9 Best Beat ’em Up Games to Play Online Free, From Double Dragon to The Punisher

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 compares Axel, Blaze, Max and Skate. Play 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.

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. Play Cadillacs and Dinosaurs.

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.