is essentially an advert The saucy hero has a surprisingly decent range
KETTLER NO KUROI for UFO, a type of Japanese instant yakisoba of moves at his disposal.
noodle by global snack company, Nissin.
The brand’s bizarre mascot is UFO Kamen Holding down the attack button can also
Yakisoban, a plucky man in a superhero charge up a ranged attack that lets you squirt
costume who wears a big plastic bowl of searing hot sauce into the face of your enemies.
instant noodles on his head like a helmet. In It’s actually quite terrifying if you really stop to
the Super Famicom game, our dehydrated, think about it.
highly-salted hero is trying to marry a
princess, but his arch-rival, Kettler, tries Kettler no Kuroi is truly bizarre and near-
to have her all to himself. For the record, impossible to follow unless you can read
Kettler is a man who literally has a kettle Japanese, but that shouldn’t put you off from
for a head. It’s truly inspired. giving the game a try, due to how strange
it all is. Will the experience make you crave
The game is surprisingly good fun for a blatant UFO noodles, though? Stranger things have
food advertisement. Throughout the adventure certainly happened.
you’ll fight across five colourful stages that
each have wonderful sprite art and a roster of
crazy enemies, such as guys who rollerblade
around the screen while wearing teapot
helmets. All of the bosses are also food-based,
such as an aggressive, sentient stove that flings
hot pancakes at you, and a ferocious beast
made out of razor sharp forks.

UFO Kamen Yakisoban can also call forth the
power of his flavoured sauce sachets to help
him turn the tide of battle. For example, you
can use the herb sauce packet to stop time
in its tracks or to give yourself a power boost.

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Arcade Zone 1994 SNES, WIN

Not to be confused with Ridley Scott’s
1985 movie starring Tom Cruise, Legend is
one of those games that comes so close to
greatness, but ultimately falls short due to a
few unfortunate issues. For starters, it looks
absolutely fantastic running on Nintendo’s
16-bit hardware, throwing you into a dark,
oppressive fantasy world filled with gruesome
beasts and warriors out for your blood.

You and a buddy can control knights Kaor Just like in Golden Axe, your magic spells will
and Igor as they battle through seven stages damage everything on screen.
to defeat the king’s corrupted son before he
can harness an evil power. While Legend looks This one is as polarising as a glob of Marmite
stunning and has a thick atmosphere, the spread onto a ham and pineapple pizza.
combat is too basic to hold your attention for Give it a shot, because you might just love it,
very long. The bosses are also brutal and feel but most people will likely walk away with
really unbalanced, so you’ll be seeing the ‘Game a bad taste in their mouth. The game did
Over’ screen a few times before you get used receive a port to Windows in 2015, making
to Legend’s harsh demands. it easy to play these days.

If you want to get far in this one you’ll need
to make good use of all the health pickups
dropped by enemies, use your Golden Axe-
style magic specials when the time is right
and master your shield block. Annoyingly,
while the block can get you out of a pickle,
it’s also unreliable and you can randomly
be hit through it.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Radical 1994 SNES
Entertainment

There’s no real strategy to lean on, apart from This section is insufferable. Simply walk about BÉBÉ’S KIDS
the hand-numbing power moves. and catch things that the baby knocks over.

Widely regarded as one of the worst games Now, to be completely fair, graphics aren’t
ever made, Bébé’s Kids is based on the 1992 everything. In fact, you can get games that play
animated movie that in turn was based on a amazingly but look rubbish, but the controls in
standup routine by American comedian Robin Bébé’s Kids are beyond comprehension. Simple
Harris. The story focuses on Robin, a hapless things like movement and attacking are sluggish,
single guy who takes a lady called Jamika on and each enemy takes a laughable number of
a date to Fun World, a bustling amusement hits before they finally drop. You can stand there
park. The only problem is that Jamika brings repeatedly slapping basic enemies about until
her friend Bébé’s kids along with her for the they eventually keel over, which is just no fun at all.
day. The terrible tykes eventually get loose in
the park and cause total chaos, much to Your only option is to awkwardly hold both
Robin’s displeasure. shoulder buttons to use power attacks, which
forces you to handle your controller like a crab
The Super Nintendo adaptation is like a trying to crush a watermelon between its claws.
sadistic form of sensory torture, forged in the It gets genuinely uncomfortable after a while,
fiery depths of video game hell. The soundtrack which means the game might start to cause
(if you can even call it that) hammers you with you physical discomfort too. It really is rubbish.
repetitive two-second music loops on every
stage. At the same time, the game’s visuals The power moves are a small mercy, as
assault your eyes with jagged sprites, drab they actually make the game far too easy.
locations and pixelated graphics that look In short, avoid this one like an out-of-date
dated even by 1994 standards. amusement park hot dog (unless you’re
the morbidly curious type).

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Blizzard 1994 GEN, MD, SNES
Entertainment

THE DEATH AND Flying is largely pointless, unless you need to get Projectile blasts can be useful against quicker
RETURN OF SUPERMAN over high walls or obstacles. enemies, like these jet pack thugs.

Have you ever wanted to play a Superman Blizzard’s good ideas that it all boils down
game in which you feel like a total weakling? to a flat, tedious slog. The biggest issue is that
If you somehow said yes to that question, then the Supermen just don’t feel super, despite
this limp brawler from Blizzard Entertainment having powerful melee combos, earth-shaking
is the game you’ve been waiting for. The ground slams and signature specials like eye
concept of adapting DC Comics’ legendary lasers and screen-clearing smart bomb
‘Death of Superman’ arc is actually brilliant, attacks. The lasers and Cyborg Superman’s
but the execution fails to bring it all together arm cannon are particularly naff, feeling more
in a way that’s fun. like water pistols than super-human abilities.

