Streets of Rage 2

I just learned I own this!

It's like Street Fighter, but you're against more people and don't die in two lives. Streets of Rage 2 was inspired by Street Fighter, so it's fun that I'm playing them back-to-back. It was released for the Sega Genesis and came out in North America before Japan, which was a rare feat for the time. As with brawlers, I don't have much experience with this genre. I fondly remember playing Battletoads & Double Dragon with my friends, and I have a handful of hours in Golden Axe, but I think that's it. There were two other beat-em-ups on the Wiki list, so maybe I'll play them. But that's for later! Now is the time for back alley brawls!

Streets of Rage 2 begins one year after the first game. When we boot up, we learn the period of peace achieved then is broken apart by various corrupt actors working for the guy they stopped. One of the playable characters has been kidnapped, so the two remaining find two more associates to join them in saving this nameless city. I think there's more plot in the instruction booklet, but guess who doesn't own that!

We reach the main menu and select our character. There are four characters to choose from, and they all play differently. I messed around with them all and found three of them to be a lot of fun. Thunder Hatchet is a massive dude and professional wrestler. He hits hard but is as slow as a slug. But it feels so good to smack a mofo! Blaze is a woman who has plus stats everywhere but power, but I couldn't find anything she excelled at. But she was the character I played the most with. Skate Hunter, the little brother of the kidnapped Adam, is really fast but lacks power. But his attacks are flashy and devastating. There's also Axel Stone, and he's just a dude. I started playing and got some major deja vu from this. It's almost like I've been here before. And then I remembered that I played Streets of Kamurochu, a Yakuza reskin of SoR2, a few years ago. It's nice to experience the real thing now!

As I said, everyone plays differently, and this is noticeable by their attacks. Everyone has the same controls, but what they perform with their button hits is different. Everyone has a basic jab and its subsequent combo. But blitz attacks, jumps (or lack thereof), and HP depleting special attacks are all unique. Blaze's blitz is a forward cartwheel, but Thunder's is a shoulder tackle. Axel's special is a flaming uppercut, and Skate does a diving leg kick that murders the crap out of bosses. Everyone has a couple of grab attacks and throws as well. Skate also has a running attack that only he gets. I think it is worth trying everyone. It's a short game, so why not?

You play through eight levels that represent a location in this weird city. You start at a bar, battle through a haunted forest, rampage at a baseball field, and finally climb a tower. Some levels have a gimmick, either in the form of stage hazards or interesting mobs. The biker thugs in stage two are my favorite. These locations look absolutely amazing. I missed out on Genesis fidelity, but at least adult me can appreciate them. I doubt I would have cared as a child anyway. I spoke highly of them in Sonic, and the city backgrounds in SoR2 are just as phenomenal. Each stage and substage gets a musical theme for it as well. Some are better than others, but I liked everything I heard. It's described as various EDM genres, but even a boring guitarist like me can hear why the soundtrack is so beloved. Definitely give it a listen!

The plot isn't really a thing. The four characters get one combined ending. They beat X, save Adam, celebrate, watch a helicopter leave, and prepare for Streets of Rage 3! This isn't a plot focused game, so I won't get too upset by it not existing.

The only bad thing I didn't like about the game was how slow the vertical walking speed was. Side-to-side was fine, but going up and down to reach enemies "above" or "below" me felt cumbersome. It made hitting certain mobs, especially fast or floating guys, frustrating and left me open to attack. Grabs also felt scary to use. You have to get close, but that leaves you open again, especially with that vertical axis issue.

Ultimately, I had so much fun! The game takes just over an hour to beat, but that hour was action packed and exciting. Everything you'd want in an early nineties arcade cabinet. And I would have loved to play co-op or fight my friends in Duel mode. At the end of the day, Streets of Rage 2 gets 37/50. Keep in mind that my review process is based around RPGs, so a game like this is kinda shoehorned in. Unlike Sonic, it's better than this! I even did the special challenge that comes with the Steam version just for fun (and an achievement).

But I have very little experience in beat-em-ups. Maybe I should play more? How long has it been since I played Battletoads!? But that's for later. I've never played Megaman or a Metroid title...