Streets of Rage 3

"If it wasn't for this game, I probably wouldn't have Sega Genesis."

First there was Streets of Rage 1. A game with sub-par graphics and decent gameplay. then there was Streets of Rage 2, with awesome graphics and awesome gameplay. And now here we are with Streets of Rage 3. There is a dispute over which game better: S.O.R. 2 or S.O.R. 3? In my opinion, this is the game to get. Some people think the the S.O.R. series is a Final Fight rip off. Well, after playing this game, you'll quickly realize you were wrong.

Graphics(9): Some of the best I've seen on the Genesis. Backgrounds were nicely designed, featuring lots of detail, and characters and enemies. have cool animation. However, both seem to have slightly mangled faces. They seem to be more of the blocky type graphics.

Sound(8): Music is somewhat similar to the scratching of fingernails on a chalkboard. Boss music isn't thta bad, but Streets of Rage 2's was so much better. However, some parts of the game, such as the disco club, featured entertaining music. Very techno.

Control(10): I never had a problem with the control for the Streets of Rage series. There are plenty of moves, and they are all very easy to pull off. No worries here.

Gameplay(10): Finally the multiple endings(missing from S.O.R. 2) are back! There are a total of 4 endings. The most interesting aspect of the game is where in round 6, you have to save the chief of police. Depending on if he lives or dies, the next level will be different. The newly added Zan character is okay, except for the fact that he can't use weapons. I still wish they had kept, though. There are also subtitles and screenshots after each level, adding an interesting storyline to the game. Funny thing about this game is that many things were in the 1st S.O.R, and not in the 2nd. An example would be the pits in the construction site level. As a matter of fact, there are plenty of death traps in this game, making it a challenging one to say the least. With the games many twists and turns, you'll wish they made the game into a novel.

Replay/Extras(8): Try to beat the game with or 4 characters and get all the endings. Yes, there is a reasonable amount of replay here. There are also some hidden characters in the game, so have fun!

It's disappointing that the beat em' up genre is over, because I would have liked to see more games like this. Hopefully, a new Streets of Rage will debut on PS2.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 12/07/02, Updated 12/07/02