Okay, I admit it. I'll play pretty much any arcade beat 'em up. Even if it's not a very good game, I can usually find some enjoyment out of 'em. Plus they typically take less than one hour to complete and if you're playing on a retro collection (or MAME), you can generally have unlimited credits to guarantee a path to victory. That being said, there are clearly good beat 'em ups and there are not-so-good beat 'em ups....the latter of which is where 64th Street: A Detective Story finds itself.

This game was originally released in 1991 and it's about the most by-the-numbers beat 'em up you can find. You punch, kick, and jump your way through various levels and fight countless enemies until the game ends. I know I basically just described every beat 'em up ever, but usually they have something that separates them, be it the theme, special moves, etc. This game just feels incredibly bland.

It might not be doing anything special, but 64th Street does still provide some enjoyment...in a frantic, button-mashing kinda way. The levels are again fairly standard and feature some of the typical beat 'em up locations like alleys, warehouses, trains, etc. I will say that some of the enemy designs are, umm...interesting. Although it's similar in tone to Final Fight, there's a random pirate enemy, complete with an eye patch, hook for a hand, and a peg leg. Another enemy looks awfully similar to The Ultimate Warrior from the '80s / 90s WWF.

Eh, that's about all I have to say on this one. It's a completely forgettable game that will provide a moderate level of enjoyment, but I'd only recommend to die hard beat 'em up fans.

Played On: Evercade (Arcade version)
Completion Date: 2/7/23
Time: 43 minutes
Rating: 4/10