The story opens with Superman fighting the Even with all these moves, the combat still feels
Underworlders, a race of genetic clones who limp due to the game’s balancing. You can be
are trying to take over Metropolis. Eventually killed so quickly by a range of feeble enemy
poor old Supes gets himself snuffed by attacks, including simple punches from
Doomsday, which triggers a wider plot involving enemies half your size. The balance between
the appearance of other playable Supermen challenge and the character’s god-like power is
from different realities. Along the way you’ll get an issue that Superman games have wrestled
to play as Cyborg Superman, the Eradicator, with in the past, but here it’s just an annoyance
Superboy and others, each with his own of over-powered enemies, dodgy hit boxes and
standard attacks and specials. uninspired enemy design.

It’s a neat excuse for giving you lots of different The enemies are particularly dull, and you’ll
characters to control, but the game has so really feel this during the game’s second stage,
many issues that keep fighting against which takes you through Metropolis’ streets in

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The flying shooter sections are incredibly dull The ground pound special decimates everyone
and go on for a bit too long. nearby and it feels great.

pursuit of the villainous Kryptonian, Doomsday.
The enemies in this stage are the exact same
thug with a mohawk repeated over and over,
only sometimes he has a chainsaw and other
times he has a Molotov cocktail. You have to
fight many of these guys across the overly-long
stage, and by then you’ll practically be begging
to see something new.

This formula repeats across all of the side- The comic transition screens are a highlight,
scrolling stages, with very little in the way of with some great comic artwork.
enemy variety. You do get to play some scrolling
flying levels to break up the tedium, but they’re You do have to hand it to Blizzard for at
hardly groundbreaking. The whole thing is a lot least trying to thread the comic’s narrative
like a dodgy magic eye picture: you know what throughout each of the levels. But in the end
it’s supposed to be and you can picture it it just joins the long line of mediocre licensed
coming into focus in your mind, but no matter brawlers that had all the right pieces but failed
how long you squint at it, the coherent image to put them together properly.
never seems to appear.

DC Comics fans will probably get a kick out of
The Death and Return of Superman, as it has a
narrative that gives nods to the infamous story
arc and characters from the wider DC universe.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Natsume 1994 SCD, SFC, SNES

THE NINJA WARRIORS You’ll waste these guys with just a single hit, but Ninja’s kick makes him slide forward, which is
don’t let them crowd you. great for closing some distance.

This is a 16-bit reimagining of Taito’s 1987 Each of the three playable robots has its own
arcade game, The Ninja Warriors (p42). Like unique attacks and play style, which really
the original, it’s a 2D scrolling beat-‘em-up mixes up the gameplay. The slowest and most
that locks you into a single plane and assaults powerful character is the blandly-titled Ninja,
you with a steady stream of enemies that try who can’t jump but has jet thrusters that let
to take you down from all angles. Natsume did him pull off a booster charge attack and flying
an amazing job of expanding the first game’s hover kicks. He also has a savage and genuinely
template. while giving it a visual overhaul that cool-looking nunchaku combo. Returning fan
genuinely feels close to the quality you’d favourite Kunoichi is the best pick if you want
expect from an arcade release. someone who feels closer to a standard
side-scroller character. She can swipe at
The plot involves an evil tyrant called Banglar enemies with her dagger while either standing
who rules over America with an iron fist. In an or crouching and can smack enemies in the
attempt to overthrow the mad dictator, a small head with her flying kick.
rebel faction has engineered three advanced
ninja robots and let them loose as a last-ditch The third robot is Kamaitachi, who has sickles
push for freedom. It’s a simple premise with attached to his arms that he can spin to slice
a weighty combat system that really makes you and dice his opponents. He’s perhaps the
feel like a powerful machine, as you effortlessly hardest character to master, as some of his
hurl humans and heavy objects, like safes and moves have weird attack arcs and odd hit
exploding gas tanks, around as if they were boxes. For example, pressing down and jump
mere toys. near an enemy makes him leap into the air then
slam them with a downward kick. Pressing
down to perform a jumping attack feels

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The first boss is a real challenge and teaches Throw yellow boxes twice to reveal the health-
you the importance of blocking. restoring energy tanks inside.

counter-intuitive at first, but you’ll get used to it
after a while. He’s also got the worst defence of
the three robots, so picking him is a little bit like
choosing a harder difficulty level.

No matter who you choose to play as, The Ninja Stand directly below this scuttling robot to
Warriors can be an incredibly punishing game. avoid its bomb blasts.
It’s definitely one of those releases that you’ll
need to fail at a few times before you understand combat is straightforward enough that the
what it wants from you. Rushing in and attacking fundamentals are easy to learn, but you’ll
everything without a care in the world is a need to seriously step it up if you want to
guaranteed way to die quickly, as the screen can see those end credits. The game’s addictive
quickly get swarmed with enemies that can only challenge, stunning visuals and rocking
be defeated by specific tactics. For example, soundtrack make it one of the most overlooked
some armoured opponents can only be damaged gems in the Super Nintendo library.
from behind, while others have a long reach.
Unless you’re smart, they’ll smack you about
before you can even get close to them.

With such a mix of enemies putting constant
pressure on you, The Ninja Warriors nails that
sweet spot between games that are unfairly
challenging and those that you actively want
to beat by improving your own skills. The base

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Software Creations 1994 GEN, MD, SNES

SPIDER-MAN AND VENOM: The comic cutscenes look decent and take you The web-swinging section is good fun and
MAXIMUM CARNAGE through the grand story. breaks up the repetitive combat.

