@@turbulonTV I just bought Guardian Heroes on the Saturn earlier this year. I've been wanting that game for years and I finally got it. I'm also a big fan of treasures other games. I hope you can find an Xbox to play it
This and Streets of Rage 4 are exactly what I wanted out of a modern beat em up. Recent ones have a bunch of RPG elements fistfucked into the game to artificially extend the playtime when in actuality, it just prolongs the player from diving deep into the mechanics.
@@diydylana3151 Scott Pilgrim amplify the worse parts of RCR imo. The stiffness and lack of options without grinding characters out really makes you not want to bother doing it for the whole cast and something about beat em ups lasting way past the hour mark comes off as misguided a lot of times. Like Fight N' Rage maintains and builds in intensity the whole playthrough alongside having nice enemy variety and huge move pools but has enough restraint to say "Hey even complex beat em ups has its limits before overstaying its welcome". A lot of games don't have that and feels like a trope from bad open world games. Like the devs don't know when to just stop.
I've been playing beat 'em ups since the 80s, this impressive game is easily top 3 all-time in this genre. Everything you said here is dead-on. It's INSANE that one guy made this.
Bought the game very recently. Your helpful review played a factor in this. 👊🏽 What an INCREDIBLE game! The combat system is exquisite and very fun to learn. Has the potential to beat out SOR4 as my favorite brawler of all time...
Blessed game, been aggressively recommending it to everyone I know since release. I think it's two biggest influences are Cadillacs & Dinosaurs and Streets of Rage 2-3, the former has more or less the same movement and throw system and it's awesome. Now you just gotta play Ninja Warriors Once Again and you can safely say you've played all the best takes on 2D beat em ups released in the past decade.
@@tokyobassist Everyone who played it loved it but not enough people played it. But hey, at least getting people interested is easy, you just have to post a video of Raiden doing his thing and everyone will instantly go "what the fuck is that???"
I don't know if you'll still see this, but I bought the game after watching this and I am addicted. Never would have heard about it otherwise so thank you!
Fight 'N Rage has to be one of the most criminally underrated games I've ever played. The excellent gameplay, the distinct and beautiful sprite work, speed and difficulty settings, the option to have cpu buddies if you're a lonely fuck like me, the numerous different paths and endings, the fact that you can actually play as any of the enemies in addition to the main three, I don't know if any other beat 'em up has given players this much content and replay value. If ever we're blessed with a sequel, I'll buy two copies just to support the mad genius behind this masterpiece of a game
I’ve been eyeing this game for a bit and this review just pushed me over the edge to buy it. I love beat em ups but what sold me was the added fighting game (SF3/Tekken) influence and the consideration put into cancels. I didn’t know Fight N Rage was like that. Thanks for the review!
I just bought this bad boy for 5 bucks on the steam sale on your recommendation, and it might be the best game I've gotten for the least amount of cash. I had to come back here to gush a bit, because FnR legit blew my mind it's so good. I honestly think it puts out SoR4, though I love SoR4 as well. Thx for the recommendation
Your point about game speed reminded me of what me and my friends did back in the day with Goldeneye. After you get used to playing multiplayer on "Turbo Mode," you cannot go back! (Its so awesome! Wonder if that was popular with a lot of other people... and when the eventual rerelease happens, they better freakin include turbo mode for online!)
I know the vid's three years old, but thanks for spreading awareness about this Fight'N Rage. Just bought the game and looking forward to spending time with it.
This game is just all kinds of awesomeness, except for those golden bugs, I hate those ;) About typical beat em up game length, I prefer them to be around 40-45 min, but then have branching paths. Guardian Heroes did this really well. After clearing all paths, unlocking an option to play all stages back-to-back, or something like that, seems like a far better approach. That keeps runs from dragging on, while increasing replay incentive. Oh and that elevator section and boss in the final level are a clear homage to Streets of Rage 2. Co-op is also fantastic in this game, so much combo potential, so much fun!
Good call on this. I got it on sale for switch. Was looking for a quality beat em up and this fit perfectly. The old ones are fun on free play but always kinda cheap at parts. This always feels like I could do better if I practiced more. It's complex but not complicated. Only uses a few buttons but allows for all sorts of combos and moves.
I made the mistake of playing Fight N' Rage before playing Streets of Rage 4, and now I can't go back to SOR4. The fluid movement system of FNR is just too good. It's also made it even harder for me to go back to playing other beat-em-ups that I really love like The Ninja Warriors: Once Again because FNR has made me hate slow movement in general for games of this genre. But more than that, I blame FNR for making me unable to stand beat-em-ups with excessive hitstop anymore. Everything in FNR just feels so fast that other games of the genre feel like trudging through molasses.
I agree, Fightin Rage is A very amazing game, but I wouldnt want it getting too popular. Small indie games with huge fanbases ruin everything, such as Undertale and FNAF.
You need to play Guardian Heroes. It plays like Marvel vs Capcom 2 but as a sidescroller. I could tell this game was one of this developer's inspiration.
The biggest issue with Scott Pilgrim is that it is grindy. If you start a new game and just try to do a full run it feels like enemies take way too many hits to kill, but if you don't start a new file then it is easy to become overpowered instead and that ruins the game just as much.
Awesome! Downloaded this quite awhile ago now (on Switch), but cool to find out the game is way more awesome than I gave it credit for. (I did enjoy it, just never really took the time to learn it properly.)
This review is excellent. I really appreciate you breaking down the smallest detail like the excellent enemy design and the game's thoughtful combo system. I noticed that the gameplay only features Gal, did you happen to spend time with F.Norris and Ricardo? I find that this game's trio have more depth than just about any beat em up cast.
