#beat’em up

[linuxgamenews]

Streets of Rage 4 now brings more than 300 improvements

Streets of Rage 4 beat’em up game gets a free major update for Linux, Steam Deck, Mac, and Windows PC. This is once again due to the commitment of developers Dotemu, Guard Crush, and Lizardcube. Which is available on Steam, GOG, and Humble Store. Publisher and co-developer Dotemu with co-developers Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games released a new content update. Since this brings more than 300 improvements to Streets of Rage 4. The award-winning revival of the iconic beat ‘em up series on Linux, Steam Deck, Mac, and Windows PC. A rippin’ new trailer shares a first look at the update. Which also showcases a suite of eye-popping co-op moves. Since these moves empower players to take their combo-driving teamwork to the next level. All while dishing out some serious hurt to the city’s seediest criminals. It even gives an overview of the all-new Custom Survival Mode. This mode which grants brawlers full control over the innovative, outlandish roguelite beat-em-up gauntlet. This debuted as part of the Mr. X Nightmare DLC. At the same time provides a unique new way to enjoy Streets of Rage 4’s spectacular combat. Catch more details on the update’s additions and its slew of general improvements to the thug-slugging action in today’s trailer:

Streets of Rage 4 (and Mr. X Nightmare DLC) - New free update

Streets of Rage 4 is the continuation of the classic beat em’ up series. The game also released in 2020 as the long-awaited follow-up to the classic 90’s trilogy of games. After not seeing a release for 25 years, Streets of Rage 4 brought the series into the modern era. While receiving critical praise for its faithful evolution of the franchise’s signature action. And as a result, surpassing more than 2.5 million copies downloaded. The title features new and returning characters and stylish hand-drawn artwork. Along with fresh combat abilities and mechanics, with retro pixel character unlocks. Plus a soundtrack crafted in homage to the sound and style that made the original games so popular. Streets of Rage 4’s perfectly reimagined sidescrolling action was further enhanced through 2021’s acclaimed Mr. X Nightmare. A hefty offering of DLC which adds three more fighters to the game’s playable roster. An inventive and immensely replayable Survival Mode. Devastating new attacks, an imaginative arsenal of weaponry, kickass new music from Tee Lopes, and much more. Mr X. Nightmare earned praise as a stellar example of Streets of Rage 4 DLC done right. Standing as one of the all-around best reviewed releases of the year on all platforms despite its arrival as add-on content. Full patch notes are available here. The free major update coincides with a sale on Streets of Rage 4 on Steam. Priced at $12.49 USD / £11.24 / 12,49€ , including the 50% discount until March 16th. Supporting Linux, Steam Deck, Mac, and Windows PC. Also available on GOG and Humble Store. Priced at $24.99 USD / £19.49 / 20,99€. The Mr. X Nightmare DLC is also discounted by 50% on Steam priced at $3.99 USD / £2.89 / 3,99€.

[multi-muse-transect]

It’d be funny if we get a Life Is Strange spin-off game and it’s called Life Is Strange Brawl, a side scrolling 8 bit beat’em up game retelling the stories but in a unique twist as a brawler with characters having special attacks.

[izunias-meme-hole]

Luigi has his spin-offs

Wario has his spin-offs

Peach is getting a spin-off

When are we getting a beat’em up platformer with him?

We already had a taste of it in the RPG’s and Odyssey… so imagine the full Bowser experience in the form of a platformer where you beat the shit outta folks.

[withoutrunes]

A New Day for Women in Beat’Em Ups: Marian and River City Girls 2

I think the thing that surprises me the most about playing Marian is how... liberating it really feels.

Marian is, put plainly, a brute.  Marian hits people like her fists are made out of tanker trucks and they’re breaking the speed limit.  Marian can punch her enemies across the screen with her basic Heavy attacks- not even a Special!  Just a good old Heavy Attack, and she can send them across the screen with a punch that doesn’t look like she’s putting all that much effort into it.

Marian has elbow drops for her “hit them on the ground” move.  Marian can grab people and bash their skulls together.  She has almost unparalleled ability to crush faces, and her combo strings are all punches- no fancy kicks or twirls here.  Marian can make her uppercuts combo into each other, but she can’t flipkick anybody.

