Summary
There are few names in the beat ‘em up genre as revered asStreets of Rage. Known as Bare Knuckle in Japan, this series of street brawlers arrived right in the middle of its genre golden age of the early 90’s and still managed to rise to the top of the pile.
With satisfying combat, excellent multiplayer, and some of gaming’s most thumping soundtracks, the Streets of Rage series has entertained generations of players. From the Sega Genesis to the Switch, these are the Streets of Rage games that prove why this series is often considered the king of brawlers.
6Streets of Rage (Master System / Game Gear)
A Decent 8-Bit Port Of The Original Game
While the original Streets of Rage games are synonymous with the Sega Genesis, the first two entries also received 8-bit ports to the Master System and Game Gear. Of these “demakes”, the 8-bit version of Streets of Rage is only worth revisiting today for novelty’s sake.
The Game Gear port especially suffers from not having Adam available as a playable character and featuring combat that feels very stilted and jarring. The Master System version fairs slightly better but is still lacking in almost every department compared to the much more well-known 16-bit game.
5Streets of Rage 3
A Misjudged Conclusion To The Original Trilogy
The Streets of Rage trilogy ended on a slightly weird note with the third game; with a bigger focus on the game’s narrative and the introduction of several new characters, Streets of Rage 3 lost some of the pick-up-and-play appeal that made the first two games so accessible. But the biggest thing holding you back from truly enjoying Streets of Rage 3 is its difficulty.
For some reason, the “Normal” mode of the Western version of this game is more challenging than the “Hard” mode in the Japanese version. Despite its punishing difficulty, Streets of Rage 3 still contains the slick combat and stylish levels that made the series so endearing – it just doesn’t execute its ambition nearly as well as the first two games.
4Streets of Rage 2 (Master System / Game Gear)
Never Underestimate The Power Of A Good Demake
Streets of Rage 2 for the Master System and Game Gear may be one of thegreatest demakes of all time; yes, both versions omit Max Thunder as a playable character, but they make up for it by staying surprisingly faithful to several other qualities of the superior Genesis game. The combat feels smooth with many of the special moves and grappling combos making the transition over to these ports, and the bright colours and terrific music that made Streets of Rage 2 so endearing hold up well in this 8-bit adaptation.
As a result, Streets of Rage 2 has the rare distinction of being one of the few games that can make a genuine claim to being the best beat’em-up experience across three different systems. And keep in mind, as great as the Master System and Game Gear versions are, they are still definitely inferior to the main game.
3Streets of Rage
The Start Of Something Beautiful (And Brutal)
Streets of Rage was Sega’s answer to the gritty street brawlers that were dominating the arcade and home console scene at the time – think Double Dragon or Final Fight. The amazing thing about the first Streets of Rage was that it immediately established its own identity amidst the crowded market that it entered.
The story of three police officers trying to take back a corrupt city from an evil crime syndicate through sheer force is too juicy to resist and has set the backdrop of many highly entertaining gaming sessions since 1991. It is worth mentioning that Streets of Rage also received a slightly enhanced Sega CD port, although this version’s improvements are largely only audio-based with less crunchy sound effects and slightly cleaner music.
2Streets of Rage 4
Return Of The King
It would take twenty-six long years after the release of Streets of Rage 3 before a new game in the series would launch, but it was one hundred percent worth the wait. Streets of Rage 4 is a love letter to everything that made the series so special, while simultaneously blasting thebeat ‘em up genre into the modern era.
The team at Dotemu did a tremendous job capturing the same flair that made these games so beloved in the first place, while infusing Streets of Rage 4 with a gorgeous hyper-realistic art style and the series’ most advanced combat system to date. Throw in a ton of nostalgic fanfare for the past games, and Streets of Rage 4 is simply the gold standard for how to resurrect classic names from the genre’s storied history.
1Street of Rage 2
Still The Toughest Kid On The Block
Even after all these years, Streets of Rage 2 remains on top. While it lacks all the modern bells and whistles of Streets of Rage 4, this second game was such a major step up from the already excellent original that its legacy as one of thegreatest beat ‘em ups of all timehas been well and truly earned.
Combat that is equal parts deep and accessible, Yuzo Koshiro’s best-ever work as a composer, and some truly memorable stages (in particular, the amusement park and baseball stadium stages) all work together to create an experience that always brings a smile to your face. Though other games have tried, Streets of Rage 2 is still the best the series has to offer.
