The Sunday Lister: Top 5 Beat-Em-Up Franchises

The Sunday Lister: Top 5 Beat-Em-Up Franchises 

The Sunday Lister is back. It feels like it’s been a while. Mainly because it has, but what the heck, I had more important things to do, but hey, I’m back now and so is the Lister. This week Lister is going to be on a different subject matter though. I’m going to take a rare dabble into video games this week. 

My favourite Genre of Video Games has to be the Beat-em-up, mainly because it’s a genre of game that I’, good of, but also mainly because I like beating the crap out of things. I’m an angry man, what can I say.

Just a few points, the article is about the franchise as a whole, not just an individual game. Also, there will be no wrestling games in the list. I consider them to be sports Games more so than beat-em-ups.

With further ado, let’s crack on...

5. Street Fighter 

Albeit, a few people may already be up in arms about this list. ‘Street Fighters’ a classic, how can it be only five. Well admittedly, I played other beat-em-ups when I was younger, so I may have not experienced the same magic that others did. That being said, I still think the Street Fighter series, is a pretty epic Beat-Em-Up franchise, with a great blend of sophisticated counters and varied characters. 

4. Tekken 

Tekken at Number 4? Dan you must be high. Well no, I’m not. I loved Tekken as a kid and yes I still enjoy playing the Tekkens now, but as a franchise, I think they have been too many duds to stand up against the other franchises higher than Tekken in the list. With that in mind, Tekken still kicks ass and even in the later games, characters like Eddie Gordo breath live into a dying franchise. 

3. Marvel vs. Capcom

I love some of Street Fighters finest. But, sometimes being Bakara isn’t enough. Sometimes I want to be a superhero and kick two shades out of another Superhero. Wait, you telling me I can do that? Well that’s exactly what Marvel vs. Capcom offers up. What’s better than ripping shreds out of Spiderman with Wolverine? Let me tell you, nothings better than teaching that web slinging sissy a thing or two. Also, the Marvel vs. Capcom series offers a complex fighting system to boot.

2. Mortal Kombat

Almost the forefather of The Beat-em-up. Mortal Kombat is a mean fighter with an absolute kick ass move system and game play style. With only a few weaker links in the series *cough Shoalin Monks cough*, the Mortal Kombat series is pretty epic. Also, when you can play as a Lighting God like Raiden, then you definitely have my vote. 

1.Super Smash Brothers

Normally when I do a Sunday Lister, I debate what should be number one. Not this week. There was no doubt in my mind that the Super Smash Brothers franchise is the best Beat-em-up franchise to date. Smash Brothers takes you favourite cuddly Nintendo characters and lets you batter ten bells out of them with other Smash Brother characters. The vast game play offered in Smash Brothers also exceeds every other beat –em-up as well as an impressive line up of Nintendo characters. 

What do you think? Let me know.

Until next time, enjoy the show.

Daniel Morris

Twitter: @glamgrunge Email: Cinemascreenandspandex@gmail.com