Games Like Alien vs. Predator

The Genesis launch pack-in that greeted millions of new console owners. Altered Beast's transformation mechanic was innovative and memorable, even if the overall game was short and repetitive by modern standards.

Capcom's 1997 arcade beat-em-up and the final entry in their classic beat-em-up era — Battle Circuit features five eclectic bounty hunters (including a plant person, a cyborg, and a yellow alien with sawblade arms) fighting through a cyberpunk setting to capture the hacker Dr. Saturn, with the Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle's only new addition being this overlooked gem.

Capcom's 1993 arcade beat-em-up based on the Xenozoic Tales comic and CBS animated series — Cadillacs and Dinosaurs features four playable characters (Mustapha, Jack, Hannah, Mess) fighting through a post-apocalyptic future where humans and dinosaurs coexist, using the CPS-1 hardware that powered Final Fight with the addition of firearms to the melee combat.

Sega's most original late-Genesis game — a beat-em-up set inside a comic book, where the protagonist fights panel-to-panel, enemies are drawn to life by the villain, and the player can tear panels to make paper airplanes as weapons.

Capcom's 1996 CPS-2 arcade beat-em-up and the sequel to Tower of Doom — Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow over Mystara is widely considered one of the greatest beat-em-ups ever made, featuring six character classes (Fighter, Dwarf, Cleric, Elf, Magic-User, Thief), class-specific magic systems, multiple branching stage routes, equipment looting from fallen enemies, and four-player simultaneous co-op.

Capcom's 1993 CPS-1 arcade beat-em-up and the first Dungeons & Dragons licensed game — Tower of Doom established the D&D beat-em-up template with four character classes (Fighter, Elf, Cleric, Dwarf), item management from treasure chests, branching stage routes, four-player simultaneous co-op, and iconic D&D monsters including Beholders and Displacer Beasts, preceding and establishing the structure that Shadow over Mystara perfected.

The arcade sequel that improved on Golden Axe in every dimension — four-player simultaneous play, larger sprites, more varied enemy types, and rideable creatures with unique attacks. Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder was arcade-only in most regions, making it one of the great hidden gems in the Golden Axe franchise.

The greatest beat-em-up ever made. Streets of Rage 2 combined technical brawling combat with a roster of distinct fighters, excellent level design, and Yuzo Koshiro's legendary techno soundtrack to produce a masterwork of the genre.

The original Streets of Rage — Axel, Blaze, and Adam fight through a crime-ridden city in the Genesis beat-em-up that introduced Yuzo Koshiro's legendary score and established Sega's most beloved brawler franchise.

The final Genesis Streets of Rage built on Streets of Rage 2's foundation with a darker story, faster gameplay, special moves tied to health management, and a more complex combat system. While divisive on release due to its difficulty compared to SoR2, Streets of Rage 3 has grown in reputation as a mechanically deep action game.

Capcom's 1993 beat-em-up arcade game featuring Marvel's Punisher — The Punisher and Nick Fury fight through seven stages of organized crime in the most gun-focused beat-em-up Capcom produced, using the same CPS-1 engine as Final Fight with firearms as primary weapons, grenades, and the series' most overtly violent combat.

Capcom's 1993 SNES beat-em-up — Alien vs. Predator is not the arcade game but a distinct SNES-exclusive action game where players control Dutch Schaefer or Linn Kurosawa fighting Aliens across seven stages. Two-player co-op, weapons including plasma cannon and smart discs, and dark action that captures the sci-fi horror tone.