What are your favorite brawlers and why?

[MidnightRider]

Got another really damn good one that should be high on peoples lists as they find out about it. Guardians/Denji Makai 2(possibly vice versa, but this is how M.A.M.E. sees it). Kinda weird, I knew about it for a couple years because of an article at http://www.digitpress.com/, which I, unfortunately, would not know how to find again, but I only just recently gave it a playthrough.

Anyway, the 1 con(which is still a pro to me) would be that it's short, 5 stages. On the plus side, 8 playable characters, & tons of possibilities for kicking ass. I mean the average move set per character includes:

*5 combos, depending on which, if any, direction you're holding when you tap the a button
*At least 4 different grapple throws
*5 special moves, which are displayed on the character select screen
*a potential set of distinctive moves based on wielding the correct weapon
*at least 1 super specialty(can be performed when your characters name flashes)
*jump attack, and hold down + jump attack
*dash attack, dash jump attack, and dash a[strike]+b[jump] button attack
*potential character specific quirk(like wall jumping with the ninja, or grappling 2 enemies at once with the robot)
*an away attack
*double tapping up and down dodges

Characters include:
A winged, clawed woman
A ninja
A robot
A crustacean like alien
A muscular strong man, who shows more than heterosexual males want to see(the wrestler of the cast)
A martial artist
and...uh... 2 semi-normal looking male and female characters that I don't know how to describe

Never left Japanese arcades, and it was '95(when beat em ups were starting to fade out), so that explains why most would have never heard of it. Heck it still isn't even perfectly emulated(some blacked out graphics on the "current stage" screen, I think, my version of M.A.M.E. is still on 0.138), but a damn good entry into the genre by Banpresto.

[Gamerforlife]

Got another really damn good one that should be high on peoples lists as they find out about it. Guardians/Denji Makai 2(possibly vice versa, but this is how M.A.M.E. sees it). Kinda weird, I knew about it for a couple years because of an article at http://www.digitpress.com/, which I, unfortunately, would not know how to find again, but I only just recently gave it a playthrough.

Anyway, the 1 con(which is still a pro to me) would be that it's short, 5 stages. On the plus side, 8 playable characters, & tons of possibilities for kicking ass. I mean the average move set per character includes:

*5 combos, depending on which, if any, direction you're holding when you tap the a button
*At least 4 different grapple throws
*5 special moves, which are displayed on the character select screen
*a potential set of distinctive moves based on wielding the correct weapon
*at least 1 super specialty(can be performed when your characters name flashes)
*jump attack, and hold down + jump attack
*dash attack, dash jump attack, and dash a[strike]+b[jump] button attack
*potential character specific quirk(like wall jumping with the ninja, or grappling 2 enemies at once with the robot)
*an away attack
*double tapping up and down dodges

Characters include:
A winged, clawed woman
A ninja
A robot
A crustacean like alien
A muscular strong man, who shows more than heterosexual males want to see(the wrestler of the cast)
A martial artist
and...uh... 2 semi-normal looking male and female characters that I don't know how to describe

Never left Japanese arcades, and it was '95(when beat em ups were starting to fade out), so that explains why most would have never heard of it. Heck it still isn't even perfectly emulated(some blacked out graphics on the "current stage" screen, I think, my version of M.A.M.E. is still on 0.138), but a damn good entry into the genre by Banpresto.

Have you tried the prequel on the SNES? Ghost Chaser Densei

[MidnightRider]

I have, never would have guessed they were connected. I know there's a Denjin Makai that's not emulated in M.A.M.E. yet. Is this the same game, or loosely based on it, or something?

Also, I guess it was just their review section: http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/guardians.htm

[Gamerforlife]

I have, never would have guessed they were connected. I know there's a Denjin Makai that's not emulated in M.A.M.E. yet. Is this the same game, or loosely based on it, or something?

Also, I guess it was just their review section: http://www.digitpress.com/reviews/guardians.htm

Ghost Chaser Densei is basically the SNES port of the first Denjin Makai arcade game. It was never released outside of Japan. The second one never got ported. That's all I really know. Both very cool games though

[Gamerforlife]

I'm not an expert like some people here are but I got a soft spot for Golden Axe as I liked it so much that I really mastered that one (I could beat it on one credit and I think I even finished it with full health portion - that doesn't mean not losing any, as there are food items around).

Comix Zone is great and if I recall doesn't have the "depth" part so it is particularly unique even without the amazing art style etc.

I keep wanting to give Guardian Heroes more time and I think I'll really like it (the "sequel" on GBA, Advance Guardian Heroes IS pretty cool, but possibly not on par with the classic and quite different gameplay).

A possible "hidden gem" for those of you that are fans of the genre: there is a GBA game based on Jackie Chan's cartoon that is quite an high quality brawler:
http://www.gamespot.com/gba/action/jack ... dventures/
Try it and let me know what you think.

Ivo.

