Beat 'Em Ups

[Spark Of Spirit]

It's really mostly critics that trash the genre. I think that there are still many who love and respect the genre. I remember Castle Crashers from last generation being a good tribute to classic beat 'em up games.

I think that some modern gamers miss the point of the genre, though. When people compare them to the hack n' slash action games of today, they fail to realize that they are two completely different genres with different aims. One is more about intricate fighting with adventure elements, whereas the other is about more immediately gratifying and simple action that is easy to pick up but just challenging enough to keep you playing for a solid half hour or more at a time. Beat-em-ups were designed to cater to a very different type of purpose for gamers, and the best games in the genre excel at that.

Yes, the IGN reviews for Double Dragon Neon and God Hand (a modern beat em up, but still) both completely miss the point of the genre. I don't recommend reading them, they are quite embarrassing.

They don't get that there are people that enjoy combat systems and enemy patterns all while playing what is essentially the plot of a Kung-fu flick for six to eight stages and then seeing the ending screen. People enjoy it because it's fun!

Other than "repetitiveness" (unless it's a cinematic cover-shooter or a boring fetch quest from a modern RPG, then it's a feature, not a bug!) the main complaint is length. My combined total for Double Dragon Neon and Hard Corps Uprising (another game criticized for length) is about 40 hours. That's more time than you'd spend playing through the single player from the last eight COD games. COMBINED.

Reminds me of a review posted a long time ago about a reviewer from a professional site (probably IGN, though Gamespot isn't any better) ripping apart a sports management sim for being a sports management sim. If you don't like the genre in the first place, then how do you suppose your complaints will inform anyone who does? It's just silly.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Favorite Beat 'em Up tracks:

1. Mission 1
2. Fighting in the Street
3. Moon Beach
4. Roar of the Double Dragon
5. Advancing Toward Sunset
6. Go Straight
7. Technodrome ~ Let's Kick Shell!
8. Neon Jungle
9. In the Bar
10. Mission 2
11. 47th Street
12. Bury My Shell At Wounded Knee
13. On the Train
14. Alley Cat Blues
15. Northern Barramundi
16. Bridge of Danger
17. Running Around the City
18. Stage 1 (Even bad games can have great tracks)
19. Downtown Springfield
20. Who'll Be the Hero? (The most beat 'em up beat 'em up theme ever)

That was harder than the other list.

[gunswordfist]

I feel sorry for you. That must have been tough. I'll check them out now. 

[Spark Of Spirit]

It was almost entirely made up of Yuzo Koshiro, TMNT, and Double Dragon tracks before I revised it.

[gunswordfist]

Sounds about right.  Just got done listening to Who'll Be The Hero. 

[gunswordfist]

I think I refeel in love with Northern Barramundi.

[Spark Of Spirit]

"You're bad."

[Spark Of Spirit]

Whoa, a year old bump.

But for a good cause. Namely, THIS!

Look at that fighting system. Arc System Works clearly cares a good deal about both of their newly acquired franchises.

[Spark Of Spirit]

Well, that wasn't licensed (yet), but Arc System Works' remake of Renegade finally is. Should be interesting to see how much better it is than the original. It shouldn't be too difficult to top.