# 9 Best Beat ’em Up Games to Play Online Free, From Double Dragon to The Punisher > Nine classic beat 'em ups that run free in your browser: Double Dragon, Final Fight, TMNT, The Simpsons, Captain Commando, Streets of Rage 2 and more. - Source: https://yesthisgame.com/blog/best-beat-em-up-games-online/ - Published: 2026-10-26, updated: 2026-10-26 - Author: Yes This Game (the team that makes the games on the site) ## Key takeaways - Nine side-scrolling brawlers from 1987 to 1993 run free in the browser: eight arcade games and one Mega Drive game. - Double Dragon (1987) set the pattern; Final Fight (1989) made the characters big; Konami's TMNT and The Simpsons brought cartoon heroes. - Arcade games need a coin (V) before Start; a second player can join with a second gamepad. - Every game has optional cheats such as unlimited lives behind the magic wand button. **Nine classic beat 'em ups run free in your browser on Yes This Game: Double Dragon, Final Fight, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons, Captain Commando, Knights of the Round, Streets of Rage 2, The Punisher and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs.** They span 1987 to 1993, the golden years of the side-scrolling brawler, and all of them can be played with a friend and have optional cheats behind the magic wand button. Here is what makes each one worth playing, in the order they came out. ## The nine games at a glance *Beat 'em ups on Yes This Game* | Game | Year | Maker | Heroes to choose | Cheats | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Double Dragon](https://yesthisgame.com/double-dragon/) | 1987 | Technos | Billy and Jimmy Lee | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy, infinite time | | [Final Fight](https://yesthisgame.com/final-fight/) | 1989 | Capcom | Haggar, Cody, Guy | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy, invincible | | [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles](https://yesthisgame.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles/) | 1989 | Konami | Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy, invincible | | [The Simpsons](https://yesthisgame.com/the-simpsons-arcade/) | 1991 | Konami | Marge, Homer, Bart, Lisa | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy | | [Captain Commando](https://yesthisgame.com/captain-commando/) | 1991 | Capcom | Captain Commando, Mack the Knife, Ginzu, Baby Head | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy, invincible | | [Knights of the Round](https://yesthisgame.com/knights-of-the-round/) | 1991 | Capcom | Arthur, Lancelot, Perceval | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy, invincible, infinite time | | [Streets of Rage 2](https://yesthisgame.com/streets-of-rage-2/) | 1992 | Sega | Axel, Blaze, Max, Skate | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy, invincible, infinite time | | [The Punisher](https://yesthisgame.com/the-punisher/) | 1993 | Capcom | Frank Castle, Nick Fury | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy, unlimited bombs, invincible | | [Cadillacs and Dinosaurs](https://yesthisgame.com/cadillacs-and-dinosaurs-arcade/) | 1993 | Capcom | Jack, Hannah, Mustapha, Mess | Unlimited lives, unlimited energy, invincible | ## The games ### Double Dragon (Technos, 1987) The one that started it all. Marian is kidnapped by the Black Warriors, and the Lee brothers fight through a city slum, a factory, a forest and the gang's hideout with fists, kicks, bats, whips and knives. In a two-player game the brothers have to fight each other at the end. [Play Double Dragon](https://yesthisgame.com/double-dragon/). ### Final Fight (Capcom, 1989) Mayor Haggar, Cody and Guy rescue Jessica from the Mad Gear gang. Final Fight made everything bigger: huge characters, food in the barrels, and the piledriver. [Play Final Fight](https://yesthisgame.com/final-fight/). ### Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Konami, 1989) The cartoon in an arcade cabinet: pick a turtle and chase the Foot Clan from April's burning building to the Technodrome, with pizza to refill your energy. [Play TMNT](https://yesthisgame.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles/). ### The Simpsons (Konami, 1991) Smithers has kidnapped Maggie. Homer punches, Marge swings a vacuum cleaner, Bart rides his skateboard and Lisa whips a jump rope through eight stages, and two players can team up for joint attacks. [Play The Simpsons](https://yesthisgame.com/the-simpsons-arcade/). ### Captain Commando (Capcom, 1991) Set in Metro City in the year 2026, with an alien mummy, a ninja and a baby in a robot on the team, and mechs you can ride. [Play Captain Commando](https://yesthisgame.com/captain-commando/). ### Knights of the Round (Capcom, 1991) King Arthur's legend as a brawler: Arthur, Lancelot and Perceval level up into stronger armour and weapons, and ride horses into battle. [Play Knights of the Round](https://yesthisgame.com/knights-of-the-round/). ### Streets