Game review: RUSHING BEAT X: Return Of Brawl Brothers (Switch 2)
Video game technology was in its infancy in the late '80s and '90s because those consoles weren't able to create 3D games. Due to the lack of 3D games, most games were 2D beat-em-ups.
Many of the most famous 2D beat-em-up games were released during this golden era of gaming. Some of the big ones I played included the likes of Double Dragon, Final Fight, and Streets of Rage.
The games I did not play were Rival Turf, Brawl Brothers, and The Peace Keepers. All these games are part of the same trilogy, and all of them were released in the '90s. Over 30 years later, we get a fourth game in the series called RUSHING BEAT X: Return of Brawl Brothers.
Despite being a new game in the series released in 2026, RUSHING BEAT X: Return of Brawl Brothers still has the look and feel of a '90s beat-em-up classic. This is because it has 2D cel-shaded graphics, and the gameplay is pretty simple by design. Your goal is to travel to the right side of the screen and beat up everyone you see along the way!
The story of RUSHING BEAT X: Return of Brawl Brothers follows up from the original trilogy and even includes screenshots from the '90s game to tell newcomers what is going on. From what I gather, a mad scientist is avenging the death of his brother and has created the Zeekus Virus to turn people into zombies and clones.
In order to stop this mad scientist, a team of brawlers team up to save the world. At the start of the game, only Rick and Kahlua are playable. As you progress further into the game, more characters become available for you to use.
These other characters are Lord J, Kazan, Douglas, and Wendy. My brother really loved playing as Kazan because he's a green ninja. My favourite character, though, has to be Wendy because she is a professional wrestler and has lots of cool wrestling moves.
A seventh character is unlocked when you finish the entire game. I won't spoil who this character is, but they are pretty cool to use if you want to replay the game all over again.
Much like many other beat-em-up games, you don't have to learn Tekken-style combos or complicated button combinations to learn the moves. If you are playing on Switch 2, the A button can be held down, and this is each character's basic combo.
If you approach an enemy directly, your character will grab them, and this can initiate a throw. The cool thing about throws is that you can control the direction you want to dispose of an enemy. It's so satisfying chucking enemies at a wall and seeing them get knocked out.
The X button executes your character's special attack, and ZR initiates their Beat Rush/Beat Blow move. This is pretty much their finishing move, and I suggest you save it when you are against a boss or group of enemies.
Apart from the characters' own fists and feet, they can also attack using many weapons that are found in the levels. Some of the weapons that show up include rocket launchers, rifles, grenades, swords, and much more.
The only disappointing thing about weapons is that you can only use them for a limited time. Much like finishing moves, it's best to use weapons if you are surrounded by a ton of baddies. This is because weapons can deal more damage than normal moves.
Another cool thing about RUSHING BEAT X: Return of Brawl Brothers is its health system. Whenever you see any food that is on the ground, you can press ZL to replenish your health. One food item only replenishes a small amount of health, but eating a food combo replenishes your full health bar.
You can also find money in the level that you can spend on more weapons or food combos. However, food and weapons were kind of expensive in the game, so I just opted to find food that was hidden inside barrels most of the time instead.
While I enjoyed the nine levels that were included in this game, there were some flaws I had during my playthrough. For one thing, the game recycles a ton of baddies and boss fights lots of times. There's a maid character named Juliet you encounter, and she's the most recurring boss in the entire game.
Not to mention, the final boss is annoying because you have to avoid lots of his lasers before you can exploit his weak spots. Lasers are the most frustrating hazard in this game, and I hated going through them every time I saw them!
Despite having some flaws, RUSHING BEAT X: Return of Brawl Brothers is still a fun beat-em-up. The game is okay to play by yourself, but the co-op mode made this game even more enjoyable. If you're a fan of 2D beat-em-ups, try and give this game a go.
Verdict: 8.0/10