Play The Ripping Friends (E)(Patience) Online

I picked up The Ripping Friends for Game Boy Advance back in 2002, a side-scrolling beat 'em up published by TDK Mediactive. It was based on that weirdly muscular cartoon by the creator of Ren & Stimpy, and it fit right in with a lot of the licensed platformers and action games that were common on the GBA at the time.

You control one of four super-strong brothers, switching between them on the fly to punch, kick, and throw enemies across each stage. The main goal is to fight through waves of bizarre enemies, screen by screen, to eventually reach and defeat the level boss. Signature mechanics include picking up and hurling opponents, performing exaggerated super moves that clear the screen, and occasionally solving simple object-based puzzles to progress. The pacing is fast and chaotic, though the difficulty can spike unexpectedly during boss encounters. It feels like a silly, over-the-top brawler that doesn’t take itself seriously at all.