This LJN-published brawler is based on are also branching level paths that let you pick
Marvel’s ‘Maximum Carnage’ story arc, which between Spider-Man and Venom, so there’s
had Spider-Man and Venom teaming up with definitely a degree of replay value for anyone
various heroes to defeat psychopathic who wants to see both of their stories.
murderer Cleetus Cassidy, who is host to the
alien symbiote known as Carnage. While the But while all of the licensed elements look and
source material is a great set-up for a fighting feel as they should, the original material all
game, the end result is a mixed bag that feels incredibly average. All of the generic
players seem to either love or hate. enemies feel like stock bad guys, such as street
punks in extreme sports gear who look like they
Whether you enjoy the game or not, developer walked in from the NES classic Skate or Die.
Software Creations deserves kudos for really There are also female fighters who whip you
nailing the look and feel of all the featured with their hair and stereotypical gangsters
Marvel characters. Playing as Venom makes in trench coats who can somehow knock out
you feel really powerful, thanks to the way he your superhero fighters with just a few punches.
lumbers and lurches across the screen, with
mighty attacks that smash through enemies Some players might get tired of fighting these
with ease. On the flip-side, Spidey’s acrobatic bland enemies after just a few stages, and it
moves and cocky attitude really shine and doesn’t help that their sprites and animation
make him feel true to his comic form. are far worse than what you see with the Marvel
characters. The same goes for many of the
You even get some brilliant comic cutscenes murky and lifeless environments, which do
between levels, which tell the story and feature nothing to break up the tedious enemies that
original artwork straight from the books. There repeat over and over. You’ll even have to fight

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It’s never explained why old guys with umbrellas Get used to fighting these guys many times
want Spidey and Venom dead. before the end credits roll.

some of the bosses multiple times during the Venom’s spinning lariat special feels chunky
game, an example being Doppelgänger, who and never gets tiresome to use.
is massively overused.
Maximum Carnage is a just-okay brawler
All of this is disappointing because, amazingly, that’s held back by some poor design decisions.
both Spider-Man and Venom have a decent set If you have even a passing interest in Spider-
of moves, such as standard combos, crushing Man or Marvel’s comics, you should give this
specials and the ability to use webbing to block, one a try and decide for yourself.
grapple enemies and swing about stages. It’s
just a shame that you have to use these brilliant
attacks on wave after wave of bland and
uninspiring enemies. But, with that said, many
people have fond memories of this game and
have managed to overlook the bad for the
good, which is nice to see.

If the developer had somehow managed to
make the base enemies more exciting to fight,
Maximum Carnage could have been one of the
best home console fighting games of the ‘90s.
You can see glimmers of greatness beneath
the clumsy elements, such as a catchy metal
soundtrack and screen-clearing summons
that let you call heroes like Black Cat and
Cloak into the battle.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SEGA / Ancient 1994 360, GEN, MD, NSW, PS3, PS4, WII, WIN, XB1

STREETS OF RAGE 3 Watch out for the bikes on the screen’s border As in the previous game, Donovans can’t
to line up your flying kicks. counter your neutral flying kick.

The second Streets of Rage (p184) was always new explosive onto the city, killing thousands.
going to be a tough act to follow, but that In the butchered Western story, it’s all about
didn’t stop the teams at Ancient and SEGA the syndicate developing robot clones of
from trying new things to expand the series. city officials to tighten their grip on Wood
The end result is a mixed bag that still splits Oak City.
the fan base down the middle to this day. The
Western release was also tampered with in Most controversial of all is the stage one
some truly baffling ways, resulting in a mid-boss: a poorly-judged gay stereotype
localised version of the game that feels called Ash. He was removed from the
unpolished and a little disjointed. Western release for fear of causing offence
to players, and if you’ve tried the Japanese
For example, the Western release had its version then you’ll clearly see why.
difficulty ramped up considerably, with stage
five in particular being an unreasonable and But, despite the needless colour, plot and
tedious gauntlet that throws way too many difficulty tweaks, there’s still much to love in
enemies at you. SEGA also saw fit to change the Streets of Rage 3. The visuals are in the upper
colour schemes of Axel’s, Blaze’s and Skate’s tier of what was achievable on SEGA’s 16-bit
outfits, while in the Japanese edition they all hardware, while the art direction and neon-
appear in their classic Streets of Rage 2 colours. soaked environments are true to the ‘90s
vibe of the series. There’s even a new character
The plot was also changed considerably. called Zan, who uses his robotic augments
The Japanese release focuses on our heroes to electrify enemies, boost across the screen
trying to stop Mr. X and his syndicate after they with a turbo-charged shoulder barge, and
kidnap an army general and unleash a deadly throw goons around effortlessly.

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Use your downward aerial strike to stun enemies Punch the bulldozer’s scoop to make the driver
for a follow-up attack. retreat before you advance.

All the characters have a few new tricks to help Throw enemies off the sliding lift to get through
them in battle. There’s a meter that lets you stage three with more health.
use a special move without losing health, but
it takes time to recharge. Characters can also For many years, Streets of Rage 3 was thought
sprint to close distance on enemies and roll up to be the last game in the series, due to several
and down the screen to avoid gunfire, and failed attempts to revive the franchise on
there’s also a light progression mechanic that various formats. It was seen by many to be a
powers up your dash attack after you defeat divisive and bittersweet end to the trilogy, but
a set number of bad guys without losing a life. thanks to Dotemu, Lizardcube and Guard Crush
Games, fans finally got their long-awaited and
You can’t discuss a Streets of Rage game incredible fourth game in 2020.
without mentioning the soundtrack, which
was once again composed by Yuzo Koshiro
and Motohiro Kawashima. It’s a strange score,
which divides opinion, as it was created using
several randomised elements with Koshiro’s
own ‘Automated Composing System’. The result
is a jarring, abrasive techno soundtrack that
is totally unlike anything else heard in gaming
at the time. Thankfully, many fans have come
around to appreciating what Koshiro was
trying to achieve.

