Beat 'em up

Beat 'em up (also known as brawler) is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and an improbably large number of underpowered enemies. 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. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, though some later games feature more open three-dimensional (3D) environments with yet larger numbers of enemies. These games are noted for their simple gameplay, a source of both critical acclaim and derision. Two-player cooperative gameplay and multiple player characters are also hallmarks of the genre.

The first influential beat 'em up was 1984's Kung-Fu Master, with 1986's Renegade introducing the urban settings and underworld revenge themes employed extensively by later games. The genre then saw a period of high popularity between the release of Double Dragon in 1987, which defined the two-player cooperative mode central to classic beat 'em ups, and 1991's Street Fighter II, which drew gamers towards one-on-one fighting games. Games such as Streets of Rage, Final Fight and Golden Axe are other classics to emerge from this period. The genre has been less popular since the emergence of 3D-based mass-market games, but still some beat 'em ups adapted the simple formula to utilize large-scale 3D environments.

Brawler (film)

Brawler is a 2011 American fight drama written and directed by Chris Sivertson. It stars Marc Senter and Nathan Grubbs as the Fontaine Brothers. Senter and Grubbs also produced the film through their company GFY Films. The film had its world premiere at the 2011 Fantasia Film Festival.

Plot

In New Orleans, the Fontaine family name echoes the streets within both the traditional boxing community and the illegal underground fight world. Charlie Fontaine's unflinching loyalty turns out to be both his greatest strength and his Achilles heel, while Bobby Fontaine's ambitions and shenanigans, driven by a dangerous amount of ego, turn destructive. Charlie suffers a permanent injury when called to battle to defend his little brother. While Charlie is forced to hang up his gloves, Bobby's guilt drags him to new lows. When Bobby finds himself drawn to Charlie's wife, an all-out war of brother vs brother ensues.

Cast