@@TheElectricUnderground I found that for my first 10 or so hours I mostly stuck with Ricardo. I mean the game is so deep that there's a lot to take in without trying to learn 3 nuanced movesets. Eventually I forced myself to spend time with the other characters. Each one is so unique from the last really giving the game a ton of staying power.
After playing Slave Zero X and Streets of Rage 4 again recently, I'm ready to go back to this one I think. I did like the parry system and the fact the Norris character is literally Guy from Final Fight/SF Alpha. A triple pack with Final Vendetta is releasing soon, I'll be all over that thanks to you! I've been on a beat 'em up and SHUMP tear as recently a lot of modern games have been boring me. I put FF7 remake(part 1) down as it literally bored me to tears, the pacing is just terrible compared to the original and I just..find it so difficult to care about these Borderlands/MMO style quests.
Have just found your channel and thought you only did shumps, Just finished watching a couple of your Ninja gaiden videos og NG on Xbox is one of my favorite games. Will have to try this one too as I really enjoyed sor4. All your videos are great and informative
Thank you for the review, it's truly an amazing beat em up. This is the difference between just lurking in the e-shop page, just wondering and guessing, to suddenly having a detailed review that makes the whole difference. I say this as i don't really like metacritic, there are to many big games which are beloved by normies which i simply don't enjoy. So i usually can't go by those means.
This game is part of the reason I was actually really let down by SoR 4. SoR 4 felt kinda slow and archaic comparatively in my hands. Really solid beat em up. I know a lot of people are turned off by the visuals, sadly, but its got such solid mechanics. Didn't know you were so into beat em ups, Mark! Might have to send you a copy of mine when its done... ;)
I’ll definitely be checking this out, thanks! Ever try Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara? It’s probably the most technical old school beat em up. Lots of combat mechanics and difficult to 1cc
The d and d arcade games had a lot more to them than most beat em ups especially of the time. I'd love for a modern home sequel to that with a longer campaign.
Great review! Your enthusiasm and detailed coverage have prompted me to buy this game - it'll be the first beatemup I play (unless you count Electricman 2, one of my go-to free flash games as a kid XD)
Oooooh a fellow beat 'em up fan! Fight'n Rage is pretty good and has so many nods to other beat 'em ups. Two others that I would also recommend are "The Takeover" (was like a spiritual successor to Streets of Rage before SOR4 released) and if you want something in the OpenBOR route, "Final Fight Ultimate LNS" is very good, too. I also like River City Ransom Underground if you want something a more retro but modern. :D I love love love love love the music in The Takeover, though. So good. :)
@@TheElectricUnderground -- I'm a beat 'em up fanatic so I've played so so so so so many. I feature quite a bit of them on my page, mainly Streets of Rage. That's why I'm trying to get more into using stick playing these games the most. :)
@Zeke Spears -- No problem. I grew up on beat 'em ups since the original Streets of Rage on Genesis, so I've been around the genre for decades. It is my most passionate genre next to maybe fighting games.
Totally agree about this review, fight n rage really hits the mark for me for beat em ups. Its the combo system, gameplay mechanics that really shine. Its so satisfying stringing together nearly seamless combos while wiping large mobs. The tutorial mode is a nice addition as well as I was able to cut my teeth on learning the in/outs of the combo mechanics. I hope the developer will make a sequel to it as there really is a lack of good beat em ups on the market and after playing other mediocre entries I always wish it they were more like fight n rage.
@@TheElectricUnderground Yeah only stumbled upon this review, while searching for youtube for recommendations of beat em ups similar to fight n rage, but the pickings are slim :(. There are some openbor fan made games that show some promise though like, Final fight LNS Ultimate
I love how you're fighting orcs and goblins and out of nowhere a dominatrix lady with a whip makes an appearance. I'm certain now that a game cannot truly be a beatem up unless it has a dominatrix whip lady at some point. lmao
Would you consider sharing your top beat 'em ups at some point? Would love to see your list since you seem to have solid taste in the genre. Some of my faves are the SOR games (4 was awesome), River City Ransom EX on GBA, D&D Tower of Doom, TMNT TiT, and Battle Circuit.
Making a good beat em up is a tall order. they typically get very repetitive (counting the 3D ones aswell), are too broken, can get exploited too easily or in a lot of cases force you to cheese it as the most optimal strategy. It is a topic that i find very interesting because usually modern beat em ups have not much to offer and need to rely a lot in having a lot of characters and costumes or cosmetics in order to keep it interesting while the gameplay has not much to offer in most cases or offer not much deep (or the skill ceiling is too low and trivial sometimes), i feel like it's a genre that hasn't been explored much in the modern era or hasn't evolved that much at least in that department, whenever you see a negative review in a beatem up these are almost always the most common complaints even for generally well received games, and i feel that it doesn't have to be that way, I felt this way with Streets of Rage 4,River City Girls, River City Ransom Underground,Senran Kagura, Hyrule Warriors(which i guess this is a "brawler" but i can't see the difference other than these have more enemies but are pretty much beat em ups) and almost every beat em up there is, Fight N'Rage is the exception, the developers clearly put some fighting game inspired rules and mechanics in there, some of the games i mentioned such as senran kagura do offer defensive mechanics and other stuff but i am not really sure if they really make a difference or they are "just there", those mechanics that seem cool but you end up not using them because they are not as viable as you would think, I feel like beat em ups are generally targetted towards a very casual audience who just want to mash buttons (and that's fine) and ocassionally dodge stuff rather than also give options for more "advanced" players who want to take the game further and squeeze all the juice in it without reducing it to a sailor moon kind of route, basically what i am saying is that most beat em ups feel very barebones except that they have prettier visuals but not that much depth so there's not much juice to squeeze out, i hope more beat em ups were like this game.
