We are currently enjoying a beat 'em up renaissance, and that doesn't just include licensed brawlers like Scott Pilgrim EX. Even classic series like Jaleco's Rushing Beat (originally localized as Rival Turf) are making a comeback! The fourth game in that series, RUSHING BEAT X: Return of the Brawl Brothers from City Connection and Clear River Games, has just arrived on not just Switch and Steam, but Xbox and PlayStation too! It features 2-player local co-op, just like previous entries.
Official description:
Neo-Cisco has been shaken by the Joecal crime syndicate and the deadly Zeekus virus. But each time, justice has prevailed thanks to a small band of brave fighters.
Now, they must rise up again to face an overwhelming evil and discover the true mastermind behind these past events.
New moves, new weapons, and new allies mix in this ultimate beat 'em up, Rushing Beat. Restore peace to the streets in the hot 2-player co-op story mode that doubles the impact!
- With easy-to-use auto-combos, even beginners can enjoy exhilarating action. Chain together your own combos with various actions like counterattacks, follow-up strikes, and weapon-based attacks. Most actions can be canceled with dashes or jumps. Master the cancel system and unleash even more consecutive attacks!
- Throw techniques can be varied with key inputs. Send your targeted enemies flying, and if you throw them into the background, you can destroy normally unreachable objects. A chance to get items!
- There are 9 stages in total. Defeat enemies waiting in various areas such as shopping malls, slums, subways, and laboratories, and chase the truth of the story.
- Side missions also occur in each scene. Challenge the capture of various actions and stage gimmicks!
- Playable characters increase as the story progresses, bringing the team to a total of 6 members.
- Also, this title supports 2-player co-op. Advance with your allies on the path to The Peace Keepers!
That's a mouthful! Having played the demo a while back, I'm certainly excited for this game. My one concern is that the Steam version does not seem to support Remote Play Together. That's an odd omission, seeing as how the feature would allow Steam players to enjoy online co-op with very little extra effort from the developers.
RUSHING BEAT X costs $29.99 on Xbox Series, PlayStation 5, and Switch 2, and $19.99 on Steam.