Beat-Em-Ups, the dudebro games of the pre-3D world?

[Gamerforlife]

I can still enjoy mass effect 3 single player with or without the multiplayer. If its an added option, I don't mind extra features to games as long as they don't inhibit other aspects of the game. If anything, multiplayer usually gives a gae more legs and better replayability. Mass effect definitely didn't need a multiplayer mode, but it doesn't bother me that it is there.

True, but I'm looking at the bigger picture. Mass Effect and Resident Evil having multi-player just reinforces the idea that EVERY game needs multi-player now. It's them giving in, conforming, selling out if you want to be harsh (and sometimes being harsh is the only way to get a point across). It sends the wrong message for two series that were always built completely around providing a memorable, single player experience to now have to cater to modern trends and throw in multi-player. I don't support it for that reason and refuse to even touch ME 3's multi-player. The fact that ME 3 even has one truthfully makes me lose just a little respect for Bioware, not to mention other things like the bugs, the ridiculous amount of disc swapping and this horrible ending everyone's talking about (I haven't seen it yet as I'm still in the process of playing the game)

You always gotta look at the big picture.

[Gamerforlife]

Not to mention that having a multi-player mode like a shooter really does kill the idea that Bioware even cares about the ME series being taken seriously as an rpg anymore. ME 3 feels more like a shooter than any previous game in the series.

[flex wood]

I think the reason that games get derided for not having multi player is due to the fact that most games get reviewed on 360 and that you have to pay a subscription fee.

It just feels like lot of people think that if you have to pay for online every game should be using it to get the most bang for your buck. I don't think this but it is pretty easy to where people would be coming from. I can understand wanting a coop mode in games like mass effect but when you get another game that has a death match just to have a death match and try and keep the games shelf life alive you get into me too territory where everyone thinks their game will last like cod and always be played. Which really hadn't happened for any of these games that have had multi player shoe horned in that I can think of yet they keep doing it.

[ronnie490]

There's nothing wrong with being a "dudebro" gamer, but one common and in my opinion legitimate complaint about the "mainstream success" of the FPS is that many games now automatically become an FPS, even those whose previous installments weren't, like Metroid Prime and X-COM. Even the WRPG has taken on the first-person look. I think there are many factors which led to this, but there's no doubt that the popularity of the FPS is a driving force.[/quote]

I thought the hardware would be more of a driving force, the graphics are becoming so ridiculous i think that developers are just trying to make games more realistic? even so if that is true and your large mainstream video game companies are doing that on purpose wouldnt there success bring more money into the overall market so that indie gamers would feel some of that love too. Look at Hollywood. yes most of your releases are big budget studio releases but because of them you have indie films like blair witch and paranormal activities able to get into theatres.[/quote]

First, yes, I think graphics play a major part. The switch from 2D to 3D ultimately was where the jump happened, although that doesn't explain the gun aspect of the FPS. (It's much more complicated that than, though, so don't think I'm ignoring non-gun games, and yes I know that Metroid always had a gun). However, I don't think the statement in bold can be supported. I don't see how mainstream success can help indie developers. I'd say only that technology does this. It's become easier and easier to make a small yet attractive game.[/quote]

I think that the reason why video games have such a huge interest these days on top of the graphics is for the multiplayer aspect. it keeps a games life cycle way up because for myself honeslty once i play through a game its done with by me for at least 5-10 years. i also beg to differ that mainstream titles dont drive revenue to indie games. example. i have an xbox 360 and the only reason i even bother to turn it on anymore is to get on battlefield 3 and once i get bored of playing that i go back onto the homescreen where xbox live live has adds for new video games and a huge section dedicated to just Arcade games with majority of those being made by indie developers. so i do think the bigger the river the more run off streams you'll get.

[Breetai]

Well, I've read page 1 of this trainwreck so far. GameMasterGuy... really? You came about this in the most shallow way possible. Could you have no worded this better? The only reason I even know what "dudebro" means is from another thread on this site that I'm sure you are well aware of. I'm also sure you are well aware that this term would piss a few people (names DSheinem) off.

On topic... you're also showing a lot of ignorance of gaming in the era you are asking about. You ask about something you imply you know not much about, and them come out with this gem:

Except that platformers tended to be varied, single player experiences, and the overall quality was much higher than bump ones. With the exception of Bubsy, all of those are great games.

Really? You have no clue. Why say you know nothing of a topic, but then claim things you don't know? Bubsy (are we talking about the original? There are sequels) is actually pretty good compared to a lot of other platformers.

-onto page 2-

Must just be bad luck for me, then. A good 25% of the Genesis games I've run into have been beat-em-ups, however I haven't even heard of a single SNES one. I'll edit the title.

Please edit the title again and get rid of the stupid "brodude" word.
Haven't heard of a single SNES beat 'em up?

-rant over-

As I'm sure you have been told, the popular game genre for the masses in the 8-bit to 16-bit eras was originally things like:
-shoot 'em ups (shmups) in the late-70s/early-80s.
-platformers in the 80s and 90s. Mario and Mega Man were huge on the NES.
-vs. fighters (Street Fighter II onwards)
-sports games (always)

Beat 'em ups were never really at this status. Stuff like Double Dragon I and II, TMNT (arcade) and Turtle in Time, Final Fight, Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, etc., were popular, but in no way were they the games that everyone seemed to be buying. They were big in arcades and most people seemed to own maybe just one or two. They were not at the popularity of platformers and sports games.

Well, back to reading from page 2...

