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

Fight through the enemies first, then grab the Some fighters handle aerial enemies better
chest when its safe. than others, depending on their skills.

As in Capcom’s Dungeons & Dragons titles Things get deeper as you investigate Dragon’s
(p286 & p318), you also have a quick inventory Crown’s hub world, with its many vendors and
that you can cycle through with the D-pad. You character progression options. Defeating
can switch weapons and shields, drink health enemies nets you experience points that raise
potions, or use limited items like crossbows, your adventurer’s core stats each time you level
bombs, and throwing knives. You can find new up. You’ll also be given special points that can be
items in locked chests, which Rannie can open spent on additional passive abilities and combat
for you, or buy them from hub world stores. skills. For example, you can unlock an early
passive buff that gives you a sliver of health back
Speaking of which, the hub is full of things to each time you pick up coins from fallen enemies.
do and serves as a place to ready-up before You can also swap out different armour, weapons
each new quest. You can pay for appraisals and accessories to give yourself even more buffs
of new items to reveal their buffs and stats, and bonuses. The depth is something you’d
accept new story and side missions, and even typically expect from a Final Fantasy game,
resurrect the dead at the temple. This neat rather than a side-scrolling beat-‘em-up.
mechanic lets you pay to have the bones of
fallen adventurers found during quests brought This barely scratches the surface of what
back to life. All the reanimated warriors hang the game has to offer, making Dragon’s Crown
out in the Dragon’s Haven Inn, where they the biggest modern beat-‘em-up money can
can be swapped in and out as AI-controlled buy. The combat is simply flawless, the depth
companions who join you on quests. It’s like should keep you playing for tens of hours, and
Pokémon by way of Dark Souls … sort of. the visual presentation is peerless in the
side-scrolling genre. It’s simply an essential
experience that everyone should try.

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BATTLE PARTY

Dragon’s Crown’s playable fighters are all wildly
different. To help you pick one, here’s a closer look
at their strengths and unique abilities …

FIGHTER AMAZON
He’s the all-rounder who uses a sword and shield. Pick This axe-wielder feels similar to the Fighter, but she blocks
him if you want a more traditional side-scroller combat with her weapon instead a shield. Her special trait is that
experience, with chunky blade and melee attacks. His she gets stronger as she lands more attacks. The faster
special is a slam that leaves his sword planted in the you strike enemies, the more powerful you become. Her
ground, forcing you to fight without it for a while. spinning slice jump is perfect for landing multiple hits.

ELF DWARF
Range is your friend here, as the Elf is skilled with a bow Armed with steel hammers, the Dwarf is a slow-moving
and arrows. She’s the fastest character in the game and tank. He can stand still for a few seconds to charge up his
can charge her bow shots for extra damage. However, her defences, but this is risky as he’s completely defenceless
arrows can run out if you’re careless, which forces you to while doing it. His sliding kick and jumping frog-splash
rely on quick melee strikes. roll through bad guys like a wrecking ball.

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SORCERESS WIZARD
While her standard staff attacks are pathetically weak, the The Wizard also has to recharge his lost mana points, but
Sorceress is an absolutely savage magic user. Her tornado his magic attacks are largely offensive. He’s effectively a
juggle is a beast, while her ice blasts can both harm enemies pyromancer, with huge fire spells that decimate foes. He
and freeze them in place. Recharging mana takes time and has a flame column juggle, a fire trail that snakes across
leaves you defenceless, so only do this when it’s safe. the ground and an inferno crowd control burst.

RANNIE TIKI
He’s not a fully playable character, but Rannie will always You’ll find Tiki trapped in a cage during your very first
have your back. You can give him commands using a mission. If you manage to release the helpful fairy, she’ll
cursor that appears whenever you move the right stick. invite you to help her find her master. After you complete
With it, you can tell him to unlock chests, uncover hidden her side-quest, she’ll join you as a companion and point
loot and open doors to secret areas. out hidden secrets lurking in the environment.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Gravity 2013 360

DOUBLE DRAGON 2: Landing a sweet uppercut should feel great, but Don’t leave your back open, or you can be
WANDER OF THE DRAGONS it’s a hollow non-event here. downed and killed very quickly.

Remakes are always dangerous. Sometimes This would be a bit more tolerable if every
you strike gold, with a Resident Evil on other aspect of the game wasn’t a major
GameCube or a Link’s Awakening on Switch, disappointment. The controls are frequently
but it’s common for remakes to disgrace laggy and unresponsive, the choppy frame rate
the legacy of their original source material. threatens to turn into a slideshow at times, the
Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons is quick-time event scenes are a mess, and some
perhaps one of the worst examples of this, as enemies have an infuriating tendency to knock
it’s completely inferior to the Technōs Japan you down and stand over you, knocking you
1988 original (p58) in every way imaginable, down again the second you get up.
despite being made over 20 years later.
At launch, some declared Wander of the
Following the plot of Double Dragon II: The Dragons to be the worst game ever made.
Revenge, Wander of the Dragons has Billy It categorically isn’t; that sort of hyperbole
and Jimmy Lee travelling through various is commonplace any time a real stinker is
locations in search of Willy, the leader of released. Make no mistake, though, it certainly
the Black Warriors criminal syndicate, to get is a stinker, and given that it launched a year
revenge on him for killing Billy’s girlfriend after the far superior Double Dragon Neon,
Marian. Players fight through various settings, the difference between the two is stark.
including air hangars, dank sewers, factories
and the Wild West (for some reason) while Lastly, to see the good ending you must beat
fighting many near-identical goons. Seriously, the game without using special moves. The
you’re going to get pretty bored of brawling game doesn’t tell you this, and the tutorial
with them over and over again. encourages you to try a special. As a result,
practically nobody has seen the good ending.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
5pb/Mages 2013 360, NSW, PS4, PSV, WIN

The Club SEGA arcade from Japan’s Akihabara The visual style might look cutesy, but the PHANTOM BREAKER:
district appears. combat system is pretty deep. BATTLE GROUNDS

Phantom Breaker is a little-known one- such as blocks, stuns, ‘shadow steps’, throw
versus-one fighting game that hit Xbox 360 counters and more. On easier difficulties you
and PlayStation 4 in 2011. Although it was only can just about get by with button-mashing,
released in Japan, developer 5pb (now known but you really have to study the intricacies
as Mages) made a side-scroller spin off for of the fighting system if you want to survive
worldwide release in the form of Phantom harder modes.
Breaker: Battle Grounds.
Thankfully, it gets easier over time –or, rather,
Players choose between four characters from as you get stronger. When you defeat enemies,
the original game, then fight to defeat the evil they drop red orbs that can be collected for
Phantom and rescue Nagu, the kidnapped experience that levels you up to a maximum tier
sister of exorcist protagonist Waka. They’re of 50. Each level gives you points that can be
joined by a violinist called Mikoto (who’s armed spent on either your stats or a skill tree that
with a two-handed sword called Maestro), a gives you new abilities, such as double jumps.
mild-mannered but dangerous girl called Itsuki
(who has a battle hammer) and Yuzuha, a high- The game’s most notable characteristic is that
school girl who’s also training to be a ninja. it takes place on two planes. Rather than having
free movement up and down, you have two
Despite its retro appearance and chibi-style linear paths that you can jump between at will,
characters, Battle Grounds has a surprisingly similar to the alternating planes in Treasure’s
complex fighting system that feels more like a Guardian Heroes (p308). It’s a neat mechanic
fighting game at times. Your weak, medium in what is a genuinely great obscure game.
and strong attacks can be chained to make big
combos, and there are lots of defensive moves,

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Le Cartel Studio 2016 MAC, NSW, PS4, WIN

MOTHER RUSSIA BLEEDS The underground rave is a real highlight, with Extracting Nekro when swarmed is a real
some banging synth tunes. gamble that needs smart spacing.

Mother Russia Bleeds feels like someone put Once you have some Nekro, you can either use
Streets of Rage (p122) and Hotline Miami into a it to refill some of your life bar or use it to gain
blender, resulting in a brilliant, bloody, violent a brief window of rage, which lets you inflict
and stylish brawler that really deserves your gruesome fatalities on enemies in a berserker
attention. Set in ‘80s Russia, the plot revolves state. It’s a nice risk-reward mechanic that
around a mysterious new addictive drug called makes you think carefully about what to spend
Nekro. Playing as one of four lowly street your Nekro on. Your choice can make the
fighters, your story begins as you awake in an difference between surviving the fight a little
underground lab, after being shot full of the longer and getting yourself killed.
narcotic for weeks. Enraged, you escape and
trigger a chain of events that could liberate Each of the four playable characters has
Russia from Soviet rule once and for all. a range of brutal moves that can be used to
decimate enemies. You have standard light and
Nekro is actually central to combat and heavy attacks that can be chained, as well as
survival in Mother Russia Bleeds, as your a power move that can be charged by holding
dependency on the drug means you need it down a button. You also have throws that can
to live and function properly. Occasionally, an be used to bowl over bad guys and an evasive
enemy you’ve defeated will start to convulse dash that can be combined with attacks, like
when they hit the ground. This means you can slide kicks or charging punches.
extract the Nekro from their bloodstream by
filling your syringe. This takes a lot of time and The combat handles incredibly well, managing
leaves you totally defenceless, so you’ll need to feel simultaneously quick and weighty,
to learn how to make plenty of space to which is something many fighting games fail
withdraw as much as you need. to deliver. You also have a range of savage
weapons, such as shotguns that reduce

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Hurl enemies into the giant grinder to score Nothing can prepare you for the nightmarish
easy kills, but don’t let it hit you. sights of the fetish club.

