Shmup developers that made Beat 'em Ups...

[EllertMichael]

I can think of three.

Toaplan's Knuckle Bash


Seibu Kaihatsu's Zero Team


& Video System's Karate Blazers




Are there any other predominately shmup-centric developers that also made a beat 'em up?

[Zaarock]

Ninja Baseball Bat man by Irem



Was expecting this to already be mentioned :p

Isn't this more off topic though? I doubt people will end up discussing the shmups by the developers when the topic is about beat em ups.

[Ghegs]

Indeed. To Off Topic!

[Obiwanshinobi]

Pu-Li-Ru-La by Taito.

[Jeneki]

I suppose Konami and Capcom are too easy, since they made practically every kind of game.

Always loved the first boss crusher in Undercover Cops (Irem).

[idchappy]

Knuckle Bash was great, made me feel all gay playing it

[kamiboy]

Irem pretty much invented the genre with their Spartan X.

[gabe]

Is Treasure considered a "shmup developer"? If so, you could certainly throw Guardian Heroes into this conversation:

[Jeneki]

Is Treasure considered a "shmup developer"?

I often call them a Bleach developer, based on their 2006-8 offerings.

[Hagane]

Psikyo did Sol Divide, which is a Beat'em up/STG hybrid.

[Vexorg]

Raizing made the Beastorizer/Bloody Roar games, and did at least the first couple while they were still an active Shmup developer. They're actually versus fighter type games, but still in a similar vein.

[Ed Oscuro]

I wonder if Hudson counts - Soldier series and then the GameCube "All Stars" SSB-alike with the Konami cast.
Tecmo / Tekhan too (Star Force and then later some games like Tecmo Knight as well as the arcade Ninja Gaiden)

[EllertMichael]

Indeed. To Off Topic!

Sorry! Thanks!

Ninja Baseball Bat man by Irem
Was expecting this to already be mentioned :p

I know most identify Irem with R-Type, but I've always seen enough diversity in their library to not pigeonhole them.
Same with Taito, Konami, Capcom, Hudson... even Treasure.

I guess I need to play more Ninja Baseball Bat man because when I think of Irem beat 'em up I think of Undercover Cops

What I had in mind were beat 'em ups that were made by people who really only made shmups up until then.

Raizing's Bloody Roar (even though it's 1v1 Fighting) is a pretty good example of a game where the Programmers and Graphic Designers were really only making shmups up until then (namely Battle Garegga in this case)

Knuckle Bash was great, made me feel all gay playing it

[PC Engine Fan X!]

Psikyo did Sol Divide, which is a Beat'em up/STG hybrid.

Surprisingly, the Psikyo Sol Divide Jamma conversion kit (with full-sized marquee) was distributed in the USA...saw one up & running at a local indoor based racing go-cart track's arcade back in early 2000 (even though it had a 1997 copyright date on the main title screen).

That slick arcade flyer of Ninja Baseball Bat Man was the second one that Irem whipped up for promotional purposes. The sexy 'n' busty "Pink" gal character on one of the billboards, sadly, wasn't as prominent in the NBBM PCB release as depicted in that particular flyer though.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[MOSQUITO FIGHTER]

How about Psikyo's The Fallen Angles and Battle K-Road.

[undamned]

Are there any other predominately shmup-centric developers that also made a beat 'em up?

Well, pretty much any major arcade company has made their fair share of both (Capcom, Taito, Konami, Namco, Williams, etc.).
-ud

[BulletMagnet]

Don't think anyone mentioned Tecnosoft's Nekketsu Oyako yet.

[Hagane]

How about Psikyo's The Fallen Angles and Battle K-Road.

Those are fighting games though. Some of the staff from Daraku Tenshi went to SNK after that game, and some of its designs later made it to KOF.

[Obiwanshinobi]

If you count Guardian Heroes as a beat 'em up, how about Bad Dudes vs DragonNinja by Data East? Also, Captain America and The Avengers as well as Night Slashers.

[Krimzon Kitzune]

Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon (arcade) by Gazelle, who also developed Air Gallet. It's also worth nothing that Gazelle is a Toaplan off-shoot for those who didn't know.



Surprised no one mentioned this.

[Ganelon]

Kaneko had DJ Boys and B.Rap Boys.

[andsuchisdeath]

I think the key phrase that the OP has used was shmup-centric devlopers. Konami, Irem, Capcom etc. are not great examples as they obviously covered most popular genres for arcade games thoroughly.

Toaplan, Seibu, and Video System beat 'em ups are interesting one-offs. I don't know if there are many more, although Nekketsu Oyako was mentioned, and Nekketsu Oyako rules.

[Leandro]

what a lovely chick on the Ninja Baseball Flyer

When I read the title I thought about Undercover Cops.. Great graphics, boring gameplay.

[Mischief Maker]

No mention of Zun's fighting games?

[Kaiser]

No mention of Zun's fighting games?

No, those aren't beat-em'ups. DENIED.

[Skykid]

what a lovely chick on the Ninja Baseball Flyer

When I read the title I thought about Undercover Cops.. Great graphics, boring gameplay.

UC is badass. It's only boring if you're playing the original world version, which is broken to hell.