Super Double Dragon
It wouldn’t be a proper list of cool hand to hand mechanics without some kind of properly retro beat ’em up making an appearance. Double Dragon was one of the most loved brawler series on the NES, but it was in Super Double Dragon that the formula really took a boost. The extra special moves and different attack animations for the two playable characters made Super Double Dragon one of the few games that truly earned the “super” prefix.
Super Smash Bros. Melee
The Super Smash Bros series has always attracted players with its varied roster of classic Nintendo characters, but its simple and satisfying combat mechanics are what keeps players coming back time and time again. In terms of sheer intensity, Melee had you covered with its awesome charge attacks. Every character had a chargeable standard attack, and they all felt awesome to unleash on your unsuspecting foes.
Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Conspiracy
Okay, so the game had some issues, but few titles recreate that awesome moment in the Bourne Identity where Jason Bourne stabs a guy through the hand with a pen. Maybe it’s rather premature to base a game’s hand to hand mechanics solely on one awesome scene, but everyone wants to be that much of a bad ass. You can deny it all you want, but we all thought it was awesome when we watched that movie. All of the take-down manoeuvres in the Bourne Conspiracy were pretty cool when it came down to it, making it a game that made up for a lack of substance with a serious dose of style.
Tekken 3
People hold the games they grew up with close to their hearts, and Tekken 3 is one of those games that nearly everyone of a certain generation seemed to grow up with. It really was one of the best fighting games of the time, with it’s cool characters, massive depth and satisfying combos. It all made for a satisfying brawler that few can forget.
