10 Best Arcade Beat ‘Em Ups of the 1990s, Ranked

One of the most popular video game genres of the 1990s was the beat ’em up, and the decade was filled with great titles. These were games that could take a comic book or cartoon IP and turn it into exciting, dynamic titles featuring well-written plots and simple mechanics. They also allowed for up to six players to play simultaneously on some arcade cabinets, making them exceptionally social endeavors. The decade had plenty of excellent options, and we’ve looked at the 30 most popular and ranked the top ten based on contemporary critics’ reviews at the time of release, their overall popularity, and how much fun they are to play.

10) The Punisher

Capcom released The Punisher for arcades in 1993, featuring two-player gameplay as either the titular anti-hero or Nick Fury. Their mission is to find and kill Kingpin, bringing down his criminal empire along the way. In terms of gameplay and mechanics, it’s a lot like Capcom’s other beat-’em-ups, but includes numerous comic book-style themes and several weapons the characters can use while dispatching Kingpin’s goons. It was an incredibly popular arcade cabinet throughout the early 1990s, and the game was ported to the Sega Genesis in 1995 to capitalize on that popularity in the home console market.

9) Zero Team

Zero Team is another side-scrolling beat-’em-up released in 1993, and while it shares a lot of gameplay similarities to Capcom’s titles, it was developed by Seibu Kaihatsu. Still, it looks a lot like Final Fight and features four playable characters who must navigate six levels, defeating enemies along the way. Its mechanics are standard punches and jumping, but players can execute several combos during their attacks, allowing for more complex gameplay than a simple button-masher. It’s an addictive, fun title that did well in arcades upon its release. Zero Team has since been ported to the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4.

8) B. Rap Boys

B. Rap Boys is a 1992 sequel to 1989’s DJ Boy by Sammy, and follows the same themes and concepts. It features simultaneous three-player gameplay with different characters. Each one is distinct, and players can use both weapons and vehicles alongside the genre’s standard fighting system. The game used samples from popular hip-hop tracks from the early 1990s, and the action is incredibly fast-paced. It’s very atmospheric in its delivery and is often found on lists like this one because it was a truly memorable beat-’em-up that was a blast to play. Unfortunately, it’s never been ported to a home system, so your best bet in playing it is to fire up a M.A.M.E. emulator because the arcade cabinets are pretty rare these days.

7) Ninja Baseball Bat Man

Ninja Baseball Bat Man is a 1993 beat-’em-up developed and published by Irem, the same folks who made Undercover Cops the previous year. The game’s plot involves recovering artifacts that were stolen from the Baseball Hall of Fame. Each level is set in a different place in the United States, and players can control four different characters, each with their own fighting moves. They can also sacrifice a portion of their health to wipe out every enemy on the screen, and the arcade cabinet could accommodate four players at once. The game was a hit in Japan, but failed miserably in North America. That’s a shame because it’s a lot of fun to play, as many gamers with M.A.M.E. machines have learned in recent years.

6) X-Men

One of the most popular arcade beat-’em-ups of the 1990s was X-Men, thanks to the massive size of the cabinet. The game is a lot of fun, but one thing it has going for it is a huge cabinet that allows up to six players to join in simultaneously. There were multiple versions, including a deluxe model with two screens, and X-Men was incredibly successful. It also features an immersive plot and the ability to play as Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, or Dazzler, each with their own special abilities. While initially released only in arcades, X-Men has been ported to a variety of systems over the years and remains one of the most popular beat ’em-ups of the 20th century.

5) The Simpsons Arcade Game

The Simpsons was a huge hit for Fox right out of the gate, and it didn’t take long for a video game adaptation to hit arcades. That happened in 1991 with The Simpsons, which features up to four players simultaneously playing as Homer, Marge, Lisa, and Bart fighting all manner of enemies to rescue Maggie. It includes several audio recordings from the cast, including some samples from the first season. The Simpsons was a commercial success, launching a video game franchise, and it was one of the most successful beat-’em-ups of the early 1990s. The game has since been ported to nearly every platform, and Arcade1Up gave it the home-arcade treatment to commemorate its 30th anniversary.

4) Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara

While the 1980s featured some excellent fantasy-based beat-’em-ups, the ‘90s included some fantastic options as well. Case in point, Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara is a 1996 game that is a sequel to Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom, and is set in Mystara. It’s a mashup of side-scrolling beat-’em-ups with some role-playing game elements thrown into the mix, incorporating mechanics not usually found in the genre like learning new spells, gaining experience, and equipping gear. The game was Capcom’s penultimate 2D arcade side-scroller, and it’s been ported to various systems since its release.

3) Cadillacs and Dinosaurs

While the comic book it’s based on, Xenozoic Tales, isn’t incredibly well known, plenty of happy gamers fed their hard-earned quarters into Capcom’s Cadillacs and Dinosaurs in 1993. The game was released alongside the ill-fated cartoon, which failed on the small screen, while the game did gangbusters in arcades. It featured up to three-player simultaneous play and used the genre’s standard mechanics. It featured eight levels, which was a lot at the time, and players could choose up to four different characters, each with a different skill type. Cadillacs and Dinosaurs remained a popular arcade cabinet throughout the ‘90s.

2) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time

There are many great Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles video games, but the one that’s often cited as the best of the bunch is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. The 1991 beat-’em-up is a sequel to the first TMNT arcade game, released in 1989. It’s based on the animated series and was a massive success. The game’s plot involves traveling through time to stop the Foot Clan and Shredder’s attempt to steal the Statue of Liberty, which he pulls off in the game’s opening cinematic. Turtles in Time has been ported to tons of systems over the years, and is easily one of the best arcade beat-’em-ups of the ‘90s.

1) Streets of Rage 2

While 1991’s Streets of Rage is an excellent title, we’re giving the top spot to its sequel, 1992’s Streets of Rage 2. Both playable characters from the first game return alongside two new characters. While it was initially released on the Sega Genesis, the arcade version arrived soon after with a few changes, as there’s no in-game timer, and it’s more challenging than the home console version. Upon release, Streets of Rage 2 did amazingly well, earning praise for its improvements over the original and dominating arcades for several years. To many fans, it’s one of the best beat-’em-ups ever made, and one of the best video games of the 1990s.

What’s your favorite ’90s beat-’em-up? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!

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