Beat ‘Em Up Collection (QUByte Classics) Impressions – Seven Retro Brawlers That Pull No Punches

Gameplay Footage

The gameplay video below was captured during a live stream on CheckpointVibes. Please be advised that CheckpointVibes is a 21+ channel and streams may contain strong language and other mature content.

Watch live at https://twitch.tv/checkpointvibes.

Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam)

Before diving into my thoughts, I’d like to extend a huge thank you to the developers and publisher for providing TheDailyGamePad.net with a complimentary review copy of Beat ‘Em Up Collection (QUByte Classics). Having the opportunity to experience these classic titles on stream and spend additional time with them for this impressions article has been greatly appreciated.

If you’re a fan of classic beat ’em ups that aren’t afraid to test your patience, then Beat ‘Em Up Collection (QUByte Classics) is likely going to catch your attention. Rather than focusing on one game, QUByte has assembled seven retro action titles that span everything from traditional side-scrolling brawlers to hack-and-slash adventures, all wrapped together with modern quality-of-life features.

After spending time with the collection both on and off stream, one thing became abundantly clear:

These games are hard.

And I don’t mean “modern Soulslike” difficult—I mean unapologetically old-school, quarter-eating arcade difficult.

Seven Games, Seven Different Experiences

The collection includes:

• First Samurai
• Second Samurai
• Gourmet Warriors
• Iron Commando
• Legend
• Water Margin: A Tale of Clouds and Wind
• Sword of Sodan

Rather than simply jumping into one title, I spent time sampling each game to get a feel for what they offered, with more extensive play sessions in Water Margin and Iron Commando during my livestreams.

Out of everything I’ve played so far, Water Margin: A Tale of Clouds and Wind quickly became one of my favorites.

The combat feels satisfying, the pacing is solid, and it captures that classic arcade beat ’em up feeling incredibly well. It’s challenging without immediately feeling overwhelming, and I found myself wanting to continue pushing forward after every defeat.

There’s one particular surprise tied to the game’s difficulty settings that I won’t spoil here because it’s something I think players should discover for themselves. I’ll simply say this:

Make sure you’re not playing on Easy Mode.

Trust me.

If you’re curious why, I’ll have my gameplay video linked alongside this article so you can see exactly what happened during my stream.

Another standout was Iron Commando.

Anyone who remembers Capcom’s The Punisher arcade game will immediately notice some similarities in its style and presentation. The action is fast, enemies hit hard, and every encounter feels like it demands your attention.

It still carries that brutal arcade difficulty these games were known for, but I genuinely enjoyed every minute I spent with it.

One feature I absolutely loved wasn’t even gameplay-related.

Every game includes a digital manual.

Growing up during the SNES and Genesis era, manuals were almost part of the experience. Before you ever inserted the cartridge, you’d sit down and read about the world, the characters, and the controls.

Seeing those manuals included again brought back a lot of nostalgia. They may be simple compared to the thick booklets we used to get, but it’s still a thoughtful addition that retro fans will appreciate.

While the games remain faithful to their original releases, QUByte has added several modern conveniences.

Players can:

• Save and load at any time
• Instantly rewind gameplay after making a mistake
• Choose different screen sizes
• Select multiple display backgrounds
• Apply CRT, scanline, smoothing, or pixel-perfect filters
• Customize visual presentation
• Access game manuals directly from the menu

The rewind feature especially stood out.

Instead of replaying an entire stage because of one mistimed jump or unlucky hit, you can simply rewind a few seconds and continue. It preserves the challenge while eliminating a lot of unnecessary frustration.

Every game also includes a cheats menu.

Depending on the title, players can enable things like:

• Infinite health
• Infinite lives
• Infinite weapons
• Infinite magic
• One-hit kills
• Level select
• Various game-specific options

Normally, I’m someone who likes playing games the way developers intended on my first run, but I wanted to see how the collection handled achievements with cheats enabled.

Interestingly, Steam achievements still unlocked while using the built-in cheat options.

Some players may prefer conquering these brutally difficult games legitimately, while others simply want to experience the history without repeatedly hitting a wall. I appreciate that QUByte leaves that decision entirely up to the player.

As with most retro compilations, not every title resonated with me equally.

My personal favorites were:

• Water Margin: A Tale of Clouds and Wind
• Iron Commando
• Gourmet Warriors
• Second Samurai
• Legend

These were the games I found myself wanting to continue playing after my initial impressions.

The two titles I connected with the least were First Samurai and Sword of Sodan.

First Samurai often left me confused about where to go next, while Sword of Sodan’s slower movement, awkward pacing, and lack of background music made it much harder for me to get invested.

That said, retro collections are incredibly subjective. One player’s least favorite might easily become someone else’s nostalgic classic.

Beat ‘Em Up Collection (QUByte Classics) isn’t trying to reinvent these games—it simply gives them a clean, accessible home on modern PCs while adding enough quality-of-life improvements to make them more enjoyable without sacrificing their identity.

The collection embraces what these games were: brutally difficult arcade-style experiences that reward patience, persistence, and plenty of retries.

At $19.99 USD on Steam, I think there’s a solid amount of value here, especially considering you’re getting seven classic titles along with save states, rewind functionality, visual customization options, manuals, and cheat support.

If you’re someone who grew up during the golden age of arcade brawlers, or you’re simply curious about some lesser-known classics that helped shape the genre alongside games like Final Fight and Streets of Rage, this collection is worth checking out.

It won’t pull its punches—but thankfully, QUByte gives you plenty of ways to fight back.