River City Ransom, known as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is an open world beat 'em up video game originally for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is an English localization of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari for the Famicom. The game was developed by TechnÅs Japan and released in Japan on April 25, 1989.
North American cover art
The Famicom cover artwork of Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari
North American cover of River City Ransom EX for the Game Boy Advance
A beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, while a number of modern games feature more open three-dimensional (3D) environments with yet larger numbers of enemies. The gameplay tends to follow arcade genre conventions, such as being simple to learn but difficult to master, and the combat system tends to be more highly developed than other side-scrolling action games. Two-player cooperative gameplay and multiple player characters are also hallmarks of the genre. Most of these games take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical, science fiction or fantasy themes.
Zeno Clash (2009) features beat 'em up gameplay from a first-person perspective.
Guacamelee! (2013) is a brawling-based game based on luchadors fashioned after a Metroid-style adventure game.