enemies to bloody chunks, and chainsaws sequence sees you fighting armed guards on a
that can be used to tear your target’s face train while trying to not drop a walkie talkie in
off. It’s not an understatement to say that your hand. If the bad guys pick it up, they’ll call
this is easily the most violent side-scrolling for reinforcements and trigger a ‘Game Over’.
beat-‘em-up ever made. It’s a tense encounter that gives you a welcome
change of pace. Another tense moment sees
It’s not just a gimmick either, as there’s a real you fighting drug addicts in a drained swimming
sense of menace creeping throughout every pool while a combine harvester chases you
single screen of Mother Russia Bleeds. You’ll from behind. Fall too far behind and you’ll
feel like each gruesome stage is taking you be sliced up by its blades, but you can hurl
down another level of hell, thanks to the eight enemies into them for a quick but messy kill.
increasingly disturbing environments, ramping
difficulty, and roster of sadistic enemies. One The game’s visceral nature is backed up
moment you’ll be rumbling with bouncers in wonderfully by a stellar soundtrack, which
a terrifying fetish club, the next you’re kerb- was written by composer Vincent Cassar,
stomping overdosing tramps in a squalid crack who goes by the artist name Fixions. Cassar’s
den. This one’s definitely not for kids, parents! pulsating synthwave beats keep the blood
pumping before his unsettling atmospheric
The problem with many games that wear tracks keep you in a state of chilling unease.
violence on their sleeves is that they become As the sum of all these parts, Mother Russia
a little repetitive and the shock factor starts Bleeds is slick, dark, shocking and immensely
to die down. But that’s not the case here, as playable, making it an absolutely essential
developer Le Cartel Studio wisely introduces entry for your side-scroller library
new mechanics, set-pieces and fresh enemy
types right up until the final battle. One clever

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JOURNEY INTO MADNESS

The levels of Mother Russia Bleeds are varied and
grow increasingly dark. Here’s a look at some of the

depraved places you’ll experience along the way …

THE LAB THE JAIL
You wake up here after months of Nekro testing. After Turns out the lab was beneath a maximum security
you escape, you have to fight guards and deranged test prison! Here you fight maniacal prisoners and guards
subjects through the rat-infested sewers, putting your with batons as you pass through the cell blocks and
combat skills to the test. Watch out for the scientists who prison yard. Your escape eventually leads to a massive
throw beakers, as these will poison you on impact. riot between the inmates and guards, before you face
off against the pistol-wielding warden.

THE SQUAT THE TRAIN
You return to your home in the slums to find it destroyed by After vowing revenge on the government for pushing
drug addiction. You then fight the drug-pushers until you Nekro to the slums, you hop a train to Moscow. You fight
reach an illegal rave in a ruined gym hall. If you survive the soldiers on the roof of the train while leaping over steel
onslaught of addicts and thugs, you fight a burly skinhead girders. An armoured commander wearing night-vision
in a drained swimming pool. goggles waits to challenge you at the end of the line.

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THE CLUB THE CITY
You chase a lead on the source of Nekro to a sadistic Your friend Vlad has rallied an army to lead a protest against
fetish club in the capital. After rumbling with door Moscow. But first you need to tackle speeding biker thugs,
bouncers, you enter the depths of depravity and battle gunners armed with AK-47 rifles, and riot police. The stage
scantily-clad men in pig masks across many disturbing boss is a chap who looks like Dr. Robotnik riding a wall of
rooms. An executioner awaits you in a room full of gimps. nasty flame turrets.

THE ARENA THE PENTHOUSE
This is your biggest challenge yet. Russia’s rich and All good beat-‘em-ups end in a penthouse. Things start
powerful elite watch as you attempt to survive waves of off simply, as you battle goons in the plush government
homeless people, knife-wielding maniacs and security headquarters, but the action really gets crazy when a
personnel, all for their amusement. Creating space is chopper shows up and starts ripping the place apart
the key to survival, but nothing can prepare you for your with its chain gun. All that’s left now is the final boss …
opponent in the final round!

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CLASSIC MOMENT

Mother Russia Bleeds – storming the city
Towards the end of Le Cartel’s grimy brawler, you lead an
uprising against the City’s oppressive regime. This stage
is thick with tension, as you fight through armed guards
while rioters run from tear gas and attack dogs in the
background. It’s a powerful build-up to the final battle.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
QuByte Interactive 2016 NSW, PS3, PS4, PSV, WIN, XB1

99VIDAS

The enemy roster gets really random, like these Due to the game’s unpredictable counter-
evil Alice in Wonderland cosplayers. attacks, jump-kicks are often the best solution.

An evil crime lord has taken possession of The fluid character animation really comes
a mystical artefact that grants him 99 lives, alive when using your hero’s special elemental
and it’s up to a crew of elemental warriors attacks. For example, the cat-eared King is
(who were supposed to be guarding it!) to water-based and can pummel enemies with
take him down. 99Vidas is a fun, occasionally a blast of razor-sharp icicles that arc upward
weird and inventive brawler that pays tribute at the end of his combo string. Fries is the
to the heavyweights of the genre. Even the tank of the group and can turn his body into
music has clear nods to Yuzo Koshiro and rock while performing a charging tackle.
Motohiro Kawashima’s work on the Streets The transformation looks brilliant in motion.
of Rage series’ soundtracks, with banging
tunes that help get your blood pumping Each character also has two varieties of
during each fight. screen-clearing special, similar to Golden Axe’s
magic attacks. These also look brilliant and
One of the most striking aspects of the game is can really help you turn the tide of battle once
its eye-watering pixel art, which fans of Ubisoft things get tough. Lightning character Izzy has
Montreal’s stellar Scott Pilgrim vs. The World a great one, which sees a pair of giant hands
(p384) will really enjoy. Both games have a come down from the heavens, only to shoot
similar visual style, but 99Vidas stands tall on lightning bolts at everyone on screen.
its own merits with some great animation and
lots of really imaginative stage design, such While the base command list is extensive, you
as a level set on a notepad. This stage is a real can actually spend points to upgrade your
highlight, with environments and characters moves at the mid-stage shop. This can add
that look like they’ve been sketched with extra hits to a combo string, beef up your
crude pen art. projectiles, or simply raise the damage output
of your basic attacks. You can also trade

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This boss might look daft but he’s lethal! Be The notepad level is a real highlight, but it’s
ready to walk around his attacks. definitely no cakewalk.

points for extra lives, which you’ll definitely basic melee attacks. The only sure-fire way to
need once the difficulty starts to ramp up. attack enemies without taking damage is to hit
Speaking of difficulty, one of 99Vidas’ main them with jumping kicks, which can get boring
weaknesses is that the combat could have really fast. These issues are frequent, and while
done with more fine-tuning. This can turn what they might make you feel some rage early on,
should be a fun experience into a tough and they’re just challenges you have to adapt to
occasionally irritating one. While it gets most and work around. Once you figure them out,
of the side-scroller ingredients right, it you’ll have far more fun.
manages to drop the ball with a few of them,
such as enemies that can hit you back even Things improve drastically once you bring
though you’re hitting them with a combo. friends into the fight, as 99Vidas gets far easier
and a heck of a lot more fun with up to three
The only way to counter this is to use your players by your side. This is when the game
two-button special, but it’s not ideal, seeing really comes alive with chaotic action – anyone
as you lose health each time you do it. Another who played Konami’s four-player arcade
annoyance is that both you and your enemies cabinets back in the day will know the appeal
can grab people by walking into them. of co-op at this scale. It’s frantic, and you’ll all
Sometimes you’ll walk into an enemy to try get good laugh out of the experience.
and grab them, but they’ll grapple you instead,
then eat up a huge chunk of your health with Overall, 99Vidas has some wrinkles you’ll
a combo or throw. need to get your head around, but the overall
experience is well worth playing with some
Attack range is also an issue. Some enemies friends.
have longer reach than you, to the point where
it gets risky to try and hit them with even your

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Million Co. 2016 3DS

RIVER CITY: The character designs and pixel art are very Farming enemies for cash is key, but be sure to
TOKYO RUMBLE similar to those in the original game. retreat if your health is low.

Kunio and his best bud Riki are back. This time levelling, purchasable skills and much more.
they’re rumbling with an assortment of street You can even recruit allies to fight alongside
thugs and rival crews to defeat the ruthless you, which is a neat concept that was fleshed
Tokyo Lion Alliance gang. Interestingly, the out massively in River City Girls (p432).
game breaks out of the confines of River City
and sees you fighting your way through real- As in previous entries, you do have to fight
life locations in Tokyo. In a nice twist, you many similar enemies over and over to grind
can use the city’s sprawling train network to for coins and experience, which might feel
travel between the action-packed districts. repetitive or boring if you’re new to the series.
But if you’re familiar with the River City format
While it plays out a little differently, all of the and its classic mechanics, Tokyo Rumble is
classic River City mechanics are here, including another neat entry that’s worth trying.
upgrade shops, experience points, character

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Empty Clip Studios 2016 PS4, WIN, XB1

DEAD ISLAND: Timing is everything as Max sprints through Time it right to knock barrels and crates into
RETRO REVENGE each zombie-infested stage. zombies for extra points.

Initially included in the Dead Island Definitive You’re armed with four different attack types
Collection as a bonus extra, this retro-themed – high, mid-height, low and rear – and have
brawler is best described as a hybrid of to quickly determine which type is suitable
beat-‘em-up and endless runner. for each enemy. While the most basic zombies
can be taken out with any attack, some
You play as a zombie apocalypse survivor enemies can only be defeated with specific
called Max, who must run through 24 zombie- strikes or combos.
infested stages to find his missing cat. Max
runs automatically in each level, so you have Retro Revenge was met with mixed response
to quickly move up and down between three when it launched, but it’s a harmless action
different lanes while knocking lumps out game that should keep you busy for a while.
of everything in your way.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Pelikan13 2016 MAC, NSW, PS4, WIN

There’s a lot of collateral damage during stages The combat loop of melee strikes and firearm THE TAKEOVER
and great, weighty combat. pressure feels pretty ace.

