5 best arcade beat 'em ups like TMNT: Shredder's Revenge to try out

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or TMNT is a comic series and franchise about a group of four turtles who were exposed to a mutagenic green goo and took on humanoid forms. Trained by their sensei in the arts of ninjutsu, they fought off the evil armies of the Shredder.

While this franchise has been asleep for quite a while, it has recently picked up some momentum in the video game community with a new game titled TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. The game is modeled after popular arcade games in the past, and it is a side-scrolling beat ‘em up game that is also highly inspired by the old 1987 animated series.

Players who enjoyed playing this game might find that they have an affinity for old-school beat ‘em games, which dominated the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Here are five such arcade games similar to TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge that players might want to try.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion

---

5 old-school beat ‘em up games like TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge

1) Final Fight

Final Fight is a series of video games produced and developed by Capcom (with the first one released in 1989) for many home consoles as well as arcade systems. The game tells the story of Mike Haggar, who has to rescue his daughters from the hands of a criminal gang known as the Mad Gear.

Haggar recruits the help of two other men, Cody and Guy, to help retrieve his daughter, and the player can choose to play as any of the three. Like TMNT, this game also features a multiplayer option, although it is only limited to two people. The game consists of six rounds, with multiple levels in each and ending with a boss fight.

Players must proceed through each level by performing various movies with their controller in order to fight off baddies. Health items like food and weapons can be picked up as random drops, and these can restore health or grant a buff to attack power, respectively.

---

2) X-Men

Released in 1992, X-Men was a game developed by Konami and released originally for the arcade, although it was later made available for the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. Like TMNT, this was also a video game adapted from Marvel comics, with characters sporting looks similar to their comic book counterparts.

Players can choose to play as one of the six available X-Men: Cyclops, Colossus, Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, or Dazzler. Controls were simple movement via the joystick, attack and jump buttons, and a mutant power button which delivered a different power from each character.

Just like in TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, multiplayer can accommodate up to six players at once, letting the whole cast share the screen together. The main objective was to stop Magneto, and this required players to traverse through his various minions and villainous mutants, finally facing off against the master of magnetism in Asteroid M.

---

3) Double Dragon

From developer Technōs Japan, the first Double Dragon game was released in 1987 for the arcade. It offered a two-player experience, with players taking control of either Billy Lee or his twin brother Jimmy Lee as they fight their way across the turf of the Black Warriors gang while attempting to rescue Billy’s girlfriend, Marion.

Using a joystick for movement and the jump, kick, and punch buttons, players could deliver a variety of martial arts moves, from basic punches and kicks to throws and elbow strikes. When playing with two players, one player can grab an enemy, letting the other player attack them without any interruptions.

Unlike the TMNT game, Double Dragon has a time limit under which each stage needs to be completed, and the player will lose a life if they fail to do so. This gave the game a sense of urgency as it forced the player to get through each enemy as quickly as possible.

---

4) The Simpsons

Another game that was inspired by a beloved cartoon show (just like TMNT), The Simpsons was developed and published by Konami for the arcade in the year 1991. It was the first video game based on The Simpsons TV show and featured Homer, Marge, Bart, and Lisa as playable characters.

The story is a new tale in the show’s world, where Maggie (the baby) is kidnapped by Smithers. This leads to the rest of the Simpsons family chasing after them in an attempt to rescue Maggie. The gameplay has simple attack and jump commands in addition to movement, with each character’s style being characteristic of their personality from the show.

Combined attacks can be performed by two characters standing next to each, with each combination resulting in a different special attack. Food items picked up across the levels replenish health. Melee and throwable weapons like mailboxes, bowling balls, and hammers can also be used.

---

5) Streets of Rage 4

Technically, this isn’t an old game, as Streets of Rage 4 is a modern retro-style beat ‘em up game that is similar to TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge. This is a continuation of the Streets of Rage series, originally released for the SEGA Genesis during the 1990s. This new outing was developed and published by Dotemu on April 30, 2020.

With five characters to choose from, three of which are returning from the previous games and two that are new additions, the game sees these characters go up against a new crime syndicate that formed after the fall of the series' big bad, Mr. X. Fighting this new threat, the protagonists once again enter the Streets of Rage.

Each character can perform standard attacks, throws, and Blitz moves, while a special attack can also be employed at the cost of some health. New mechanics include the ability to juggle enemies against walls and other players, as well as additional unique traits for each playable character.