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ARC

Knights of Valour

Players
4444
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Casual

Release

’99

Knights of Valour is a Chinese-developed brawler based on the Romance of the Three Kingdoms trilogy. It features similar gameplay to the Capcom D&D games, including weapons-based combat, crouching, inventory, experience points, and branching paths.

ARC

Knights of Valour 2

Players
4444
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Casual

Release

’00

Knights of Valour 2 is the sequel to IGS’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms-themed arcade hit. It features more of the same gameplay that focuses on large movesets, inventory management, experience points, and branching paths.

ARC

Knuckle Bash

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Medium

Release

Knuckle Bash is a professional wrestling themed brawler from Toaplan, who normally make space shooters. It’s notable for its dual campaigns, unlockable extra fighters, boss-heavy gameplay, and digitized character portraits.

ARC

Legionnaire

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Medium

Release

’92

Legionnaire is an extremely rare and obscure two-player arcade brawler in the vein of Final Fight. It has three playable characters, huge sprites, oddball enemies, and an urban setting. Its combat is notably unique in that it combines dashing and grabs into a single technique, but is otherwise fairly standard. Its music is extremely repetitive yet catchy.

ARC

Metamorphic Force

Players
4444
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Casual

Release

’93

Metamorphic Force is an original Konami brawler that focuses on humans that can morph into animals. It plays like Final Fight mixed with a little Altered Beast thrown in. It has extremely smooth animations and impressive sprite effects.

ARC

Mug Smashers

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Hard

Release

’90

Mug Smashers is an early 90’s western-developed two-player arcade brawler that’s basically a combination of Combatribes and Final Fight. It has suspiciously similar sprites and music to the former but plays more like the latter with its scrolling stages and lack of ground attacks or tornado throws. It has an absurd visual style including a main character that’s wearing red leopard pants and white sunglasses.

ARC

Mutation Nation

Players
22
Length

0:40

Difficulty

Casual

Release

’92

Mutation Nation is a mutant-themed postapocalyptic brawler from SNK. In addition to its grotesque and varied enemy designs, it’s notable for its charged elemental magic attacks.

ARC

Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun

Players
1
Length

0:10

Difficulty

Hardcore

Release

’86 ’86

Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-Kun created the brawler genre with its revolutionary combat system and urban aesthetics. Except for co-op, it’s got everything that make beat ’em ups great: many simultaneous opponents, combos, back attacks, throws, jump kicks, and even ground attacks.

ARC

Night Slashers

Players
22
Length

0:40

Difficulty

Medium

Release

’93

Night Slashers is a late-generation horror-themed beat ’em up from Data East. It features zombies, mad scientists, frankensteins, vampires, werewolves, axe murderers, mummies, and even evil Aztec gods. Its combat features a unique charge system as well as downward aerials that nail enemies into the ground.

ARC

Ninja Baseball Bat Man

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Hard

Release

’93

Ninja Baseball Bat Man is an ultra-cartoony brawler from Irem that features baseball playing ninja robots. It’s one of the most original concepts of any game ever, let alone beat ’em ups. Despite its cutesy appearance, it has significant depth and challenge.

ARC

Ninja Clowns

Players
22
Length

0:45

Difficulty

Medium

Release

’91

Ninja Clowns is an extremely obscure clown-themed brawler. It has a Ren & Stimpy-esque art style and surprisingly large movesets filled with slapstick attacks.

ARC

Ninja Combat

Players
22
Length

0:45

Difficulty

Medium

Release

’90

Ninja Combat is a ninja-themed brawler from Alpha. It’s notable for its projectile-based combat, charged magical attacks, and extra characters that are unlocked after beating stages.

ARC

Ninja Gaiden

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Hard

Release

Ninja Gaiden is the first ninja-themed brawler. Its setting and gameplay are similar to Double Dragon. It innovates with action-platforming segments as well as a unique jump-throw attack.

ARC

Oriental Legend

Players
4444
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Casual

Release

Oriental Legend is a Chinese-exclusive beat ’em up developed by IGS. It’s based off of Chinese mythology and has gameplay similar to the Capcom D&D games. It’s notable for its huge cast of characters.

ARC

P.O.W. - Prisoners of War

Players
22
Length

0:30

Difficulty

Hardcore

Release

’88

P.O.W. - Prisoners of War is a military-themed brawler from SNK. Its gameplay is very similar to Double Dragon except for its inclusion of usable ammo-based guns.

ARC

PuLiRuLa

Players
22
Length

0:20

Difficulty

Casual

Release

’91

PuLiRuLa is a surreal, cartoony brawler from Taito. It has a straightforward weapons-based combat engine. It’s known for its extremely imaginative presentation and weird Japanese humor.

ARC

Renegade

Players
1
Length

0:10

Difficulty

Hardcore

Release

’86 ’86

Renegade is the Western localization of the very first brawler ever made, Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun. It defined the genre with its 3D movement, many simultaneous opponents, expansive moveset, and accessible yet challenging gameplay.

ARC

Riot City

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Hard

Release

’91

Riot City is a bare-bones Japan-only brawler from Sega. It’s a Final Fight rip-off with little besides distance-based combos to set it apart.

ARC

Robo Army

Players
22
Length

0:45

Difficulty

Medium

Release

’91

Robo Army is a robot-themed brawler from SNK. Its simple combat is defined by stock-based special attacks and the ability to temporarily transform into an invincible vehicle.

ARC

Rollergames

Players
22
Length

0:40

Difficulty

Casual

Release

’91

Rollergames is a rollerskate-themed arcade brawler from Konami that’s based off the late 80’s TV show which was basically a combination of rollerskating and professional wrestling. Rather than not dying, you beat the game by achieving a higher score than your opponent, which involves both beating enemies and executing rollerskating tricks like riding on a half-pipe and jumping off a ramp.

ARC

Sailor Moon Pretty Soldier

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Medium

Release

’95

Sailor Moon Pretty Soldier is a brawler based on the popular anime by Banpresto. It features Final Fight-style gameplay with screen-filling hand-animated magic attacks.

ARC

Sengoku

Players
22
Length

0:45

Difficulty

Casual

Release

’91

Sengoku is a supernatural brawler featuring a Ninja and Cowboy who fight Japanese demons by jumping between the human and spirit realms. It has simple combat that focuses on weapon upgrades and alternate forms such as a ninja dog and samurai.

ARC

Sengoku 2

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Medium

Release

’93

Sengoku 2 is the sequel to SNK’s supernatural-themed weapons-based brawler. It improves upon its predecessor in every way, including multiple attack buttons, special attacks, guarding, charged projectiles, and on-command transformation into a kunoichi, ninja dog, or tengu.

ARC

Sengoku 3

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Hard

Release

’01

Sengoku 3 is the final installment of the Sengoku trilogy, this time developed by Noise Factory. Although it keeps its predecessor’s setting and multiple attack buttons, it removes the transformation mechanic and adds freeform combos and energy-based special attacks.

ARC

Shadow Force

Players
22
Length

0:50

Difficulty

Hardcore

Release

’92

Shadow Force is a futuristic brawler-fighter hybrid from Technos. It’s easily the most complex brawler ever made, with a whopping 6 buttons, low attacks, projectiles, grabs, multiple aerial attacks, Street Fighter-style special moves, and even the ability to possess and play as any enemy in the game.

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