Rushing Beat (series)
Encyclopedia
is a trilogy of beat 'em up
video games released by Jaleco
for the Super Famicom
. Although all three games were released outside of Japan
, localization resulted in various changes to the games' storylines and gameplay
. While all three titles were released under the Rushing Beat name in Japan, localized versions used three distinct titles and changed storylines and character names. In the Japanese versions, the storyline mainly revolves around two heroes, Rick Norton and Douglas Bild. The original English
title refers to a rushing attack and the fact that Norton (a plainclothes detective) and Bild (a uniformed officer) are police officers working a beat. According to the Japanese storyline, the game locale's name is "Neo-Cisco", a futuristic San Francisco, California
.
es, kick
s and various weapons collected throughout the course of the game. Like other games in the genre, a powerful special attack can also be launched, at the cost of some of the player's health. Later games in the series added additional super attacks that could be performed using various button/directional combinations. One the main features of the series is the "Angry" (Original Japanese: "Ikari") mode where the character, after taking enough damage, becomes temporarily invincible and has more powerful throws. The games have also featured versus modes, in which up to four players (in the third game) can battle each other.
, but Western versions omitted the game's introduction scene and changed the names of the game's protagonists from "Rick Norton" and "Douglas Bild" to "Jack Flak" and "Oozie Nelson" respectively.
The second game in the series is Rushing Beat Ran. The game retained the playable characters from the first game in the series and added several other playable characters. The game was released in Western markets as Brawl Brothers
. Norton and Bild's names were again changed, this time to "Hack" and "Slash". The Japanese version is playable in Brawl Brothers through the use of a cheat code.
The third and final game in the series is Rushing Beat Shura. The game included new player character
s, branching story paths, new special moves and several different endings. Rick Norton is available as a secret character
while Douglas Bild only makes a hidden cameo appearance
. The game was released outside of Japan as The Peace Keepers, with various changes and omissions affecting the game's storyline, gameplay and soundtrack
.
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
video games released by Jaleco
Jaleco
is a Japanese video game publisher and developer established in 2006.The original Jaleco Ltd was founded in 1974. In 2006, it decided to become a pure holding company by renaming itself Jaleco Holding and splitting its video game operations into a newly created subsdiary that took its former name...
for the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. Although all three games were released outside of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, localization resulted in various changes to the games' storylines and gameplay
Gameplay
Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and player's connection with it...
. While all three titles were released under the Rushing Beat name in Japan, localized versions used three distinct titles and changed storylines and character names. In the Japanese versions, the storyline mainly revolves around two heroes, Rick Norton and Douglas Bild. The original English
Gairaigo
Gairaigo is Japanese for "loan word" or "borrowed word", and indicates a transliteration into Japanese. In particular, the word usually refers to a Japanese word of foreign origin that was not borrowed from Chinese, primarily from English. Japanese also has a large number of loan words from...
title refers to a rushing attack and the fact that Norton (a plainclothes detective) and Bild (a uniformed officer) are police officers working a beat. According to the Japanese storyline, the game locale's name is "Neo-Cisco", a futuristic San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
.
Gameplay
The games plays like a typical beat'em up, with both jump and attack buttons. The attack button allows players to use a standing combination of attacks, as well as jumping attacks, holds and throws. Each game features a one or two player mode, in which the player must defeat a plethora of enemies using punchPunch (strike)
A punch is a striking blow with the fist. It is the most commonly used attack in hand to hand combat. It is used in some martial arts and combat sports, most notably boxing where it is the only type of technique allowed...
es, kick
Kick
In combat sports and hand-to-hand combat, a kick is a physical strike using the foot, leg, or knee . This type of attack is used frequently, especially in stand-up fighting...
s and various weapons collected throughout the course of the game. Like other games in the genre, a powerful special attack can also be launched, at the cost of some of the player's health. Later games in the series added additional super attacks that could be performed using various button/directional combinations. One the main features of the series is the "Angry" (Original Japanese: "Ikari") mode where the character, after taking enough damage, becomes temporarily invincible and has more powerful throws. The games have also featured versus modes, in which up to four players (in the third game) can battle each other.
Games
Rushing Beat is the first entry to the series. The game was released outside of Japan as Rival Turf!Rival Turf!
Rival Turf!, released in Japan as , is a video game that was released by Jaleco in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and later on the Wii Virtual Console in the PAL region on October 8, 2010, in Japan on 7, December 2010 and in North America on May 2, 2011...
, but Western versions omitted the game's introduction scene and changed the names of the game's protagonists from "Rick Norton" and "Douglas Bild" to "Jack Flak" and "Oozie Nelson" respectively.
The second game in the series is Rushing Beat Ran. The game retained the playable characters from the first game in the series and added several other playable characters. The game was released in Western markets as Brawl Brothers
Brawl Brothers
Brawl Brothers, known in Japan as , is a side-scrolling beat 'em up game made by Jaleco in 1992 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System....
. Norton and Bild's names were again changed, this time to "Hack" and "Slash". The Japanese version is playable in Brawl Brothers through the use of a cheat code.
The third and final game in the series is Rushing Beat Shura. The game included new player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s, branching story paths, new special moves and several different endings. Rick Norton is available as a secret character
Secret character
A secret character can be a player character or a non-player character in a video game that must be unlocked by completing a goal within the game...
while Douglas Bild only makes a hidden cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
. The game was released outside of Japan as The Peace Keepers, with various changes and omissions affecting the game's storyline, gameplay and soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
.
| Japanese title | American title |
|---|---|
| Rushing Beat (1992) | Rival Turf! (1992) |
| Rushing Beat Ran — Fukusei Toshi (1992) | Brawl Brothers (1993) |
| Rushing Beat Shura (1993) | The Peace Keepers (1994) |