Best Switch Beat Em Ups
Image: Nintendo Life

Beat 'em ups have been a gaming staple since the mid-1980s when Kung Fu Master birthed the genre in the arcades. It was arguably 1987’s Double Dragon which kicked off the golden age of the side-scrolling brawler, though, and some of our best gaming memories involve strutting down streets and getting into digital scraps, usually with a Player 2 at our side. There's a beautiful simplicity and accessibility to beat 'em ups that make for perfect local multiplayer fun. Whether side-scrolling, single-plane or top-down, pummelling the heck out of encroaching bad guys and moving on at the first flash of 'GO>' is the name of the game. Simple!

Switch is king when it comes to local multiplayer, making this genre a great fit for Nintendo's system, but what are the very best Switch beat 'em ups? The console has a large roster, ranging from re-released classics to homages or totally new takes. Below we've assembled a ragtag bunch of belt-scrolling brawlers for your enjoyment.

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So, turn with your back to the camera, tie a sweatband around your head and crack those bare knuckles as we take a look (in alphabetical order) at the best beat 'em ups on Nintendo Switch.

Ape Out (Switch eShop)

The only game on our list with a top-down perspective, Ape Out is a rather unique little gem and one that'll have you frantically bludgeoning baddies to an erratic jazz beat that builds as you improvise your escape from incarceration.

With a Saul Bass-inspired art style and an exceptional, utterly intrinsic soundtrack, the game borrows a layer of strategy from the likes of Hotline Miami as you choose your targets carefully and strategise to eliminate gun-toting guards patrolling in search of your escaped ape. It's still a beat 'em up at heart, and a particularly brutal one. You feel every blow in Ape Out and the game doesn't outstay its welcome, either. If you're after something a bit different with a unique flavour, look no further.

Actually, please do look further — there's lots of neat stuff below. Just remember that Ape Out is excellent and download it on your Switch.

Arcade Archives VENDETTA (Switch eShop)

If you're a fan of belt-scrolling fighters then Vendetta is a must-buy, pure and simple. While its arcade origins do mean it's slightly unbalanced in terms of fairness, it has enough charm, gameplay, and multiplayer appeal to be well worth a look, even decades after its initial release.

Bud Spencer & Terence Hill - Slaps and Beans (Switch eShop)

If you're unfamiliar with the headlining duo of Italian actors who partnered in a bunch of movies in the '70s and '80s, that's not a problem. Bud Spencer & Terence Hill - Slaps and Beans is a fun co-op jaunt through levels inspired by their cinematic adventures, with a sprinkling of minigames and some excellent 16-bit-style pixel art and audio thrown into the bargain.

It doesn't change the world, but it's an affectionate little comedy beat 'em up that is worth investigating if it passed you by. Fans of the aforementioned duo should treat it as essential, and there's also a sequel if you can't get enough Slap and Beans.

Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle (Switch eShop)

Collecting together a broad range of Capcom's finest arcade entries in the genre, from Final Fight to Battle Circuit, the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle is a classy nostalgia trip which honours some of the less well-known examples in the company's back catalogue with local and online multiplayer, save states and a host of extras which includes the option to choose between the Japanese and English language versions. If you're just dipping your toe into the genre, this serves as a very fine introduction indeed.

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Castle Crashers Remastered (Switch eShop)

If you're after something that's not dripping in pixel art but which does boast tight controls and co-op brawling content to rival the arcade classics, Castle Crashers Remastered is just the ticket.

Updating 360-era original with cleaner visuals, improved performance and extra content, The Behemoth's irreverent humour and sharp, colourful art style is matched with frantic four-player co-op gameplay that makes it a great option for Switch gamers. Just slide off the Joy-Con and you're good to go.

Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle (Switch eShop)

Bringing together a collection of 18 games from both the Double Dragon and Kunio-kun series (11 of which had never previously seen release in North America) the Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle serves up an irresistible helping of NES and Famicom classics updated with optional performance improvements and achievements.

The 'new' games have been given full localisations and if you've ever enjoyed River City Ransom or a Double Dragon game, this is a no-brainer.

Double Dragon Neon (Switch eShop)

Double Dragon Neon is an old game for sure, but fortunately, it's far from being an outdated one. Under the watchful consultation of series creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto, WayForward managed to successfully reboot the franchise back in 2012 for a whole new audience by adding a healthy dose of craziness to the more classic tropes of the genre, and that inventiveness still holds merit.

What other game allows you to stop, pop ’n’ lock, breakdance, and beatbox mid-level? An afternoon with the Lee brothers is the perfect way to spend your time.

Fight'N Rage (Switch eShop)

We kick things off with none-too-subtle callback to the likes of Final Fight and Streets of Rage (more on them later). Fight'N Rage was a wonderful surprise; an homage to the classics of the genre that didn't die under the weight of its retro references and reverence. Whether you rock the optional CRT and scanline filters or not, this is one of the best beat 'em ups on the system, old-school or otherwise.

Johnny Turbo's Arcade: Night Slashers (Switch eShop)

Data East's Night Slashers from 1993 throws a healthy dose of Hammer-style horror onto the Final Fight template and has you going up against zombies in a fun, brainless brawler with added undead bowling. It's on Switch as part of the Johnny Turbo's Arcade series, and this is the first time the game has been available on home consoles (although oddly it's not on the European eShop at present — you'll need a US Nintendo Account to access it).

Frankly, the emulation is underwhelming at best, and this edition lacks the sort of visual options and care you'll find in other re-releases on this list. However, the game underneath is still a strong one and if you just can't get enough Switch beat 'em ups, Night Slashers is a very good one to blast through with a pal.

Mayhem Brawler (Switch eShop)

Mayhem Brawler is way, way better than it has any right to be. It looks good, plays nicely and only really suffers by comparison to its bigger brothers such as Fight'N Rage and Double Dragon Neon.

The animation is lacking compared to these titles, but it's still perfectly acceptable, and the slightly generic environments are too busy to really pay much attention to. With a world this interesting, we'd love to see another game take place in Mayhem Brawler's universe.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind (Switch eShop)

Considering how Power Rangers games have more often than not been middling-to-poor, Rita’s Rewind is a pleasant surprise. It’s been given a lump sum of love and attention from a development team at one with the source material. And, if its obvious polish wasn’t enough, it’s a game that really understands the arcade format and goes all out with dazzling Super Scaler action stages that work well to stave off the genre’s naturally repetitive nature.

There are a few aspects to the combat that could have been tweaked, but with its humour, lengthy 15-stage campaign, multiplayer hijinks, and heavy-duty '90s charm, Rita’s Rewind is probably the best Power Rangers game we’ve ever played.

Mutation Nation (Neo Geo)

Another Neo Geo entry from Hamster, Mutation Nation was originally released in 1992. Fighting as Ricky and/or Johnny, you'll be facing a plethora of mutants and robots as you clean the streets in this one, and while there's little to make it stand out from the crowd from a gameplay perspective, brawler enemy designs don't get much more varied than this. It's colourful, it's got both mutants and robots... what's not to like?