6 Best PS1 Beat ‘Em Ups That Still Hold Up Today

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Beat ’em up games were most popular during the 16-bit era, but the original PlayStation still offered some excellent titles in the genre. While many developers started focusing on more complex gameplay, fans of classic beat ’em ups weren’t left out. Some of these older games haven’t aged well, but a select few are still enjoyable to play today. They’re either genuinely fun or interesting glimpses into the game development ideas of the time, making them worth revisiting.

Here are six beat ’em ups that, against all odds, still hold up today.

6) Gekido: Urban Fighters

Gekido: Urban Fighters has a couple of strengths. One is the artwork contributed by Joe Madureira, a Marvel comic book artist who later worked on the popular hack-and-slash game Darksiders. The game also features music from Fatboy Slim and Apartment 26, which fits the early 2000s style, though it might not appeal to everyone.

If you enjoy games like Streets of Rage, you’ll find that in the Urban Fighters mode. While there are other fighting game modes available, the main story mode is the core of the experience. Gekido doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s a well-made and enjoyable take on the classic fighting game formula.

5) Captain Commando

Captain Commando first appeared in arcades in 1991. While a version for the Super Nintendo came out in 1995, it had to be simplified to work on the older hardware. A better port arrived for the PlayStation in 1998, offering a much more faithful experience to the original arcade game.

If you were hoping to play Captain Commando on the original PlayStation, the Japanese release was the only version available. While the arcade game is now easily accessible on PC, the PS1 version was still a fantastic beat ’em up and worth mentioning.

4) Crisis Beat

Bandai’s Crisis Beat is a beat ’em up with a unique setting: a cruise ship! Terrorists have taken over, and it’s up to you to fight your way through them and save the day. You can choose from four different characters, and even team up with a friend for some cooperative action.

One of the best things about Crisis Beat is its simple combat system – it only uses two buttons! This makes learning the combos pretty easy, meaning most players can quickly get the hang of it. While it was re-released on PlayStation Network in 2013, it’s still somewhat difficult to find a copy now.

3) Fighting Force

After finding success with the Tomb Raider games, Core Design announced Fighting Force. They initially proposed it to Sega as a new installment in the Streets of Rage series, but Sega preferred to continue developing those games themselves. As a result, Core Design partnered with Eidos to release Fighting Force as its own independent beat ’em up title.

While not the greatest beat ’em up ever made, the original Fighting Force is interesting because of how much of the scenery you can smash. It’s also unusual how it feels like a classic 2D side-scroller, but in 3D – it’s a fun look back for fans of the genre. A sequel came out in 1999 from Core Design, and both games are now available in a newly released collection as of early 2026.

2) Jackie Chan: Stuntmaster

Stuntmaster is a fun action game that mixes beat ’em up and platforming elements. You play as Jackie Chan, who is on a mission to save his grandfather from kidnappers. The game takes place across New York City, and you’ll use a great combo system to fight your way through enemies.

Stuntmaster is so well-regarded because Jackie Chan himself performed the motion capture and voice acting. You can hear his voice during fights, and his moves look remarkably realistic for a PlayStation 1 game. While it’s a bit old now, it’s still the best way to experience a classic Jackie Chan movie on the PS1.

1) Panzer Bandit

This fantastic beat ’em up game was only released in Japan, and sadly, it never made its way to other countries – even when it was re-released digitally in 2011. If you can find a copy, though, it’s definitely worth playing.

Panzer Bandit is a visually stunning game for the PlayStation 1 that uses a simple two-button combat system. It adds complexity by letting you switch between layers of the game using the shoulder buttons to unleash powerful special attacks. The game features a combo system and elemental attacks, allowing for strategic combat. With Bandai Namco now owning the original publisher, Banpresto, there’s hope that Panzer Bandit will be released in Western regions as part of a future collection.

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2026-04-05 01:14