Yes I agree, that's what can be frustrating for some beat em ups that I really like, such at TMNT Turtles in Time, where there's a great game there but there needs to be more juice! Hard mode isn't hard enough ha
Also, that Eurogamer story you mentioned at the end of this video is so sad. It is a reminder of how the general attitude that mainstream media (and, sadly, mainstream gamers as well) have towards arcade games is one of condescension. These people think that "mere" arcade games don't deserve full-score recommendations, even for flawless ports like Ketsui Deathtiny. I get the feeling that they're also the same people who think that arcade games cannot be considered art (but, of course, triple-A walking simulators are high art to them).
Thank you for the amazing video! For me, Streets of Rage 4 was a massive let down (due to some very subtle issues), but this looks right up my alley. Streets of Rage 2 and 3 are my all time favorite, but this looks simply astounding.
This game is great. It also gave me arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome. You really need a proper controller for this, Xbox and Dual Shock style gamepads simply don't cut it.
Glad to see you giving this game some love, as it really deserves it. One of the most "crisp" feeling beat em ups in a good while, seriously hits on all fronts. You didn't mention it but it also has a lot to unlock for people who are into that, though it's really just bonus since the actual game has plenty to work through already. Would really like to see more of this caliber. Outside SOR4, nothing has topped this as of late.
This sounds so excellent, I feel like in SOR, as the series went on, there were more and more "unfair" mechanics where the game just rubberbands you off of people instead of providing a fair but strict challenge that is predictable but fun to navigate. Don't get me wrong, I like SOR, but I feel like in order to progress you just have to break the game vs apply finesse
Thorough, insightful, and descriptive review! From a fellow 3rd Strike dude, your sales pitch on this couldn’t be bested by the game creator themselves lol 🤙🏽
I really wish you’d done a content warning on the game. It’s the first beat-em-up I ever bought that I’ll probably never play again due to the thoughtless narrative content. I would have sold it immediately if I had a physical copy and I can’t get my money back on the digital one. It’s a shame. The game designer doesn’t have the the narrative chops to handle themes like sexual exploitation/making you culpable in unskippable innocent deaths/lulling you into a false sense of being able to save others only to kill them while you sleep even on an alternate path. If they had left that shit out, this could have been one of my favorite beat-em-ups. Because it’s there, it triggers some of my clinically diagnosed PTSD and I will never play it again nor recommend it.
I was one of the first people praising this I think. My steam review will validate that claim ha. I like gal and Ricardo , I cleared with each. Great game
It is definitely one of the best, if not the best beat em up from a gameplay perspective. But I must admit, that the art style and this anthromorphic animal theme are just not my cup of tea. There could also be a little bit more variation in the backgrounds of the stages. Can't help, but I just didn't find enough motivation to dedicate myself to this game over a longer time.
I really think they should embrace mobile versions to some extent, like full controller support and auto save when you close the app and things like that. A lot of mobile games are trash ports except for maybe some the sonic ports whose devs went on to make sonic mania. But yea, i think arcade games with compatibility have a place in the market, maybe the phone market too! It just needs love and care :)
Very late to reply and I don't know if Dragon's Crown was mentioned in this review, but Dragon's Crown's gameplay as just as polished and deep as Fight N' Rages' is, if not more so (and ok so Dragon's Crown is technically a hack n slash game and not a beat'em up). Both games are brilliant and Fight N' Rage is indeed a masterpiece, but Dragon's Crown to me is on an even higher level, it's Vanillaware's magnum opus.
Ah got Dragons Crown Christmas 2014 on Vita.. Also recently picked up the newer PS4 version digitally.. It is an rpg but being it’s got beat em up gameplay can technically go on the same list.. I got it ranked maybe in my top 2 or 3 along with that hidden gem Bruce Lee title on GBA.. I’m a huge fan of the gameplay of both Fight n Rage & the Ninja Warriors remake but they have that glaring flaw of lack of save states.. Unless I’ve missed it?! SOR4 is my current favorite in the genre on Switch.. Although I quite like Shredders Revenge too
Hey my dude I m glad to hear you enjoyed the vids 🙂 so one resource is my interview with the dev ruclips.net/video/uUhqQeZSRR0/видео.html And I believe there is a fight n rage discord full of really strong players as well :-)
@@TheElectricUnderground Thanks a lot. I myself do SOME beatem content. You may have seen my video on why Shredder's Revenge needs throw invincibility. But yeah, keep it up.
Oh that's awesome my dude! No one covers the genre really and the times it does get covered is stuff like shredders revenge where it s all just nostalgia talk ha. Talking about the actual mechanics and so forth is really rare. And yes the fact that they overlooked throw invulnerability is insane. How did that slip by their design and playtesting. If you wanna get crazy with it I did do a video on the history of beat em ups that I think is a fun one as well
@@TheElectricUnderground I don't man it's crazy. I've been trying to use my channel's reach to get people into that kind of technical discussion. My video on the TMNT throw update last December got like 100k views and exposed so many people to invincible throw theory please check it out!