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STREET SMARTS

It’s no secret that Streets of Rage 3 is a
tough game, so here are a few tips that

will help you defeat the Syndicate …

SPECIAL METER WATCH THE WIND
Using specials won’t cost health as long as your gauge is On stage four’s opening segment you’ll be blown about
full, so don’t be stingy and use them as much as possible. by gale-force winds. Look at the hanging lanterns to work
Your neutral standing special makes you invincible for out which way the wind is blowing, then use it to your
a moment, which lets projectiles like bullets pass right advantage to throw your enemies further. It’s great for
through you. It’s also great for avoiding back attacks. chucking them into pitfalls for an instakill.

BLOCK BREAKER NEUTRAL KICKS
Some enemies, like Tiger here, can block your attacks As in Streets of Rage 2, Donovans will uppercut you if you
completely, which can be frustrating if there are a lot of try to hit them with a sideways jumping kick (where you
them on screen at once. Thankfully, they’ll be stuck to the hold left or right in mid-air). Instead, try a neutral jumping
spot for a moment when they block, so use this time to kick where you don’t press a direction, and they won’t be
grab and throw them instead. able to uppercut you.

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RAMPAGING ROBOTS CYBORG AXEL
Robot enemies can be a pain, but they actually give you The Syndicate sends a robotic clone of Axel to challenge
fair warning before attacking, so you have time to react. If you at the end of stage four. His running charge has crazy
you see a robot crouching, then it’s a sign they’re about to tracking, which means it can home in on you most of the
either fire a laser or charge. Walk or dodge up or down to time. You can completely avoid it by using your neutral
avoid both attacks. special just before he hits you.

SLAPPY SOOZIES PRECIOUS METALS
You first meet Soozie in stage two’s rave club. She has an At the end of stage one’s warehouse, you’ll fight three
annoying move that stuns you to the spot while she slaps suited agents with pistols, called Gold, Silver and Bronze.
you like crazy. Simply use a neutral special to break out of Their gunfire can really sap your health, but thankfully a
it. You can also use this trick to break out of enemy grabs. simple double tap of up or down makes you roll out of the
way. This comes in handy a lot.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Taito 1994 ARC, PS2, XB

DUNGEON MAGIC It takes a moment to get used to the isometric The snake boss is great fun. Keep tracking him
view, but it really works. and aim for his head.

Known as Light Bringer in Japan and Europe, Like Capcom’s superb Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeon Magic is quite different to other games (p286 & p318), Dungeon Magic has a
side-scrollers due to its isometric viewpoint, levelling-up mechanic that improves your
open environments and platforming character’s skill set and stats as they gather
mechanics. In some ways it feels a little like experience points. You can even find special
the Games Workshop role-playing tabletop weapons and other useful trinkets in side
game Hero Quest, with multiple rooms that rooms, but you might need to think outside the
hide devious traps, fearsome monsters box to access them. For example, there are
and tantalising secrets just waiting to stone statues that you can break to reveal floor
be discovered. switches. Step on one and it might open up a
new cluster of rooms elsewhere on the map.
Taito really put a lot of effort into making
Dungeon Magic feel like an RPG, with a classic That sense of unfolding discovery is a huge
fantasy plot involving a mad wizard, a kingdom part of Dungeon Magic’s appeal. It’s a game
in danger and a kidnapped princess in need that rewards you for poking and prodding
of rescue. The combat system is rammed full every inch of its environment to unearth all
of depth, and even has a variety of elemental of its hidden rooms and treasures. You’ll want
attacks that can be used to dish out big to explore the entire map just to see what new
damage to enemies of the opposite element, things the game has to offer. Exploration does
such as using fire attacks against creatures come with an element of risk-reward, though,
that are ice-based. as the longer you spend roaming around,
the more likely it is that you’ll be taken down
by enemies.

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Watch out for mimics inside treasure chests. Cisty has some amazing magic attacks that
They’ll cause damage if they get you! make you feel mega-powerful.

Sometimes it’s worth ignoring a tantalising Some chests require tricky platforming to
side route if your health is low, and just making reach, but the loot is worth it.
a beeline for the boss chamber. But maybe,
just maybe, those difficult extra rooms could magical abilities when wielding elemental
contain an epic new sword or experience- weapons, which makes him something of a
boosting loot that makes later levels far easier. dark horse. It will take you many playthroughs
to see everything Dungeon Magic has to offer
Dungeon Magic offers all of this before you even and to master each of its varied heroes. With
start to consider which character to pick. There stunning visuals, tight gameplay and a tonne
are four warriors to choose from, starting with of depth, it’s a neat RPG-brawler hybrid that
Gren. He’s a fairly standard melee fighter who, for fans of both genres must try.
some reason, only uses his sword if you hold down
the punch button, or when using his devastating
two-button special that engulfs the surrounding
area in flame. Otherwise he’s pretty basic, with an
atomic knee drop throw and decent combos.

