Kudos @JDesensitized for being the first forum member to mention Konami's Crime Fighters trilogy. I am a little bit surprised that you chose the 3rd game (Violent Storm) over the 2nd (Vendetta), but it is all good brawling really. Cool that there is another shout for Final Fight 3/ Tough, I think that it would have been better placed around the No. 6 spot on my list, too. Fair play that you went all out on picking Streets of Rage 3, I was tempted to choose it as well, but I bottled it and chose the safe, reliable and still admittedly quality Streets of Rage 2 instead. lol
However, I completely take my hat off for your mention of Capcom's 1997 Battle Circuit, a game that I had utterly forgotten about. I have never played it, but I do just about recall reading about it in the past, it is sound to have a tiny memory sparked by two words. A cool, super colourful brawler, check out Battle Circuit out on youtube :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=206Bkm8_qXw

Something about Violent Storm's crazy setting just edges out Vendetta for me. They're both great, great games, though. Streets Of Rage 3 might have been a bit of a weird pick over the awesome 2, but I really do enjoy it more. Same thing with Final Fight 3/Tough over the first one.

Battle Circuit was Capcom's last arcade beat 'em up, and they really went out with a bang. That game is insane and I love it.

"UPGWADE!"

I don't play beat-em-ups, but Streets of Rage 1 and 2 on the Genesis are an exception.

IGN has just lost even more credibility to me. They finished their list of the Top 100 NES games, and while TMNT1 is at #98, and TMNT2 is at #41, TMNT3, which surpasses TMNT2 and is miles ahead of TMNT1, isn't on the list at all! How could they possibly leave such a gem of a beat-'em-game off the list completely while the trash that is TMNT1 is on the list?!

That does sound like an old list, Bulba Rex

A recently purchased copy of the UK's Nintendo: The Official Magazine (ONM, Issue 48, p.82-83, November 2009) has sparked my interest in Capcom's Spyborgs. It scored 80% and these quotes from the mag will explain why I'm psyched:

• "This is a successor to the Capcom side-scrollers of old. It might not have the same instant appeal of, say, Final Fight, but it's been pored from the same mould".
• "Brilliant set pieces... Offers a real challenge... Old school charm".
• "Mixing old school scrapping with 21st Century sheen, this is a really solid scrapper".

Spyborgs is already out (e.g. it was released on 22nd Sept 2009 in US and 25th Sept 2009 in UK/EU), so can any Nintendo Life users verify these statements. The NLife video is cool enough and whilst I know that it was developed by Bionic Gamers, can it really be viewed as a continuation of Capcom's classic late '80s and '90s brawlers?

10. Batman Returns (SNES)
9. Spartan X 2 (FAMICOM)
8. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (FAMICOM)
7. Guardian Heroes (SAT)
6. Godlen Axe (GEN)
5. Double Dragon (FAMICOM)
4. Ninja Warriors (SNES)
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Hyperstone Heist (GEN)
2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV (SNES)
1. Mighty Morphing Power Rangers (SNES)

1) Double Dragon II - the revenge (NES)
2) Final Fight (Arcade Version)
3) Captain Commando (Arcade Version)
4) Teenage M. Ninja Turtles (Arcade)
5) Double Dragon III - secret scroll (NES)
6) Double Dragon Advance - (GBA)
7) TMNT - Turtles in Time - (SNES)
8) River City Samson - (NES)
9) Double Dragon - (NES & MasterSystem Versions)
10) Vendetta (Arcade)

Console top 10 from my point of view

1. Streets of Rage 3 (gen) (This is the best walking beat em up ever and is completely underrated)
2. Final Fight CD (sega cd)
3. Streets of Rage 2 (gen)
4. Turles in time (snes)
5. Guardian Heroes (sat)
6. Pirates of Dark Water (Snes) (Another underrated game by sunsoft)
7. Streets of Rage (gen)
8. Final fight 3 (snes) (only 3 enemy sprites at a time is weak, thats why low)
9. Golden Axe (gen)
10. Runark (Gen)

Arcade
1. Final fight
2. Double dragon
3. Aliens vs predator
4. battle circuit
5. Gaia crusaders
6. dungeons and dragons tower of doom (didnt get on with the second one)
7. Golden Axe revenge of death adder
8. Sengoku 3
9. Cadilacs and dinosours
10. Hook