Oh wow those are some serious numbers my friend!!! I ll def tune in because this type of discussion is much more interesting than just "oh remember when you ate pizza and played ninja turtles as a kid" ha
Just adding to your 'top-tier solo-developed Indie games' list: 'Dust: And Elysian Tale' and of course the father of them all, 'Cave Story'. I picked this game up about two years ago. Played the CRAP out of it. Tried to go for unlocking every ending but I haven't finished it yet (good grief there's a lot!) Beat it on every difficulty save 'unfair' (albeit I did... abuse the autosave a bit to do so on the higher difficulties). Unlocked every character, beat every Time-Trial (the final boss really struggles on that one, surprisingly), got S-rank on every endless mode. Mastered Black Belts for all three characters (Gal's was a real challenge. I needed a guide to see how it was done properly) as well as every score challenge... This game is just so crisp and tight. The way it controls, feels, moves. I'm not the best at parrying, but even I can abuse it to make several of the boss fights easier (when I'm not being ganked by the mooks). I would definitely love to see it supported more. I want a sequel! The bounce physics, as nice as they are, are a LITTLE exaggerated tho. Can't play this one with my son until he grows up a bit.
Some of the enemies definitely have some nasty wake up attacks for sure, I’m trying to recall if I’ve messed with game speed at all… I don’t think I have. I’ll have to check that out
@@TheElectricUnderground hey i just looked u yp i subscribed i lm trying for alot of endings but i keep getting the same ones im doin hardest difficulty to see if it makes a difference
I have an interesting in-depth interview with the developer of Fight N' Rage: ruclips.net/video/uUhqQeZSRR0/видео.html
Thank you for such review! Glad to see people that appreciate those gameplay related things! =)
Excellent work on the game! :-D I m really excited to see what comes next and I hope more people check the game out :-)
Stella game. I'm addicted as I was with Guardian Heroes. Good bloody job!
@@turbulonTV Oh do I LOVE Guardian Heroes. I feel like playing it now.
@@LittleBigKid707b yes! That game... I can't justify it enough. I'm considering buying an old Xbox one for it
@@turbulonTV I just bought Guardian Heroes on the Saturn earlier this year. I've been wanting that game for years and I finally got it. I'm also a big fan of treasures other games. I hope you can find an Xbox to play it
This and Streets of Rage 4 are exactly what I wanted out of a modern beat em up.
Recent ones have a bunch of RPG elements fistfucked into the game to artificially extend the playtime when in actuality, it just prolongs the player from diving deep into the mechanics.
Yes exactly keep the looter shooter elements out of our arcade games peas
I think the only one of those kind of games I enjoyed was Dragon's Crown and even that one isn't something I always want to play.
@@diydylana3151 Scott Pilgrim amplify the worse parts of RCR imo. The stiffness and lack of options without grinding characters out really makes you not want to bother doing it for the whole cast and something about beat em ups lasting way past the hour mark comes off as misguided a lot of times.
Like Fight N' Rage maintains and builds in intensity the whole playthrough alongside having nice enemy variety and huge move pools but has enough restraint to say "Hey even complex beat em ups has its limits before overstaying its welcome". A lot of games don't have that and feels like a trope from bad open world games. Like the devs don't know when to just stop.
i hate those fucking RPG elements! like just let me play the fucking game
top comment
I've been playing beat 'em ups since the 80s, this impressive game is easily top 3 all-time in this genre.
Everything you said here is dead-on. It's INSANE that one guy made this.
Bought the game very recently. Your helpful review played a factor in this. 👊🏽
What an INCREDIBLE game! The combat system is exquisite and very fun to learn. Has the potential to beat out SOR4 as my favorite brawler of all time...
Blessed game, been aggressively recommending it to everyone I know since release. I think it's two biggest influences are Cadillacs & Dinosaurs and Streets of Rage 2-3, the former has more or less the same movement and throw system and it's awesome. Now you just gotta play Ninja Warriors Once Again and you can safely say you've played all the best takes on 2D beat em ups released in the past decade.
Hell yeah!
That Ninja Warriors "remake" was very underrated. I loved it even though it was hard as hell.
@@tokyobassist Everyone who played it loved it but not enough people played it. But hey, at least getting people interested is easy, you just have to post a video of Raiden doing his thing and everyone will instantly go "what the fuck is that???"
Just looked up Raiden's gameplay. Yeah I think I'll be getting that game.
@@tokyobassist That remake was insane, they added new characters and locations, the pixel art is among the very best.
Very satisfying breakdown of the game... And I haven't even played it yet. Considering picking it up now after watching this.
Fight 'n Rage. Someone Mashed Final Fight, And Streets Of Rage, And Did It Right.
Yeah, For Those Who Didn't Get This Reference Good.
I don't know if you'll still see this, but I bought the game after watching this and I am addicted. Never would have heard about it otherwise so thank you!
That's really great to hear! Yes, it's fantastic, so much fun to play and so rewarding to get skilled at.
Fight 'N Rage has to be one of the most criminally underrated games I've ever played. The excellent gameplay, the distinct and beautiful sprite work, speed and difficulty settings, the option to have cpu buddies if you're a lonely fuck like me, the numerous different paths and endings, the fact that you can actually play as any of the enemies in addition to the main three, I don't know if any other beat 'em up has given players this much content and replay value. If ever we're blessed with a sequel, I'll buy two copies just to support the mad genius behind this masterpiece of a game
You hooked me with telling me it had good mechanics. That’s what I want
oh absolutely, the mechanics and level design of this game is top notch :-)
Mechanically this truely is the best brawler out there. It could be a bit more varied in the stage design though!
Agreed! There should be more environmental hazards and maybe one or two extra enemy types.