When police officer Ethan River and his The other notable addition is that your
girlfriend Megan discover that their adopted chosen fighter is armed with a pistol at all
daughter Vanessa has been kidnapped by the times, though it doesn’t always have bullets
mysterious organisation behind a new crime in it. Once you collect ammo, you can hold a
wave, the pair head out – aided by Ethan’s trigger button to draw your weapon and hit the
‘brother in arms’ Connor – to rescue her and punch button to fire a shot. These are obviously
crush whoever it is that’s corrupting the city. powerful and can get you out of a sticky
Developer Pelikan13 was clearly inspired by situation, but the (deliberately) slightly clunky
Streets of Rage (p122) and Final Fight (p70), method used to shoot – combined with the fact
but it made several key changes to make that ammo is finite – means resorting to your
things more palatable to modern tastebuds. gun is always a risk you have to weigh up.

At its core, the game doesn’t seem hugely The TakeOver is one of the better modern
different from SEGA’s and Capcom’s ‘90s beat-‘em-ups, because it manages to delicately
offerings. As in those games, you can grab walk the line between feeling like one of the
bad guys by walking into them, throw them ‘90s classics (it even has a new music track
into other enemies, smash objects to reveal by Yuzo Koshiro) and not becoming a walking,
health top-ups and so on. It does have its own punching, kicking cliché as a result. If Streets
characteristics that make it stand out from of Rage 4 (p448) had employed pre-rendered
its peers, though, most notably its use of punch 3D characters instead of going down the
and kick buttons instead of a single attack hand-drawn route, there’s every chance that
button. This allows players to string together the results would have been similar to this ...
impressive custom combos by switching from and that would have been no bad thing, either.
punches to kicks quickly.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Arc System Works 2017 AND, IOS, NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1

DOUBLE DRAGON IV The Lee brothers’ classic rising uppercut still Use kicks during the flat 2D sections to gain
feels fantastic today. a valuable reach advantage.

With Double Dragon IV, developer Arc System sports car, they’re suddenly run off the road
Works recaptured the quaint, classic magic of and attacked, triggering a brand-new fight
the NES-era entries. The retro visual style makes for survival. The plot is thin, but told through
it feel right at home in the old-school canon, some charming cutscenes with wonderfully
with 8-bit visuals and chunky sprites that cheesy dialogue and nice pixel art that should
have been adapted from the original games. raise a smile.

Off the bat, it’s important to point out that Arc Interestingly, there were even some story
System Works didn’t just make Double Dragon ideas that were left on the cutting room floor.
IV, it actually now owns Technōs Japan, the The game’s original plot would have focused
studio that created the series back in 1987. The on Billy and Jimmy’s master and his other
two teams worked closely on the fourth outing apprentices, before being streamlined down.
under the stewardship of producer Takaomi And at one point, Kunio-kun from Kishimoto’s
Kaneko, and have since continued the Kunio other games, like River City Ransom (p92), would
series with two new River City Girls games. have been a playable character.

Double Dragon IV doesn’t just look retro, it plays Both the games industry and the side-scrolling
old-school as well. Seeing the pixelated Lee beat-‘em-up genre have moved on a lot since
brothers fight against classic enemies like Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones (p106) was
Abobo and Burnov feels like visiting an old released on Nintendo’s 8-bit platform, so you
friend after many years apart. Since we last might find the fourth entry’s dedication to the
saw the Lee brothers, they’ve been busy setting source material either charmingly retro or
up dojos all across America to help train more frustratingly old. That’s entirely down to how
peacekeepers. While cruising around in their you feel about the original classics.

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The bat still has an awkward swing, but time it There’s something about the Lees’ flying kick
just right and it deals big damage. that will always feel satisfying.

Combat is exactly as you’d expect, with both before, Double Dragon IV might feel kind of
Lee brothers bringing back their classic moves basic, overly familiar and maybe even a little
from the NES trilogy. The biggest and most bland. This depends on your own tastes, of
welcome change is that their spinning kick course, as dedicated series fans will no doubt
special is now mapped to a dedicated button, lap it up.
which means you can pull it off each time
without whiffing the controls. This is great, as Déjà vu aside, the game feels far slicker than
being unable to do the move when you wanted any of the 8-bit entries before it. The soundtrack
was a real problem in the original trilogy. is also really great and the visuals are absolutely
shot through with nostalgia and love for the
Everything else is intact, with the same punch original games. You can even play with a friend,
and kick combos you’ll remember, and that thanks to local co-op support, or you can have
ever-useful flying kick. In true Double Dragon a one-on-one duel against each other.
fashion, you’ll also have to do some light
platforming. This will really test your skills in Lastly, there’s also a neat tower mode in
the later levels, once conveyor belts and other which you fight through floors of increasingly
hazards come into play, and might give you difficult enemies in a survival-style gauntlet.
painful flashbacks of Double Dragon II’s final In this mode, you can unlock playable enemies
stage. Prepare to die a lot on your first run. and boss characters that can be used in all the
other modes. Finally, your dream of playing a
While all of the key ingredients are here and Double Dragon story mode as Abobo can now
the game genuinely feels like part of the NES be realised. It gets really tough, though, so it’s
Double Dragon series, the whole thing seems best enjoyed with a second player who can
to lack a real sense of excitement. In trying to watch your back.
closely and painstakingly match what went

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Sebastian Garcia 2017 NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1
(a.k.a. SebaGamesDev)

FIGHT’N RAGE Ricardo’s spinning lariat is an absolute godsend The combo system is truly free-form, with
when fighting big groups. special, cancels and more.

The wonderful Fight’N Rage is undoubtedly your specials or gamble some health to use
one of the best side-scrollers money can buy. them more often.
Sebastian Garcia has single-handedly taken
what previous generations have learned and It also helps that the transition between normal
packaged it into a hard-hitting, challenging moves and specials is seamless. For example,
arcade brawler with plenty of fresh ideas if you play as ninja character F. Norris, you
to call its own. The retro visuals and catchy can smash an enemy with your whole melee
soundtrack are also sublime, resulting in an combo string before unleashing your standing
experience that’s borderline perfect. spin-kick special for an additional burst of hits.
It’s even possible to use specials to cancel
The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic enemy grapples.
setting that sees humans being hunted by
anthropomorphic warriors, including biker rats, Speaking of cancels, you can tap jump to
electric cats, sumo pigs and boxing flies. It negate a throw if you time it right, or press it the
sounds weird, but it’s an inventive idea that moment you’re knocked down by an attack to
makes for lots of varied enemies to fight, get right back up instantly. Cancelling moves
each with their own behaviours and tactical and knock-backs like this is something you’d
weaknesses to look out for. expect to see in a Street Fighter game, so the
fact it works this well in a side-scroller is no
There are many great mechanics at work here, small achievement.
starting with a special meter that recharges
over time. When it’s full, special moves won’t Fight’N Rage is a textbook example of how to
cause you damage. If it’s below maximum, you’ll nail the key fundamentals of the side-scrolling
lose a chunk of health. It’s a brilliant system genre in a modern context.
that means you can play conservatively with

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
MAC, WIN
Conatus Creative 2014

DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Conatus Creative, Inc 2017 MAC, WIN

As in the original game, enemies spew funny The sewer system can help you travel across the RIVER CITY RANSOM:
one-liners when defeated. city, but be ready for a fight. UNDERGROUND

This official sequel to River City Ransom (p92) arcades. In each area you’ll rumble with one
is set 20 years after the events of the NES of the city’s gangs, each of which has its own
original, and focuses on a new set of students theme and difficulty level.
at River City High. The carnage begins when a
rich businessman, Merv, offers all the River Just as in the original, you’ll earn cash and
City crews a huge reward if they can find and experience by beating bad guys. If you’re
return his beloved, who has seemingly been feeling bold, you can leave the screen and
kidnapped by a sinister gang called The Flock. re-enter it to respawn some bad guys. This lets
you farm cash, but could also get you killed, so
There are four playable characters to choose it pays to fight smart. Every so often, you’ll
from at the start, with more to unlock along the come across town hubs with stores where you
way, each with distinct combat styles and can use your cash to buy food and items like
upgrades. There’s Bruno the Mexican wrestler, comic books to raise your stats. You can even
Provie the breakdancer, Paul the boxer and buy new moves at dojos around the city.
Glen, who uses a Shotokan martial art style.
After all hell breaks loose in their school, our Underground is a fun throwback to the classic
heroes make their escape and bump into the River City Ransom, with combat that feels
older Alex and Ryan, who now run an auto scrappy and familiar, yet new and expanded,
repair shop with Roxy. with plenty of fresh moves and characters
to master. The visuals also feel like they truly
It’s nice to return to the modernised River City, belong in the Kunio series, while benefiting
which feels busier and more alive than ever. from flashy new pixel art effects and slick
The world map is huge and has many distinct animation. It’s well worth checking out if
districts, like bustling freeways and run-down you’re fond of the previous River City games.
shopping promenades with boarded-up

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Mega Cat Studios 2017 GEN, MAC, MD, NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1

COFFEE CRISIS The hit detection is woeful, making even your This mini-game is similar to Mortal Kombat’s
standard attacks a total slog. ‘Test Your Might’ bonus round.

