River City Ransom
Can a beat em up also be an RPG? River City Ransom set out to test if it was possible and found that the two genres mesh extremely well together and other developers took note to the point that Beat em ups that are partially RPGs are common now. River City Ransom plays great on the Switch and still holds up well today, with its fun and engaging gameplay. getting to play this online with friends is a treat as well, making this a must play.
Battletoads in Battlemaniacs
The most recent addition to NSO in this genre, Battletoads in Battlemaniacs may not be for everyone, but it is a very fun time for those who are fond of punishing games. True, it is not as hard as the NES game, but it is still on the more difficult side of things. It is also one of the most creative beat em ups available on NSO with only one title on this list beating it out for both creativity and difficulty, but Battletoads in Battlemaniacs has more combat variety and gameplay options so it balances out. Great for those wanting a challenge.
Streets of Rage 2
One of the greatest retro beat em ups of all, Streets of Rage 2 holds up well well by today’s standards. This iconic Sega game, available on the NSO Expansion tier is a must for those wanting intense action and amazing music and world variety in their beat em ups. The online works great and the emulation by M2 is as good as the best of that company’s offerings. If you are at all curious about beat em ups, then you need to try Streets of Rage 2.
Rushing Beat Trilogy
This is a cheat as I am including three games in one, but the Rushing Beat games ( Rival Turf, Brawl Brothers and The Peacekeepers) are a unique case. The series is connected in Japan where the fact that it is a trilogy is clear, but in the West these games were all made out to be unrelated. These are fine beat em ups by Jaleco and while not up to the standard of Streets of Rage 2 or Final Fight, they are still great fun. If One has to be recommended, it would be Brawl Brothers but only if you use the code to play the Japanese version ( this was the only game on the SNES that came with this option.) The Japanese version is far superior, has less fake difficulty and is the one game in the series that feels on par with Streets of Rage 2, making it a title you need to experience.
Golden Axe
Another classic available on the NSO Expansion, Golden Axe is a great fantasy hack n slash game that at times feels like the closest we will get to a Conan the Barbarian beat em up ( though one was planned at one point). Fun gameplay, amazing music even by today’s standards and satisfying mechanics make this an game that is still as enjoyable as ever. With a new Golden Axe announced recently, revisiting the roots of the series may just be the best thing to do now.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Both Double Dragon and Double Dragon II had great NES ports, but they were great in different ways. Double Dragon ( also available on NSO) was a single player game on NES and made a lot of changes to the overall experience. Double Dragon II, while also making a lot of changes from the arcade original, maintained the two player experience and the changes vastly improved the game over the arcade version. This is the one to play, and the inclusion of online on NSO just makes this sweeter.
Comix Zone
The game I alluded to earlier, Comix Zone is THE most creative beat em up available on NSO and s playable via the expansion. It is also the most difficult, and at times can be borderline unfair, yet it has that hook that makes you want to keep playing even after dying numerous times. And with rewind options on NSO allowing players a way to avoid some of the cheap deaths, the game feels far more fun now than it did originally. Playing a comic book themed beat em up is nothing new, but a beat em up that is set inside comic book that sees you move from panel to panel and references the nature of comics themselves makes this too good to pass up.
Alien Storm
Can a run n gun also be a beat em up? As Alien Storm proves, yes it can and does so very well. One of the more innovative games on the NSO expansion, Alien Storm is a great title from Sega and is constantly throwing new ideas at you. From sections that break up the main game, to shooting gallery sections that call to mind Shinobi, Alien Storm feels fresh. This can be seen as a science fiction take on Golden Axe and Sega’s home conversion of its own arcade game is an amazing port that M2 brought beautifully to NSO. With online that works well, and an overall unique experience, Alien Storm should be enjoyed by everyone.
We will be doing more lists like this soon, looking at the best shoot em ups and best RPGs on NSO, so look for those soon.
[…] recently covered the best Beat em Ups to play via Nintendo Switch Online, and in that piece we mentioned we […]