First side-scrolling beat-em-up

The first ever side-scrolling beat-emup was Kung-Fu Master, released in Japanese arcades in 1984. Laying down the template for the genre, Kung-Fu Master featured multiple enemies, five side-scrolling floors and a clichéd storyline that revolved around saving a girlfriend. The game was ported to numerous home computers and consoles, and has been cited as the inspiration for a number of other series in the beatem- up genre, including Final Fight and Streets of Rage. Featured in Guinness World Records Gamer''s Edition 2010