Retro Arena: Neo Geo Scrolling Beat 'em Ups

[_SD_]

The Knights of Valor games, Oriental Legend and The Gladiator are all awesome 4 player beat ‘em ups on the PGM. Except I’ve never got to experience 4 player as I have no friends...

[BigDeadFreak]

It's such a shame that there's no decent scrolling beat em ups on the Neo Geo. It would be the perfect console for them due to it being the Rolls Royce of consoles of the time. However, they are all just a bit crap. I bought Sengoku 3 after playing it on MAME. It was only when I put some time into it that I realised how repetitive it is. As others have said, the enemies are all the same and there's so little variety. It's sad as the basic gameplay is really good.

Streets of Rage 2 is one of my favourite games of all time. The music is amazing and the whole thing is very atmospheric (it goes a bit off kilter with the pirate ship and underground Aliens level). However, its the variety of the attacks that really make it work. It always feels like you've got enough moves at your disposal to keep things interesting without the overwhelming plethora of attacks you get in Battle Circuit.

[Leon Retro]

It would be the perfect console for them due to it being the Rolls Royce of consoles of the time.

Yeah, the tech is perfect for the genre, but sadly a top developer didn't deliver a brilliant example. Something like Streets of Rage 2 using the extra power and features of the Neo Geo tech could have been stunning. If only SNK had committed more strongly to the genre like Capcom did at the time.

[BigDeadFreak]

Yeah, the tech is perfect for the genre, but sadly a top developer didn't deliver a brilliant example. Something like Streets of Rage 2 using the extra power and features of the Neo Geo tech could have been stunning. If only SNK had committed more strongly to the genre like Capcom did at the time.

Aye, it's a real shame. I can't see anyone really doing the genre justice these days. There's stuff like Castle Crashers which gets a lot of praise but it's all steeped in post modern irony which is a real turn off. It would be great to see someone come along and make a new scrolling beat 'em-up which takes the genre and all it's tropes seriously rather than trying to distance themselves from it by laughing into their sleeves.

[Samuray]

Aye, it's a real shame. I can't see anyone really doing the genre justice these days. There's stuff like Castle Crashers which gets a lot of praise but it's all steeped in post modern irony which is a real turn off. It would be great to see someone come along and make a new scrolling beat 'em-up which takes the genre and all it's tropes seriously rather than trying to distance themselves from it by laughing into their sleeves.

So far I'm greatly enjoying "99Vidas" on PS4....I feel exactly the same when it comes to games like "Castle Crashers".

[Leon Retro]

Aye, it's a real shame. I can't see anyone really doing the genre justice these days.

We will probably gets lots more 8-bit style scrolling beat 'em ups that parody the genre, but probably not anything that looks like a top quality 16-bit style experience you'd get in a '90s arcade. Although, I will keep my fingers crossed for a surprise.

It's a shame we didn't get loads of them during the PS1/Saturn era, because the genre could have benefited immensely from more storage space and 32-bit tech.

[BigDeadFreak]

It's a shame we didn't get loads of them during the PS1/Saturn era, because the genre could have benefited immensely from more storage space and 32-bit tech.

I always thought it was strange that there weren't more on the Saturn. The Dungeons and Dragons games from Capcom were good despite the continuous loading and Die Hard Arcade was great. It would have been good to see a proper 2D Street of Rage 4 on the console. They could have really puched the boat out if they'd used the 4Meg RAM cart.

[Leon Retro]

I always thought it was strange that there weren't more on the Saturn. The Dungeons and Dragons games from Capcom were good despite the continuous loading and Die Hard Arcade was great. It would have been good to see a proper 2D Street of Rage 4 on the console. They could have really puched the boat out if they'd used the 4Meg RAM cart.

Sega didn't even port Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder to the Saturn.

I'm pretty sure that a Streets of Rage 4 taking full advantage of the CD format and the power of the Saturn would have been a reasonably big hit. As much as some people might have had enough of the series at that point, there were still gamers that craved arcade-style games that finally delivered true arcade quality in the home.

It's also a shame that Capcom didn't convert more of its CPS games to the Saturn, such as AVP.

[_SD_]

I was hoping Capcom would port AvP to the PlayStation, following the release of Captain Commando... unfortunately with that one I think it’s more of a silly IP rights issue

It would have been cool to see Armoured Warriors on the Saturn, I’m sure it could have managed it with the RAM cart. Knights of the Round with full three player support would have been great too. And whilst we’re at it, both the Rockman Power Fighters/Battle games too.

[Leon Retro]

Iunfortunately with that one I think it’s more of a silly IP rights issue

AvP was released in 1994, so I guess Capcom just didn't have the home rights to the license. Lots of people would have loved a home port.

It would have been cool to see Armoured Warriors on the Saturn,

A great game, so it's a shame gamers didn't get to play it in the home back in the day. Of course, the industry put the focus on 3D games at that point, but lots of gamers across the world still wanted high quality 2D experiences.

[BigDeadFreak]

Sega didn't even port Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder to the Saturn.

This is criminal, I can't believe we got The Duel instead of Revenge of Death Adder.

[CMcK]

It would be great to see NGDevTeam turn their attention to the scrolling beat 'em up genre after Kraut Buster and give the Neo it's own SoR 2 or Final Fight.

[Leon Retro]

It would be great to see NGDevTeam turn their attention to the scrolling beat 'em up genre after Kraut Buster and give the Neo it's own SoR 2 or Final Fight.

I think it would take a lot more work than making a shoot 'em up, but if they could deliver a top quality game, I'm sure it would sell well. I doubt it will happen though.

[BigDeadFreak]

As soon as NGDev appeared I hoped they'd be making a scrolling beat 'em-up. It just turned out to be euro style shooters and then the entirely pointless Kraut Buster (seriously, it's just a crap Metal Slug without any of the charm). I don't think they have what it takes to produce a top quality beat 'em-up.

Part of the appeal of the genre is that it is Japan's take on American movies. It pays homage to an already stylish interpretation of street violence and gang culture. As a result, it's very much of its time and place which is why I think it's so hard for anyone to do it justice anymore.

[Leon Retro]

Kraut Buster (seriously, it's just a crap Metal Slug without any of the charm). I don't think they have what it takes to produce a top quality beat 'em-up.

Imagine if a British developer had used that name, the PC brigade would have gone crazy.

I just looked at a video of it in action - and it looks like a pale imitation of a Metal Slug game. The graphics look reasonable - and I guess it might be reasonably fun to play, but I won't be in a rush to play it.

Part of the appeal of the genre is that it is Japan's take on American movies. It pays homage to an already stylish interpretation of street violence and gang culture. As a result, it's very much of its time and place which is why I think it's so hard for anyone to do it justice anymore.

I agree that it's a genre best left to Japanese developers, because there's something about the Japanese take on American culture that often makes things far more imaginative than if European or American people created the same sort of product. It's probably why Euro fighting games never had the magic of the best Japanese examples.

Just look at how bland and uninspiring Fighting Force was on the PS1.