Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-’Em-Ups

by Bitmap Books

Get ready for the fight of your life in Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-’Em-Ups. Written by award-winning author Dave Cook, and opening with a foreword by legendary Double Dragon creator, Yoshihisa Kishimoto, this odyssey through bare-knuckle nostalgia features over 200 games spanning 37 years, starting with Irem’s 1984 arcade mash, Kung-Fu Master, continuing through the genre’s ‘90s heyday, and finishing with indie brawlers such as Mother Russia Bleeds and Streets of Rage 4.

At over 450 pages, Go Straight takes a deep dive into familiar beat-’em-up legends like Double Dragon, Golden Axe, Final Fight and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as delving into the more obscure brawlers you just have to try, like Denjin Makai, Shadow Force and Gaia Crusaders. As well as reviewing each game, Go Straight features hints, tips and guides to levels and enemies. The book is packed full of screenshots, sprites and level maps, all lovingly curated and presented to our usual high standards.

Go Straight is printed lithographically to the highest standards. This ensures that the colours in the book are really vibrant and that the pages have a high-quality, luxurious feel to them. As standard, each book is offered in hardback with a spot-varnished fascia featuring artwork by artist Jorge M. Velez.

If you have fond memories of playing side-scrolling beat-’em-ups at home on the couch or in noisy arcades, or if you’re excited by the genre and jumping in for the first time, Go Straight is the perfect guide for you.

Genres: Gaming, Video Games, Nonfiction, Games

456 pages, Hardcover

Published February 25, 2022

Reviews

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go Straight isn't the first Bitmap Books release I've read, and it certainly won't be the last. True to their history, this is a fantastic journey into the storied history of this particular game genre. From well-known classics like Streets of Rage and Double Dragon, to obscure titles I'd never heard of before, like the Denjin Makai series, or Jitsu Squad, this is a fascinating exploration of the good, the bad, the weird, and everything in between that the beat 'em up genre has to offer. Whether you're a longtime fan of these games, or you're just wondering what's so compelling about beating up countless identical street thugs with the same, oddly-translated name, there's a ton of fun, informative content to be found here. It's an easy recommendation if you have even a passing interest in the genre.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the numerous typos and the inconsistent quality of the reviews, this is an absolutely gorgeous book that covers the entirety of the video game genre that is lovingly referred to as the "side-scrolling beat 'em up". All of my favorite games from the genre were covered and I learned about a lot of classic titles that I had never heard of before and now want to try out.

Quality books that cover video game history are hard to come by, which is why I was thrilled to find out about Bitmap Books and all of the fantastic books that they have put out. I am sold on the brand and will be checking out as many of their works as I can.

[Oliver Bateman · Rating 5 out of 5]

another beautifully designed Bitmap Books offering. The roster of games here is smaller, and Dave Cook's prose is merely workmanlike but it's still going to be the best and most fully-realized tribute to a genre that peaked in the late 80s/early 90s (some truly splendid examples of pixel art from that era, most by Capcom) and exists now primarily as quality nostalgia fuel. In Cook's defense, he had a ton of pages to cover by himself, it's unlikely these labors of love can afford much editing, and he does have a clear POV in regard to what he wants/doesn't want in a side-scrolling figther. Recommended as a toilet read you can flip through over a period of several months.

[Adan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took me nearly two years to finish reading, but that’s just because I’m a very slow reader.

Ive never been a huge beat-‘em-up fan (except for River City Girls, Scott Pilgrim, and TMNT 2 and 4; those games are amazeballs), but I absolutely adored reading through all these other games. I’ve even tried some of them since and mostly enjoyed myself. I’ve even added a few to my collection upon reading about them here (and many more to my wishlist).

I love these Bitmap Books that focus on a specific video game genres because I end up learning so much.

[Federico Lucifredi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not my favorite, and so much more for that reason an amazing trip through the history of the genre. Beautifully illustrated and manically detailed.

[Diego · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love letter to beat 'n ups from the last 40 years.