Forgot to switch to ur alt lol
I’ve been eyeing this game for a bit and this review just pushed me over the edge to buy it. I love beat em ups but what sold me was the added fighting game (SF3/Tekken) influence and the consideration put into cancels. I didn’t know Fight N Rage was like that. Thanks for the review!
Glad the review helped! Yes the parry system is fantastic
I just bought this bad boy for 5 bucks on the steam sale on your recommendation, and it might be the best game I've gotten for the least amount of cash. I had to come back here to gush a bit, because FnR legit blew my mind it's so good. I honestly think it puts out SoR4, though I love SoR4 as well. Thx for the recommendation
I m really glad to hear that!!! Yes this game is very good and pretty dang under rated
Your point about game speed reminded me of what me and my friends did back in the day with Goldeneye. After you get used to playing multiplayer on "Turbo Mode," you cannot go back! (Its so awesome! Wonder if that was popular with a lot of other people... and when the eventual rerelease happens, they better freakin include turbo mode for online!)
I love goldeneye turbo mode!! I wanna play the game at 2x speed in emu
@@TheElectricUnderground Heck yeah!
I know the vid's three years old, but thanks for spreading awareness about this Fight'N Rage. Just bought the game and looking forward to spending time with it.
This game is just all kinds of awesomeness, except for those golden bugs, I hate those ;)
About typical beat em up game length, I prefer them to be around 40-45 min, but then have branching paths. Guardian Heroes did this really well. After clearing all paths, unlocking an option to play all stages back-to-back, or something like that, seems like a far better approach. That keeps runs from dragging on, while increasing replay incentive.
Oh and that elevator section and boss in the final level are a clear homage to Streets of Rage 2.
Co-op is also fantastic in this game, so much combo potential, so much fun!
Those golden beatles are hell ha. I recommend staying on the ground when fighting them, they love luring you into the air
That thumbnail made me clicked on it...
And I don't regret it.
Mission Accomplished!!
Good call on this. I got it on sale for switch. Was looking for a quality beat em up and this fit perfectly. The old ones are fun on free play but always kinda cheap at parts. This always feels like I could do better if I practiced more. It's complex but not complicated. Only uses a few buttons but allows for all sorts of combos and moves.
I made the mistake of playing Fight N' Rage before playing Streets of Rage 4, and now I can't go back to SOR4. The fluid movement system of FNR is just too good. It's also made it even harder for me to go back to playing other beat-em-ups that I really love like The Ninja Warriors: Once Again because FNR has made me hate slow movement in general for games of this genre. But more than that, I blame FNR for making me unable to stand beat-em-ups with excessive hitstop anymore. Everything in FNR just feels so fast that other games of the genre feel like trudging through molasses.
I agree, Fightin Rage is A very amazing game, but I wouldnt want it getting too popular. Small indie games with huge fanbases ruin everything, such as Undertale and FNAF.
Why? you don't have to connect and interact with the fandom at all. :)
@@4IndieForeverthey Will interact with the developers and request for changes.
@@dontbothertoreply9755 Oh in that way yeah i see.
I also love this game! I do suck because I got stuck at the end haha but well, nice to see someone talk about this hidden gem
Bought this game thanks to the channel and completely agree,a must have for anyone who is into deep, quality games
Wow I m really happy to hear that!
My goodness just got the meaning of the name... Final FIGHT and Streets of RAGE = Fight N' Rage 🙃
I preordered this from limited run a couple of months ago... good to hear it's worth it :) Can't wait!
Never heard of this game. Very cool! It's now on my Steam wishlist.
Picked this up on PS4 in a sale on your recommendation. Love it, easily as good as the Ninja Warriors remake. Possibly better.
that's great!!!
You need to play Guardian Heroes. It plays like Marvel vs Capcom 2 but as a sidescroller. I could tell this game was one of this developer's inspiration.
Oh yeah i cover it in an upcoming video actually :-)
@@TheElectricUnderground look forward to seeing it👍
Excellent depth, passion in this review. Many thanks.
River city girls sound track is also amamzing
Your amamzing!
The Scott Pilgrim vs the World beatemup was quite good
The biggest issue with Scott Pilgrim is that it is grindy. If you start a new game and just try to do a full run it feels like enemies take way too many hits to kill, but if you don't start a new file then it is easy to become overpowered instead and that ruins the game just as much.
Awesome! Downloaded this quite awhile ago now (on Switch), but cool to find out the game is way more awesome than I gave it credit for.
(I did enjoy it, just never really took the time to learn it properly.)
This review is excellent. I really appreciate you breaking down the smallest detail like the excellent enemy design and the game's thoughtful combo system. I noticed that the gameplay only features Gal, did you happen to spend time with F.Norris and Ricardo? I find that this game's trio have more depth than just about any beat em up cast.
I 've played them a little bit! But gal is def my fav ha
@@TheElectricUnderground I found that for my first 10 or so hours I mostly stuck with Ricardo. I mean the game is so deep that there's a lot to take in without trying to learn 3 nuanced movesets. Eventually I forced myself to spend time with the other characters. Each one is so unique from the last really giving the game a ton of staying power.
Panzer Bandit Is the most slept on beat em up
After playing Slave Zero X and Streets of Rage 4 again recently, I'm ready to go back to this one I think. I did like the parry system and the fact the Norris character is literally Guy from Final Fight/SF Alpha.
A triple pack with Final Vendetta is releasing soon, I'll be all over that thanks to you! I've been on a beat 'em up and SHUMP tear as recently a lot of modern games have been boring me. I put FF7 remake(part 1) down as it literally bored me to tears, the pacing is just terrible compared to the original and I just..find it so difficult to care about these Borderlands/MMO style quests.
