10 - The Simpsons Arcade
This is one of the best Simpsons games ever made. It was originally released only on arcade in 90's, but thank god it later releases on PSN and XBLA. The Simpsons Arcade features the 4 players co-op that you are playing as the Simpsons characters such as Homer, Bart, Marge and Lisa decide to rescue Maggie, who got kidnapped by Waylon Smithers. The gameplay is how great the controls played for beat em ups genres and it's has a best graphics for character design and stages so far with colourful animations and brighter environment. Do you know whats awesome about the characters, Bart smacks the bad guys with his skateboard, Marge swings with Vaccum Cleaners, Lisa uses with jump rope like a whip and Homer just uses his barefist to beat the crap of them is definitely cool in the game. Konami made a best beat em ups for arcade as they did with TMNT 4 and X-Men Arcade.
9 - Viewiful Joe
As you know Viewiful Joe is the great Capcom superheroes games here. Joe who got stucked in the movies by the badguys who kidnapped his girlfriend Silvia. It's up to Joe to save his Girlfriend in the movie and turns in to Viewiful Joe to unleash his power. The cool thing in the gameplay, you can use a power to slow it down and fast speeding forward which is sounds cool. You can upgrades your power ups to make a great combos moves that adds more variety of gameplay style.
The graphics is colorful with anime style comic book and this game has tons of awesome humour that made the game entertaining, so it definitely one of the best beat em ups for gamecube system. Don't you think it sounds cool when this game should be re-release on PSN and XBLA with HD remastered in the future, umm maybe someday you never know.
8 - Double Dragon
Double Dragon was great on NES and so with SEGA Genesis. It's very promising on the arcade version, but until the console version made a huge improvement over the originals. You get to play as the Twin brothers Billy and Jimmy fighting out the bad guys, who kidnaps billy's girlfriend Marian. This game was impressive on NES version even the 2 players co-op is missing due to limits of cartridge, while SEGA Genesis version is superior to arcade version with improved framerates, which makes the gameplay more playable and less frustrating to play. It has great stages, fluid gameplay controls, and decent boss battles are great for 2-player co-op.
If you like this game, why not play it on NES and SEGA Genesis.
7 - Violent Storm
Do you expect Violent Storm is just another Final Fight clone, yes it is. It's still great beat em ups game only released on arcade. It has a 3 players co-op to play as these 3 guys fighting out the Lord Geld's gangs, who Kidnaps the poor woman been snatched by the gangs. It's has a catchy tune music which probably sounds like a awesome 80's american cartoons. The gameplay feels much like Final Fight that you just go beat the shit of these guys is looked the same, but it's plays awesome. The characters like Wade has awesome blond hair only has simple basic moves, Boris has a powerful abilities does a cool wrestling moves, and the Kyle does has a speed abilities with rapid kicks and spinning kick, which is kinda like Chun-li from Street Fighter series. Violent Storm is still a fun games here and I'm pretty sure Konami will re-release the game soon for PSN and XBLA in the future.
6 - X-Men
X-Men arcade is brilliant game for Konami's arcade system. It features with 6-players co-op which is the most biggest multiplayer co-op I ever seen on the arcade cabinet. You get to play as the 6 characters like Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Colossus, Dazzler and Nightcrawler battle to fight the evil magneto. 6-players co-op gameplay was great on the arcade system to get a friends together to enjoy with mind-blowing stages and boss battles. Thanks to Konami brought it to PSN and XBLA release, So let's not forget Magneto's infamous line in the in-game cutscenes ("Welcome to die.").
5 - Street of Rage 2
One of the SEGA classics beat em ups on SEGA Genesis. Street of Rage 2 is a fun to play. After the original story take place with bad guys been defeated by three of the heroes, but until the new rival Mr X is planning to take over the cities, while Adam got captured by the Mr X gangs. So you get to play as Axel, Blaze, Skate and Max to save the cities and their friend Adam. The gameplay is more straight-forward than the first game with better fighting style and performing new special moves. I also love beating the shit of those guys with pick ups weapons, which makes Street of Rage series so awesome and memorable. It has a 90's style upbeat music with powerful 16 bit sound beats especially with Genesis Model 1 has Higher Quality sounds making better overall soundtrack. It's one of the best in the series and what the hell happened to forth ones? Please SEGA make the forth installiment happen someday.
4 - Ninja Baseball Batman
That game got to be a crazy. Irem Cooperation made a solid beat em ups arcade here. What you do on this game is to beat the shit of the mutant baseball equipment, which is fun because this game is based on baseball of course. The gameplay is how insane that game is. You are playing as a 4 ninjas who loves playing baseball to fight a bad guys who is actually baseball mutants. The graphics is considered to be most colorful game design ever made. So why not Irem just bring it to PSN and XBLA here, is because it's only on arcade, we need that.
3 - Battletoads Arcade
One of the Rare's classic came on the arcade cabinet, thanks to EA games who helped Rare to make a awesome beat em ups. Original NES is how hard the game is in the 80's era. When the arcade version came in 90's and it felt way too better than the original NES. 3 of the toads is here to battle with the Dark Queen's once again just like the previous installiment. The gameplay is fantastic. The controls is easy to use and the boss fight is epic. The good thing about this game is to feature lot violent themes, which makes the game even more badass. It has a best music on the arcade system, which makes the best battletoads games so far. I like the Dark Queen is considered to be hottest female villains in 80's and 90's gaming, oh yeahhhh! she's so groovy. It's gonna be sounds awesome, when this game should be re-release on XBLA exclusive, which as you know Rare is now Microsoft game developers. Umm, could it be possible?
2 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 4 - Turtles In Time
Wow, why Konami can handle the great arcade ports for SNES? TMNT is great series on 80's cartoons classics and we have Turtles in Time on SNES. It's has a 4 memorable characters such as Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo and Raphael fighting off the Shredder gangs. The gameplay has a well balanced controls and well designed graphics. It has kickass music especially with 80's theme song. The boss fight is challenging as ever and the whole levels is considered to be fun to play with. If you fan of TMNT games, get this game and you will love it because Konami made a great beat em up games.
1 - Final Fight
This is one of my favourites beat em ups games in history. Capcom made a best beat em ups ever made on Arcade. The story take place with Mad Gear's gangs who kidnaps Jessica who got snatched by the Damnd as the members of Mad Gear. Mike Haggar set his mission to rescue his daughter Jessica with the help of Cody and Guy join him to fight the Mad Gear. You get to play as the 3 of them such as Mike Haggar who does his wrestling moves which is similar to Zangief moves from Street Fighter. Cody is a balanced fighter with basic moves so he is also one of Jessica's love interest. Guy is a pro ninja with faster moves, but he can throw knives too. The gameplay is outstanding with balanced controls for fighting system and pick up weapons. It has a 6 stages to complete and the boss fight is definitely marvellous fun. SNES version is nothing good as the arcade version, but they finally got it right with the SEGA CD version. I say the arcade is the best version of this game, one of the best beat em ups games ever created as my opinion.