One on One Beat Em Up
Here we have all the games in the One on One Beat Em Up Section.
PS2
One on One Beat Em Up
Including a character named Tony Tony Chopper, you’d be excused for thinking this a 70’s top flight football game. Yet as anime experts will be well aware, One Piece is based on an invigorating nautical quest to find the legendary treasure. Grand Battle 3 boasts sixteen playable characters and seven stages all full of the series high tension energy. The arenas open up as the fight requires and the look is distinctive and very slick. A title to treasure.
Wonderswan
One on One Beat Em Up
Colourful and fluid animation as you’d expect for a game based on the unpredictable, pirate anime. Shows the raw potential of the Wonderswan in the right hands. Full of maritime frolics and high jinx just like its television counterpart.
PS2
One on One Beat Em Up
Capcom once again recreates the period splendour of a feudal Japan setting for the Onimusha series to delve into a Samurai Spirits style fighting melee. An element of the supernatural is provided by the spooky Nobunaga whose clan of undead warriors must be laid to rest before seeking revenge on the leader himself. Oozes atmosphere with blood red skies, enchanted forests and spine tingling sound effects. There are also plenty of extra items to go back for the completist. Also known as Onimusha Blade Warriors.
Sega Saturn
One on One Beat Em Up
Collectable sample version that draws on legendary Chinese characters and a couple from its own silk sleeve of fighting titles to add extra characters and soup up the graphical appearance. Fine fight mechanics and a good ol’ 2D game of fisticuffs.
PS4
One on One Beat Em Up
A fight fest that stands tall on its own two feet regardless of the fine use of the colourful Persona world is the best compliment Genki can pay it. Come have a go at its brash neon scenes and slick specials if you think you are hard enough.
Mega Drive
One on One Beat Em Up
Tengen games seem to be very collectable on the Mega Drive. Here they go for digitise fight action that was de rigueur for fighting gaming at the time. Big battle arenas and some impressive digitisation.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
Super deformed (shrunk down) versions of the SFII phenomena that swept the world including high school student Sakura with her Spring Image attack and Zangief with his Russian Beat attack. Finely balanced play mechanics and exotic backgrounds. Complete with full speech in the anime scenes which didn’t make the cut in the Western release.
GameBoy Original
One on One Beat Em Up
Smashing little Capcom scrapper with silky roster of special moves as pugilists take on fellow robot fighters. Some tidy character designs as you might expect from Capcom with a giant skulled robot and simply a giant robot. Backgrounds make clever use of the hardware limitations to still conjure a futuristic feel, such as the robotic plans of the samurai armour in the temple level. Good use of combos too.
Super Famicom
One on One Beat Em Up
Risque girl on girl fighting game also converted to the Saturn. The developers have tweaked the saucy-ness factor to keep inline with Nintendo, but it still stands up as a solid fighter with smooth mechanics.
Sega Saturn
One on One Beat Em Up
Risque girl on girl fighting game originally on the Super Famicom, all aspects of the title have been improved as you’d expect. The developers have also tweaked the saucy-ness factor in the move away from Nintendo with it now warranting a yellow over 18’s badge from Sega.
PS2
One on One Beat Em Up
Tough guy fight title that uses elbows, knees and no holds barred as pugilists become wrestlers when bouts crumble to the floor with a submission as good as a knock out. The legendary Brazilian Gracie features alongside Japanese wrestler Sakuraba with a lot of work having gone into making a great resemblance only for players to bash away at their chiselled features. But its not just the players features that have been carefully mapped out: each individuals moves add a lot of depth and make for a very well rounded fight fest.
PS2
One on One Beat Em Up
Mixed martial arts groups are very popular and Pride is the appropriately named leader of the pack. Plenty of footage to get you in the mood with the music and announcer cranking up the tension, pugilists stroll out as player characters as they would in a real bout. A wealth of camera angles ensures not a single feint is missed with intelligent switching as the action progresses and you land on your opponent with a sharp knee. Brutal but mightily impressive and essential for fans of the movement.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
Quite a unique feel to Psychic Force’s anime themed fights with psychic projections being used to attack, hence the title, often with spectacular graphical extravagance. Arenas are quite cramped in making for tacit battles taking place inside a cube where the players levitate a la DragonBall Z. Solid play mechanics make for an unusual, but worthy fighting frenzy.
Super Famicom
One on One Beat Em Up
Absolutely crazy fighter with some of the maddest moves in manga martial mayhem the video gaming world has seen. An absolute must for fans of Rumiko Takahashi san’s gender bender and well worth a look for those after something graphically different to the usual Street Fighter II clone. Genki is a fan of the father transformation who turns into a panda and can only communicate with signs.
