Those death screams! A Megadrive/Genesis classic. Fun to play with 2 players. Great spells and a fun challenge. The third game is also worth a look! Seen less in the arcades, but still worth a look if you can find it.

A great 4-player arcade beatemup. This was in most larger arcades in the 90s and was an absolute classic. Plays a little better than most of the other 4-player beatemups around at the time.

The original beatemup. This is what most people will think of when thinking about Beatemups and the genre as a whole. This game chewed through credits back in the day. It's worth it to play on the arcade, but I remember the disappointing snes port (that later had a different version). Play the arcade one if you can for the best experience, but always fun to see the various ports nowadays for historical purposes.

Divisive for some due to its difficulty. This and Double Dragon were the main games on the system that provided a solid beatemup exprience (until Turtles 2: The Arcade Game) came out. Worth a look as it had additional features not seen in other beatemup games at the time.

Another Capcom classic beatemup. This one had shooting segments and a good chunk of violence. Chunkier fighting than other marvel properties of the early 90s (X-men, Spiderman are inferior arcade games). Worth a play!

SNK's answer to Final Fight. Often overlooked but still worth a play!

Another Capcom beat 'em up gem. This one has plenty of weapons and different playstyles between each of the characters. Nice and chunky combat.

This was a standout beatemup on the SNES. After a disappointing Final Fight port, this was a real step up for beatemups on the system. Great fun and a welcome sequel to the original arcade.

The original Double Dragon is a seminal beatemup, but if you are wanting to play something, the SNES version is a little more accessible. A block and reversal system, along with some cool combos. Hitboxes may feel a little different from the beatemups from the time, but once you get the hang of it, it's a lot of fun!

Absolute classic on the Megadrive/Genesis. Worth a playthrough. Each character feels unique to play, with special moves and plenty of enemies to get through. If you want a challenge, try the third game (which is almost in the 'too difficult' category).

An excellent arcade hidden gem. Final Fight but with beefier graphics and a lighter tone. A little easier so you can get through it without pumping loads of credits in.

Out of all of the outstanding Capcom fighting games, this is probably the best one (some may say its AVP mind!). Great fun, quite well balanced and a fun and vibrant theme! Get on the arcade machine if you can, as the ports weren't that stellar.

Right at the end of the lifespan of the SNES. Worthy to play to see the advancements from the original Final Fight. Less of a step up in forms of a sequel to Streets of Rage, but still has special moves and excellent late-stage SNES graphics.

Probably the best game on this list. Combos, multiple paths, levelling up characters. It is a lane-based beatemup but well worth a play. A real gem on the Saturn (the GBA version isn't too bad, but the Saturn is definitely the best version!)

Both of the D&D games by Capcom were solid! Definitely worth a play through. There are various collections available on different platforms, if you can track down the arcade to play somewhere, it is definitely worth playing through with a friend!

Not that well known on the PSX, similar to Dynamite cop/ Die Hard Arcade but perhaps less fluid. Worth a look nonetheless as there weren't too many fighting games on the platform!

Die Hard Arcade in the UK. This Saturn beatemup felt like a fun update to quite a tired genre. Combos, special moves, plenty of weapons and QTEs. The sequel on the Dreamcast is also worth a play!

Fun and silly HotD Spin-off. Zombie smashing beatemup on the Dreamcast. Quite rate now, so often overlooked, but a fun play on the console.

Dismissed as another movie tie in. This and ROTK on PS2/Xbox/PC were solid beatemups filled with massive battles. Good combo and reversal system (almost felt like an early batman Arkham style system at times, almost!). Worth a play, especially with a friend!

A pretty solid beatemup on the GBA, which didn't have too many on the platform. Special moves and fun, chunky combat. Worth a look if you've been looking for some beatemup action on the handheld system.

Not to be tied to the other spinoff MK games. This one is really solid and a great beatemup in a time where there weren't many in that generation (good ones at least). Fast and fun action with classic MK characters. Many are begging for a sequel!

A modern take on the classic beatemup. This is an excellent single player game, along with phenomenal local co-op. Lots to do and come back to with new character unlocks and various challenge modes. Great all around and worth a pickup! Good to see more games take inspirations from this for the new generation of beatemups!