The other fighters mix it up a little. Elfin ranger
Cisty can draw her bow and fire arrows at
enemies, while courageous knight Ash can
launch enemies with a powerful rising sword
swipe. Lastly, the mage character, Vold, is tricky
to control at first, with feeble staff strikes that
are backed up by the most powerful magical
spells in the game. He can even use unique

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Capcom 1994 360, ARC, PS3, SAT, WIIU, WIN

DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: The Fighter is a good pick if you want a classic Once you level up, this screen explains how your
TOWER OF DOOM side-scroller experience. character has developed.

It’s remarkable just how much influence blowing sequel Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow
Capcom had on the side-scrolling genre. Over Mystara (p318).
The studio experimented by adding light
role-playing elements into its 1989 classic, Looking back now, Tower of Doom isn’t the
Dynasty Wars (p96), but you could argue that deepest brawler out there, but it went further
the wonderful Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of than most back in 1994. Each of the five
Doom was the game that made them popular. playable fighters has a basic command list of
Its release was certainly a turning point, weapon combos, jump attacks and dashing
as more and more studios started using strikes, but they also have unique skills and
character progression mechanics, inventories character traits that set them apart. So while
and other neat tricks in their own brawlers. the core combat is simple enough, it’ll take
time to see and learn everything each of the
Capcom was ambitious with this one. On heroes offer.
the surface, side-scrollers are quite simple
games that are almost like a form of stress The Fighter and Dwarf are all-rounders for
relief, as you typically just walk from left to beginners, with decent sword attacks and the
right, hammering attacks to defeat waves ability to use a variety of non-magical items
of copy-pasted enemies until the credits roll. like daggers, oil bombs and throwing hammers.
There was always a danger that deeper RPG If you hold down the attack button then start
mechanics could prove to be too complex or walking backwards, both characters bring up
jarring for gamers who just wanted a simple their shields to deflect incoming attacks, which
combat experience. Thankfully, the studio you’ll need to survive some of the trickier fights
made it work seamlessly, and even pushed later on. While they can’t use magic naturally,
its ideas to great levels of depth in the mind- they can equip enchanted rings from their

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These little imps are a pain when attacking in Make sure to give all the spells you encounter a
numbers. Try blasting them with magic. try. They really do help!

inventory that let them use a single spell. Sticks to Snakes is a fun spell that summons
Basically, these are the guys to pick if you three snakes which will roam around the screen
want a traditional side-scroller experience, and keep enemies busy by biting them.
but if you want to get technical, then the Elf
and Cleric are your best picks. Their attacking There are more spells to uncover along the way,
power is reduced but their inventories are but these magic attacks alone give Tower of
expanded with spells they can use without Doom a level of depth that was simply unseen
having to equip rings. The Elf starts off with at the time. You also have the levelling-up
Magic Missile, which launches a projectile spell, mechanic that gives your hero more hit points,
plus Invisibility, which confuses enemies and and other upgrades, such as improving the Elf’s
makes them act erratically. She also has a Magic Missile spell to a three-way fireball. There
Polymorph spell that turns bad guys into are even moral choices along the way, complete
animal critters and a Golden Axe-style spell with dialogue that lays out your situation, just
called Cloudkill that can slay some enemy as a Dungeon Master would do if you were
types instantly. playing D&D for real. Choose wisely to earn
bonus weapon upgrades and other rewards.
The Cleric is by far the most technical
character, with a range of spells that do more All this considered, Dungeons & Dragons:
than just offensive attacks. Hold Person can Tower of Doom was a huge achievement,
root some enemy types to the spot, which gives blending a rich fantasy setting, deep combat
you a window to just whale on them as much and RPG mechanics into what had been a
as possible, while Cure Wounds does exactly relatively simple genre up until that point. It’s
what it suggests and can even heal your co-op still an essential experience for side-scrolling
companions if they’re standing close enough. brawler fans today.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Winkysoft 1994 ARC, SFC

DENJIN MAKAI You can cause huge collateral damage in some Zeldia’s Cell Needle special is a great counter
stages, which feels great. for just before you get hit.

Set in the year 2079, Denjin Makai focuses The titular Makai is a skilled martial artist
on a super-computer that has perfected the who can fire off cannon bursts from his Sonic
art of law enforcement. But the short period Blaster arm, which you activate by pressing
of peace is shattered when a new breed of forward, forward then punch and kick together.
criminal emerges. These ‘Ghosts’ are so Animalistic warrior Iyo is a different story
dangerous that the government assembles altogether. Together with her spiked mace
a task force of skilled warriors known as the and metal armour, she looks like she belongs in
‘Ghost Chasers’, who are tasked with finding one of Capcom’s Dungeons & Dragons games,
outlaws and bringing them to justice. rather than a futuristic brawler. Her spinning
Developer Winkysoft created an amazing mace special can be used from a standstill, or
setup for this game, and the good news is it in mid-air to rain down on enemies from above.
absolutely smashed the gameplay too.
You can also play as two robot characters,
There are six varied Ghost Chasers to choose starting with a wolf mech called Zeldia that can
from, each with their own command lists and shoot huge spikes from his body. The humanoid
character traits. The most interesting combat machine Gelva controls like a mechanical
feature is the two-button specials, which can Mike Haggar from Final Fight, complete with
be used as often as you like, as long as you a rocket-powered spinning lariat. There’s also
have energy in your regenerating power bar. Kurokishi, who can tear through opponents
Aside from the usual standing specials, some with a spinning kick that would make Street
characters also have specials they can use Fighter’s Ryu blush.
in the air, while others have dashing specials
that are great for hammering whole packs
of bad guys at once.

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Gelva is a little slower, but has great damage Makai is a classic all-rounder, with a simple yet
output across the board. highly effective fireball.

