Game Discussion of the Week: TMNT: Turtles in Time

The arcade TMNT games are merely a product of their time, and really nothing more than shallow party games in my mind. The beat-em-up genre is easily one of the shallowest, laziest genres in the history of gaming (with a very few exceptions). The games are rarely anything more than one-button button mashers that make Super Smash Brothers Brawl look like Street Fighter 3 in comparison, throwing waves of enemies at you but without requiring the player to make any serious effort with button or joystick inputs, resulting in an experience that's always boring and tedious, not to mention predictable.

To me, the only great beat-em-up ever made is the masterpiece that is Streets of Rage 3 on Genesis. It single handedly advanced the beat-em-up genre to the point of mastery and gave the player more options and freedom than they could ever dream of (ex. the introduction of rolling dodges, dashing, etc.) while providing an extreme difficulty level. It is to the Streets of Rage series- and the entire beat-em-up genre ITSELF- what Melee is to Smash Brothers. IMO no other beat-em-up even comes CLOSE to Streets of Rage 3 in terms of gameplay, depth and difficulty (although Rage 2 admittedly had better music and settings/environments, but that means jack-squat to me). Viewtiful Joe is a contender, but is not really a "beat-em-up" in the traditional sense.

Dan, I know you disagree with me on this, but you know what? I simply don't care at all!

I own and have played the XBLA remaster called TMNT: Turtles in Time Re-Shelled (which is gone forever on the store now, and I've got it!), which is basically the same game. It's fun to play with 3 other guys, but that's really about it. Not much strategy involved, but I wouldn't mind playing it again. An alright game, 3/5.

What is the best beat 'em up game? If Turtles in Time is it, then I'm disappointed with the genre.

I've heard that the real thing is better, but how different could it really be?

Streets of Rage 2 or Final Fight on the Sega CD

I heartily disagree with Final Fight: it is the game that defined most things in the genre, but is far from the best and was surpassed in every way by later games, including SoR2 itself.

I would say Guardian Heroes is among the best. Denjin Makai 2 is also frequently mentioned. Both games have a much more complex combat system than usual, being as deep as any 2d fighting game; Guardian Heroes also has a long story mode with branching paths and rpg elements (you can upgrade the individual stats of your characters after each level). D&D Tower of Doom / Shadow over Mystara (rereleased as the Chronicles of Mystara compilation) is also seen as a great one, though its complexity is more in the use of items/magic than in the combat itself. I also heard great things about Dragon's Crown and some good ones about Code of Princess if you're looking for modern examples.

All those games have 2d gameplay. For 3d ones (if they even count as the same genre), there's Die Hard Arcade, Shenmue, God Hand, Sleeping Dogs and Yakuza as great examples.

I wouldn't count Shenmue and Sleeping Dogs as a beat 'em up. I haven't played the others, so I can't say.