She’s also kind of slow!  Marian’s a bit of a tank.  She’s not one of the faster characters; she’s not greased lightning like Provie or Kyoko.  Marian’s a bruiser, not a cruiser.  She can cross the screen quickly with her default Special, but that’s a wind-up punch that takes time and leaves her vulnerable- though when it’s at full charge, she just plows her opponents down in a massive punch that would be more commonly seen on a big, strong dude.

Which leads me to my next point: Marian?  Is a surprisingly feminist character, in a lot of ways. 

It’s not Ra Ra Girl Power like we’re used to seeing, which often emphasizes femininity.  Marian’s about as feminine as a knuckleduster; yet the game manages this without emphasizing her as “boyish.”  No one ever accuses her of being a man, or questions her as a woman, nor is her lack of relative girlishness treated as a problem for attracting others.  Even her very introduction, beyond having Kyoko and Misako both lusting after her “legendary abs”, firmly establishes that she had a relationship with both the Lee brothers of Double Dragon fame (through hilarious eyebrow waggling, of all things.)

Girls in beat’em up games fall into only one category, usually, since there’s almost never more than one you can play: the speedy, fragile character.  Marian is the exact opposite; her beat’em up predecessors in playstyle are people like Max Thunder or Floyd Iraia of Streets of Rage, Bullova of The Combatribes, and Mike Haggar of Final Fight.  She‘s a one-woman wrecking crew, a bulldozer in first gear, slow but steady.

Even Marian’s theme in her boss fight is intimidating- and her fighting style during that boss fight is quite unique!  She doesn’t summon goons or minions, like most bosses in beat’em ups do- no, the threat in her fight is just Marian herself, and she’s more than enough.  She shakes the ground in her fight with her bare hands, throws exploding barrels at you, lunges across the screen with her giant punches- it’s quite the throwdown!

All of this to say that in a lot of ways, Marian is treated as powerful in a way that video games of all stripes, and beat’em ups in particular, have never treated women.  Marian is an absurdly present physical threat, and none of it detracts from her womanly nature- she’s just a powerhouse and everybody has to deal with it.

Honestly her closest counterpart might be Martha Splatterhead, the final boss of Combatribes, more than any actually playable character- which makes it particularly amusing that Martha herself is in the game as a powerful, rare enemy type.

It’s neat to see a game treat a female character with both this much respect and this much sheer asskicking power without trying to lessen it in some way or use it as a slight against her, and I love seeing it.

Also Mega McDuffee deserves an award, the game’s musici s incredibly solid.

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Saturn - Fist of the North Star

Title: Fist of the North Star / 北斗の拳

Developer/Publisher: Banpresto

Release date: 22 December 1995

Catalogue No.: T-20601G

Genre: Dramatic Adventure

As far as I know, all the games based on Hokuto no Ken / Fist of the North Star that aren't Fist of the North Star Lost Paradise (PS4) are pretty bad. Probably the best one was the Mega Drive version which was changed to Last Battle for the Western market but even that was pretty bad, especially the Western version. The Super Famicom 1 on 1 beat’em ups (Hokuto no Ken 6 & 7) are the worst though. So, I wasn’t expecting much from this Saturn game. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised. This Saturn version is probably best described as an interactive story. The whole game is presented as an actual anime, and this is where Banpresto must be commended on their work. While most companies use FMV which normally looks bad on the Saturn, Banpresto has actually made the anime scenes using actual Saturn hardware. No FMV at all. The end result is very good with crisp cut scenes and no loading. The only downer is the animation is lacking a bit. Still, I’ve seen worse real animation with fewer frames of animation than this game.

So, Hokuto no Ken looks good but how does it play? Well as I said it’s basically an interactive story. You watch the cut scenes and read the story until Ken comes across an enemy. Then it’s on to the actual playing part. This part consists of a type of paper scissors stone-themed game. You must stop the bar as it slides up the power meter then select a move that Ken will perform. After selecting all the moves you wish to perform, you then must press the A button as fast as possible to build up your strength meter. Then you sit back and watch the battle against the enemy.

Hokuto no Ken can become boring if you can’t understand the story so maybe this game is only really recommended to fans of the series or to those who can read Japanese.

[zentendo]

Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! 2 Unleashes Gallic Power on Nintendo Switch and More!

