Just my take on what made certain NES beat 'em ups stand out from the rest.
Variety of Moves
Games like Double Dragon II, TMNT: The Arcade Game, and Battletoads were always rad because they let you mix up your attacks. Dropkicks, spin kicks, uppercuts, sliding trip kicks, throws, grabs, flying knees—you weren’t just mashing the same button over and over. It kept the combat from getting stale. That said, some moves were a little too good (Double Dragon's knee strike, TMNT's hard swing), and spamming them felt like cheating. TMNT III had a solid workaround—letting you use a special power move, but at the cost of health, which helped keep things balanced.
Weapon & Environment Interaction
Just like having a variety of moves, being able to use weapons or interact with the environment made a huge difference. Even little things, like smacking a parking meter so it flies into an enemy (TMNT), or picking up a dropped weapon (P.O.W., River City Ransom, Double Dragon, Battletoads), added to the fun. One thing that always bugged me was when games would just toss your weapon away for no reason (Double Dragon). I always thought a better system would be keeping your weapon until you got hit—then it disappears.
One cool example was Double Dragon III, where you could actually pause the game and switch between fists, nunchucks, or the Iron Claw. It added some extra strategy, which was rare for NES beat 'em ups.
Climbing & Level Variation
Being able to climb (Double Dragon) was a great way to add some variety to level design. More basic games like P.O.W. were just straight side-scrollers, but vertical movement always made things more interesting. Some games also shook things up with unique level mechanics—the rappelling stage in Battletoads, skateboarding in TMNT, Chopper door opening in Double Dragon II, and so on. I liked games that used other types of mechanics or mini-games to break up the action.
Hard-Hitting Combat
Some games (Renegade, Bad Street Brawler) felt awful to play because the combat was too floaty and weak. I always preferred games where the hits felt solid and satisfying. For me, TMNT: The Arcade Game is the gold standard. Right from the first level, it’s fast-paced and chaotic, with Foot Soldiers constantly attacking from all directions. The movement feels fluid, and combat has a real sense of weight. A lot of other games felt like the characters were slogging through molasses, with slow attacks that barely connected. I’m not saying every hit needs to send enemies flying across the screen, but the action should feel fast and impactful.
Running
Simple but fun. Being able to run (double-tap in a direction) made movement feel way better. It let you escape enemies, get around levels quicker, and even pull off cool mechanics like long jumps. I always liked the idea of a level built around running—no fighting, just dodging obstacles while chasing someone or being chased. Would’ve been a cool change of pace.
Enemy AI & Variety (Bosses Too)
A lot of old NES beat 'em ups had terrible AI—enemies that just walked toward you brainlessly, barely reacted to what you did, and never blocked or mixed up their attacks. Even worse, some games only had, like, three enemy types the entire time. NARC and TMNT did a good job of mixing things up (Foot Soldiers, Mousers, etc.), but too many games had enemies that felt like mindless zombies. That said, remember Bayou Billy? That AI was drinking gator blood or something. They were super fast, took a bunch of hits to kill, and were like One Punch Man.
For me, AI needs to at least feel competent. Enemies should react to the player, not just shuffle forward like they're waiting to get punched. Boss fights are where AI really matters. Even simple strategy elements go a long way. I don’t think I ever saw an NES beat 'em up do this, but it would’ve been cool if certain bosses required specific weapons to beat—kind of like Mega Man.
Character Abilities
This wasn’t super common in NES beat 'em ups, but Double Dragon III handled it well. Different characters had different speeds and abilities, which is pretty standard in games now, but back then, it wasn’t as widespread. Variety is what makes a game great to me—different weapon ranges, fight speeds, special moves, and personalities all help keep things interesting.
The development on this module looks awesome so far. The features being added are really cool and I'm looking forward to creating my own game.