While it’s a modern side-scrolling beat-‘em- Weirdly, the first thing the game shows you
up, Coffee Crisis overlooks a lot of the genre’s is some advice that each playthrough will
finest qualities from across its previous start with random modifiers that change
decades. It follows two baristas as they fight the experience, yet it doesn’t tell you what
to stop an alien attack by beating invaders they are or how they’ll impact the gameplay.
with sacks of coffee beans. Sadly, the game’s Instead, the game tells you to just figure
unsatisfying combat mechanics make it a them out for yourself. In some game genres,
real slog to play. such as Rogue-likes, you do get a sense of
reward from working things like this out,
Part of the problem is the sheer volume of but in a side-scroller it just feels lazy.
onscreen bad guys, many of whom have either
ranged weapons or whips that can hit you from There are even random moments in which
an absurd distance. It makes trying to focus on the screen enters different modes, with effects
hitting one particular enemy a chore, as you’re like CRT filters and black-and-white static.
continually interrupted mid-combo by the What these visual tricks are supposed to
other enemies nearby. The combat also feels achieve is anyone’s guess, and some of them
weightless, with little in the way of feedback just make the busy screen even harder to read
when you land hits. Compared to the satisfying than usual. It’s a frustrating design choice that
heft of Streets of Rage 2 (p184), with its hard- underlines just how poor this game is. It really
hitting sound effects and visual impact, could have been so much more.
Coffee Crisis just feels empty.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Trinity Team 2017 AND, IOS, NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1

The variety of gameplay styles helps break up The scrappy two-player mode is the best way to BUD SPENCER AND TERRENCE
the combat quite nicely. experience this game. HILL: SLAPS AND BEANS

This is one of the weirdest concepts for a Combat is essentially a mix of light and heavy
side-scrolling beat-‘em-up, as it stars two attacks, specials and throws. It’s a pretty
real-life Italian actors who were massively standard setup, but it could have used a little
popular throughout the ‘60s and ‘70s. They more weight to keep brawls satisfying. You’ll
were best-known for their roles in spaghetti have to fight through many enemies across
westerns, which is one of the game’s main some overly long stages, which can make the
themes. Admittedly, Spencer and Hill aren’t action feel a little drawn out. The occasional
the most likely protagonists for an arcade- set-pieces do mix things up a little and the
style brawler, so kudos has to be given ability to swap between the two actors using
to Trinity Team for trying something the trigger essentially gives you two fighting
genuinely original. styles to use on the fly.

The game opens with the gunslinging duo There’s also a silly plot running throughout
fighting bandits on the set of their latest movie, each stage that could have papered over
the oddly-titled western, ‘Slaps and Beans’. the game’s shortcomings, but it’s wafer-thin
Together, they must rampage through scores and the dialogue scenes just serve to bog
of bad guys to retrieve their stolen movie pay down what little flow the action already has.
cheque. Along the way, you’ll have to tackle Ultimately, if you know the movies of Spencer
some vehicle sections and quick set-pieces and Hill, or if you’re just gasping to play a
that involve shooting, as well as a few other new game set (partially) in the Wild West,
mechanics. The diversity of gameplay styles is you might want to give this one a try.
welcome, but the core combat system might
start to grate for some players after a while.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Fully Illustrated / 2017 NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1
Darkwind Media

WULVERBLADE Defensive play is just as important to your The screen can quickly fill up with a range of
survival as attacking. different enemy types.

It’s true that, on the surface, many side- Most of the combat is weapons-based, letting
scrollers look as if they’re nothing more than you hack and slash foes into literal bloody
mindless button-mashers. What many gamers chunks that you can pick up and throw at
might not realise is that the very best of them other bad guys. You can also equip secondary
hide layers of tactical, twitchy decision- weapons that can be wielded or thrown, as well
making that mean you’ll need to think quickly as heavy weapons that deal huge damage but
to survive longer and hit those high scores. break after a few uses. Every battle is bloody
Wulverblade is a perfect example of how and savage, with a real weight that makes
tactical thinking can enhance the core of you feel powerful after each victory.
what makes this genre so very special.
Landing blows fills your Rage meter, as does
The game is set in Britannia, 120 A.D., and is picking up enemies’ pouches or broken objects.
based on real historical events, researched by A full meter allows you to regain some of your
the developers to keep the plot and setting as lost health, as well as providing temporary
authentic as possible. You play as one of three invincibility and boosting both speed and
Northern clan members who must fight to unite attack power. It’s a very useful last-ditch tactic
warring tribes and push back the invading during the tough boss encounters, especially
armies of the Roman Ninth Legion. It’s an epic when you’re close to death.
tale, told through superb hand-drawn cut-
scenes, each with rousing voiceovers and a But the tactical options don’t end there. Most
thunderous orchestral soundtrack. It all feels enemies have moves that can really hurt you,
wonderfully epic. and these are signposted with an exclamation
mark above their heads. You can then choose
to either block the attack and take minor chip
damage, escape with a dodge roll, or walk up or

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This fight is a lesson in knowing when to walk The combat feels satisfying and visceral, giving
around attacks to avoid damage. you a great level of feedback.

down the screen to move out of the way entirely. starts to feel instinctive the more you do it, and
If you don’t get used to doing all three of these over time you’ll really get into the rhythm of
things, you’re going to find yourself very dead, offensive and defensive play, which elevates
very quickly. Wulverblade well above the level of a mindless
button-basher.
Weirdly, a great comparison is Dark Souls,
which also forces you to think very carefully It also bears repeating that this game’s
about enemy attack patterns, how bad guys visuals and sound design are simply glorious.
telegraph their attacks, and your moment-to- All of the characters and environments have a
moment combat decisions. It’s not as hard as hand-drawn quality, with slick animation and
FromSoftware’s series, but it’s not a stretch to backgrounds that come alive with countless
say that you need a similar mindset to survive in parallax layers and plenty of things going on to
both games. This should make sense once you make each area feel alive. The codex pickups
finally work out how to read a boss or standard are another nice touch that explain the real
enemy’s attacks, then understand the best way history of the era, and help to give everything
to take them down without taking any damage much more depth.
at all. It’s a great feeling when you nail it.
Wulverblade is another example of the
You’re always having to learn new tactics, side-scrolling format enjoying a new rise in
thanks to the wide roster of enemy types that popularity, and it’s further proof that modern
keeps throwing new threats at you across all games can still hold their own against the best
of the lavishly-designed stages. One good of the genre. Plus, it lets you chuck the severed
example is the forest assassins, who throw a heads of your enemies at people, which is
pair of knives at you as soon as they stand in always a bonus!
line with your hero. Blocking their projectiles

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
MakinGames Ltd. 2018 MAC, NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1

RAGING JUSTICE Walk up or down the screen to avoid objects This bar room brawl scene feels quite similar to
thrown by enemies. Pit-Fighter’s dank arenas.

This game is notable for its distinctive visual happens to be a downed enemy by your
style. It almost feels like a blend of motion feet. You’ll start hitting the downed enemy
capture, as seen in Guardians of the ‘Hood instead, leaving the person in front of you
(p209) and claymation, which was a feature free to smack you about. These are issues
in classic tournament brawler, Clayfighter. But you can learn to avoid, but you’re more likely
while its intentions are commendable, the end to make these kinds of errors when the screen
result is a choppy, messy-looking game that gets full of bad guys.
suffers from a lack of animation frames and
an unappealing presentation. One interesting idea Raging Justice has is
the concept of arresting enemies for bonuses.
You might be able to overlook the visuals and Each stage has a few challenges you can
enjoy Raging Justice as a throwback to retro complete for health and points, such as
brawlers, but it still gets so many of the genre’s slapping handcuffs on wanted perps. The idea
fundamentals wrong. One of the key issues is is that you’re supposed to hit them until they’re
that the grapple command is mapped to a stunned, then arrest them by hitting the grab
single button, rather than simply letting you prompt. That’s fine on paper, but the game
grab someone by walking into them. This is a never fully explains how to get an enemy
problem if you’re trying to grab an enemy when into a stun state effectively.
there are weapons lying around, as you’ll pick
these up instead of grabbing your target, For example, there’s a green bar below their
leaving you open for a pummelling. health that builds when you batter enemies
with quick hits. Once it’s full, they’ll become
The same thing happens when trying to punch dazed and ready for an arrest. The issue is that
an enemy right in front of you, if there also it’s too easy to knock enemies out before the

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Bosses can be proper hit sponges, so things can Stunned enemies can be arrested for bonuses,
become repetitive quite quickly. but the window is small.

bar is filled, leading to missed arrests all over Forget the mounts in Golden Axe, this runaway
the place. Sometimes your basic combo string tractor is where it’s at.
will defeat them before the green bar is full,
which is really frustrating if you’re trying to music and sound effects feel incredibly ‘stock’,
complete a warrant. with not a single memorable tune in the bunch.
Genre completionists should still check the
Elsewhere, the game at least has varied game out and judge for themselves, but it’s
enemy types with their own unique attacks definitely one of the weakest modern attempts
and weaknesses, such as taser-wielding at reviving the genre.
dominatrixes, guys in trench coats who throw
dynamite, and rampaging bikers. You’ll start to
get a feel for how to take them down effectively
the longer you play, which goes some way to
removing some of the game’s frustrations.
There are also some tough and zany bosses
in here, such as a pimp who spins around
the screen with his cane like a whirlwind.

Raging Justice is an unfortunate game. There
are glimmers of a fun time in here that don’t
last long, and some great ideas like the arrest
system and challenges. Unfortunately, they
can’t paper over the weightless combat, dodgy
hit boxes and murky presentation. Even the

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Big Deez Productions 2018 AND, IOS, NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1

SHAQ FU: Bosses are woeful, such as this Justin Bieber guy This guy is clearly meant to be Donald Trump,
A LEGEND REBORN who fires eggs (obviously!). with no context or comedy.

