There was a time when playground arguments didn't revolve around resolutions, framerates or what PewDiePie's favourite toast topping is. In the early '90s it was simple; which is the best: Final Fight or Streets of Rage? Final Fight was, for a time, exclusive to Nintendo and jealous Mega Drive owners glared with envy at their smug SNES-owning friends. This smugness was short lived; shortly afterwards Sega answered back with the original Streets of Rage and thus the classroom war began. Whatever your preference was back in the day, there's no denying that Sega did a decent job at imitating what made Final Fight so appealing. They even went a step further by including a simultaneous two player mode, which the SNES version of Final Fight was notably lacking.
It was a fantastic first entry for the franchise, but little over a year later Sega smashed it out the park once again with a hugely improved sequel. Now available to download from the Nintendo 3DS eShop, 3D Streets of Rage 2 is the latest title to join Sega's 3D Classics range, with development duties once again handled by M2.
In a nutshell, Streets of Rage 2 is a fairly typical side-scrolling beat-'em-up set across eight unique stages. These include dark neon sign-filled streets, ominous looking industrial complexes and even a romp through an amusement park filled with pirate ships and other rides. Occupying these stages are countless waves of bad guys impeding the vigilante quest to rescue your kidnapped buddy, Adam Hunter (from the first Streets of Rage). Adam is being held captive by the mysterious 'Mr. X' so it's down to Axel and Blaze - both returning from the original - to team up with new characters Skate (Adam's brother) and hulking wrestler Max. All four characters have their own unique move-sets and statistics; Max is the typical huge brawler type: slow and powerful, whereas Axel is the all-rounder, Skate is quick yet weak and Blaze sits somewhere in-between.
Three buttons are used to dish out your virtual justice: jump, attack and special. Various combinations of these buttons and/or directional inputs enable a diverse selection of moves with which to tackle most situations effectively. These include reverse attacks and grab moves, plus there's a strong emphasis on utilising combo attacks which should be learned if you want to be successful in your quest.
Each character is also equipped with a set of unique special moves. In the original Streets of Rage, all special attacks were roughly identical: call on a police car to blast the area clear. This suspiciously familiar enforcement vehicle (ESWAT anyone?) is now absent and is replaced by dragon punches, shoulder barges and more. While these new character-specific moves are super-powerful, they should be activated sparingly; every use consumes a part of your life bar. However, there are other 'minor' special moves - such as Axel's iconic Grand Upper - which don't consume life but require more complex button combinations to execute.
If you do happen to find yourself low on precious energy, simply eat some of the apples that are conveniently lying around on the floor or search for whole-cooked chickens inside garbage bins - mmm, delicious. Aside from these useful energy refills, there's a nice variety of weaponry to pick up including knives, drainpipes and super-sharp swords. All of these helpful items will give you an edge over your foes, but bear in mind many of your enemies carry weapons of their own, too.
Sega dramatically upped the ante with Streets of Rage 2; the variety in the enemies spread throughout is much improved. Don't be surprised to be punching robots, taking out Thai boxers or fly-kicking punks from motorcycles. It's an eclectic mix but that somehow works. As is the norm, each stage also has its own unique boss battle, too.
In terms of visuals, the Nintendo 3DS pulls off 3D Streets of Rage 2 with aplomb, with brightly popping colours presented in wonderfully sharp resolution. We'd go as far as to say this is the absolute best that these particular Streets have ever looked. The beautiful visuals similarly look astounding with the stereoscopic 3D switched on; the depth and foreground elements have been masterfully handled; Streets of Rage 2 is one of the best implementations of 3D visuals we've seen yet. For video game joyriders there's also a handy stage select that enables a jump straight into any of the eight stages instantly. This makes it easy to take in the visual feast on offer if you're struggling to make it through to the end.
