5 Best NES Beat ‘Em Ups That Still Hold Up Today

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After the video game market crashed in the early 1980s, the Nintendo Entertainment System revitalized the industry. A key to its success was its ability to bring popular arcade-style games to home consoles. While some were direct copies of arcade hits, Nintendo also created many unique and successful games of its own. Beat ‘em ups were incredibly popular in arcades, so it’s not surprising they also became a big hit on the NES.

Here are five exceptional beat ’em ups on the NES that are still worth playing today.

5) The Adventures of Bayou Billy

Bayou Billy isn’t known for his strong neck, but he’s incredibly skilled with a knife. Players take on the role of Billy, a resident of the Louisiana bayous, as he fights against Gordon, a smuggler who has kidnapped his girlfriend, Annabelle.

The close-quarters combat is really fun, and Billy has access to different weapons to help him win. To keep things interesting, the game frequently changes up the action, letting you drive Billy’s jeep and even participate in a first-person shooting section. If you own the NES Zapper, you can use it during these shooting levels!

4) Bad Dudes

In Bad Dudes, players must rescue the President from a gang of ninjas. If you can beat all the levels, the game rewards you with a fun scene of the heroes sharing a cheeseburger with President Reagan – a satisfying conclusion to a chaotic adventure.

This game is based on a popular arcade classic, and while it doesn’t quite live up to the original, it still captures much of the fun. Every level culminates in a boss battle, each with unique attacks to keep things interesting. It’s famous for its hilarious opening scene, but Bad Dudes offers more than just that memorable moment.

3) Ninja Gaiden

The original Ninja Gaiden is a bit of a unique case, and some gamers might not immediately think of it as a top beat ’em up. While the arcade game from that era is a true classic of the genre, the NES version blends elements of both beat ’em ups and action-focused hack-and-slash games. Despite this, it’s definitely worth playing today, so I’m including it on the list.

The game remains incredibly fun to play, with quick and smooth action that makes it easy to pick up and enjoy even now. While your sword is reliable for fighting enemies, the game also offers a variety of cool additional weapons that can be a real game-changer when facing the tough bosses in Ninja Gaiden. It was a fantastic beginning to a series that continues to deliver new installments today.

2) Double Dragon 3: The Sacred Stones

The Double Dragon series took an unusual direction with its third installment. Interestingly, there are actually two different versions of Double Dragon 3 that are related, but not identical. The Rosetta Stone version was made for arcades, and The Sacred Stones was released for the NES. Despite appearing similar, The Sacred Stones isn’t simply a version of The Rosetta Stone.

Even so, Double Dragon: The Sacred Stones is the definitive version of Double Dragon on the NES. While the original two games are good, The Sacred Stones was built specifically for the NES, making it a complete and satisfying experience. If you’ve never experienced classic Double Dragon fighting, you should definitely give one of these games a try.

1) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Manhattan Project

Similar to Double Dragon, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games have an interesting history. The original game, released in 1989, was a challenging action-adventure title where players could control any of the four turtles. Later that same year, an arcade version was released, shifting the gameplay to a beat ’em up style. This arcade game was then brought to the NES and retitled Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game. Following that, the game The Manhattan Project was released.

This game was only released for the NES, but it features the same fighting style as the arcade game. It took a while to get it right, but the developers eventually created something great. While it paved the way for the hugely popular Turtles in Time on the Super Nintendo, The Manhattan Project is still a fun game worth playing.

Grab a friend for some classic couch co-op fun! You can play as any of the four turtles, and the fighting is very similar to the previous game, with the addition of a new throwing attack. The boss battles aren’t quite as memorable as those in Turtles in Time, but they still include some great enemies, like Tokka and Rahzard from the TMNT movie. Luckily, this game is easy to find as it’s part of The Cowabunga Collection, released in 2022.

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2026-03-31 00:11