Lastly, there’s the scantily-clad muscleman, Kurokishi’s tatsu-style spin-kick works well as an
Tarukusu. He’s a bizarre but fun addition to the anti-air defensive move.
roster, with a flying butt-bounce attack and a
Muscles Blaster special that sees him flex his Overall, the game is simply a lot of fun, with
mighty biceps before sending shockwaves vibrant colours, a cast of weird enemies
through the ground. He might look like an and inventive environments to fight through.
oiled-up comedy character, but he’s another Winkysoft’s incredible character roster and their
fine addition to what is one of the best and most expansive command lists are the icing on the
enjoyable rosters in the side-scrolling genre. cake, however, and make Denjin Makai one
of the most essential brawlers you’ll ever play.
With so many moves and characters to master,
the replay value of Denjin Makai is through
the roof, and that’s before you take the varied
enemy types and inventive stage designs into
account. It’s also possible to block attacks
by spending some of your power meter. Each
hit you deflect depletes your bar, so you can’t
just turtle in the corner indefinitely. It’s a nice
system that forces you to only block sparingly,
when you need it most.

In terms of tone, the vibe is similar to the
more madcap brawlers out there, like Captain
Commando (p140) and Battle Circuit (p324).

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Capcom 1994 ARC, NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1

ARMORED WARRIORS The mech designs are beefy and their scale Quickly retreat when you see this octopus mech
gives the combat a real sense of weight. spin its spiked legs around.

Armored Warriors takes the side-scrolling GULDIN is an interesting pick, as it has tank
beat-‘em-up genre and ramps it up treads instead of a bipedal frame, together
considerably by casting players as colossal with twin rocket launchers that light up the
war mechs. It seems to be one of the lesser- screen with explosions and debris. You should
known brawlers on Capcom’s CP System II pick this rig if you prefer to play as tank class
arcade hardware, but it absolutely deserves fighters. On the flip-side, FORDY is smaller but
wider recognition among fans of the genre. comes equipped with two buzzsaw arms that
Piloting a hulking war machine of death just are great for churning up enemy vehicles. You
gives you such a huge power trip, especially can even jump and let your blades spin through
when you tear through whole squads of tiny enemies from a safe height, a bit like Sonic but
humans or reduce another mech to scrap. about 50 tonnes heavier.

The plot is set in the year 2281 and finds the REPTOS is the lightest rig on offer, but what it
armies of Earth locked in a violent war against lacks in defence it makes up in reach, with an
the rogue planet of Raia. You can choose to extending arm blade that can hit opponents at
play as one of four mech pilots, each with their a safe distance. Lastly, BLODIA is essentially an
own unique rig, which comes equipped with a all-rounder that handles a bit like the standard
variety of melee attacks, gun attachments and human fighters you’re used to from other
other tools. In true Capcom fashion, the team side-scrollers. It has a great melee combo that
made extra sure to give each mech a distinct ends in a rising uppercut and a Vulcan cannon
gameplay style and various quirks you can on its shoulder for when you want to keep the
learn while playing. pressure on enemy mechs. Overall, BLODIA is
the ideal pick if you’re playing Armored Warriors
for the first time.

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You can rip through these smaller machines REPTOS has an electrified straight punch that
with basic attacks and gunfire. zaps everything in its path.

But while each of the playable rigs has an This is a shooting-only stage that tasks you with
expansive command list, there’s also a neat stopping a runaway train.
limb-swapping mechanic that beefs up the Armored Warriors was helmed by none other
combat potential even further. It’s similar to than Final Fight producer Yoshiki Okamato,
the system found in Novotrade’s Mega Drive as it shares the same level of slick combat,
brawler, Cyborg Justice (p236). This mechanic chunky sprites and stellar production values
lets you pick up and attach the limbs of fallen that make it a truly essential experience.
machines to your own frame. You can then
let rip with your devastating new upgrade,
such as a huge mining drill, ferocious flame
jet or long-range laser cannon. The
swappable weapons gives Armored Warriors
a lot of replay value, as it’ll take time for you
to discover which mech and attachment
combinations you like best.

Capcom really challenged itself when
designing this game, giving players a sense
of scale they’d never experienced in a side-
scroller before. The vehicular battles might
remind you of games like Metal Slug, while the
weighty combat echoes the very best of
Capcom’s arcade output. It’s no surprise that

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Almanic Corp. 1994 SFC

BATTLETOADS SHIN NEKKETSU KOUHA: Stages are more straightforward and lack the The opening prison break serves as a fun
ARCADE KUNIO-TACHI NO BANKA open style of River City Ransom. tutorial for the new command list.

This is the fourth game in the Kunio-Kun parts, especially if you can’t read Japanese,
series begun by Technōs Japan. Loosely but you can still loosely follow the plot.
translated as ‘The New Hot-Blooded Tough
Guy: The Eulogy of Kunio and Co.’, it’s set The combat is fun once it gets started,
before the events of River City Ransom (p92) throwing you against rival gangs and cops
and follows high school students Kunio and trying to arrest you. In a neat twist, you can
Riki, who must clear their names after being switch between Kunio, Riki and their girlfriends,
framed for a hit-and-run attack. Misako and Kyoko, who are the stars of 2019’s
outstanding brawler, River City Girls (p432).
Early beat-‘em-ups didn’t have deep storylines, They each have their own life bar, so if
but this game has lots of cutscenes and someone’s about to be knocked out, you can
dialogue between characters before and after change character to keep the battle going.
each battle. It can get a little long-winded in Overall, it’s a fun entry to the Kunio series.

