Streets of Rage 2

A stark improvement over the first game with their being a lot of quality of life improvements that make the game feel more like the true precursor to what the whole genre would evolve from. The improved combat and spritework make for some really satisfying gameplay moments and an overall more memorable experience. The updated super moves was my favorite addition as they create added depth to each encounter where you must consider if you want to use a bit of your health to land powerful attacks. I can't forget just how awesome the soundtrack is with there being plenty of tracks that have snuck their way into my music rotation.

The game is still not perfect, especially when it comes to the difficulty curve, but nevertheless this is one of those games that is so emblematic of the era it was released it that I had a blast going back to it. Definitely give it a shot if you are a fan of the genre.

One of the very best Sega Genesis games, not just on its own merits, but in how it embodies the console's identity and what sorts of experiences could have been expected of it. The gameplay strikes an arcadey balance of simplicity and engagement, and beyond that, frequently finds interesting environments and set pieces for the player to engage with. There isn't much more to it than that; this is a sensory experiences, albeit one for the ages.

I remember playing this game on an emulated PS2 I had, I remember I was starting to get into emulators at this time and my friend and me modded a PS2 with a memory card that had emulators for old systems like NES, SNES, and Genesis. I remember there was another friend who saw Streets of Rage 2 as one of the games and said he remembered playing it as a kid and liked it a lot. So on weekends while our other friends talked we would play Streets of Rage 2 together during the final 2 or so months of my Freshman year in college. It was a competent enough beat em up and is pretty fun to play with friends. Yeah its pretty short, gets repetitive, and doesn't have much variety, but then again I think that's more or less due to the time period where beat em ups were still evolving and weren't quite able to have much content. It still is memorable has a decent variety of characters you can play as, and is a fun game to play with a friend.

Year: 1992
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Console Played: Sega Mega Drive

Such a classic. Whilst it may not be the most original gaming concept ever (see Final Fight), it won our hearts by being instantly cooler, more fun and more memorable. Sometimes style does win over substance and this is a prime example. Everything about this game melts my heart, and I still love playing this game now, perhaps even more so than the hours of my life I dedicated to it when I was in primary school and I knew not of 3D storyline driven games. Of the 3 Streets of Rage games, why does this one stand out as the most beloved in the hearts of most gamers. SOR is equally as entertaining, but it's a little slower and drabber, and SORIII, well I didn't even know there was one until the Sega Mega Drive Collection was released on PS3.

Streets of Rage is such a fluid game to play. The controls and character movement is just perfect and so easy to get to grips with. The difficulty curve strikes the right balance between progressive learning and pure frustration. Every time you play you get a little bit better and a step closer to completing the game, yet it can still drive you to the brink of insanity. The retro chiptune dance music is amongst the coolest sounds to ever grace a video game. And the characters are so loveable. Blaze and Axel were already too cool for school, but the addition of Skate (or Sammy) just seals the deal. The level designs, the enemies, the bosses, all just little details that just ice this beautiful cake. From a technical perspective, perhaps it shouldn't be anything special. But it just struck a chord with so many gamers. Definitive 90s gaming, and if you play it now the nostalgia factor gives it an extra edge and charm. I fail to see a part in my life where I will put on this game and not want to play it for hours, until we win!

2d beat em ups are a genre i find very limited for a number of ways. That genre nitpicking aside, Streets of Rage 2 is very likely the peak of the genre before the advent of indie game development. What makes the game so good is really the huge amount of combos and moves you can pull off in it, and if you have a partner you can perform some teamwork moves. Apart from this, the game is very standard to the cliches of the genre, except of a very high quality. The sprites look ripped out straight from Street Fighter 2, they are that good in terms of animation. You can pick food to heal, and weapons to give you an edge in battle. The bosses are annoying because of their health pools, but once you know their patterns they are not that hard.

Its a short game, particularly if you play with save states or something of the like. Obvioulsly its much better in coop, and the friendly fire makes things even more funny. That said, playing Streets of Rage 2 is a bit redundant when there is a thing called Streets of Rage remake, which is a fan made mode with stages from all the series entries as well as characters. And to top it off its free.

Even better than the first, as I expected. Better graphics, smoother combat, and one of the greatest soundtracks of all-time. What really makes this an improvement over the first is the dash-punch move that adds depth and strategy. The wacky stages give the game character, despite being utterly stupid (a pirate ship in an arcade? an alien hive?)