The original Shaq Fu was a sluggish and aesthetic, while the long stages should have
bland tournament fighting game for 16-bit been cut back, with more focused designs.
consoles. The whole premise of basketball The range of enemies actually could have been
player Shaquille O’Neal being a legendary the best part of the game, with different types
martial arts warrior is ludicrous, and while that require alternative approaches, but all of
this belated sequel tries to have fun with that is wasted as you have to fight so damn
its absurd premise, it ends up being only many of them.
marginally better than the original, thanks
to its own unique problems. The dull combat and dated visuals aren’t even
the worst aspects of this misguided sequel.
The reborn Shaq Fu is a side-scroller and The humour is so painfully dated, and poor at
while the basic fundamentals of its combat reading the room, that you may find yourself
mechanics are functional enough, the package double-taking at your screen. Take the first
surrounding it is just so painfully dull and boss for example, who seems to be a parody
monotonous. There are bog-standard light and of real-life rapper Chris Brown. Before you face
heavy strikes that just feel woolly, together with him, he cracks an appalling joke about not
a throw button and jumping moves that are being used to fighting men. Shaq’s Chinese
hard to aim. The combat works well enough, but mentor is also close to being a full-on racist
the long stages and mindless, repetitive enemy parody, which is just pretty disappointing to see.
types make the whole thing feel like some sort
of hellish, bargain-bin Groundhog Day. The Chris Brown nod alone should be the final
nail in this turgid game’s coffin, but dare to
It looks naff too. The gameplay visuals should venture deeper and you’ll find many more
have followed the game’s decent animated rubbish jokes to marvel at, such as a robot
cutscenes, instead of settling for a bland 3D Donald Trump boss that has no context or

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Shaq’s neutral air kick comically launches Weapons add a much-needed sliver of extra fun
enemies way into the air. to the combat mechanics.

reason to exist within the game’s storyline. Shielded enemies require a different approach,
Shaq himself also likes to remind you that he which shakes things up a bit.
has size 22 feet at every opportunity, which
also plays into a special move in which his Had the team tightened up the combat, used
foot becomes gigantic (a bit like in Battletoads, better comedy writing and polished up the
p134). This move is surprisingly great for visuals, this could have been a fun tongue-in-
breaking through the defence of shielded cheek parody of Shaq, but the end result is far
enemies, which is an attempt at giving the from a slam dunk. Boom-crapa-lapa!
combat a tactical edge, but that’s being
really generous.

It’s unfortunate to see Shaq’s second outing
turn out to be such an uninspired, misjudged
experience. When you compare it to other
brawlers developed by a single person, like
Sebastian Garcia’s Fight N’Rage (p416) or
homebrew passion projects like Streets of
Rage Remake by Bomergames, it’s hard
to forgive the team at Big Deez Productions
for the end result. On top of this, Shaq Fu: A
Legend Reborn was a decent crowdfunding
success, so the team wasn’t exactly working
with a tiny budget. The end result could and
should have been so different.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Secret Base / Ratloop 2018 MAC, NSW, PS4, WIN

STREETS OF RED: The bosses are all really fun, and require a bit of Some upgrade choices get really painful later
DEVIL’S DARE DELUXE skill to topple effectively. on, as in any good Rogue-like.

This horror brawler is unique, as it features It’s also possible to spend your entire special
a permadeath mechanic, similar to that in bar on evasive counters, which can help you
Rogue-like games such as Dead Cells. It break out of enemy combos if you time it the
handles just like a typical side-scroller, but moment your character takes damage. This
has a currency system that ultimately decides can save your life when your health gets low,
how long you’ll survive for. When you die, but also causes your special gauge to overheat.
you can buy yourself back into the game It takes a long time for it to recharge once
by spending money you’ve collected in this happens, so you’ll be left with only your
each stage. The catch is that the price of basic attacks for a while. It’s a superb bit of
resurrection increases each time, which balancing that makes you think twice before
means you can’t rely on it forever. spamming counters and specials.

You get cash by killing enemies and finding After a while, you’ll get into the swing of Streets
it inside breakable objects in each stage, but of Red’s combat flow, as you chip away at
you can also boost the amount of money you enemies with light attacks and finish them
get by pulling off fatality finishers. To perform with specials. There’s even more to think about,
fatalities, you have to strike enemies until however, as the mid-stage store lets you pick
they’re almost dead, then finish them off with just one upgrade or item, which can help
a special move. This gives you a bigger cash extend the length of your playthrough. For
bonus, but if you manage to finish a group of example, you can buy seeds that permanently
three or more stunned enemies, you’ll also get boost your attack power or soul tokens that
a valuable health item that will keep you in will revive you on death.
the fight for longer.

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No prizes for guessing who this boss is based on. YouTuber James Stephanie Sterling makes a
The horror vibe is great! cameo as a boss encounter.

You might even start to feel a little stressed out But, no doubt, many will appreciate its dark
when the store pops up. Do you buy upgrades horror themes.
to make yourself more capable during fights, or
do you walk away and buy nothing, just so you Otherwise, the stage and character design
have enough cash left to resurrect if you die in is great, with rotting zombies, psychopathic
the next stage? It also doesn’t help that while knife-wielding dolls, and mutant dogs standing
you can choose which order to play stages in, in your way. The bosses are also great nods to
each one will be longer than the last. horror movies, with stand-ins for The Fly and
even a Jason Voorhees lookalike, who wields
It’s incredible that a side-scroller makes you Cloud Strife’s Buster Sword from Final Fantasy
think so deeply about decisions like this, VII (for some brilliant reason). Bosses can be
especially when you know that once you’re brutally tough and will really make you sweat
dead, you’ll have to start the whole game over. once your health and money start to run low.
It gives you a sense of urgency that’s lacking
in free-play arcade brawlers. Weirdly, the permadeath mechanic never feels
like an annoyance. If you make it so far, only to
If there’s a criticism to be made about Streets die because of some foolish error, you’ll likely
of Red, it’s that the muted colour palette can just return to the title screen and immediately
sometimes feel a little bland. The idea, as start over. It’s got that addictive, ‘just one more
suggested by the game’s name, is that the try’ vibe that makes you want to improve your
levels become awash with many shades of skills with each new attempt, underlining how
blood red. That’s fine, but the murky greys great the underlying progression mechanics
and browns might make some players long are. When coupled with solid combat, great
for the neon-soaked eye candy of games visuals and a decent soundtrack, you have a
like Streets of Rage (p122) or Final Fight (p70). recipe for a great modern brawler.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Yeo 2018 MAC, NSW, WIN, XB1

THE FRIENDS OF The combat has a gnarly, scrappy, after-school Buy food to keep your hunger meter full, but
RINGO ISHIKAWA fight kind of vibe. don’t go too crazy with your yen.

This unique brawler takes place in a small dropped into the world with no clear goal or
Japanese town and stars a brash high school explanation of how its many systems and stats
kid called Ringo. He’s the leader of a small work. But other gamers will enjoy poking and
street gang who love nothing more than prodding aspects of the small town to figure
rumbling with rival crews from other schools. out how everything fits together. The game’s
However, his classroom grades are falling fast mechanics start to click over time and you’ll
and he’s on the edge of taking his life down a even get to know the townspeople a little better.
dark path, unless he decides to straighten up
and change his ways. This is where you come in. The characters and quieter, dialogue-heavy
moments are some of the game’s best. Some of
The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa blends it is really relatable too, as the other school kids
mechanics from classic side-scrollers like talk about things like video games or movies
River City Ransom (p92) together with daily life they’ve watched, like you probably did when you
systems found in games like Shenmue. Each were young. But then sometimes they’ll talk
day starts with Ringo waking up early in his about heavy stuff like their fears and personal
room, and what happens next is entirely up to problems, such as what they want to do after
you. If you choose to be a good student, you can graduation or their concerns about not having
sit at your desk and study before your classes good enough grades to get a decent career.
start at 9am. Alternatively, if you want to be a
rebel, you can cut school altogether to hang Some conversations get pretty dark, especially
out and smoke with friends or fight other with your friend Ken. His grades are so bad
wayward kids then mug them for cash. he’s hoping to join the yakuza after the current
semester, and rise up the ranks as a career
Some players might not enjoy how seemingly path. You get a sense of just how misguided
directionless the game is. You are literally he is, but then again, he is an underachiever

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The opening brawl throws you right into a You should take time to visit all of the world’s
full-scale street battle between gangs. hang-out spots and stores.

from a small rural town. There’s a sense of That need to figure everything out for yourself
hopelessness, desperation and sadness could be something you enjoy or it might put
surrounding some characters that really gets you off the game entirely. It’s neat that the
you invested in them and their dilemmas. developer has tried something different, and
that’s definitely cause for celebration. However,
You’ve probably noticed that there hasn’t been some aspects should have been fleshed out
much said about the actual fighting, and that’s more, such as the hunger system. Ringo needs
because combat isn’t the biggest part of the to buy food to eat or his hunger status will
overall experience. But when things do kick off, change. It’s not clear how being hungry
you can beat down gang members with melee impacts him, so it can feel annoying when
moves and throws or defend yourself with a you have to keep spending all the cash you’ve
block when the action gets crazy. You can be earned on snacks without a clear reason why.
defeated very quickly in this game, so knowing
when to hang back is definitely something you Shenmue and River City Ransom are also guilty
need to learn. of feeling directionless at times. But just like
those classics, The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa
Downing enemies grants you experience will start to slowly fall into place if you choose
points, which can then boost certain stats, such to persevere. You’ll get tougher, smarter and
as attack power and defence. Again, it’s never have more options for progression in life. When
fully explained how stat allocation works, but you think about it, that’s all a bit like figuring
as long as you just keep fighting you’ll see your out what you want to be when you grow up.
attributes rise over time. You can also unlock How meta!
new skills, but you’ll have to figure them out
on your own.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Household Games 2018 NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1

WAY OF THE PASSIVE FIST These kicking dudes generally have to be While you’re a pacifist, you do have a special
blocked at least twice before tiring. punch move to help in a jam.

