Most us have played the coin-op fighting greats of the past such as Final Fight, but there’s a ton of impressive peers within the genre that also deserve a look.

Today we’re looking at 10 awesome coin-op brawler games from the past. Some of the entries on our list aren’t as well known, while others have achieved iconic status as being some of the most fun!

10 KING OF THE MONSTERS

SNK’s take on the giant monster movie formula paid off with King of the Monsters. Essentially a large-scale wrestling match (complete with electric turnbuckles), King of the Monsters allowed you to choose from several characters, each with their own special attacks.

Although the base game mechanics were rather dry and straightforward, it was the sense of scale that really brought fun to the game. Few things are as satisfying as pile-driving your opponent into the heart of a cityscape, laying waste for kilometers in every direction!

9 KNUCKLE BASH

Imagine if the WWE turned real before spilling out onto the streets, and you’ll have some idea of what Knuckle Bash was all about. Released in 1993, this Final Fight-style side-scroller was outrageous, but enjoyable.

The player can control one of five wrestlers to do battle with a corrupt wrestling organization, in order to send them packing. It’s the stuff of 14 year old dreams, but the rapid play style is good for a few plays!

8 METAMORPHIC FORCE

Konami took a stab at the Altered Beast formula in 1993 with Metamorphic Force, a side-scrolling brawler that pits resurrected warriors against an evil villain from Greek mythology (see what I mean?).

The game is especially memorable for its colorful palette, imaginative bipedal beast enemies, and a spectacular Japanese-infused hard rock soundtrack. Few of you may have heard of the game, but it’s definitely worth a spin.

7 NINJA BASEBALL BAT MAN

Clearly the product of a drug-infused think tank, Ninja Baseball Bat Man is one of the most over-the-top brawlers ever invented, and a difficult game to play whilst sober!

The object of the game is to retrieve artifacts stolen from the Baseball Hall of Fame. Sounds rather mundane, until you pop a quarter in and experience the insane character designs, flashy backgrounds, and combo attacks. It’s fun to play, highly imaginative, and there’s nothing quite like it!

6 P.O.W. - PRISONERS OF WAR

If you’re a fan of 1980s martial arts flicks, then P.O.W. is right up your alley. It’s your typical escape-from-Vietnam story (we think) where you take control of a P.O.W. who busts his way out of confinement and proceeds to lay waste to his captors.

The game is memorable for its melodramatic impact sound effects and enemies blown right off the screen by heavy attacks. There’s a mixture of melee brawling and weapon-based attacks to spice up the gameplay, as well.

5 PRETTY SOLDIER SAILOR MOON

Gazelle’s 1995 release of Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon could easily be called Final Fight for girls, or at least anyone who enjoys the original manga. It’s faithful in both tone and style to the popular series, with a surprising attention to detail that is easily on par with more well-known brawlers.

The level designs are imaginative, and the enemies are varied enough to provide a challenge, but there was some criticism as to the game’s length. Nevertheless, it’s got enough anime design, fast-paced gameplay and gratuitous panty shots to satisfy even the most discerning manga lover!

4 SPIDER-MAN: THE VIDEO GAME

Marvel fans were more than pleased when Sega released Spider Man: The Video Game in 1991. Not only did it tap into the resurgent success Marvel was enjoying with its comic sales at the time, but it brought the genuine article to coin-op format that was plenty fun.

In the game, Spider-Man is joined by Black Cat, Hawkeye, and the Sub-Mariner to battle waves of enemies before confronting a number of supervillains such as Venom, Doc Ock and the Hobgoblin. This character set might seem a tad odd, but it varied up the gameplay by allowing players to choose from several vastly different attack styles.

3 TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

This one needs no introduction! The arcade version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was an immediate hit. Not only did it offer an insanely fun play experience, but it tied in so accurately to the hit cartoon series that fans couldn’t help but plunk the quarters in.

TMNT has it all, from sewer battles against mechanical mousers, to freeway combat against Foot Clan Helicopters, and major battles against all the show’s popular villains. Though the game would turn into a cheap-fest in later levels, it never lost its charm and attention to detail. No wonder this arcade hit is still such a hot commodity!

2 THE SIMPSONS

We’re not sure who thought up the idea of a Simpsons brawler, but we’re glad it happened! Similar to TMNT, The Simpsons arcade game brought the magic of the TV show to coin-op format, creating a four-player fighting experience that focused heavily on comic gags and references to the series.

Marge beats enemies over the head with her trusty vacuum cleaner, while Bart uses his skateboard, and Homer goes fisticuffs. Finally, we have Lisa utilizing her skipping rope to deal damage. The game takes players from Moe’s Tavern to the Springfield Nuclear Power Plant, and everywhere in between. It’s a refreshingly light-hearted take on the arcade brawler formula, and one we enjoyed immensely!

1 VENDETTA

This four-player brawler is highly reminiscent of Streets Of Rage, following essentially the same melee/weapon fighting combination. However, Vendetta precedes Streets Of Rage by a few months, so perhaps one influenced the other?

Either way, it’s a fun game, with imaginative level design, energetic gameplay and some bone-crushing combat options, such as attacking enemies while they’re down. It’s also one of the few games to get censored for scenes of sexual harassment against the player!

NEXT: Top 10 Most Difficult Kingdom Hearts Boss Fights