Super Famicom
One on One Beat Em Up
As interesting as a game as a cultural study having been given a makeover to Street Combat for the Western audience. The subtle martial artists were transformed into robots and rejects from an Arnie movie. But the original has plenty going for fans of fight titles with a Japanese slice of lime of the side with an unusual control system with the buttons being used for jumping and blocking and all the wacky manga characters.
Super Famicom
One on One Beat Em Up
As interesting as a game as a cultural study having been given a makeover to Street Combat for the Western audience. The subtle martial artists were transformed into robots and rejects from an Arnie movie. But the original has plenty going for fans of fight titles with a Japanese slice of lime of the side with an unusual control system with the buttons being used for jumping and blocking and all the wacky manga characters.
PC Engine Super CD ROM
One on One Beat Em Up
Excellent cinematics make this a must for fans of Takahashi’s mad Ranma universe. All the favourite characters are present with their unusual, incredibly wacky special moves. Starts off innocently enough at the local public bath before mayhem breaks out battling a bath stool tossing Jiisan, then its off to the gym to take on sempai’s sister in a gymnastic martial fest. All nicely interspersed with animated sequences. Just steer clear of gambling with the King of Hearts who pops up – he knows the cards too well.
Neo Geo AES
One on One Beat Em Up
Plays with the second fighting plane, so attacks can be averted by leaping up the screen. Also includes ring outs so you can smash your opponent into a glass lift or even onto a departing train.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
An excellent version – moving backgrounds such as the underground station (and outdoor scenarios with appropriate sunshine in the day and lights at night plus interactivity where you can send your opponent through the stage barrier to meet their maker), blood will please the SNK fans of uncensored Japan version gaming and intelligent AI that seems to not take too kindly to a pummelling. Add to this the tight control aspect and you have a winning formula.
Super Famicom
One on One Beat Em Up
One on one fighter released in a area of CG effects becoming de rigueur for a CD format release. The clanking robots have good variety and the riffs inspire a bit more perseverance with the fight engine.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
Very solid 3D fight characters with ginormous weapons and seamless cuts to the anime it is based upon. With a full complement of the voice actors, the setting of the game is done perfectly. Gamreplay is like a more forgiving Bushido Blade with shadowy, candle lit levels.
Super Famicom
One on One Beat Em Up
Sailor Moon girls get it on in various locales from temples to ice castles with all the super girl power and sparkling characters. A fine fight engine under all the glamour.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
Rendered sprites to give the femme fatale fight fest a fell of pseudo 3D, but it is just eye candy for a 2D engine. Plenty of chit-chat to make the most of the license, including the obligatory pre- and post-bout banter.
PS2
One on One Beat Em Up
Translating as ‘Bloke’s Training School’ there are plenty of tough fights ahead complete with vicious weaponry and even sharper tongues as insults are traded. Takes its inspiration from the Fist of the North Star series in terms of graphical appearance of the cel shaded protagonists capable of launching immense martial manoeuvres. Little known title but worthy of much more with such intensive styling and bold graphics.
Super Famicom
One on One Beat Em Up
Absolute treat of a game with atmospheric backgrounds from kabuki theatre, snowy Ainu inspired Hokkaido to Mount Fuji. The giant ‘Earthquake’ character is still jaw dropping even today. A very classy conversion from Saurus. Known as Samurai Shodown in the West.
Neo Geo AES
One on One Beat Em Up
Genki can still recall the incredible atmosphere generated by this monster one on one scrapper from SNK. Taking a distinctly Nihon-centric approach to the fight genre, right from the off we are clear this game positively oozes Eastern atmosphere as the lone samurai sits under the cascading sakura blossom. Creating a feel of life and death being on whim of a falling petal, we are soon treated to sea spray from island backdrops to the fires of hell themselves. Absolute treat of a game with atmospheric backgrounds from kabuki theatre, snowy Ainu inspired Hokkaido to Mount Fuji. The giant ‘Earthquake’ character is still jaw dropping even today.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
A very popular compilation on the PSX with the first two parts of the Samurai Shodown series looking just as savvy as the AES versions. Weaponry adds an extra element to the fighting in this exciting series with all the drama of Kabuki theatre.
NEO GEO CD
One on One Beat Em Up
Darker third installment from the Garapagos team with many new characters and more damaging specials. Loved by some, others resented the increased damage level decreasing bout time. Still slicing an opponent brings a worrying degree of satisfaction.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
Darker third installment from the Garapagos team with many new characters and more damaging specials. Loved by some, others resented the increased damage level decreasing bout time. Still slicing an opponent brings a worrying degree of satisfaction.
Playstation
One on One Beat Em Up
Spine tingling atmospherics set by the excellent oriental orchestral score with tumbling leaves or snow falling. There are some pretty gruesome moves to add a bit of colour to the snow, including self inflicted seppuku. Big, bold sprites make this an SNK winner. Subtitled Amakusa’s Revenge Special, the series is also known as Samurai Shodown.