Way of the Passive Fist is really interesting, well as incoming projectiles. For example,
as it’s a fighting game about choosing not to basic punches can be batted away with a
fight. Instead, you have to dodge, parry and simple palm swipe, but heavier attacks and
deflect enemy attacks until they get tired throws must be dodged entirely or interrupted
enough that you can just knock them over. with a quick shoulder barge. You can even pluck
It’s a bit like that episode of The Simpsons thrown knives out of the air and chuck them
in which Homer decides to become a boxer, back at the sender for an incredibly satisfying
but realises he can’t punch to save himself. knock-out.
It’s a genius concept from Canadian studio
Household Games that puts a unique and You’ll find yourself getting laser-focused, as
fresh spin on the side-scrolling genre. you tap the right move in time with each attack,
switching up dodges and parries until you’re
It’s set in a really interesting post-apocalyptic good enough that you can completely avoid
world where a gang of bandits is trying to entire enemy combo strings, emerging
harness the energy of the sun to give them unscathed. Chaining together lots of evasive
control of the wastelands. Along the way you’ll moves and enemy knock-downs fills your
fight a cast of savage raiders, monstrous special meter, which gives you a chance
plant-men and robotic sentries that will put to perform huge counter-blows, such as a
your reaction time and twitch skills to the haymaker with your bionic fist or a ground
test. Make no mistake, this is a challenging slam that hurts all enemies with a shockwave.
game indeed.
Hitting a huge combo is immensely satisfying,
The combat feels more like a rhythm-action but you’ll lose your whole special meter if
game, as you’ll need expert timing to deflect you press a command out of rhythm or take
or move out of the way of enemy strikes, as damage. Replaying stages to get higher

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Successfully parrying the bigger lads never feels Low-level goons get you into the rhythm of
any less awesome. parries and dodges early on.

combos and better stage ranks can become Keep one eye on your combo counter at the top
really addictive, especially if you’re something to know when you have specials available.
of a completionist, but be prepared to put
in a lot of practice to reach the gold ranks. but fans of music games like Elite Beat Agents,
Some scenes need to be completed flawlessly Bust a Groove and PaRappa the Rapper
and with long combos for you to get the should definitely give this a try. There simply
highest grade. isn’t anything else like it in the genre’s history,
and that’s something worth celebrating.
This gets really tricky once you start facing
robot enemies and some truly tough stage
bosses. Some enemies have combo strings
that alternate quickly between attacks that
can be parried, and unblockable strikes you
simply have to avoid. You’ll get your butt kicked
many times before you get their patterns down,
but as with all good challenges, you’ll feel
absolutely amazing once it clicks and you’re
able to beat down the enemies without
taking any damage.

Household Games should be applauded
for trying something fresh with the side-
scrolling format. The focus on rhythm and
passive abilities might not gel if you play
these games to dish out a severe beatdown,

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
WayForward 2019 NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1
Technologies

RIVER CITY GIRLS You can eventually recruit one of these Your phone lets you equip items, check out your
cheerleaders as a back-up summon. map and much, much more.

If anyone ever tells you that modern side- They’re also a dream to control. The developers
scrolling beat-‘em-ups are no match for the have worked some serious magic here to make
old-school classics, simply show them River every move feel incredible in motion. You have
City Girls. It’s a stunning achievement across light and heavy attacks, special moves that
the board, taking all of the core ingredients drain your energy meter, and a tonne of extra
from the classic River City and Kunio games, strikes that you can buy at dojos with money
then fine-tuning them to near-perfection in earned in battle. Chaining standard moves with
a slick, colourful and entertaining brawler. specials just feels so natural, and can lead to
It really is that simple: you should consider some amazing combos. One of the most useful
this one an essential part of your collection. moves early on is a ‘dab’ that you can trigger
at the end of a combo to shoulder tackle
The game opens following the kidnapping of enemies across the screen to create huge
Kunio and Riki. While they’re detained, their areas of space. It never gets old.
girlfriends Kyoko and Misako receive a weird
text that triggers a grand brawl across River In true River City fashion, your rescue mission
City to save the boys and unravel a deeper takes you across an open urban world full of
mystery. Both of the girls are brilliant branching paths, hidden areas and side-quests
characters and their playful banter back to tackle. The shopping system returns, with
and forth makes for many funny cutscenes, various stores selling health-restoring food
especially when trash-talking the game’s and clothing you can equip for various boosters.
weird and wonderful enemies. You have two accessory slots to equip gear,
such as makeup kits that increase your damage
against female enemies or a pack of fake tattoos,
which recharges your special gauge faster.

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The boss battles are a lot of fun, and their larger Kyoko’s rapid kick flurry is great for sapping big
sprites look stunning. chunks of enemy health.

There’s also a neat partner mechanic that On top of its sublime combat and sprawling
is brimming with potential. Enemies will adventure, River City Girls also has some of the
sometimes surrender, and you can choose best visuals and music ever to grace the genre.
to either finish them off or recruit them as your The pixel art is as detailed and well-animated
tag partner. It’s weirdly similar to Pokémon, in as you’d expect, given the rich pedigree of
that each recruit has a different ability they’ll the game’s developers, and it helps the city
unleash once you call them onto the screen, and its surroundings feel alive with colour and
such as the security guard’s tear gas bomb. movement. The soundtrack is a rich mix of
Be careful, though, as they can only take a few hard-hitting synth beats and breezy pop
hits before they ditch you. They really can help ballads that have wonderful vocals. Seriously,
you out of a jam if you tag them in at the right you’ll find it so hard not to nod along to some
time, so it’s worth trying to find a partner that of these tracks, so be careful you don’t get
suits your play style. too distracted!

This really is one of the biggest and best Without exaggeration, River City Girls is one of
side-scrollers ever made. There is just so much the best side-scrollers ever made. So much love,
to see and do across River City, and you can energy and heart has clearly been put into its
easily spend half an hour ignoring your quests development by everyone on the team, and
as you grind money by defeating every enemy that shines through via its fun vibes, endearing
you see. It’s not a bad tactic, as it’ll help you get characters and engaging combat. It’s one of
more of the standard and special moves from those titles that simply makes you feel good
the dojo earlier on. You also level up by gaining while playing – and isn’t that what games are
experience, so taking time to fight enemies all about anyway?
helps raise all your base stats ahead of the
tougher battles along the way.

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ATTENDANCE CHECK!

River City is full of residents you’ll fight
or make friends with along the way.
Here are just a few of them …

KYOKO MISAKO
Riki’s girlfriend and one of the game’s playable Kunio’s girlfriend has a dark streak and a mean temper.
protagonists, Kyoko isn’t the smartest girl in class, but Unlike Kyoko, she resorts to violence quickly, which makes
she has a pure heart that hides a mean set of moves. Her other characters afraid of her. Despite her hot head
gullible nature often irritates her best friend Misako, but and lack of patience, she can also be smart and logical
together they’re an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. whenever a new clue in the game’s mystery presents itself.

GODAI MISUZU
This dude’s a stalker, who seems to be spying on Kyoko This burly hall monitor is the first boss you’ll face.
and Misako. While he spends his time spying on River Misuzu lays down the law in the school halls with
City’s residents, it does give him a lot of valuable an earth-shaking butt drop and a health-sapping
information. He’ll give you a lead on Kunio and Riki’s shoulder tackle. Wait until she stuns herself after
kidnapping if you buy him a double Merv Burger. slamming the ground to get in a quick combo.

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YAMADA QUIFF DUDES
Also known as Simon in the PAL version of River City These regular enemies can give you trouble if you’re not
Ransom, he’s the NES original’s final boss, last seen on careful. They’ll zero in on you with a dash kick that can
the rooftop of River City High. Weirdly, he’s addicted to leave you open to more attacks. If you recruit one of these
hanging out on rooftops now, and has gained powers guys as a tag partner, they’ll charge onto the screen and
from occult magic. Leap over his levitating projectiles do the same to your target.
to survive!

DOMINATRIXES RCHS CHEERLEADERS
It’s clear that these sadistic whip-wielders have been These girls are all about team spirit, especially when
taking a page out of the Streets of Rage playbook. Their hitting you with a backflip kick to the chin! While they’re
spinning whip attack can cover a huge chunk of the room not too tough, their cartwheels can make them hard to
and creates a barrier in front of them, so it’s best to back catch. If you tag in a recruited cheerleader, they’ll leap
off until they’re done twirling. down from the sky with a crushing dive kick.

MALL COPS TIGER KING
It’s unclear why simple mall cops would be this heavily Although these wrestlers in tiger masks feel a lot like a
armed, but their signature move is to throw a canister certain Tekken character, they’re actually less deadly than
of tear gas at you. They can also shred your health with they first appear. They’re adults, so they do have a longer
brutal truncheon swipes, which you can parry by hitting reach than the students you’re used to fighting. Hop up
block at the exact moment they hit you. or down to dodge their cannonball roll dash!

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Natsume 2019 NSW, PS4

THE NINJA SAVIORS: As in the original, Kunoichi handles most like a Ninja still can’t jump, but makes up for it with his
RETURN OF THE WARRIORS classic side-scroller character. rocket-booster moves.

This is a wonderful remake of 1994’s The Natsume has balanced each character so
Ninja Warriors on Super Nintendo (p276). Like incredibly well as to give them all pros and cons
its predecessors, The Ninja Saviors is a 2D to match your play style, giving you a deeper
brawler in which enemies rush you from both range of moves and tactical choices than first
sides. Natsume has cleverly built upon that appears. Dig into each robot’s command list
simple template to create a challenging and you’ll start to see how particular attacks,
experience that really makes you think about like Kunoichi’s shuriken throw, can be used to
spacing, crowd control and evasive moves stem the tide of bad guys rushing you.
in order to survive. When the screen gets
crowded and hazards such as raining mortar That said, the game is still very challenging
fire begin, every decision can mean the in parts. Checkpoints are sparse throughout
difference between survival and losing a each stage and just one death sends you back
chunk of your health. to the nearest one. Bosses are capable of
sapping your energy in relatively few hits, which
The sweet spot of the game’s rhythm lies in may frustrate you if you don’t enjoy fighting
each of its three starting characters. Ninja is your way back to them for a second try. Stick
still the tank class and can use his trademark with it, though, and you’ll start to memorise
shoulder barge and nunchaku combos. As in their attack patterns and find both a robot
the original, Ninja can’t jump, unlike the lighter and a strategy that works for your situation.
robots Kunoichi and Kamaitachi. On the
flip-side, Kamaitachi can’t grab enemies by The Ninja Saviors is a brilliant return to
simply walking into them, while Kunoichi can. an unfortunately overlooked franchise,
with incredible music, slick animation and
intricate pixel art from start to finish.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Extend Mode 2019 NSW, PS4, PS5, WIN, XB1

The small sprites might not appeal if you’re used The combat feels faithful to the old school of EIGHT DRAGONS
to chunky characters. side-scrolling brawlers.