As well as the implementation of 3D, M2 have once again chucked in a few additional modes. First of these is Rage Relay Mode which allows you to select all four characters from the beginning along with the order you want to use them in. If you lose a life, simply swap to the next character in the line. It's an interesting way to experience every character's different strategies and move-sets in a single play. For players who are finding the going too tough, there's a selectable 'casual mode'. When this mode is active, enemies are knocked-out simply by hitting them to ground. This means you can effectively take out any bosses with a single flying kick. If you'd like to further water down the experience, upon your first completion 'Fists of Death' mode is unlocked (making a return from 3D Streets of Rage). With this activated, a single punch is all you need to KO any enemy, Fist of the North Star-style. It's kind of hilarious, but also takes away the soul of the game a little.
Simultaneous two player fun can be had over a local connection (both players must have the game) but it's well worth the effort as the execution is flawless. Silky smooth and awesome fun, we recommend whole heartedly that you try this out if you can. The single screen player vs player 'duel mode' on the other hand is not really worth bothering with.
As for other features, it's cool being able to swap between the International and Japanese versions of the game, if only to see the title screen change to Bare Knuckle 2. There's the now standard screen option for emulating an old CRT look and feel, plus the ability to save a full replay of your play-through. Sneaky old M2 has also infiltrated the game credits with some hilarious skits; make sure to check them out if only for the WTF moments. You'll see what we mean, trust us.
Finally, what review would be worth its salt if it didn't mention Yuzo Koshiro's (with some compositions by Motohiro Kawashima) famous soundtrack? Catchy techno-synth-beats and punchy sound effects perfectly compliment the action; it's an incredible demonstration of the power of the Mega Drive sound chip when utilised properly. Do yourself a favour and ensure you have the volume up high when playing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, 3D Streets of Rage 2 is a masterclass in its genre. In its day it was one of the most accomplished and fully featured beat-'em-ups available, with great game balance and spot-on pacing. More than twenty years later it's still a joy to pick up and play; even more so with M2's excellent additions. If you're reliving your youth, you'll find this is one game where rose-tinted spectacles haven't pulled the wool over your eyes. It is as good as you remember. If you're coming at this fresh, we envy you; enjoy every second. Streets of Rage 2 is back with a vengeance and it's thoroughly deserving of your time. A true classic.
Comments 59
Nice.
Thankyou M2 for releasing these lovely classics with 3D for the 3DS, hope you release many more Mega Drive classics on the 3DS!
Dat Soundtrack! 😀
Downloaded, definitely spent a long time playing this back then... Even though I was probably, 5 or 6 at the time...
I'll be purchasing this later on after I have finished work.
I was always TERRIBLE at this game back in the day so maybe I should be even MORE terrible at it today
After games like this on 3DS I almost can't ask for more. It's 3D Genesis on the go, it's what the Sega Nomad could only dream of offering!
Instant buy and loving it... even though 2 features more diversity in environments and much better graphics some reason I still prefer the first SoR... perhaps it's the music. Am I the only one?
10/10 for me, the pinnacle of the genre
Now give us Bare Knuckle 3 Capcom! Also Axel for Smash!
One of my favorite games. I played this so much with 2 of my cousins way back, and then some with my friends through the decades. Many more to come for sure. .
I loved this game... my son has a 2DS I'd love to see what he makes of it, but I feel like it'd be a waste of time missing out on the 3D? Any advice?
It's a brilliant game, but I don't know if this is worth double-dipping just for the 3D, though. I never had much trouble beating the game even alone, so most of those extras don't really appeal to me, plus the original version already includes some fun extras via cheat codes.
@MJKOP If you have a Wii or Wii U, just buy the original game on the Virtual Console. That way, you'll get to play it on a big screen with built-in co-op multiplayer.
I played through the first one with my younger brother a couple of times when I was a kid, but I've never tried the second one. This sounds really appealing, but to me, SoR is best enjoyed in co-op with both players sitting side by side, sharing a screen. And I don't own a Wii U, so no dice there.
Glad @ThomasBW84 didn't get this review. His bias might of clouded his judgment and the review much of been twice as long.
I will pick this up this weekend as it will only be the second Sega classic I own. I'm slowly becoming a fan but it still may take a while.
This is definitely a 10/10 but 9 is good too! Thank u M2 for bringing my childhood to the palm of my hand! Classic game! Keep up the good work and if u can give us Streets of rage 3 and more that would be great! Now time to hunt down Mr. X! 😏
Quite simply, it's my all time favourite game. Have already spent all morning playing through with each character. I could complete this game a hundred times and still not tire of it. In fact I probably have done.
