10 Best Side-Scrolling Beat 'Em Ups Of All Time

4. Double Dragon

Released all the way back in 1987, Double Dragon is often considered to be the granddaddy of the genre, and it's the game that set the tone for the future of beat 'em ups. It's safe to say, without Double Dragon, the majority of the games on this list wouldn't even exist.

Unfortunately, being the first at something doesn't always mean you're going to be the best at it and it's important to clarify this entry is for the arcade version only, as the ports to home consoles were so bad it's almost not even the same game. Not only was the cooperative play barred from the NES version, but only two enemies could be rendered on screen at a time, ruining the whole beat 'em up feel.

Back in the arcade though, friends were able to play in the new cooperative mode as either Billy or Jimmy. One of the best parts of playing with a friend was the end of the game. After defeating the final boss, the game put you one-on-one with your friend, as you fought each other for major bragging rights. Along with the new cooperative mode was the ability to pick up dropped weapons from enemies, a feature that would make it's way into numerous beat 'em ups as time passed. Double Dragon lit a fire in the genre that couldn't be put out for some time, and with it secured its place in history as one of the best.