@outrun2sp Cool, that is the first showing in a list for the poacher brawling Runark, I play the arcade version on Taito Legends 2 (PS2). Fair point about Final Fight 3's sprite numbers, the SNES was fairly infamous for struggling in that area, especially with big, chunky characters. I really like it as a game, but I have other issues with the actual choice of enemy characters and their design as well as some basic animations, though not necessarily for the main playable characters.
Poor old Sunsoft, it almost like they have been forgotten over time, I never played Pirates of Dark Water, mind you.
I would be well up for buying Neo Geo Sengoku 3, if it was released on Virtual Console. We would probably get the second game if any next, what with the first appearing on SNK Arcade Classics collection. It is occasionally noted that the AES performed poorly in the side-scrolling brawler genre, I'd like to see if Sengoku 3 proved that theory wrong.

well i need more old-school beat-em-ups to play, but my two favorites as a kid were always:
Captain America and the Avengers (SNES)
and
The Tick (SNES)

the co-op with 4 playable characters in Avengers was great and could support a lot of onscreen enemies, and Tick had a wide moveset, as well as partner and assist characters, and it was funny. i recently downloaded Final Fight, after hearing good things about it and hoping to experience some old-fashioned beat-em-up action again, and it sucked. i hate that game and am so disappointed i wasted my money on it. one player only (which doesn't make snese with two playable characters), one attack button (unless you're jumping), not being able to jump into the background or foreground, only straight up or straight ahead, cheap enemies that surround you and never let you do anything, weapons (the one part i did like until i found out...) that drop out of your hand as soon as your hit by some thing, often rendering a weapon completely unusable (that samurai fight... grrr...), enormously long, multi-stage levels with no checkpoints that have to be restarted from the beginning if you lose all your lives... it just wasn't any good any where. if you guys can suggest one for me that lives up to my memories of Avengers and Tick, i might consider giving beat-em-ups another shot, but i'm a bit burned out after that Final Fight abomination.

5: River City Ransom
4: Mighty Morphin Powers Rangers: The Movie
3: The Simpsons Arcade
2: Golden Axe 2
1: TMNT IV: Turtles in Time.

Honorable mentions: The Death and Return of Superman, Spider Man and Venom: Separation Anxiety, Brawl Brothers.

Also, had this been 3D beat em ups, I would have had a list of twenty games, all reading "Batman: Arkham Asylum"

Yeah, I found an old thread I want to breathe some life into. Hard to pick just 10.

Here's my top 10.
1) King of Dragons (SNES)
2) Double Dragon II (NES)
3) Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis)
4) Final Fight (Arcade & PSN)
5) TMNT IV: Turtles in Time (SNES)
6) Final Fight 3 (SNES)
7) Knights of the Round (SNES)
8) Super Double Dragon (SNES)
9) Double Dragon (NES)
10) TMNT II: The Arcade Game (NES)

TMNT3 is mega-underrated.

I'd say my favorite is River City Ransom or Double Dragon Advance.

1.Mortal Kombat

2.Mortal Kombat 2

3.Mortal Kombat 3

4.Mortal Kombat Armageddon

5.Street Fighter I

6.Street Fighter II

7.Super Street Fighter II

8.Street Fighter Alpha 2

9.Streets of Rage

10.Streets of Rage 2

11.Streets of Rage 3

@Ryno_Choryzo 2009 LOL! you lifted the lid on this mofo and resurrected its old a$$

Two Crude Dudes

Bad Dudes Vs The Dragon Ninja

P.O.W.

1.TMNT The Arcade
2.TMNT Turtles In Time
3.X-Men
4.Battletoads/Double Dragon Ultimate Team
5.Captain America and the Avengers
6.Streets of Rage 3
7.Final Fight 2
8.Super Double Dragon
9.Double Dragon 2
10.Golden Axe

Aside from TMNT IV: Turtles in Time and Final Fight, none.

I hate beat 'em ups.

Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat are fighters, not brawlers. Better replace those pronto with some Double D & Battletoads if ya know what's Trillz' for ya!

10 would not do me justice, therefore i cannot come to a conclusion, as there are several arcade beat em ups too
i will mention growl, night slashers, gate of doom, wizard fire, dungeon magic, arabian magic, metamorphic force...there are tons over underrated beat em ups like oriental legend on the poly game master as well.