Streets of Rage

"An awesome beat 'em up for the Genesis."

Streets of Rage is a very good side scrolling beat 'em up that I have been playing for YEARS. Yes, it's that good.

Graphics 10/10

The graphics are very good, considering this is a Genesis game. The characters, enemies, and bosses are very detailed. The backgrounds are also top notch, from the beach level to the boat level. A very detailed game.

Story 9/10

I don't weigh down on the story much, since Streets of Rage is like Sonic the Hedgehog, you don't expect a totally original story for that type of game. I do give this game a 9 because it's story is good for it's category. The streets are crime-ridden until one day, a sinister man named Mr. X sent his countless thugs to take over the city. He succeeded, and had almost everything under his control. Then, 3 police officers decided to rebel, put an end to this madness, and take on Mr. X. With cop cars at their command, they went off to end the Streets of Rage.

Sound/Music 10/10

The music was SUPERB. From the catchy beach level music to the extremely catchy Final Boss music, the beats of each level keep the pace and pump you up for each level. The sound was flawless. The punch, kick, and throw sounds were very suitable. Every sound has it's matched action in this game.

Gameplay 10/10

You wander through the streets, kicking ass and scoring points, until you reach a powerful boss for that stage. You have 3 characters to choose from, Adam, the sluggish but kick ass person, Axel, the all around middle guy, or Blaze, the quick but weak person. You can play with 1 or 2 players, and at any time, summon a cop car to blast the enemies into submission. There are also very useful weapons ranging from the quick throwing dagger to the big ass pipe. There are many combinations of moves in Streets of Rage. You can grapple the enemy and throw/slam them, or you could turn your back and surprise them with a back punch. Some combinations are suitable and sometimes, necessary in a level.

Replayability 9/10

As I said before, I have played this game for YEARS and am still not bored with it. You can do countless things after you beat it, like get the highest score, or get a real bad person at SOR to be the 2nd player. Or, if you're like me, beat the crap out of everybody without getting killed once. Whatever the reason, this game will keep you entertained for a long time to come.

Hmmm.....should I rent or buy this game?

I suggest buying the 6 Pak, which includes SOR and 5 other good games. Search every pawn shop in your area, for this game is a definite MUST for any beat 'em up fan!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 01/07/02, Updated 01/07/02