Paris, November 13, 2023 – Brace yourselves, gaming enthusiasts! The iconic duo, Asterix and Obelix, return in the much-anticipated Asterix & Obelix: Slap Them All! 2. This 2D Beat’em Up extravaganza promises an immersive journey filled with humor, action, and the unmistakable charm of the Gallic adventures we all love. Now available in digital on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S,…

[chipp-zanuff-fanboy]

The fact that the Hellboy game apparently sucks is such a goddamn tragedy. I mean, a Hellboy-beat’em up with comic-accurate graphics that adapts any of the stories would be an instant game of the year. Imagine Suda51 doing an version of the story where he kills vampires with mexican wrestlers. Dear god I’m crying with joy at the thought

[fyeah-tmnt]

"HEROES IN A HALF-SHELL, TURTLE POWER! 🐢💙🧡💜❤️ being a kid from the 80’s, that’s quite the obvious to say I’m a Turtles fan. I grew up watching the amazing 1987 cartoon, and playing endless coins on Konami’s TMNT2 Arcade (yup, that 4-player beat’em up masterpiece). Can you imagine my face when I read the email asking me to do an official poster for the new @tmntmovie? ❤️ OH and I had the best art direction for this: “Imagine if the poster was done by, maybe, a 10 year-old talented kid…” So, if you also grew up being a Turtles fan, this is for you! 🐢"

Eduardo Vieira Art on Instagram (Twitter, website)

[sulan1809]

Captain Commando - O quarteto de heróis da Capcom

Embora Final Fight(1989) tenha sido o primeiro grande título de Beat ‘em up elaborado pela Capcom, vale destacar Captain Commando(1991), que traz a premissa de quatro heróis, incluindo o personagem titular, que saem às ruas para chutar os traseiros dos vilões. Antigamente, Captain Commando era retratado como um porta-voz ficcional para divulgar os games que a Capcom lançou para consoles na década de 1980. Em setembro de 2018, a Capcom anunciou o Capcom Beat’em up Bundle, que foi lançado digitalmente para Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox One e PC, com Captain Commando sendo um dos títulos dessa coleção de beat ‘em ups. Sem mais delongas, vamos começar. O enredo de Captain Commando se desenrola em uma realidade futurística de Metro City, no ano de 2026. O mundo está empestejado pelo crime, e com isso, Captain Commando e os amigos dele, Mack the Knife(Jennety) uma múmia alienígena de origem desconhecida, Ginzu(Sho) um ninja, e Baby Head(Hoover) um bebê com um Q.I. muito elevado, controlando uma armadura, partem em uma missão para erradicar o crime, bem como lidar com o time de Super-Criminosos, pessoas com poderes sombrios, liderados pelo temido Scumocide.  

[legiongamerrd]

#Gamefemerides Hace 29 años se lanzó Streets of Rage 3. Es un beat’em up 2D desarrollado y publicado por @SEGA. Es la 3ra y última entrega de la serie Streets of Rage. Fue luego lanzado en la versión japonesa de Sonic Gems Collection para el Nintendo GameCube y PlayStation 2, y para la Consola Virtual de Wii en septiembre de 2007. El juego también apareció en Sonic’s Ultimate Collection para Xbox 360 y PlayStation 3. #LegionGamerRD #ElGamingnosune #Videojuegos #Gaming #RetroGaming #RetroGamer #CulturaGaming #CulturaGamer #GamingHistory #GamerDominicano #Podcast #SEGA #StreetsofRage #StreetsofRage3 #BareKnuckle3 #ベアナックルIII #SEGAGenesis #Nintendo #GCN #Wii #PlayStation #PS2 #PS3 #PS4 #Xbox #Xbox360 #XboxOne #beatemup #Multijugador https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp46XJDNlve/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[satoshi-mochida]

Some thoughts and details on my last Gamefly rental, Dusk Diver(Switch version):

While Yang Yumo and her friend Yusha are hanging out in Ximending in Taipei, Taiwan, they accidently wander into a dimensional fissure and are attacked by monsters. Yumo gets hurt by one trying to save Yusha, but gets healed by someone else there, Leo. After doing so, however, he turns into a smaller form, and Yumo gains his power and can fight the monsters, called ‘Chaos Beasts’. 

Afterwards, they take Yusha, who had passed out, to a convenience store that Leo works at, where he and his superior, just called Boss(who is in the form of a Daruma-like ceramic), explain to Yumo about the Chaos Beasts and the other realm they’re from, Youshanding, and the barrier between them is weakening. She is given a necklace that stops her from taking Leo’s powers but can still transform if she needs to. Yumo then agrees to help them out while Boss tries to figure out a way to get Yumo back to normal.