I like Golden Axe too. It's short, but fun and balanced. It's very funny too with the sound bites and the funny ending. You should try Revenge of Death Adder some time. It was an arcade game. No port unfortunately, but it's the only REAL sequel to Golden Axe

Try Guardian Heroes with Nicole. Fun! I remember what that move is now. Her barrier move. It's badass, check this video out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVeOPZMubKg

Didn't know about that Jackie Chan game. Interesting, I might have to check that out

EDIT:Added a link with Nicole gameplay. She's so awesome

[MidnightRider]

Think when I tried GCD, I only played as Makai, which should have been a giveaway there I guess, and didn't realize the robot was, well, at least named the same. The one in Guardians is just too different/better(lot of similar moves though). Also noticed the hold A(or whatever on the SNES), press left, right/up, down moves are much easier to pull off in Guardians as well(no waiting for 'em to charge).

Huh, guess they were actually developed by a company called Winky Soft. Too bad they didn't seem to stick with beat em ups.

[GigaPepsiMan]

Batman Returns
Streets of Rage 1&2
The Simpsons
TMNT
Turtles in Time
Final Fight
Comix Zone
Golden Axe
Double Dragon 1 & 2

These are my favourite brawlers, not many newer ones that I like.

[shadobeni]

Yakuza 2 is one of my favs if only for the brutal heat moves using either the environment (suplexing someone onto a park bench) or weapons (extracting teeth with pliers). The basic fighting was ok but could've offered more variety. I realize you can attain more abilities that increase the variety but being stuck with that one combo string was a bit dull.

I liked being able to stab a fallen enemy for the instant kill in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

Grabbing a dude by the hair in NES Double Dragon 2 was immensely fun. That game had a decent variety of moves. You could bash your knee into the guy's face or elbow him. You could throw him over your shoulder or kick him in the face. The jumping spin kick, uppercut and elusive flying knee attack were awesome when you pulled them off even if the way to pull off the flying knee attack made little sense.

The removal of a lot of those moves from Double Dragon 3 made that game disappointing but the idea of bosses you defeated becoming playable characters was really neat. Also you could do flying jump kicks off walls or even off another player. The somersault throw was a fun move.

I like the vertical scrolling levels in the NES and SNES Battletoads games but never was able to get much farther than those levels.

Throwing foot soldiers at the screen or slamming them multiple times was immensely satisfying in Turtles in Time.

Being able to flip over an opponent after you grabbed them was a neat feature in the Streets of Rage games allowing you to get behind your opponent for a crushing back suplex. The addition of running attacks in the 3rd game and character specific attack with certain weapons was also neat.

Riding the dragons in Golden Axe and shooting flames at all the enemies.

One game that could've been good if it weren't so repetitive was Maximum Carnage...I like some of the moves you can do in that game.

Ah fun times those were...

[Gamerforlife]

Yakuza 2 is one of my favs if only for the brutal heat moves using either the environment (suplexing someone onto a park bench) or weapons (extracting teeth with pliers). The basic fighting was ok but could've offered more variety. I realize you can attain more abilities that increase the variety but being stuck with that one combo string was a bit dull.

I liked being able to stab a fallen enemy for the instant kill in Lord of the Rings: Return of the King.

Grabbing a dude by the hair in NES Double Dragon 2 was immensely fun. That game had a decent variety of moves. You could bash your knee into the guy's face or elbow him. You could throw him over your shoulder or kick him in the face. The jumping spin kick, uppercut and elusive flying knee attack were awesome when you pulled them off even if the way to pull off the flying knee attack made little sense.

The removal of a lot of those moves from Double Dragon 3 made that game disappointing but the idea of bosses you defeated becoming playable characters was really neat. Also you could do flying jump kicks off walls or even off another player. The somersault throw was a fun move.

I like the vertical scrolling levels in the NES and SNES Battletoads games but never was able to get much farther than those levels.

Throwing foot soldiers at the screen or slamming them multiple times was immensely satisfying in Turtles in Time.

Being able to flip over an opponent after you grabbed them was a neat feature in the Streets of Rage games allowing you to get behind your opponent for a crushing back suplex. The addition of running attacks in the 3rd game and character specific attack with certain weapons was also neat.

Riding the dragons in Golden Axe and shooting flames at all the enemies.

One game that could've been good if it weren't so repetitive was Maximum Carnage...I like some of the moves you can do in that game.

Ah fun times those were...

It's nice to see someone who appreciates all of the little things, like the stabbing attack you mentioned in Lord of the Rings. I'm very into the little details. One thing I often complain about in modern action games like God of War, Devil May Cry and Ninja Gaiden is how they ignore the environment. It's what makes games like Lord of the Rings:Return of the King(where you can take out a group of enemies by dropping a huge object from the ceiling on top of them), Mortal Kombat:Shaolin Monks(where you can impale people on things in the background)and Buffy the Vampire Slayer(where you can throw a vampire into sunlight or in front of a moving train)so much more fun than those games

I love when games go outside of gameplay norms and do something a little less conventional.

[cowboyscowboys]

Final Fight Series
Streets of Rage Series
TMNT Beat Em Ups (not the newer ones)
The Punisher
AVP
The Simpsons
Night Slashers

Hell I like every 2D beat em up basically 3D = **** IMO