Streets of Rage

Overview

Streets of Rage proved consoles could match arcades in the beat-em-up genre. Three ex-cops took on a crime syndicate across eight stages of urban brawling. Yuzo Koshiro’s electronic soundtrack became legendary, and the tight two-player cooperative gameplay defined Genesis excellence.

Fast facts

Developer: Sega.
Release: 1991.
Composer: Yuzo Koshiro.
Players: 1-2 cooperative.

Playable characters

Character	Style
Axel	Balanced
Blaze	Fast, weaker
Adam	Strong, slower

Combat system

Move	Function
Combo	Multi-hit attacks
Back attack	Hit enemies behind
Grab	Throw or knee
Special	Police backup

The police special

Unique mechanic:

Call in artillery strike
Screen-clearing attack
Limited uses per life
Risk vs reward

Level design

Stage	Environment
1	City streets
2	Beach/bridge
3	Baseball stadium
4	Ship
5	Factory
6	Elevator
7	Syndicate HQ
8	Final confrontation

Yuzo Koshiro’s soundtrack

Quality	Achievement
Genre	House, techno, electronica
Hardware	FM synthesis mastery
Recognition	Definitive Genesis sound
Influence	Electronic game music

Two-player mode

Cooperative design:

Shared screen
Can hurt each other
Team combos
Essential experience

Enemy variety

Type	Challenge
Thugs	Basic fodder
Knife wielders	Ranged threats
Fat guys	Charge attacks
Bosses	Unique patterns

Trilogy

Title	Year	Improvements
Streets of Rage	1991	Original
Streets of Rage 2	1992	Peak of series
Streets of Rage 3	1994	Complex mechanics

Streets of Rage 2

Considered the pinnacle:

More characters
Enhanced combat
Better graphics
Superior soundtrack

Modern revival

Streets of Rage 4 (2020):

Faithful sequel
Modern visuals
Koshiro return
Critical success

Legacy

Streets of Rage established:

Console beat-em-up quality
Electronic game soundtracks
Genesis exclusive value
Two-player cooperative excellence

Genesis brawling