6 Best SNES Beat 'Em Ups That Still Hold Up Today

The first few Nintendo consoles operated on the “Nintendo Hard” spectrum. Essentially, the console-maker and its partners made games as if they were trying to pull as many quarters from players at arcades, even though those players were in the comfort of their homes. Granted, part of that was because many console games in that era were arcade ports, but the difficulty of games in the ’80s and ’90s is still well-documented. Nowhere is that more obvious than in the many beat ’em ups that launched on the Super Nintendo.

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Here are six tough SNES beat ’em ups that you should still play today.

6) Batman Returns

Batman Returns took big cues from Final Fight, a series I’ll get to further down this list. That means chunky fights, taking you through different scenes in the hit film. Players have to fight through seven scenes, each of which ends with a boss fight against one of The Bat’s many villains.

While not as difficult as some of the other games on this list, you’ll quickly fall in love with the Tim Burton-inspired visuals. Batman Returns looked great at the time and mostly holds up, especially if you have some nostalgia for this era of Konami’s catalog.

5) Spider-Man and Venom: Maximum Carnage

Like Batman Returns, Maximum Carnage is kind of aping games like Final Fight and Double Dragon, but who wasn’t during this era? The fun here is that you get to control both Spider-Man and Venom, while also summoning several other Marvel heroes to help you in your fight.

Toss in one of the best soundtracks on the Super Nintendo and a few great cutscenes, and you have one of the best beat ’em ups on the system. It also doesn’t hurt that Acclaim made the genius decision to make Maximum Carnage‘s cartridge red instead of the usual SNES gray, helping it stand out from the crowd.

4) Knights of the Round

Knights of the Round switches up the usual beat ’em up formula ever so slightly by introducing role-playing mechanics to upgrade your character. You have the option of playing as Arthur, Lancelot, and Perceval, each of whom comes with their own weapon and special attack.

As you progress, your characters will automatically upgrade, making them even more powerful. And you’ll need that extra power because some of Knights of the Round‘s boss characters are massive. Both in terms of size and challenge. Like another Capcom game on this list, it took several years to launch on the SNES. Knights of the Round hit arcades in 1991, but wasn’t ported to the Super Nintendo until 1994.

3) Final Fight 3

If you want to replace this entry with Final Fight 2, I wouldn’t fight you too much. Both of Capcom’s classic beat ’em ups are awesome romps through a fun world. Final Fight 3 brings Guy and Haggar back into the fray, while adding new characters Dean and Lucia. All four have their fighting style and super moves, giving you extra variety.

Plus, Final Fight 3 introduces the ability to dash, which makes combat even more interesting. It’s also the first game in the series to have branching paths through levels and multiple endings, adding replay value. Final Fight 2 might be more nostalgic for some, but Final Fight 3 is the better game.

2) The King of Dragons

The King of Dragons is the Capcom game I hinted at above. Like Knights of the Round, it took three years for Capcom to bring The King of Dragons to the Super Nintendo. In fact, the two games launched in April 1994, giving Capcom fans plenty of beat ’em up action during the early months of that year.

Also similar to Knights of the Round, The King of Dragons introduces RPG elements, letting your characters level up as you fight through its 16 stages. There are five playable characters, who have their own traits and special moves. The SNES port made characters slightly smaller and reduced the number of on-screen player characters to two. Still, it’s a great beat ’em up that’s been included in several compilation collections alongside Knights of the Round.

1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time

Turtles in Time isn’t just the best beat ’em up on the Super Nintendo, it’s one of the best games on the system, period. Technically, the SNES version is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV, keeping the numbering system from the NES Turtles games, but this is a port of the classic arcade version.

And it is phenomenal. Featuring colorful graphics that perfectly emulate the Saturday morning cartoon and action-packed gameplay that kept players on the edge of their seats, Turtles in Time is a must-play for fans of the genre. Plus, you can jump into four-player co-op if you want, making it feel just like the arcade version. Thankfully, it’s still easy to get your hands on this one, thanks to the 2022 Turtles collection featuring most of the series’ early games.

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