In 2006, British developer Nathan Cross from vest-wearing meathead Randt and kung
created Target: 2006, a Windows remake of fu expert Danny to secret agent Aston and a
the ZX Spectrum and Amstrad CPC versions businesswoman called Becca. While the lack of
of Target: Renegade (p67) released 20 years plot gives more focus to the action, it would’ve
earlier. Retro fans appreciated the modern been nice to have character biographies so
take on a cult favourite, so when Cross players could learn more about the otherwise
eventually teamed up with game artist Chris nondescript fighters they’re choosing.
Hines to form Extend Mode in 2016, the pair
decided to create an entirely original beat- One of the game’s main selling points is the
‘em-up based on what had been learned option to co-op with up to eight players at
while making Target: 2006. the same time. It might be tricky to find seven
friends willing to huddle around a single screen
Eight Dragons is an unashamedly old-school but it’s still a neat feature that sets Eight
game that Extend Mode proudly declares has Dragons apart from the pack.
a minimal story. A crooked businessman called
Kane has taken over the city, so you have to Given its roots, it’s no surprise that Eight
batter lots of people until you reach him, then Dragons has limited combat, with only jump
batter him too. That’s the entire plot. The only and attack buttons. Jump-kicks are obscenely
notable aspect of ‘story’ mode is that the levels powerful, meaning they can be exploited for
change depending on which of the characters large chunks of your adventure, which makes it
you’re controlling. feel a bit repetitive. That said, the combat feels
faithful to old-school brawlers, but it’s hard to
In case the title wasn’t enough of a hint, there tell how many gamers will want this today.
are eight fighters to choose from. They range

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2010–2019

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2020–
2021

They say that trends are
cyclical; something gets
popular, it fades away for a
long while, then it makes a
big comeback. The concept
of ‘retro’ is definitely
something that big brands
have latched on to, whether
it’s revivals of old Saturday
morning cartoon shows
like He-Man or the endless
waves of ill-advised movie
franchise reboots.

Streets of Rage 4
This might be the most important
side-scroller in years, given the way
it re-ignited interest in the genre
for many people. It truly is a miracle
that it exists at all.

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In the case of side-scrollers, their cyclical Digital stores aside, retro formats have
return seemed to happen naturally and enjoyed a huge revival in physical form,
with real sincerity. For example, none of the thanks to the great work of retro console
games in our 2010s section could be called developers Analogue and Evercade, and
cheap cash-cows, because the gaming companies like Limited Run, which puts
public at large didn’t care about the genre out great physical releases of more niche
until later on in the decade, so there was no titles, including the remaster of Ubisoft’s
real cash to be made. Instead, the genre’s Scott Pilgrim vs. The World tie-in (p384)
resurrection was fuelled by a genuine love and Double Dragon Neon (p392). While
for a bygone age. The games were mostly pricey, Analogue’s consoles give retro
great. The gamble paid off big-time. In the gaming enthusiasts a new way to play
end, we all won. old cartridges on modern televisions,
while their multi-region switching lets
The 2020s finds the genre in an interesting players experience games from other
place. Digital store fronts are, once again, markets that they previously couldn’t
awash with new and classic side-scrollers try at home.
from across the last 37 years. The Nintendo
Switch library of NES and Super Nintendo There are also many indie studios out
titles includes the entire Rushing Beat there right now that are developing
trilogy (p195, p196 & p249), River City new side-scroller games and re-releases
Ransom (p92) and Double Dragon (p36), on physical retro cartridges. From Coffee
while online stores across PC, PlayStation Crisis (p418) and Paprium to Jay and Silent
and Xbox are full of great titles. The Arcade Bob: Mall Brawl (p445) and the Super
Archives series is especially full of big- Nintendo reprint of Irem’s Undercover
hitters from SNK, such as the Sengoku Cops (p210), we truly have reached a new
trilogy (p162, p256 & p344), Robo Army golden age of retro gaming enthusiasm.
(p130) and Mutation Nation (p218).

It’s pretty amazing that Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl is a new NES game, even receiving a physical cartridge release.

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If you’re a fan of physical cartridges, you Even the mighty Battletoads (p446) saw
really are spoiled for choice. You can even a revival, thanks to British developer Dlala
buy new arcade cabinets of Final Fight Studios. The hand-drawn art style put off
(p70), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (p80) some gamers when it was first announced,
and The Simpsons (p144), courtesy of but you really should give it a try. The
Arcade1Up. combat is challenging, the humour is
superb, and it’s all shot through with a
Retro games aside, this chapter’s biggest nostalgic Saturday morning cartoon vibe.
hitter really needs no introduction. It
helped reignite interest in the side-scrolling Throughout this entire journey, it’s been
genre in a huge way amongst returning interesting to see that the base ingredients
fans and newcomers alike, while defying of classic side-scrollers have stood the test
the odds and living up to the lofty standards of time. Whether you were playing Streets
of its predecessors. That game, of course, of Rage 4 in 2020 or Streets of Rage 2 in
is Streets of Rage 4 (p448), a stunning 1992, it’s telling that both games have
collaboration between Dotemu, Lizardcube the same base mechanics and combat
and Guard Crush Games that received a systems at their core. Those familiar
fantastic critical response when it debuted fundamentals are truly something special
on 30th April 2020. Together, the teams and unique that bind all of the games
managed to create something that felt in this book together.
like a classic Streets of Rage game but
with plenty of new ideas layered on top, But ultimately, that solidarity shows how
including a deceptively complex, free-form timeless this genre really is.
combo system. The game’s seamless blend
of old and new is a triumph of design that Here’s to the future …
has to be applauded. The fact it exists at
all feels like something of a miracle.

Battletoads is a great revival of Rare’s classic franchise that is deserving of your attention.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
NuChallenger 2020 NSW, WIN

TREACHERY IN It’s tempting, but don’t spam moves like crazy. Be sure to investigate every inch of the world
BEATDOWN CITY Keep some points for defence too. map for useful items.

Some of the most interesting side-scrollers Progression takes place on a cutesy pixelated
are those that mash up the base template world map of East Fulton, which is full of enemy
with a totally different genre. For example, encounters and dumpsters hiding valuable
Dragon’s Crown (p398) succeeded by mixing health items. You can switch between your
beat-‘em-up mechanics in with a range of three fighters while on the map, and knowing
deep RPG systems, while Way of the Passive which one to pit against each enemy type is
Fist (p430) tapped into the rhythm-action the key to surviving the game’s often brutal
format with wonderful results. encounters.

Treachery in Beatdown City pulls the same trick Once you’re in a fight, you’ll earn FP points
by infusing a simple 8-bit fighting game with a as you walk around, and your combo meter
turn-based combat system and a time-pausing starts to build over time. Both of these are vital
mechanic similar to V.A.T.S. in Bethesda’s Fallout to winning fights, as FP points are spent by
games. On paper it sounds utterly bonkers, but bringing up the action menu, which pauses
in practice it works amazingly well, giving you a time and lets you choose from a growing
fun, tactical and often punishing experience. selection of moves. This is where the game
gets really interesting and incredibly tactical.
The game kicks off as President Orama
(hoo boy …) is kidnapped by the ruthless Ninja Some enemies are too fast to hit with high
Dragon clan, which gives all the criminals, damage blows and will evade your grapples
street punks and baddies in East Fulton a most of the time, so you should pick someone
free pass to run amok. It’s up to three heroic quicker, like Bruce or Lisa. The key with these
fighters to put an end to the madness, starting encounters is to rely on weaker, faster blows
with gym addict Lisa, who’s followed by pro- with a higher accuracy stat. You could even
wrestler Brad and martial artist Bruce. inflict some status effects on them, like slow

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This is a parody of the ‘Winners don’t use drugs’ Blocking is perhaps more important than
campaign from the ‘90s. attacking. You really need it to survive.

(perfect for making fast enemies easier with a little patience you’ll start to figure out
to hit) or bleed (which hurts enemies each which fighter works best against a particular
time they perform an action). enemy type. Brad is slow, but his grapples are
absolutely devastating, so he’s an excellent
It’s tempting to run straight into a fight and match for slower, stronger bad guys who
start spending your FP points to spam moves, aren’t so good at dodges or counters. Likewise,
but this is a quick way to get battered, as you Bruce may be quick, but burly thugs will have
also have to spend points on blocking incoming a greater chance of simply shrugging off his
damage or use meter to counter incoming weaker strikes.
blows. This is where Treachery in Beatdown
City’s genius gameplay loop comes in, as you Treachery in Beatdown City is a truly unique
balance building up FP points and meter, while side-scrolling beat-‘em-up that genuinely
tactically dishing out damage and status deserves your attention. The retro graphics are
effects to turn the tide in your favour. a wonderful throwback to the likes of Double
Dragon (p36) and Target: Renegade (p67),
Annoyingly, some enemies can buff their while the catchy soundtrack and silly sense of
comrades too, giving them higher accuracy, humour give off a playful vibe. You’ll start to die
a speed boost or – worst of all – increased a lot as the difficulty ramps up, but the feeling
damage, so you really have to learn what all of of overcoming a savage battle after many
the statuses do. If you find yourself out of FP attempts is so rewarding. If you like tactical
and meter, you can dish out three weak real- or turn-based series like Final Fantasy or
time hits by tapping the attack button. They even Advance Wars, then this one should be
might miss, but this can at least give you some considered essential for your collection.
space to build up points for your bigger moves.
The game does get challenging early on, but

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Tanuki Creative Studio 2020 (demo) WIN

JITSU SQUAD The hand-drawn animation is stunning and the You have an impressive range of moves at your
screen often gets crazy. disposal across each fighter.