Love this game. Such a huge improvement over the original in every way.
Gonna download in a sec...I can't wait any longer.
Can it save multiple playthroughs? Just wondering. And do any other of Sega's 3D Classics let you do this? I may just pick this up later today.
This review is wrong its a CLEAR 10/10, in reality there is a fairly big difference between a 9/10 & a 10/10 and i dont know of anyone who sessioned this that would say it aint a 10, of course there's plenty of internet wingnuts that would say otherwise.
10/10, my favorite beat em up ever and this version is flawless.
This is one of the best games ever created! and M2 managed to make it even better!
best beat-them-up, that's it! I cannot think of another better beat-them-up game.
Streets of Rage 2 is just perfect. It is one of the few games I never get tired of playing. I hope this keeps this ball rolling for even more awesome Sega 3D classics, like Shining Force.
@davidevoid the First Streets of rage FEELS better then the second one ( the entire theme park level is a bit... out of place) but overall streets of rage 2 builds upon the great foundation layed down by it's predecessor..
Personally this one plays a lot better but the original has a better opening sequel and i love how they both ooze 90's action cheese. ok things oozing cheese sounds wrong unless it's food. but you get my point
I was wondering how the cheat code would work on here since you need a second controller for it to work and I only have 1 3DS. Smart of Sega/M2 to go ahead and just have it on there from the get go.
@Spaltburst
You meant Sega right?
Always preferred Nintendo systems, but I LOVED playing SoR2 on my friend's Genesis
Is it me, or does Axel look suspiciously like Cody?
God bless M2 for including all region versions in one release. Blaze's panty shot, long hidden from the west because WON'T SOMEONE PLEASE THINK OF THE CHILDREN, is gloriously present and zero apologies are made for it.
It's interesting, then, how this comes shortly after the censored, Poison-less US version of Final Fight One was once again foisted upon western players; with no option for us to make up our own minds as grown adults with what we want to see in our 2D beat em ups, and say so through our wallets. Even almost 30 years later, Sega is still cooler than Nintendo.
Picked this up yesterday and played local co-op with a friend. On our first run, we started noticing hiccups and lag at stage 3, eventually causing a communication error at stage 5, disconnecting our session. Our 2nd run we played through to the ending, but again, not without several moments of lag, dipping low into the single digits for frame rate. Aside from the local co-op issues (We used an original 3DS and a 3DS XL) the game is fantastic, and the relay mode is really neat.
@davidevoid first one is my favorite of all three. Best OST in the series.
facepalm It's not "Grand Upper", Axel says " Bare Knuckle!". Listen closely, it's said in a thick asian accent and covered in low quality sampling so it sounds like "Bao Knuckaw!" But it is not Grand Upper. It makes way more sense for him to be saying Bare Knuckle since that's the title of the Japanese version. Plus in the western version of Streets of Rage 3, English speakers were used in localization to do the voices, and you can clearly hear Axel say Bare Knuckle in that. It's Bare Knuckle, not Grand Upper.
I missed out on Streets of Rage 2 when it was knew, but I've played it since. I agree that it's an excellent beat-em-up game among the best of the genre, most of which never made it out of the arcades. It was a rare thing then for a sequel to be four times the size of the previous game, as SoR2 is 16 megabits compared to the original at four. They certainly put all that extra space to good use. I really like seeing what M2 does with these releases.
3D Streets of Rage 2 is a fantastic remaster of one of my favorite Genesis games. More varied than the original in every way, be it from the main cast, expanded movesets and specials, the enemies and bosses, and even the stages. Not only does it look amazing, you still have that awesome Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack (with some great tracks from Motohiro Kawashima) blaring through the speakers. Besides M2’s usual options and new modes, their credits sequence is hilarious. No matter how many times, I’ll never get tired from playing this classic. Well done M2!
m2 4 life son
Another great 3d Classic from Sega!