Have just found your channel and thought you only did shumps, Just finished watching a couple of your Ninja gaiden videos og NG on Xbox is one of my favorite games. Will have to try this one too as I really enjoyed sor4.
All your videos are great and informative
Thank you for the kind words!!
Thank you for the review, it's truly an amazing beat em up.
This is the difference between just lurking in the e-shop page, just wondering and guessing, to suddenly having a detailed review that makes the whole difference.
I say this as i don't really like metacritic, there are to many big games which are beloved by normies which i simply don't enjoy. So i usually can't go by those means.
yes, it really frustrates me too how releases like this are over-looked while other mainstream releases are over-hyped
This game is part of the reason I was actually really let down by SoR 4. SoR 4 felt kinda slow and archaic comparatively in my hands.
Really solid beat em up. I know a lot of people are turned off by the visuals, sadly, but its got such solid mechanics.
Didn't know you were so into beat em ups, Mark! Might have to send you a copy of mine when its done... ;)
Ohhhh yeah!
What character did you play as? Or did you only play Axel?
I’ll definitely be checking this out, thanks! Ever try Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara? It’s probably the most technical old school beat em up. Lots of combat mechanics and difficult to 1cc
I haven't! I 'll add it to my list of beat em ups to check out
The d and d arcade games had a lot more to them than most beat em ups especially of the time. I'd love for a modern home sequel to that with a longer campaign.
I'll have to check this out. Looks fresh.
Glad to hear it!
this game is amazing, I'm glad you discovered it :D
Great review! Your enthusiasm and detailed coverage have prompted me to buy this game - it'll be the first beatemup I play (unless you count Electricman 2, one of my go-to free flash games as a kid XD)
Oh that s really cool to hear!! I m gonna do a video on how to play beat em ups in the near future too :-)
Oooooh a fellow beat 'em up fan! Fight'n Rage is pretty good and has so many nods to other beat 'em ups. Two others that I would also recommend are "The Takeover" (was like a spiritual successor to Streets of Rage before SOR4 released) and if you want something in the OpenBOR route, "Final Fight Ultimate LNS" is very good, too. I also like River City Ransom Underground if you want something a more retro but modern. :D
I love love love love love the music in The Takeover, though. So good. :)
Oh awesome recommendations! I'll have to check these out!
@@TheElectricUnderground -- I'm a beat 'em up fanatic so I've played so so so so so many. I feature quite a bit of them on my page, mainly Streets of Rage. That's why I'm trying to get more into using stick playing these games the most. :)
@Zeke Spears -- No problem. I grew up on beat 'em ups since the original Streets of Rage on Genesis, so I've been around the genre for decades. It is my most passionate genre next to maybe fighting games.
Awesome game, it's so tight. Check out Mother Russia, it's not good as this one, but still pretty fun.
Oh I remember hearing about that a few years back :-) Cool concept
Shmups and beat ‘em ups are the two best genres. Great review!
thanks my dude!!
Totally agree about this review, fight n rage really hits the mark for me for beat em ups. Its the combo system, gameplay mechanics that really shine. Its so satisfying stringing together nearly seamless combos while wiping large mobs. The tutorial mode is a nice addition as well as I was able to cut my teeth on learning the in/outs of the combo mechanics. I hope the developer will make a sequel to it as there really is a lack of good beat em ups on the market and after playing other mediocre entries I always wish it they were more like fight n rage.
Yes a sequel would be great! I'm still grinding away at the unfair turbo 1cc ha. What a fantastic yet brutal game!
@@TheElectricUnderground Yeah only stumbled upon this review, while searching for youtube for recommendations of beat em ups similar to fight n rage, but the pickings are slim :(. There are some openbor fan made games that show some promise though like, Final fight LNS Ultimate
thanks for the review - i was looking at getting this
Haven’t played this game yet, was hoping for a physical and it got one, now to wait for limited run. Glad I picked it up :0
I love how you're fighting orcs and goblins and out of nowhere a dominatrix lady with a whip makes an appearance. I'm certain now that a game cannot truly be a beatem up unless it has a dominatrix whip lady at some point. lmao
Would you consider sharing your top beat 'em ups at some point? Would love to see your list since you seem to have solid taste in the genre. Some of my faves are the SOR games (4 was awesome), River City Ransom EX on GBA, D&D Tower of Doom, TMNT TiT, and Battle Circuit.
Absolutely! I definelty want to make something like that
@@TheElectricUnderground seconded! Would love to see you check out the vanilla ware games too
Making a good beat em up is a tall order. they typically get very repetitive (counting the 3D ones aswell), are too broken, can get exploited too easily or in a lot of cases force you to cheese it as the most optimal strategy.
It is a topic that i find very interesting because usually modern beat em ups have not much to offer and need to rely a lot in having a lot of characters and costumes or cosmetics in order to keep it interesting while the gameplay has not much to offer in most cases or offer not much deep (or the skill ceiling is too low and trivial sometimes), i feel like it's a genre that hasn't been explored much in the modern era or hasn't evolved that much at least in that department, whenever you see a negative review in a beatem up these are almost always the most common complaints even for generally well received games, and i feel that it doesn't have to be that way,
I felt this way with Streets of Rage 4,River City Girls, River City Ransom Underground,Senran Kagura, Hyrule Warriors(which i guess this is a "brawler" but i can't see the difference other than these have more enemies but are pretty much beat em ups) and almost every beat em up there is, Fight N'Rage is the exception, the developers clearly put some fighting game inspired rules and mechanics in there, some of the games i mentioned such as senran kagura do offer defensive mechanics and other stuff but i am not really sure if they really make a difference or they are "just there", those mechanics that seem cool but you end up not using them because they are not as viable as you would think,
I feel like beat em ups are generally targetted towards a very casual audience who just want to mash buttons (and that's fine) and ocassionally dodge stuff rather than also give options for more "advanced" players who want to take the game further and squeeze all the juice in it without reducing it to a sailor moon kind of route, basically what i am saying is that most beat em ups feel very barebones except that they have prettier visuals but not that much depth so there's not much juice to squeeze out, i hope more beat em ups were like this game.