Following a successful crowdfunding campaign, Gameplay aside, the plot and art style blend
the first Jitsu Squad demo appeared in 2020, well to give Jitsu Squad a distinctive look and
with the full release due in 2022. The demo’s feel. It kicks off with a king making a pact with
combat gives you mechanics commonly seen in the underworld to bring his wife back from the
a deep one-on-one tournament fighter, such dead, which inadvertently spawns an immortal
as multi-directional input commands and over wizard called Origami who makes everyone’s
100 possible combos, plus counters, weapons lives miserable for hundreds of years – damn!
and super specials.
That’s where our heroic band of four warriors
There’s also Fury Mode, which lets your comes into play. They’re resurrected into
animal fighter revert back to their human animal bodies in an attempt to end Origami’s
form (yup, there’s a bit of Altered Beast- rule once and for all. There’s Hero Yamagiwa
flavoured metamorphosis going on). While the raccoon, Baby O’Hara the rabbit, Aros
human, you’re invincible, lightning fast and far Helason the warthog and Jazz Amum the frog.
more powerful. You can make Fury Mode last They each have unique character traits that
longer by extending your Ki-Power Bar using help to keep the game replayable, along with
orbs collected throughout each stage. everything else.

There’s a lot going on in Jitsu Squad, but the The art is stunning and looks slick in motion,
game is easy to play if you don’t want to delve causing the screen to pop with colour and
deep into its treasure trove of mechanics. You chaos when the combos start flying. Based on
can also squad up with three other players for the demo alone, Jitsu Squad is one of the best
some chaotic co-op play, which should help modern side-scrollers around. Check out the
less seasoned players hold their own, thanks full release for a fun time.
to some friendly back up.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Interabang 2020 NES, NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1
Entertainment

Brooms give you a great reach advantage when The game looks twee, but it’s actually a pretty JAY AND SILENT BOB:
facing multiple goons. fun (if basic) brawler. MALL BRAWL

This fun brawler is a sequel to Kevin Smith’s There are even little quirks that can help you
1995 slacker comedy, Mallrats. It takes get past some of the stranger enemies, such
place immediately after the Truth or Date as burger mascot Mooby. He can charge at
gameshow at the end of the film and follows you with a horn attack, but a simple side-step
Jay and Silent Bob as they fight mall security, at the last minute sends him slamming into
ninjas and other enemies to make their way a wall, leaving him open for a few hits. These
back to the Quick Stop convenience store. signature enemies are brilliant, including the
Easter Bunny (a great Mallrats reference), mall
Amazingly, the game is also available for the security chief LaFours, and a parody of Double
NES, so what you get is an authentic 8-bit Dragon strongman Abobo (although he has
experience with gameplay that’s simple to a pretzel for a head for some reason).
grasp, but difficult to master when the
challenge ramps up. Thankfully, Jay and Bob each have their own
health bar and you can tag them in and out if
You have punch and kick combos, aerial their health is getting low. The character you’re
strikes and a running attack that can stun not controlling slowly regains his health over
enemies for a follow-up grapple. The trick time, so it pays to get into a good rhythm of
is knowing how to approach enemies and switching between them to keep yourself
understanding which moves work best against in the fight for longer. Overall, this is a great
certain types. For example, skateboarders brawler that will appeal to fans of modern
can be knocked off their decks with a flying and retro brawlers alike. Snootchie Bootchies!
kick, but they’ll get back on unless you
snatch their board and hurl it away.

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Dlala Studios 2020 WIN, XB1

BATTLETOADS Move between enemies and tag between ‘toads Tag in Pimple and he’ll enter the fight by
to keep combos flowing. dropping in like a massive weight.

After years of demands from passionate the universe, so they retreat to the drudgery
fans, the Battletoads finally made their big of menial day jobs while living in a dingy
comeback in this charming and light-hearted apartment. The premise is daft, but the superb
series revival. Dlala Studios went all-out voice acting, cheesy humour and lavish cartoon
with the art direction, opting for hand-drawn cutscenes are just so entertaining, it’s hard not
artwork instead of the pixel-based approach to fall in love with the trio of slimy goofballs.
of old. The slick animation and corny dialogue
give the whole game a wonderful Saturday Fed up with his crappy life, Rash hatches a plan
morning cartoon vibe, which should delight to find and defeat the Dark Queen (who has
fans of the original games (who are now all been the series’ main villain since forever) so
grown up). the Battletoads can become popular again.
This starts a journey full of high-speed combat,
The plot is as bonkers as you’d expect from a ramping difficulty and, of course, the return of
‘toads game and catches up with our heroes the notorious Turbo Tunnel stage. The fighting
26 years after their previous adventure (which is mechanics are slick and responsive, with
exactly how long fans had to wait for a sequel!). blistering combos, launchers, air juggles, guard
They’re loving their life as beloved beacons of crush specials and other moves that let you
justice, spending each day smashing the hell freestyle chains to your heart’s content.
out of galactic evildoers while being showered
with glowing praise from literally everyone. You also have a dash move, essential to
surviving many of the game’s chaotic screens,
Except, they’ve actually been duped into a fake which can fill up with a variety of enemies really
existence inside a simulation this whole time. quickly. There are a few keys to survival that you
Once back in the real world, the Battletoads are need to master, such as using your tongue to
no longer popular and have been forgotten by pull enemies towards you, spitting bubblegum

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The Turbo Tunnel stage is now in third-person, The morphing attacks look great and hit with a
but still delivers a stern challenge. huge amount of force.

to slow them down, and using the right trigger bodies of water, forcing you to quickly dash to
to pull off an evasive dash. Hitting S Rank can dry land). You’ll also face ice cream vendors
be really challenging, but after a while you’ll that spit snowballs at you, giant bull-like beasts
start to get into the game’s wild rhythm. that charge at you, and lots more.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Battletoads game In short, your attention needs to be firmly glued
without the ability to morph your body parts to the action at all times if you want to properly
into weapons of mass destruction. For example, avoid damage and dish out the right attacks
if you hold B and a direction for a moment appropriately. It’s one of those beat-‘em-ups
before releasing, you can make Pimple’s head that gets you totally hooked in and takes you
morph into a giant steam train, which stuns to that special zen state of absolute focus.
blocking enemies and smashes through their Speaking of which, the Turbo Tunnel isn’t as
defence. Likewise, Zitz has an air juggle kick eye-meltingly savage as it was in the NES
that turns his foot into a huge buzzsaw, cutting original, but if you’re not paying attention
through packs of enemies in an upward arc. it’ll kick your toad butt in mere moments.

Developer Dlala also needs a shout-out for the Weirdly, the game received a mixed reaction
sheer range of enemies it managed to cram at launch, but if you’re a genre fan you should
into this game. The team has created a fluidly find plenty to love here. The slick visuals,
animated and imaginative cast of alien weirdos rocking soundtrack and gameplay all come
to fight, each with their own specific attacks together to deliver a worthy continuation
and weaknesses you’ll need to learn. Early on, of the Battletoads series.
you’ll fight sentient popcorn makers that can
unleash a radius of lightning that causes you
major damage (and it’ll electrify any nearby

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DEVELOPER RELEASED PLAYABLE FORMATS
Dotemu / Lizardcube / 2020 NSW, PS4, WIN, XB1
Guard Crush Games

STREETS OF RAGE 4 Watch out for Barney’s quick taser grab. He’ll Zan isn’t in the core roster, but he unlocks after
glow red before he does it! hitting a score milestone.

There’s no better way to end this odyssey after Streets of Rage 3. Crooked cops and
through the side-scrolling beat-‘em-up genre criminals are running rampant on the streets,
than with the glorious return of a franchise so returning heroes Axel, Blaze and Adam
that introduced it to millions of players have become freelance vigilantes who fight to
worldwide. It’s a genuine miracle that Streets maintain the peace. Their ultimate trial begins
of Rage 4 exists at all, as SEGA and third-party as Mr. X’s children – the Y Twins – unleash a grand
studios tried and repeatedly failed to make a plot to stir up a new wave of violence and chaos
new game for over 20 years. Periodically you’d across the city. Together with Adam’s daughter
hear rumours that a fourth game was being Cherry and Dr. Zan’s protégé Floyd, our heroes hit
made but each time the project was scrapped, the Streets of Rage once more to set things right.
with only the occasional bit of leaked footage
to show us what could have been. One of the most striking things you’ll notice
about Streets of Rage 4 is that the core combat
Streets of Rage 4 only became a reality thanks mechanics from the previous games are still
to the passion and hard work of three talented completely intact. This means that all the old
studios who largely collaborated on the project tricks and techniques you used in the first
with SEGA’s blessing. Many fans had initial three games still work here. That realisation
doubts around whether or not the game could feels so refreshing, like meeting up with an old
match the brilliance of the original trilogy, pal you haven’t seen in years. Amazingly, the
but the final release ended up being one of developers have built a whole new combo
the biggest home runs the genre has ever seen. system on top of the old format that doesn’t
Best of all, the game has reignited interest in feel tacked-on or clumsy. It’s a staggering
the side-scroller genre in a huge way, so there’s achievement to make something that feels so
hope we’ll see more projects like it in future. new and yet old-school at the same time. The
The plot returns us to Wood Oak City, ten years characters’ command lists blend wonderfully

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Prepared exclusively for Marcus Kennedy / [email protected]