

Developed by Irem for Data East USA.
Spartan X, known in North America by the Kung-Fu Master port, is a 1984 beat 'em up arcade game developed and published in Japan by Irem. It was later published in North America by Data East, without the movie license. The Japanese version was based on the Jackie Chan movie Wheels on Meals, known as Spartan X in Japan, and credited "Paragon Films Ltd., Towa Promotion", who produced the film upon which it was based. The game is considered by many to be the first beat 'em up video game, and contains elements of Bruce Lee's Game of Death.
One day, a kung-fu master, Thomas, and his girlfriend, Silvia, are attacked by a gang of mysteriously men. While Thomas is trying to fight off the people in front of him, more come from the back, capture Silvia and then all of them take off. Thomas finds a letter left behind from a man named Mr. X that reads: Your love Silvia is in our custody now. If you want to save your dear Silvia's life, come to the Devil's Temple at once 5 sons of the devil will entertain you. Thomas follows X's instructions and immediately shows up at the temple. There he must fight through 5 floors, each with an array of enemies, obstacles, and a boss at the end, until he reaches the 6th floor, in which he must fight Mr. X himself to free Silvia.

Shooter / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Arcade / Action / Science fiction
Alien vs. Predator is a 1994 beat 'em up video game developed and released by Capcom for the CPS-2 arcade game system. It is based on the science fiction franchise of the same name. Introducing an original fighter to the game: Lt. Kurosawa, the players take control of up to three from the selection of four cyborgs and Predator characters in a battle against the Xenomorph hordes and rogue human soldiers.

Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Arcade / Action
Final Fight is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up produced by Capcom. Final Fight can be played by up to two players simultaneously. Before the game begins, the player chooses between the three main characters: Haggar, Cody, and Guy. Each has his own fighting style and attributes. Health gauges are displayed for both player and enemy characters. The controls for Final Fight consist of an eight-way joystick and two buttons for attacking and jumping respectively. Pressing the attack button repeatedly when attacking an enemy or multiple enemies will cause the player character to perform a combo. The final blow of the combo can be changed to a throw if the player moves the joystick in the opposite direction just before landing it. The player can also perform a jump attack. Pressing the attack and jump buttons simultaneously allows the player to perform a special attack that strikes all surrounding enemies, but will drain a small portion of the player's health. Enemies can be grabbed simply by walking into one of them. When an enemy is grabbed, the player can perform a grab attack by pressing the attack button or perform a throw by tilting the joystick left or right. A thrown enemy can be tossed at another for additional damage. Items such as weapons, health recovery items, and items awarding extra points can be picked up by standing over one and pressing the attack button. Weapons have limited uses and will disappear if the player is disarmed by an enemy too much or when the player moves to a new area. Final Fight consists of six stages or "rounds", as well as two bonus rounds. Each round takes place in a different section of Metro City such as the Slums and the Subway, with most rounds featuring more than one level. At the end of each round the player will face a boss character unique to that round.

Fighting / Platform / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Action
Jackie and his sister, Josephine, are tough on tyrants. As China's supreme kung fu champs, they guard their country against the Prince of Sorcerers, who lurks just beyond the Great Wall. It comes as no surprise when this fiend and his ghouls try yet again to seize China for themselves. But this time they're clever, casting a spell over Josephine which causes her to vanish into thin air! Jackie is in shock! How can he save his country without his sister? The two have been an unbeatable team! Meanwhile, a demon horde led by the Sorcerer storms the Great Wall and prepares to establish a fierce empire. At the urging of his revered Master, Jackie must now battle the dreaded Sorcerer and rescue Josephine. Maybe he can learn a little magic on his own, because he's going to need all the help he can get!

Racing / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Action
Help Jackie and Yuen save Sylvia from her evil uncle!

Fighting / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Adventure / Action
Double Dragon is a 1987 beat 'em up video game developed by Technōs Japan and distributed by Taito for arcades across Asia, North America and Europe. It is the first title in the Double Dragon franchise. The player character has a repertoire of martial arts techniques which they can perform using the joystick and three action buttons (kick, jump, and punch) individually or in combination. Techniques range from basic punches and kicks to more elaborate manoeuvres like hair-grabbing moves and elbow strikes. When playing with another player, one can assist the other by grabbing their partner's opponent from behind. Caution should be taken, though, as some enemies can do the same thing to the players. The player begins the game with a certain number of extra lives and a life gauge which depletes as the player takes hits. If the life gauge runs out or the time limit reaches zero, the player will lose a life. There is a small variety of enemy characters that the player will face through the course of the game. Certain enemies carry melee weapons, which can be knocked out of their hands and picked up to use against them. Available weapons include baseball bats, whips, throwing knives, and dynamite; in addition, rocks, oil drums, and boxes can be found in certain places. The game is divided into four stages or "missions," consisting of a city slum, a factory, the woods, and the gang's hideout. The game normally ends if a single player defeats the final boss alone. However, if two players complete the game together, they are forced to fight each other to determine who will win Marian's affections.

Platform / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Adventure / Action / Fantasy
Journey through the planet Aries to the beautiful City of Radactian, and save it from the evil Janken the Great. Alex Kidd in Miracle World was considered to be Sega's answer to Super Mario.

Platform / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Action / Science fiction
Several video games based on the 1988 Michael Jackson film Moonwalker. U.S. Gold published various games for home computers, released in 1989, whilst Sega developed two similarly themed beat 'em up video games in 1990; one released for arcades and another released for the Mega Drive/Genesis and Master System.

Fighting / Platform / Hack and slash/Beat 'em up / Action
X-Men is a side-scrolling action game based on the comic book series of the same name. The player can control one of four playable characters: Gambit, Nightcrawler, Wolverine, or Cyclops. In addition, it is possible to call upon four other X-Men in when necessary.