5 Best Beat 'Em Up Arcade Games Of All Time, Ranked

Ever since the days of "Kung-Fu Master" and "Double Dragon," the beat 'em up genre has been a prominent staple in arcades. Blending hard-hitting action and cooperative multiplayer fun, the genre has redefined itself with progressively more ambitious brawling experiences. There is something cathartic about bursting through waves of enemies, made all the more entertaining when undertaken with friends. Many classic properties in the '80s and '90s saw their own video game tie-ins through the beat 'em up genre, often to great effect.

Today we're looking back at our favorite beat 'em up arcade games, from popular properties that were adapted into the genre to original franchises that defined what beat 'em up games could be. To clarify, we're sticking with games that were arcade releases, though many of the titles here did eventually receive ported home versions. That means console-exclusive beat 'em up franchises like "Streets of Rage" and "Guardian Heroes" are not included here. Without further ado, here are the five best beat 'em up arcade games of all time, ranked.

One developer that loomed large for its popular work in producing arcade beat 'em up games is Capcom, which developed and published countless favorites in the '80s and '90s. One of Capcom's most underrated arcade games from the 1990s is the fantasy beat 'em up title "Knights of the Round." As the title suggests, the game has players control King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table as they battle an army threatening the fate of Camelot. In addition to offering three-person co-op multiplayer, the game also features RPG elements, with characters leveling up as they progress.

Released in 1991, "Knights of the Round" demonstrates how much Capcom had become experts at crafting distinct beat 'em up titles. The game mixes the company's experience with developing action RPG and fighting games, including the then-revolutionary mechanic of letting players block. Gameplay aside, the game is just a sumptuously rendered take on Arthurian legend, proving that every established property has the potential to become a beat 'em up. "Knights of the Round" received a relatively faithful Super Nintendo port in 1994 and is available on modern platforms through the "Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle" and "Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium" compilations.

The other company that dominated the beat 'em up genre in arcades during the late '80s and '90s was Konami, which made fan-favorite games like "The Simpsons." The developers took things to the next level with the arcade title "X-Men," which was released in 1992. The arcade cabinet allows for up to six-person co-op multiplayer, with Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Nightcrawler, Colossus, and Dazzler as playable characters. This ensemble plows through waves of enemies in familiar locations like the Savage Land and Asteroid M as they thwart Magneto's latest attack on humanity.

With its six-person functionality, "X-Men" is a 1992 arcade game that was ahead of its time, with each playable character uniquely rendered and possessing their own special moves. The game's enemy sprites and boss characters are all memorably designed and animated as well, from the Juggernaut to Magneto himself. Perhaps because of its scope, the game went without an official home version for years, with a limited time digital release in 2010 and inclusion in 2026's "Marvel MaXimum Collection." One of the best X-Men games of all time, the 1992 arcade title showcased Konami continuing to creatively fire on all cylinders.

One forgotten arcade that needs a remake (or at least a re-release on modern platforms) is "Alien vs. Predator." Developed and published by Capcom in 1994, the game has Dutch Schaefer, a cybernetically enhanced version of Arnold Schwarzenegger's character from "Predator," join forces with his old enemy. This ensemble is joined by Colonial Space Marine Linn Kurosawa as they root out a xenomorph infestation on Earth linked to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Offering four-person multiplayer, the game features a robust variety in combat, with characters given melee and projectile weapons.

Despite its popularity, "Alien vs. Predator" was never ported to conventional home platforms because of licensing issues. The only home version of the game to exist was released for the Capcom Home Arcade dedicated console in 2019. To clarify, the "Alien vs. Predator" beat 'em up title released for the Super Nintendo released in 1993 was a completely different game by a completely different company. With Capcom re-releasing many of its arcade classics, hopefully its version of "Alien vs. Predator" will see the light of day again on more widely available modern hardware.

The 1989 "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" arcade game marked a huge step forward for beat 'em up games, faithfully recapturing the aesthetics of the animated series on which it was based. But as fantastic as that game is, its 1991 sequel, "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time," is even better. The game opens with Shredder stealing the Statue of Liberty before sending the Ninja Turtles hurtling through time. The heroes in a half-shell battle the Foot Clan through different time periods before an epic rematch against Shredder and Krang.

"Turtles in Time" is easily the best classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game ever made and certainly the best beat 'em up. The time travel premise leads to more enemy variety while the character animations and attacks feel more fluid than they had in the preceding 1989 title. Fortunately, "Turtles in Time" is included as part of the "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection," making it a must-own for fans if it wasn't already. Konami consistently did the Ninja Turtles justice in their video game tie-ins, and "Turtles in Time" is the apex of that fruitful partnership.

Before "Streets of Rage," there was Capcom's "Final Fight," which took the beat 'em up genre as a whole to new heights. Debuting in 1989, the game follows martial artists Guy and Cody as they attempt to rescue Cody's girlfriend Jessica after she's kidnapped by a notorious street gang. Completing the trio is Jessica's father Mike Haggar, a former professional wrestler who has since become the city's mayor. The game offers more detailed sprites than most beat 'em up games of its era, with clear differences between the playable characters, and it allowed for up to two-person multiplayer.

"Final Fight" essentially takes the "Double Dragon" formula and perfects it while significantly expanding upon it. The game similarly has its heroes battle their way through an urban setting to rescue a kidnapped girlfriend, but Capcom's title goes far deeper and more varied with its gameplay. Fresh off releasing the original "Street Fighter," the game has pronounced fighting game mechanics, with button inputs to perform specific attacks and good variety between its protagonists. The shadow of "Final Fight" still looms large for Capcom, particularly in the recent "Street Fighter 6," and we hope Capcom gives it a new title someday.