Although the release of Streets of Rage 4 last year proved the beat-em-up genre could still captivate, there haven’t been many other games out there looking to make the old-school gameplay return to form any time soon. In this exclusive Old School Gamer list, we take share five side-scrolling brawlers worth checking out that you may have missed when first released.
Golden Axe: Revenge of the Death Adder: This was an arcade exclusive for a while, but is now a part of the Arcade1Up family. It’s easily the prettiest and best version of a Golden Axe game.
Bucky O’Hare: Many people know of it because it’s hard to find, but it’s a damn good beat-em-up in its own right.
Fighting Force: It’s one of the only true beat-em-ups on the PS1. Although it hasn’t added as gracefully as other games on this list, it’s still damn fun.
Magic Sword: This was ported to the PS3 and should definitely be checked out. The ally system adds a cool layer to the fun.
The Takeover: Sure, it was released last year, but it didn’t exactly get the attention it deserved. It’s beautiful and a ton of fun.