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Rare 1994 ARC, XB1

The steel pipe is an absolute lifesaver against Memorise the snake’s patterns to avoid its
big packs of enemies. deadly chomp attack.

This Battletoads sequel was originally only The second stage is a good example. It takes
released in arcades and gives the series a more place in a violent ice world that looks like
adult vibe, thanks to its comical levels of messy Santa’s Grotto, where you’ll fight aggressive
blood and gore. As in previous entries, each of snowmen and what look like Rudolphs who
the ‘toads have strong attacks that cause have become jacked by too many protein
their body parts to morph into anvils, hammers shakes at the gym. Battletoads Arcade is
and giant boots. Zitz even has a savage kick another bizarre and challenging entry in the
that turns his leg into a buzzsaw, which can series that deserves to be played. Check it out
decapitate or even slice enemies clean in two. on the Rare Replay Collection for Xbox One.
The game’s certainly got a darker tone, but it’s
still fun, with lots of weird comedy moments.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Software Creations 1994 GEN, SNES

THE TICK

Fighting on top of a bus should be exciting, You can summon The Tick’s pals to help him
but here it’s anything but. fight his way out of a tough situation.

Based on Ben Edlund’s cult comic book series and woeful hit detection that makes trying to
and its animated show spin-off, The Tick stars hit enemies less fun than it should be.
a bizarre superhero who has been assigned to
protect ‘The City’ from evil. Interestingly, the Developer Software Creations didn’t even
character’s original backstory in the comics bother with a plot. The first stage chucks you
is that he’s certifiably insane and on the run right into the action and within seconds you’re
from a mental institution – which wouldn’t set upon by generic ninjas without any rhyme
have played too well with kids in the ‘90s. or reason. From there, you’ll fight many of the
same enemy types repeatedly, with the only
While The Tick is an abstract and inventive diversion being annoying 2D stages where
franchise, this 16-bit adaptation falls into the you have to dodge axes and knives. Put simply,
category of awful tie-ins. It’s a chore to play, The Tick is pretty lame in every department.
with jagged, pixelated sprites, basic backdrops,

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Fill-in-Cafe 1994 PCD, PS1, MD

The mix of gunfire and melee strikes helps to Although the infinite continues remove some MAD STALKER
keep the combat interesting. tension, the one-on-one fights are still fun.

This game was originally released for the game’s combo system – which feels more like
Japan-only Sharp X68000 home computer as that of a one-on-one fighting game – you’ll be
Mad Stalker: Full Metal Forth. Set in the year chaining together attacks and combining
2142, a rogue AI has ordered hundreds of them with weapons for some satisfying and
‘SlaveGear’ mechs to attack Artemis City. weighty scraps.
You play as Hound Dog, the only SlaveGear
left uncorrupted by the attack. Each stage ends with a one-on-one battle,
in a similar style to that of Street Fighter, but
The action takes place on a flat 2D plane, while the game gives you an interesting mix of
with stages that throw you up against several genres, the inclusion of infinite continues means
SlaveGear mechs. Once you get used to the it can easily be beaten in just half an hour.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Winkysoft 1995 ARC

GUARDIANS: Jump and press A and B for an aerial special Hit A and C together to launch a widespread
DENJIN MAKAI II that hits enemies below you. area-of-effect strike.

There’s a very real chance you haven’t heard The combat just keeps revealing layers of depth
of this one before, thanks to it never getting as you play, giving you a command list that
localised in the West, but it’s quite simply one feels closer to something like a 2D tournament
of the greatest side-scrolling beat-‘em-ups fighter than a classic side-scroller. Although
ever made. Guardians hit arcades just a year there are only three attack buttons, you can
after Winkysoft released the first Denjin use them with combinations of direction inputs
Makai (p288), but the giant leap in quality to pull off an impressive range of moves.
they achieved in that time is nothing short
of astounding. For example, you can hold down or press
buttons while doing a jumping attack to switch
Every single aspect of the original template to a different type of aerial move. There are
has been improved, from the deep fighting even dashing attacks, and some characters
mechanics and slick controls to the beautifully have unique quirks, including the ability to
animated pixel art that feels like the best the double-jump. Each fighter also has their own
‘90s has to offer. Most impressive is that the ranged weapon, which has certain effects, such
character roster gives you eight completely as ray guns that freeze enemies in place for a
different heroes to play as out of the gate, moment, or chain cannons that spit a hail of
each with their own unique gameplay styles. bullets across the screen.
You can even choose which route you want
to take through the story, which gives you Special attacks are the real icing on the cake,
heaps of replay value. and help make each fighter feel completely
unique. They’re so varied that the command list
All of this content and attention to detail starts to feel closer to something like Street
makes other brawlers feel small by comparison. Fighter II than to your typical side-scroller. You

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Press A and B while standing for a neutral Tulks is a hilarious fighter to use, but his dropkick
special that repels enemies. is definitely no joke!

really could put a lot of time into working out Jinrei’s downward slash is great for getting the
how each fighter operates, then use their drop on regular enemies.
abilities to keep the combo counter building up.
You have to use specials tactically, however, The sheer variety of things to see and do
as they’re powered by your energy meter, which makes Guardians: Denjin Makai II a contender
can quickly run dry if you spam moves too for best scrolling beat-‘em-up of all time. It
many times. highlights a genre at the absolute peak of
its game for 1995, and deserves to be played
There’s a lot to discover in Guardians, but there by every gamer, fans of the genre or not.
is one weird thing missing. Makai, the hero
of the first game (and the guy this series is
actually named after) isn’t on the character
roster. In fact, he’s nowhere to be seen, but
thankfully you do get to play as any of five
returning fighters from the last instalment.