BASED M2
After Gunstar Heroes and Sonic 2, that will be 8 Megadrive and 8 Arcades. I wonder what M2 are thinking for the next wave?
I am hoping Power Drift, Super Monaco GP Arcade, Golden Axe, will be next, or maybe start the AM2/AM3 Arcades
@davidevoid No, I prefer the original. To be honest, I always buy SOR2 and I never really end up liking it. The bigger sprites just look too chunky to me, and I am not fond of stages like the baseball diamond/elevator and the aliens. I'll buy this one to support Sega 3D and M2. Maybe I'll finally see what the big deal is.
On the other hand, I still remember buying SOR the day it came out and getting no sleep that night. I basically went from NES Double Dragon to that, so it was a revelation.
@MrPuzzlez Bizzaro Cody!
9/10... Only because a 10/10 would be Turtles in Time / Hyperstone Heist 3D.
This release is another joy from M2. They treat classic titles with care, respect and will hopefully consider releasing more of these in the future, whether for Sega or by taking over Nintendo's dud of a 3D Classics line.
@A01 Your best bet is the Scott Pilgrim video game for a current beat-em-up. It manages to capture everything that made these types of games great, while still being its own thing. It's also filled with subtle/not so subtle references.
@VR32F1END Hyperstome Heist was a great game.Recently played Turtles in Time at a arcade bar. One of the better beat'em up's for sure.
@Ras It's kinda like street of rage is an 80's action movie and streets of rage 2 and 3 are their 90's sequels.
In last 24 hours have bought this, fantasy zone 2, sonic the hedgehog and outrun - These M2 remakes are pretty special and a great reminder of just how talented Sega were back in the day
@Neram Wrong. The original Japanese manual explicitly states Axel's forward, forward, punch move is called "グランド アッパー", "Gurando appā" or for those with a western tongue: Grand Upper.
The only time Axel uses the term "Bare Knuckle" is the horribly mutated western versions of Streets of Rage 3, which we don't like to speak about.
This is one of the best games I've played in my Sega (along with Sonic). Can't wait to try it one more time. Although I remember this game as Bare Knuckles.
@khululy The first was Rambo, the second was Demolition Man, and third was Judge Dredd. If they make a new one, it will be the Expendables!
It's easily the best in the series, and one of the best beat-em-ups ever. It's not -quite- as good as Final Fight (the arcade version, obviously), but it's darn close.
I really, really want 3D Revenge of Shinobi! I hope it comes out. What I don't want is v1.04 (Virtual Console release, where Spider-man is actually pink). 1.03 is also not cool with the Skeletal Godzilla. 1.02 would be just fine. Or maybe the option to select between versions (I guess, with the exclusion of 1.00, due to having the real Batman).
Loving playing through these again and miss beat 'em ups in general. Are there any decent ones available on 3ds/ds? Ive looked at code of princess but don't fancy £24.99 for a 6hr game
Suprised so many people prefer the first game, good to see I'm not the only one. Amazing game nonetheless.
@Captain_Gonru. Lost Vikings is Blizzard not Sega.
@Zeldalover
Seha didn't change Revenge of Shinobi just to mess with it. They did that because they were forced to because of copyright laws.
When they made Revenge of Shinobi/The Super Shinobi they had licensing deals with Spider-Man and Rambo, but they did also sneak a few others in which resembled licensed characters such as; Godzilla, Batman, & The Terminator.
Unfortunately we will not likely see the original version unless Sega were to pay to license these, and that's assuming that's even an option since they never asked permission to begin with!
So it would be:
1. A slightly modified title screen (to look more generic ninja to look less like Sonny Chiba.)
2. Pink Spider-Man
3. Skeleton Godzilla
4. Devilman instead of Batman
5. Rambo looking flamethrowers become bald.
I will never sell my original REV00 versions of this, Moonwalker, Mystic Defender, or Super Hang-On.
Very disappointed with the multiplayer - major lag and slowdown with multiplayer. Great single player experience. I am playing on my N3DS and my son plays on the 3DS XL he inherited from me.
This passed my by back in the day (I was probably still playing Target Renegade). Downloaded it on a whim last night and couldn't put it down. Its a 10 from Len!
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