The Best Beat-em-up Games for Nintendo Switch

Get ready for an all-new adventure with River City Girls 2! Team up with friends for local or online co-op and pound punks with new abilities including guard-crush attacks and lift-off combos. Level up to earn new moves, buy items, and recruit defeated foes and hired heavies to help you along the way. With enhanced combat, bigger areas to explore, surprise cameos, and an epic soundtrack, you'll be brawling until your enemies yell "BARF!"

Streets of Rage 4 is the long awaited fourth entry into the classic Sega franchise. It features a blend of old and new, with classic characters such as Axel and Adam Hunter returning alongside a new main character, Cherry. All characters have unique playstyles, from Axel's powerful punches to Cherry's speedy strikes. There are tons of unlockables to discover and it has an amazing soundtrack.

The Friends of Ringo Ishikawa is a unique and inscrutable narrative-brawler that explores the lives of high school seniors contemplating their future after graduation. You play as Ringo and take part in 2D brawler-style combat, buy food and books to replenish your health and stamina, attend classes, study, work part-time jobs and train at the gym.

ONE PIECE: PIRATE WARRIORS 4 is the latest evolution of PIRATE WARRIORS action! Based on the concept of "experiencing a real ONE PIECE battlefield," buildings will come crashing down during the action and attacks will throw up smoke and dust, placing you in the thick of the ONE PIECE world!

Final Vendetta is an arcade-style throwback inspired by the 16 and 32-bit-era of gaming. It features large, gorgeously animated character sprites, true-to-the-era hand-drawn pixel art backgrounds and timeless old school flourishes. Perfectly combining elements from Final Fight and Streets of Rage 2 with generous dashes of NEO GEO style, Final Vendetta is a master class in kicking ass!

Jitsu Squad is a four-player co-op fighting game inspired by the Marvel vs Capcom series. The players take on the role of four heroes on a mission to thwart an evil sorcerer’s ambitions and retrieve a powerful demon's soul stone. With beautiful hand-drawn visuals and an over-the-top chop socky soundtrack, this game will have you feeling like you're playing in one of your favorite Saturday morning cartoons.

9 Monkeys of Shaolin is a beat-em-up game with deep combat mechanics and varied level designs. The story follows Daokong, a man who joins a Shaolin order to seek revenge on the Japanese pirates that attacked his village. With generous parries, special attacks, seal moves and skill points to customize your abilities, you will feel like an unstoppable warrior!

River City Girls Zero is a spin-off of the Kunio-kun franchise where you play as Misako and Kyoko, fighting their way to rescue Kunio and Riki. Featuring great visuals, superb character designs, and a fantastic soundtrack, River City Girls Zero offers local co-op support with extras like manga-style animated self-aware cutscenes, an opening video, new music and more.

River City Saga: Three Kingdoms is a modern take on the classic River City Ransom series, combining it with Romance of the Three Kindgoms to create an exciting beat-em-up adventure. Fight your way through hordes of enemies and upgrade your character with weapons, food, armor or special moves by visiting stores in towns. Interact with NPCs and progress through a six chapter story full of dialogue and comedic timing. Enjoy local or online co-op for up to two players and bonus modes like China Heroes.

Step into the shoes of Kyoko or Misako in River City Girls, a beat 'em up extravaganza! With its vibrant pixel-art, riveting manga story panels, and catchy synth-pop soundtrack, you'll enjoy every punch, kick, and combo you unleash on the bad guys. This wild, action-packed adventure is a nostalgic trip filled with humor, stunning art, and epic gameplay.