I have no idea if it’s just a big coincidence or an inspiration/homage, but after Yumo transforms, she takes on a similar look to Yang Xiao Long from RWBY. She’s even a brawler like Yang is in gameplay. Her hair takes on a whitish-blue color as opposed to Yang’s bright blonde/golden, though, but using her D. Arms form makes her hair glow gold(with some green). This is part of the reason I wanted to play this. XP

The main gameplay in this is a 3D Beat’em up. 

Normal Attacks are done with Y and X, Dash with ZR, and B jumps. Yumo has a few combos to use, and can use Skill Points to get more, though only really on the ground, no real aerial combos.

Yumo can summon the Kunlunian allies she meets through the game by pressing A when fighting enemies, and switching which of them gets summoned by hitting Up, Left, or Right on the D-Pad once they become available. They can break through the Super Armor that stronger enemies and Bosses have faster.

After a little while, Yumo gains a super mode called D.Arms that makes her move faster and do more damage, and lets her do a few more attacks, one done by holding L and then pressing R(which changes depending on the selected ally), which does a lot of damage but ends D. Arms. 

You can build up Yumo’s friendship with Leo, Bahet and Le Viada by summoning them to help you fight and eat food they like around Ximending. Their bond goes up to level 5, but you need to see an event and do a training mission with them to advance to the next level. Doing these also gives them a new ability to use.

The groups ‘main base’ is a convenience store where you can buy some healing items, talk with your party members, look at the Gallery, change outfits and redo any main story mission(and let you do a Hard Mode version of them), as well as access/redo any available ally training missions and request Missions from Boss. There’s also a tree there that can be watered after every visit to Youshanding. Watering it enough times will have it grow a Peach in Chapter 13 that can be sold for a lot of money.

Each mission is graded after finishing it, S Rank being the highest, and you get rewards based on the ranking, such as money, Dragon Vein Shards, Skill Points and Items. Once Yuno’s gotten more powerful, going back to get S Ranks is easier. It seems to be only based on how quickly it’s completed, though.

Four items can be brought into battles, each assigned to a direction on the D-Pad, and can be used while holding L.

In each Chapter, new Link Quests with people around the city will become available. Doing these increases the power of Yumo’s D. Arms mode. They aren’t marked on the map right away, but will appear on the minimap once you get close to them, and can then be tracked from the ‘Link’ submenu. 

There are many stores around Ximending that you can buy food at. Buying from them gives you a bonus effect for your next visit to Youshanding, increases bonds with your allies(depending on what you buy, as some like certain foods more than others), and also raises your Familiarity with that store. Raising it to maximum, 5, is easy, just buy from there 5 times, and doing so lets you order from them at the convenience store without having to go there directly

There’s some collectables to get:

Costumes, which can be found from story progress, Link Quests and Gachapon machines(these appear throughout Ximending as the story progresses, and always give a new item when you use them). There's a few unique ones, such as being able to get Yumo’s D.Arms outfit to wear anytime, though some of them feel like just palette swaps.

Concept art, also found in the Gachapon machines. 

Dragon Vein Shards(these are needed to progress the story, and they also give Skill Points). They can be found in main story stages and around Ximending. A bit into the game, you meet the Tao Master who you can pay to have them appear on the Map of the city, as they’re otherwise not marked.

Fortunes. At a shrine to the southwest of Ximending, you can get fortunes that have some poetry and I think makes treasure boxes spawn in Youshanding. There are many of these, and you can get repeats unless you check between Youshanding visits, but unlike the Gachapon machines, they’re free, so you could just spam A here for a while if you want to get them all.

Some issues I had:

-The game’s load times can be a bit annoying at times.

-Stuff that should be marked on the Map isn’t, or at least not without going to their own submenu or getting close enough for them to appear on the minimap(for Link Quests).

-There’s a glitch that may crash the game on occasion when checking out the Closet in the convenience store.

The camera sometimes becomes a pain if you’re too close to walls.

Some parts with platforming could be a bit better.

Some noticeable typos, and there seems to be an issue with the dialogue at some sections ‘rolling over’ and there doesn’t seem to be a Text Log option(or maybe there was and I missed it).