Must just be bad luck for me, then. A good 25% of the Genesis games I've run into have been beat-em-ups, however I haven't even heard of a single SNES one. I'll edit the title.

Haven't heard of Final Fight? So, you come on claiming that a certain genre was the popular genre of an era, but haven't even heard of arguably the most popular game of all within this style?

Final Fight actually rings a bell, but I thought it was NES. Wikipedia tells me I'm misinformed, maybe I'll hunt a copy down once I get hungry for another beat-em-up.
EDIT: Just did a bit of price checking on them... why the hell is FF3 $40 at my retro gaming store, $55 on eBay, and $50 on Amazon!? Sweet Jesus, I've heard of the "Nintendo premium", but this is just outrageous!

Final Fight 3 was not produced in as high of numbers of other games. It was a fairly late release on the SNES. Supply and demand; basic economics here! SNES Mega Man X3, is also outrageously priced, but there's a reason for it. What is truly outrageous is how high Earthbound and Final Fantasy VII are priced. Both are fairly common, but demand has made the prices of those two RPGs insane.

As per mjmjr25's recommendation I'm going to voice my opinion here. This thread is retarded and makes no sense. Comparing 16-bit gaming to "dudebro" (seriously? come on) quite frankly gives me a head ache. For shame.

This. The entire premise is based on a poor understanding of history.

This is one reason why:

I dont think video games were main stream enough in the 90's for "bro-dudes" if any games was "bro-dude" it was Mortal Kombat.

-onto page 3-

And Gears of War. It's the first thing that comes to mind when I think of dudebros.

Arg! Stop it! Change the title now! I get what you are meaning, but by the Hammer or Thor change it!

That being said, I know a lot of people who are currently brogamers who talk about how much they loved Sonic the Hedgehog back in the day, but if you try to ask them about anything else for the genesis other than sports games they give you a blank stare.

That's because Sonic and Madden/Montana is 80% of what anyone played on the Genesis. When the Genesis because the common system to own in 1991-1993, everyone got Sonic 1 and/or Sonic 2 with the system. Then, "everyone" went out and bought Madden, Montana, Mortal Kombat and NBA Jam.

How many people do you actually know like this? This is entirely a construct of the internet, and it is self-contained within the internet.

I wish that were true. Walk into a middle school/jr. high school. Calling each other "bro" or "bitch" actually does happen. Where I am, aboriginal people/native/Indian/whatever the gov't tells us to say these days call each other "ni66er." I'm not joking.

So the general response seems to be that dudebros weren't around back then; in that case, when did they start popping up? Halo 2? The 7th gen? Modern Warfare?

What the hell is a "dudebro"? I'm still trying to figure out exactly what you mean by this. Try NOT using it and use actual proper English instead.


-page 4-

I remember the 'non-nerdy' kids back then pretty much exclusively played sports titles. Beat 'em ups were just as nerdy as platformers and puzzle games. (Though nothing was ever as nerdy as RPGs - especially pre-FF7)

I didn't even notice non-nerds playing FPSs until that Medal of Honor on the PS2. The PS1 MOHs managed to not attract the jocks, but I remember MOH on PS2 suddenly becoming this breakthrough - everybody had to play it. Strange - and a bit coincidental: didn't the same crew that made the PS2 ones end up making COD?

I totally agree with this, and I'm from a different place than you (yet still in North America).

I don't know about who made what games, although BoringSupreez seems to have cleared that up.

You'd be surprised by a lot of people I've known over the years that loved Final Fantasy games and other RPG's.

This thread is hilariously bad.You'd be surprised by a lot of people I've known over the years that loved Final Fantasy games and other RPG's.

This thread is hilariously bad.

It is bad! It's almost train-wreck status, but not quite there. It's bad enough that I'm having fun with it at GameMasterGuy's expense, though...


and yet... I can't go on. It was fun, but I think I might get a headache if I read any more.

Later!

[Drakon]

In reply to the first post. I agree most beat'em'ups feel half assed. In fact I can't stand battletoads what's so great about that game? Even the popular arcade classic final fight feels to me like a button mash more-luck-than-skill fest. But atleast we have streets of rage 2 which seems to be the only beat'em'up that actually gave you as many moves as a character from street fighter 2. There's some great beat'em'up games like turtles in time where I WISH they had added more than just hitting the attack button because it's a pretty fun game. But are beat'em'ups really as bad as fps games?.... I beg to differ. I'm the right age that I grew up with both beat'em'ups as well as fps games and as I gladly will enjoy a good beat'em'up today you'll never catch me playing a classic fps....or any fps for that matter. Sure some people who played beat'em'ups were dumb and enjoyed the button mashing but you get stupid people enjoying a lot of different genres.

Really if I were going to think of an old-school genre that was done excessively and geared towards guys I think there were WAY more fighting games than beat'em'ups back in the day. The retro and even current fighting game library completely decimates the number of beat'em'ups ever made. But even fighting games are very different from fps games. Really you're trying to compare apples and oranges.

[elmagicochrisg]

I play games because I like them.

When I played Final Fight in the Arcade back in the day it was because it was a fun game. Not because it was 'cool' or something. Fun, that's what it was all about...

[Mendoza]

7 pages of this? Really?

Damn.

[Goregasm]

I didnt think there were ANY "dudebro" games pre 3D. I was born in 91 so cant speak from experience but i figured the whole "dudebro" thing came about when gaming became super mainstream.

[Menegrothx]

Even the WRPG has taken on the first-person look. .

There have been first person WRPGs long before this current FPS craze. I dont see the problem in that, it makes the roleplaying aspect easier.