Yes I agree, that's what can be frustrating for some beat em ups that I really like, such at TMNT Turtles in Time, where there's a great game there but there needs to be more juice! Hard mode isn't hard enough ha
ALRIIIIIIIGHT, YOUR video is the one that finally convinced me to buy the darn game. Paying full price. I love SOR4.
Weird timing, just 1cc'd this last week. Really liked it as well.
Nice! Try turbo mode if you haven't yet!
Also, that Eurogamer story you mentioned at the end of this video is so sad. It is a reminder of how the general attitude that mainstream media (and, sadly, mainstream gamers as well) have towards arcade games is one of condescension. These people think that "mere" arcade games don't deserve full-score recommendations, even for flawless ports like Ketsui Deathtiny. I get the feeling that they're also the same people who think that arcade games cannot be considered art (but, of course, triple-A walking simulators are high art to them).
Thank you for the amazing video! For me, Streets of Rage 4 was a massive let down (due to some very subtle issues), but this looks right up my alley. Streets of Rage 2 and 3 are my all time favorite, but this looks simply astounding.
Review is soo good I subscribed.
This game is great. It also gave me arthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome.
You really need a proper controller for this, Xbox and Dual Shock style gamepads simply don't cut it.
Ha absolutely!! Don t be shy about using turbo either
Try using a arcade stick or hitbox.
3 MIN IN THIS GAME LOOKS SO REAL GET ME OUTTA WORK !1!1!1
Glad to see you giving this game some love, as it really deserves it. One of the most "crisp" feeling beat em ups in a good while, seriously hits on all fronts. You didn't mention it but it also has a lot to unlock for people who are into that, though it's really just bonus since the actual game has plenty to work through already. Would really like to see more of this caliber. Outside SOR4, nothing has topped this as of late.
This sounds so excellent, I feel like in SOR, as the series went on, there were more and more "unfair" mechanics where the game just rubberbands you off of people instead of providing a fair but strict challenge that is predictable but fun to navigate. Don't get me wrong, I like SOR, but I feel like in order to progress you just have to break the game vs apply finesse
Yes exactly, you have to start using broken strats at higher difficulties in many other beat em ups
Haven't watched this vid yet but already know it's awesome as Fight N Rage is the greatest beat em up I don't hear enough people talking about!
Exactly!! I wanna interview the devs at some point
I really dig this one along with Streets of Rage 4. My only gripe is that the game is so long. Hoping “Jitsu Squad” can match the way this game feels.
Yeah the length of the game can make 1cc runs pretty tough
Dang, I really want this but my game spending budget is super tight since I'm disabled. Does it go on sale alot? I'm on Switch.
I think the steam version does go on sale often! not sure about the switch version though
Thorough, insightful, and descriptive review!
From a fellow 3rd Strike dude, your sales pitch on this couldn’t be bested by the game creator themselves lol
🤙🏽
I really wish you’d done a content warning on the game. It’s the first beat-em-up I ever bought that I’ll probably never play again due to the thoughtless narrative content. I would have sold it immediately if I had a physical copy and I can’t get my money back on the digital one.
It’s a shame. The game designer doesn’t have the the narrative chops to handle themes like sexual exploitation/making you culpable in unskippable innocent deaths/lulling you into a false sense of being able to save others only to kill them while you sleep even on an alternate path. If they had left that shit out, this could have been one of my favorite beat-em-ups. Because it’s there, it triggers some of my clinically diagnosed PTSD and I will never play it again nor recommend it.
Bought it from Steam sale according to your recommendation. Seems like it is up there with the 90s greatest. Good call.
that's great! Yeah fight n rage is crazy, especially when you start playing turbo mode!
this game actually looks good unlike every other indie beat em up ive seen, never played one that's good. maybe this will be the first.
I think it will be :-)
I was one of the first people praising this I think. My steam review will validate that claim ha. I like gal and Ricardo , I cleared with each. Great game
Excellent game. I’m generally not into beat-em-ups, but this game is well done on so many levels, even a scrub like me can appreciate and enjoy it.
I wanna see a sequel tor this true gem!!!! Who's with me!!!??
On sale for $8 on PS4/5 till 9/1. What are you waiting for?
Never even heard of it before, bought it the other day and have to agree this game is incredible... Thanks for the heads up I would have missed out 👍
I m happy to have helped!!!
Simple question "Fight 'n Rage" for the Switch. Yay or Neigh?
It is definitely one of the best, if not the best beat em up from a gameplay perspective. But I must admit, that the art style and this anthromorphic animal theme are just not my cup of tea. There could also be a little bit more variation in the backgrounds of the stages. Can't help, but I just didn't find enough motivation to dedicate myself to this game over a longer time.
I want to play this game especially after having so much fun with SOR4 but the art style is putting me off unfortunately.
Great game, it's in my top 3 beat'em ups along with Streets of Rage Remake and Mystara duology
I got it when it first came out im playing it now i wish this was online this game is freakin AWSOME NEED PART 2 OR ONLINE ADDED
Yes!