of Rage 2 (Sega, 1992) The best brawler on a home console, with four distinct fighters and a famous soundtrack. Our [Streets of Rage 2 characters guide](https://yesthisgame.com/blog/streets-of-rage-2-characters/) compares Axel, Blaze, Max and Skate. [Play Streets of Rage 2](https://yesthisgame.com/streets-of-rage-2/). ### The Punisher (Capcom, 1993) Frank Castle and Nick Fury take on the Kingpin. It plays like Final Fight with grenades and guns: when gunmen show up, the heroes draw their own. [Play The Punisher](https://yesthisgame.com/the-punisher/). ### Cadillacs and Dinosaurs (Capcom, 1993) Dinosaurs, poachers and a Cadillac to drive, based on the Xenozoic Tales comics. Read [why many players call it Mustapha](https://yesthisgame.com/blog/cadillacs-and-dinosaurs-mustapha/). [Play Cadillacs and Dinosaurs](https://yesthisgame.com/cadillacs-and-dinosaurs-arcade/). ## 6 tips that work in every beat 'em up ### 1. Never fight in the middle Enemies surround you from both sides. Move so they all come at you from one side, and fight them in a line. ### 2. Throw enemies into each other Walk into an enemy to grab him, then throw him. A thrown enemy knocks down everyone he hits. ### 3. Save the special attack for emergencies In most of these games, attack and jump together hit everyone around you but cost a little energy. Use it when you are surrounded, not as a normal attack. ### 4. Keep the food for later If your energy is almost full, leave the food on the ground and come back for it: it usually stays until the screen scrolls on. ### 5. Pick up weapons Bats, pipes, knives and swords hit harder and reach further. In The Punisher and Captain Commando you even get guns. ### 6. Play with a friend Every game here is built for two or more players. Connect a second gamepad and a friend can join any time with Coin and Start. ## How to play them here The arcade games start like real machines: press **Play** , wait a moment, then press **Coin** (V on a keyboard) and **Start** (Enter). Streets of Rage 2 is a Mega Drive game and needs only Start. On phones and tablets an on-screen pad appears under each game. For more classics, see our list of [retro games to play online](https://yesthisgame.com/blog/best-retro-games-online/). ## Frequently asked questions ### What is a beat 'em up? A game where you walk through a level and fight waves of enemies with punches, kicks, throws and weapons, usually with a friend. Double Dragon, Final Fight and Streets of Rage are the classic examples. ### What was the first popular beat 'em up? Double Dragon, released by Technos in 1987, set the pattern for the genre with its two-player co-op, weapons and grab-and-throw moves. Earlier games such as Kung-Fu Master and Renegade came before it. ### Which beat 'em ups can I play online free? Double Dragon, Final Fight, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Simpsons, Captain Commando, Knights of the Round, Streets of Rage 2, The Punisher and Cadillacs and Dinosaurs all run free in your browser on Yes This Game. ### Can two people play these games together? Yes. A second player can join with a second gamepad connected to the same computer. ### How do I insert a coin in the arcade games? Press V on a keyboard or the Coin button on a phone, then press Start (Enter). Wait a moment until the machine has finished starting up. ### Do the beat 'em ups have cheats? Yes, optional ones. Press the magic wand button next to full screen and switch on unlimited lives, unlimited energy or invincibility. Reloading the page turns them off. ## Games in this guide - [Final Fight](https://yesthisgame.com/final-fight.md): Play Final Fight online free: fight through Metro City as Haggar, Cody or Guy to rescue Jessica in the 1989 Capcom arcade game. Cheats for lives. - [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles](https://yesthisgame.com/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles.md): Play the 1989 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game online free: pick Leo, Mikey, Don or Raph and save April from Shredder. Cheats for lives. - [The Simpsons Arcade](https://yesthisgame.com/the-simpsons-arcade.md): Play The Simpsons arcade game online free: Homer, Marge, Bart and Lisa chase Smithers across Springfield to rescue Maggie. Cheats for lives. - [Streets of Rage 2](https://yesthisgame.com/streets-of-rage-2.md): Play Streets of Rage 2 online free: fight through the city as Axel, Blaze, Max or Skate in the 1992 Mega Drive beat 'em up. Cheats for energy and lives. - [Captain Commando](https://yesthisgame.com/captain-commando.md): Play Captain Commando online free: the 1991 Capcom beat 'em up set in Metro City in 2026, with mechs to ride and four heroes. Cheats for lives. - [Double Dragon](https://yesthisgame.com/double-dragon.md): Play Double Dragon online free: Billy and Jimmy Lee fight the Black Warriors to rescue Marian in the 1987 Technos arcade game. Cheats for lives.