I long for the day when 2D platformers and side scrolling beat em ups rule once again, however, I realise that day may never happen

1. Streets of Rage 2 (MD)
2. Streets of Rage 3 (MD)
3. Streets of Rage (MD)
4. Final Fight 3 (SNES)
5. Battletoads in Battlemaniacs (SNES)
6. Comix Zone (MD)
7. Double Dragon Advance (GBA)
8. Final Fight One (GBA)
9. Two Crude Dudes (MD)
10. Batman Returns (Lynx)

Incredibly difficult to narrow it down to 10! but special mentions also for River City Ransom EX (GBA) and Double Dragon (Master System)

1. Guardian Heroes
2. Streets of Rage 2
3. Code of Princess
4. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game
5. Castle Crashers
6. River City Ransom
7. Final Fight
8. Arabian Magic
9. Streets of Rage
10. Double Dragon

I am absolutely sure Double Dragon II:The Revenge & TMNT III: The Mahatten project will both
make the list once i get around to playing them. For now....

1. TMNT II: The Arcade Game - (Arcade)
THIS, was absolutely amazing to experience back in the Arcades during it's hay day, since everybody(including moi) was so used to being stuck in 8-bit la la' land. The superior graphics, exciting SFX and wonderful sountrack were pure Arcade Bliss. Best Arcade beat em' up ever. It also generated tons of kiddies at my local Chuck E Cheese's. Poor little 'Donkey Kong' got the shaft. The turtle craze was just too MUCH for the classics.

2.TMNT II: The Arcade Game (NES)
3. Double Dragon
4. TMNT IV: Turtles in Time
5. Battletoads
6. Final Fight
7. Streets of Rage
8. The Simpsons (Arcade) - (Don't feel quite as strongly about it as I once did)

@WaveBoy Did you never play Streets of Rage 2? If so, you desperately need to fix that.

As big of a Turtle fan that I am, I have to admit though that TMNT IV: Turtles in Time is pretty overrated. But having said that I still love it, I just find it to be one of the easiest beat em ups out there.

i have to agree. i have it and i feel the same way. good game but yeah

The only side scrolling beat em up that comes to mind right now is "Altered Beast". But hey, it's not as bad as some of these reviews suggest!

double dragon and streets of rage games are all fun

Final Fight 3
Streets of Rage 2
River City Ransom
Batman Returns (SNES)
King of Dragons
TMNT (Arcade)
TMNT: Turtles in Time
Simpsons (Arcade)
Super Double Dragon
Rival Turf

I know Streets of Rage 2 is considered by many the best of the 3 SOR games And possibly thee' best beat em' up to grace the 16-bit console wars, but it just didn't hit me the same way the original did. SOR2 improved on practically everything(Aside from not bringing back that awesome special move involving the cop car!) , but it just didn't seem quite as fresh or exciting compared to the original. Had i not played SOR and jumped right into SOR2 instead my feelings would easily differ. As is, SOR was one of the first Genesis games i ever played, so my curiousity and excitement based on what this new 16-bit machine could DO was a lot higher. My memories with the original SOR involved a friend and I watching the first Ghostbusters movie on VHS, Pizza + Chocolate twinkies and Streets of Raging' all freakin night. lol

SOR2 came at a time when I eventually grew tired of the 2D Brawler genre...And when SOR3 came out, i didn't even have the urge to complete the 2nd level. SOR3 felt cheap, the soundtrack was a mess, the cast of characters was less interesting, the graphics even managed to look worse than SOR2's and there were so many duplicates of the same enemy on screen. The ability to run was a nice addition, I'll give it that...But i should resserve judgement since, ahem, I only played up to the 2nd level!

Maybe I should toss aside that Mega Drive nostalgia and play all 3 SOR back to back on the Wii's VC.....Nahhh, I think i'll hold off, I've got better beat em ups to play that I haven't played like Double Dragon II and TMNT III: The Manhatten project!

@WaveBoy
you ever play punky brewsters beat em up?

@ogo79
Brewster of Rage: Say no to Drugs 'n Thugs
is the only Beat em up I'd ever need. But alas, I'm stuck with my repo cart of Rivery City Urcle.

1. streets of rage 2
2. final fight 3
3. TMNT turtles in time
4. final fight
5. streets of rage
6. captain commando
7. battletoads
8. guardian heroes
9. madworld
10. double dragon

@misswiuu81
Woa! Look who it is, i haven't seen you post around the forums in ages.
And great list btw. Well, aside from....Madworld.

I am in a scrolling beat em up mood at the moment, been playing loads over the last few weeks. I have no idea what my ten favourite games are but Street Gangs/River City is an absolute classic that I was playing at work today. Batman Returns on the SNES is superb, as is Return of Double Dragon and I really enjoy Turtles. Streets of Rage 1-2 are games I love too but Final Fight is something I find to be insanely boring and overrated.

Ten great fighters...

Return of Double Dragon.
TMNT Turtles in Time.
Streets of Rage 2
Batman Returns (SNES).
Street Gangs/River City Ransom.
Double Dragon (NES, I like this version).
Streets of Rage.
Dungeons and Dragons: Shadow over Mystara.
Knights of the Round (SNES)
Rushing Beat Shura.

hiya! yeah, been busy with other things lately but nice to see you around

as for madworld, to me was a sort of side scroller fighter, but not the traditional 2D platformer side scroller fighter you'd come to expect.

If any of you guys are as big a fan of Double Dragon as me then you really should play Double Dragon Advance sometime.

Except it's literally not a sidescroller fighter. It's 3D. You don't scroll to the side.

That said, fantastic game. One of my favourites for the Wii.

that is true. and of all the wii games by sega, madworld has to be in the top 3.