10 Best Beat 'Em Up Video Games Of All TIme
2. Renegade
Renegade is pretty much the Ultra Magnetic MCs of videogaming: it was ahead of the pack in terms of technical innovation, had fistfuls of attitude but is now largely ignored.
That’s not to say that it’s not a title well worth playing and, all the beat ‘em up scenesters out there that think the original Ninja Gaiden is a bit underground, should really pay some attention to Technos Japan’s mid 80s title, because, games – no matter what the genre – don’t come much more influential than this.
Everything from four-way movement around the screen, the ability to jump kick and enemies that can withstand more than one uppercut without falling on their leather clad asses was coined in this brawler. It was also damn good fun to play, where the aim of the game was to clear out various street settings, playing as the amazingly named Mr K. Presumably, the ‘K’ stands for ‘krush’ – Renegade was a bit edgy like that.
Technos would build on the foundations set in this game with their next release – fellow list mate Double Dragon – but not even this seminal title could out muscle Renegade in terms of great gameplay and lasting appeal.