Streets of Rage II

"All the Rage"

Grunge, the city lights, a sin city atmosphere, gang activity, and a sexual edge are brought forth within the vicinity to combat the streets of fight. Even without the heroic onslaught of bright and vivid characters and settings, there is without a doubt, a cunning and emotive appeal that is invoked with liveliness. Torment within a cage, Furious in dismay, and Greatness all for the Pavement. This is Streets of Rage.

Streets of Rage was more of a darker and moodier bash and smash arcade brawler. There are no smiles on these guys faces minus the grin of evil and chuckle of deceit. The stage is layered in filth but without disgust. The enemies don't fall with faint of simple hits, but go down with agony and eaten with the flavor of real pain. The selectable heroes wear street clothes of hard knocks showing they are proof of the downtown inner city life. The very demeanor of Axel and Blaze show very well they have done the dirty business before both on the streets and in the bedroom but only after they have done their duty doing the grunt work. Only then will they work at it, endearing a rough fantasy of good nights. With the mature rating, the opposite of most arcade smash hits, and a stamina of a wonderful seal greeting all with the hottest vote.

Story -8/10- Mr. X is the Main Bad Guy and a Leader of a Crime Organization. He decides to kidnap Adam, from the previous installment, and leaves a ransom note to be found by Skate. Skate finds Axel and tells him and Blaze about the bad news. They find out that Mr. X has not been defeated, and is trying to lure Axel and Blaze into a trap for their heroic acts deemed damaging to Mr. X. With the broken house in a great upheaval of mess, they decide to battle this dirty deed of despair. With the help of Max, Axel's ex-wrestler friend, and Skate, Adam's kid brother, the four quest out on an adventurous journey to stop the rise of the Leader Mr. X and destroy the thugs who by all means does what is possible to make things worse, as if things weren't bad enough.

The story itself is pretty good. It more than decent and deserves a good score. While not intriguing and gratifying, it still holds great attention and does one heck of a deal to keep you on your seat. Lot better than many but doesn't have that Take my Breathe Away and Sudden Chill excitement. None the less, it's very good.

Gameplay -10/10- Like most arcade smashers of the day, the mechanics of this title does not fray off what most other have, but it does have its own uniqueness and fervent stability. The moves consist of regular attack, a jump, and a special attack. The special attack can be used, but it takes away from the health meter. You can also pick up weapons to use against opponents and interact with the environment be it destroying trash cans, getting food for health, and blowing down arcades. You can also grab and throw enemies and it helps to do it against groups of punks. The 4 different array of characters allows for good combination of play and strategy. Max is the Big Powerful dude but moves slow and takes damage. Axel is the best well rounded character and moves decent with really good hits. Blaze has no major strengths or weaknesses and is still very good for the most part. Skate is the fastest but also gets hit the easiest and takes more damage. You start from the very most left and go all the way to the right of the stage depending on where you are at in the game. You the way you scroll through the level is typical of most arcade design and isn't unexpected. Then when you get to the end of the stage you face a big boss of sorts who is stronger than the weaker punks and tougher to beat. The game can be quite challenging and beating it fairly all the way can be a real feat as well. All until you get to the Leader X who wields a Tommy Gun and is a cheesy hard boss. Beating it is quite the great accomplishment and it has an ending with credits for your skills and endeavor.

Music/Sound -9/10- The music itself is very catchy and quite literally very good. It is a lot better than the average arcade theme music and it enthralls with a quality realness. While it may not be great enough to make it past the classics, it definitely doesn't fall into the lower categories of forgettable music and is very much higher above average. Honestly, I really like it, I still remember it, and it's still a beautiful melody in a sort of an estranged way. It has a down tempo, but still has a steady upbeat without it being too dark and heavy. While not clean, it isn't completely distorted and has flow and rhythm.

Graphics -10/10- The graphics are very colorful in a different sense in the fact that it is very pleasing to look at. It's very vivid and has that appeal while still keeping it grungy and tough. The character models are good looking and in a sense pretty sexy in terms of sarcastic beauty. The backgrounds are detailed and overall it's well done. The pixelated art is flat, but that does not mean it doesn't have depth. Well rounded features and a cool edge. Take the heat that the others cannot beat. Good graphics.

Overall -10/10- Streets of Rage 2 is a great game. Set to rival Final Fight, makes this one title a fierce competitor. A lot tougher, cooler, and meaner than the rest, it keeps a definition of what it is to be in the confines of a street fight. One of the better ones to keep a legend, always there to be remembered. It's a really great game and it's one to be dealt with and recognized.

There you have it. A contender for the best, the Rage on the Streets show there is no one that these fighters can be reckoned with. Neon lights, foggy air, and trash talk with dirty people everywhere instill a constance with no fear. There are no cowards around here, only a sleazy entourage of punks and bad attitudes and it's up for the uplift to decide. No car or drive, take your life with great risk for a ride and see for yourself if you got what it takes. Got to burn some muscle. Hoo rah!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 03/26/07