Streets of Rage 2

9

The best best em up of the generation and like its predecessor, this one just oozes cool. As far as music and atmosphere go, I like the first one even better, but the depth and movesets of this game just give it such replay-ability and nuance. I’m still mad they did my boy Adam wrong and replaced him with a weak dude on skates, but this is still one of my favorite games on the Genesis and one of the best of the gen.

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!

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?)