Makai’s partner Kurokishi makes a return,
along with winged warrior Zeldia, futuristic
cop Girulian, bodybuilder Tulks and the robotic
Belva, who are all back with new and improved
forms. They’re joined by three newcomers: the
martial artist Rou, katana-wielding ninja Jinrei
and fire-summoning mutant Skullbyule, all of
whom play completely differently to one other.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Capcom 1995 SFC, SNES, WII, WIIU

FINAL FIGHT 3 You really do get a feeling that Metro City is You can end Guy’s base combo with this
under siege in this one. powerful fireball strike.

Depending on who you ask, you might be told help you pummel gang members into paste.
that this is the best entry in the Final Fight Health-draining two-button specials make
trilogy (p70 & p258). It might not look as visually a return as well, such as Haggar’s spinning
impressive as the arcade original, but it has lariat and Guy’s Bushin Senpukyaku spin
lots of depth, which was lacking in the first kick – which Capcom let him keep when he
two games. At its core this is the same Final appeared as a character in the Street Fighter
Fight experience fans will know and love, but Alpha series and Super Street Fighter IV.
it borrows a few ideas from the Street Fighter
games to give you one heck of a fun time. Amazingly, Capcom amped the command
lists up to a crazy degree by throwing more
Things have changed since we last saw directional inputs into the mix. For example,
Metro City. Mayor Mike Haggar and his pals if you perform the same D-pad motion as a
have driven the Mad Gear gang away to bring Street Fighter Hadoken then hit punch, Guy
about a new era of peace. With their biggest fires a short-range flame blast from his palm.
competition out of the picture, the notorious Likewise, Lucia juggles enemies into the air with
Skull Cross gang rises to take control of the her Spin Frenzy knee combo. Each character
streets. After a riot breaks out downtown, also has a super gauge that slowly fills over
Haggar calls his old friend Guy, ace cop time, which can then be used to unleash their
Lucia and mysterious newcomer Dean to ultimate special move.
form a crew and defeat their new enemy.
In fact, Lucia later appeared as a downloadable
The classic Final Fight combat mechanics are character in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition.
present here, with a range of bone-crunching She uses a police baton and kick combos while
melee combos, throws and aerial attacks to fighting, and is the eighth Final Fight character to

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He might be older now, but Haggar’s wrestling The brilliant Lucia defies the ‘90s trend of ‘fast
moves hit harder than ever. but weak’ female fighters.

appear in a Street Fighter game, following Guy, Dean’s high-flying moves and electric strikes
Cody, Poison, Abigail, Sodom, Rolento and Hugo. make him a solid pick.

All of this combines to produce a deep and Final Fight 3 might have passed many gamers
rewarding battle mechanic that makes you by when it was released, as it came quite late
feel really powerful, as you lay waste to the Skull in the Super Nintendo’s lifespan. It’s definitely
Cross gang. The enemy types have stepped up one to check out today, though, as it makes
a notch too, with some familiar faces returning great use of the hardware’s graphics and
alongside new bad guys who are ready to give sound to give you a great arcade beat-‘em-
you a tough time. There are burly guys who try up experience at home.
to topple you by charging across the screen,
female assassins with dual blades and bat-
wielding psychos who wear masks.

With darker enemy types, a gritty urban
vibe and some moodier music than usual,
Final Fight 3 feels like a more serious game.
You definitely get a sense that Metro City is
under siege as you fight for your life through
dank prisons, decaying alleyways and perilous
junkyards. Each district is also ruled by a boss
character, and while they aren’t as memorable
as Rolento, Sodom and Abigail from the first
game, they’ll still give you a great challenge.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
SEGA 1995 360, AND, GBA, GEN, IOS, MD, MAC, NSW, PS3,
PS4, WII, WIN, XB1

COMIX ZONE Leap over his projectile, then kick Gravis square Hold up while hanging, and Sketch lifts his legs
in his mutated chops. out the way of gunfire.

Arguably one of the most original games of It’s a superb concept, and the game makes
the Mega Drive library, Comix Zone isn’t your use of some truly cutting-edge technology
typical belt-scrolling beat-‘em-up, like Streets that hadn’t been seen anywhere before in
of Rage (p122), but instead blurs the line the 16-bit genre. SEGA Technical Institute
between this genre and the 2D action format. worked hard to make you feel like you were
It was one of those games you’d see previewed inside a comic book, with each stage playing
in SEGA magazines back in the day, and its out across comic panels. You also see Mortus’s
gorgeous visuals and interesting comic panel giant hand drawing enemies for Sketch to fight
stages would simply blow your mind. Sadly, and you can even kick enemies through panel
the finished game didn’t turn out as many borders, which causes the paper to rip and
had imagined, and even today it still splits tear apart.
opinion among players everywhere.
Everything sounds brilliant in theory, but it’s
So what’s it all about? The game opens with only when you sit down to play Comix Zone
struggling comic writer and artist Sketch Turner that you’ll either come to love it or hate it.
working on his latest book, ‘Comix Zone’, in his The main issue is the game’s difficulty, which
New York apartment. Suddenly, the villain of isn’t kind to anyone who isn’t willing to really
the story, a mutant overlord called Mortus, learn the combat mechanics. You’ll also have
leaps from the page and drags Sketch into to overcome some light puzzles and even
the pages of his own story. Our hero teams some panels that barely give you a second
up with resistance general Alissa Cyan to take to breathe before you’re set upon by enemies,
on Mortus and other mutants while trying or in an instant-death situation.
escape his book in one piece.

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