I liked the growing friendship Yumo has with her main three allies. Kind of like older siblings or older family members(especially with Leo). I like stories that have humans bond with gods or the like, and learn from each other.

The characters in this were nice, and the combat felt very fast paced and fun. I want to get to Dusk Diver 2 eventually and see where they go from here. This one seems to go on sale on occasion, so I may pick it up for support when it does.

Next game being sent is: Carto.

[ericvanderburg]

5 Best Beat’em Up Games for Non-Stop Action on Android and iOS

http://securitytc.com/TGNL2Y

[gazetadoleste]

10 dos melhores jogos Beat’em up já lançados

O gênero beat’em up tem uma longa e rica história no mundo dos videogames. Nascido nos fliperamas dos anos 80, esse estilo de jogo, caracterizado por ação frenética e combates corpo a corpo contra hordas de inimigos, cativou jogadores ao redor do mundo com seu estilo simples, mas extremamente viciante. Títulos icônicos como Double Dragon e Final Fight marcaram gerações e ajudaram a definir a…

[hotnew-pt]

10 dos melhores jogos Beat'em up já lançados #ÚltimasNotícias #tecnologia

Hot News O gênero beat’em up tem uma longa e rica história no mundo dos videogames. Nascido nos fliperamas dos anos 80, esse estilo de jogo, caracterizado por ação frenética e combates corpo a corpo contra hordas de inimigos, cativou jogadores ao redor do mundo com seu estilo simples, mas extremamente viciante. Títulos icônicos como Double Dragon e Final Fight marcaram gerações e ajudaram a…

[withoutrunes]

River City Girls 2

So every beat’em up since the first Streets of Rage is required by law to have one sequence where you battle fools on an elevator- usually starring the hilarious ability to just chuck people over the edge to end the fight, which, side note, must leave some GRISLY corpses in the streets down below.

That first elevator is the one up above, by the way- it’s one of the last sequences in the game, fought as you head up to the final boss, and it is extremely cool, which is why every beat’em up thereafter has copied it.

River City Girls 2 also has a sequence like this in Technos, which is very directly a reference- you even fight through the elevator while its on its way to a boss, though it’s not the final boss this time. 

The funniest part, though, is that Kyoko and Misako both question why anyone would do this, because you’d think that just waiting at the top and jumping them all at once would be better and less dangerous than jumping down in waves into a moving elevator!

God I love River City Girls 2.

[archoneddzs15]

Super Famicom - Sonic Blast Man

Title: Sonic Blast Man / ソニックブラストマン

Developer: ITL

Publisher: Taito

Release date: 25 September 1992

Catalogue Code: SHVC-SK

Genre: Beat-em-up

No. of Players: 1

The original arcade version of Sonic Blast Man was basically a punching bag that you had to punch as hard as possible. The results of your punch were shown on a video monitor in the form of you knocking out a bad guy, demolishing a skyscraper or even pummeling a planet! The SFC version does feature these arcade sections but only in the form of a bonus round and instead of punching a punching bag you have to rock the D-pad on the SFC controller from side to side. The main game is a pretty slow and dreary beat-em-up. In this version of the game, Sonic Blast Man must save the Earth from diverse kinds of evil forces, from street gangs and terrorists to aliens and robots and finally, an evil clone of himself. The fight starts on a construction site on Earth and ends up in outer space.

All great scrolling beat’em ups are two-player games however this game is only for one player. Sonic Blast Man can punch, jump, and grab his enemies. He also uses a special attack that knocks down any enemy nearby, but it dizzies him temporally. Another particular feature is the way Sonic Blast Man holds his enemies: When he approaches his enemies, he can grab them to shake them and throw them back from him or unleash a series of punches. However, if he punches them repeatedly, he will eventually hold them, so that he can blast them with a sonic wave, hit them with a whirlwind punch, or throw them backwards. All of these throwing effects depend on the direction the d-pad is being pressed when pressing the punch button. His most powerful attack is his D. Punch, which must be charged with a certain button, which can be discharged. The D. Punch is also a limited attack.  One amusing thing he does is grab the enemies by the head while swinging them around.

Like with most beat-em-ups of the era, the Japanese version had female enemies which were replaced by male ones in the American and European versions, mostly because of Nintendo of America's strict censorship issues at the time.