SoR4 or Fight n rage? Which one is more fun?
Fight n rage, though I do like sor4
I really think they should embrace mobile versions to some extent, like full controller support and auto save when you close the app and things like that. A lot of mobile games are trash ports except for maybe some the sonic ports whose devs went on to make sonic mania. But yea, i think arcade games with compatibility have a place in the market, maybe the phone market too! It just needs love and care :)
Alright you got it. Just purchased it on steam.
Awesome!
Yes, I am absolutely sold on this.
I bought this game when it went super cheap. While playing this game, all I can think of is that I wish it got a varied combo of a fighting game.
It s in there! You can do some pretty swag combos, i d look them up on RUclips :-)
@@TheElectricUnderground I still find it underwhelming. I prefer River City Girls in terms of combat(although the stage sucks in River City Girls).
I love beat em ups and shmups.
Great game but it has a glaring flaw and that is the lack of visual separation between enemies and background, makes it incredibly difficult to play
Very late to reply and I don't know if Dragon's Crown was mentioned in this review, but Dragon's Crown's gameplay as just as polished and deep as Fight N' Rages' is, if not more so (and ok so Dragon's Crown is technically a hack n slash game and not a beat'em up). Both games are brilliant and Fight N' Rage is indeed a masterpiece, but Dragon's Crown to me is on an even higher level, it's Vanillaware's magnum opus.
Ah got Dragons Crown Christmas 2014 on Vita.. Also recently picked up the newer PS4 version digitally.. It is an rpg but being it’s got beat em up gameplay can technically go on the same list.. I got it ranked maybe in my top 2 or 3 along with that hidden gem Bruce Lee title on GBA..
I’m a huge fan of the gameplay of both Fight n Rage & the Ninja Warriors remake but they have that glaring flaw of lack of save states.. Unless I’ve missed it?!
SOR4 is my current favorite in the genre on Switch.. Although I quite like Shredders Revenge too
Looks awesome ...
There's also the takeover game as well but it's more a homage and fun compared to the aesthetics and sophistication of this game and streets of rage 4
I should pick this up after knights of the round damn, I got a key a while ago
Great video. I liked your Shredder's Revenge one too. I'm curious if you or anyone can direct me towards an explanation of how the point system works.
Hey my dude I m glad to hear you enjoyed the vids 🙂 so one resource is my interview with the dev ruclips.net/video/uUhqQeZSRR0/видео.html
And I believe there is a fight n rage discord full of really strong players as well :-)
@@TheElectricUnderground Thanks a lot. I myself do SOME beatem content. You may have seen my video on why Shredder's Revenge needs throw invincibility. But yeah, keep it up.
Oh that's awesome my dude! No one covers the genre really and the times it does get covered is stuff like shredders revenge where it s all just nostalgia talk ha. Talking about the actual mechanics and so forth is really rare. And yes the fact that they overlooked throw invulnerability is insane. How did that slip by their design and playtesting. If you wanna get crazy with it I did do a video on the history of beat em ups that I think is a fun one as well
@@TheElectricUnderground I don't man it's crazy. I've been trying to use my channel's reach to get people into that kind of technical discussion. My video on the TMNT throw update last December got like 100k views and exposed so many people to invincible throw theory please check it out!
Oh wow those are some serious numbers my friend!!! I ll def tune in because this type of discussion is much more interesting than just "oh remember when you ate pizza and played ninja turtles as a kid" ha
Just adding to your 'top-tier solo-developed Indie games' list: 'Dust: And Elysian Tale' and of course the father of them all, 'Cave Story'.
I picked this game up about two years ago. Played the CRAP out of it. Tried to go for unlocking every ending but I haven't finished it yet (good grief there's a lot!) Beat it on every difficulty save 'unfair' (albeit I did... abuse the autosave a bit to do so on the higher difficulties). Unlocked every character, beat every Time-Trial (the final boss really struggles on that one, surprisingly), got S-rank on every endless mode. Mastered Black Belts for all three characters (Gal's was a real challenge. I needed a guide to see how it was done properly) as well as every score challenge...
This game is just so crisp and tight. The way it controls, feels, moves. I'm not the best at parrying, but even I can abuse it to make several of the boss fights easier (when I'm not being ganked by the mooks). I would definitely love to see it supported more.
I want a sequel!
The bounce physics, as nice as they are, are a LITTLE exaggerated tho. Can't play this one with my son until he grows up a bit.
This looks amazing
This game is awesome. I really hope it gets a sequel.
Me too! Was playing it for hours the other day
i knew it already, awesome game!
Also, I'm Awaiting FPS Vs. SHMUPs Video, From You. Soon. :O
its coming!
@@TheElectricUnderground Waiting! :D
Ooooooooh i love this game
Some of the enemies definitely have some nasty wake up attacks for sure, I’m trying to recall if I’ve messed with game speed at all… I don’t think I have. I’ll have to check that out
Hey do Fight n Rage Stream
The Take over is a good one that got downed when it came out but its actually good
Yes for sure! I have a few of them in the past but I m happy to do another
@@TheElectricUnderground hey i just looked u yp i subscribed i lm trying for alot of endings but i keep getting the same ones im doin hardest difficulty to see if it makes a difference
Just bought a few days ago, it’s great! Trying to still beat normal without dying ahahaha I need some tip vids
I heard good things about this game so I got it too
Absolutely!! Interview with the dev coming up too
This looks like a neo geo pocket color game. Interesting art style.
I love the game, just hate the defensive options you have when playing, I think the parry mechanic is terrible
*gasp* I love the parry mechanic!!