Streets of Rage (1991)

Streets of Rage (also known as Bare Knuckle in Japan) is an action, adventure, 2D side-scrolling beat em up video game created and published by Sega for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, the Game Gear, and the Sega Master System. The Mega Drive/Genesis version was released in Japan on August 2, 1991, in North America on September 18, 1991, and in Europe on October, 1991. The Game Gear version was released in Japan on November 27, 1992, in North America on December 31, 1992, and in Europe on October 18, 1992. And the Master System version was released in PAL regions on January 1, 1993. This version was never released anywhere else, and it was the only version that was released in PAL regions.

Plot
In the city of Wood Oak City, The once peaceful citizens are now living in fear of a criminal syndicate, who have staged a coup d'état over the city, including factions of the police. Mass violence is now common and no-one is safe. Adam Hunter (an accomplished boxer), Axel Stone (skilled martial artist), and Blaze Fielding (judo expert) are young ex-police officers who have quit the force to fight back against the syndicate.

Depending on whether the game is played as one-player or a two-player co-op, and whether the player accepts or rejects Mr. X's offer to join his henchmen, there is a possibility for an alternate ending where the player becomes the new head of the crime syndicate.

Why It Rocks

 * 1) Not many titles portrayed the pure urban grit as well as Streets of Rage did.
 * 2) Brilliant music by Yuzo Koshiro himself.
 * 3) Great gameplay, which contains really good simultaneous two player action.
 * 4) Good graphics.
 * 5) It is One of the first Sega games to have voice acting.
 * 6) The game is minimalistic and simple, yet beautiful and atmospheric.
 * 7) Excellent sprites.
 * 8) Streets of Rage is a game of mixed emotion but with constant action.
 * 9) Fun story.
 * 10) Surprisingly complex combat system, at least for a side scrolling beat em up game.
 * 11) The game has a game gear port of the game which you can play it in the go.
 * 12) This game was so good that it spawned two great sequels, Streets of Rage 2 in 1992, Streets of Rage 3 in 1994, and Streets of Rage 4 in 2020.

Bad Qualities

 * 1) Like many beat em up games the gameplay is fun but can get pretty repetitive after a while.
 * 2) The controls haven't aged well because they are clunky.

Reception
Streets of Rage was well received. MegaTech magazine review said it had "excellent sprites, backdrops and brilliant music. Add in great gameplay and simultaneous two-player action and you've got an essential buy." Mega placed the game at Number 6 in its Top Mega Drive Games of All Time. Reviewing the game in Sega Arcade Classics for the Sega CD, Glenn Rubenstein wrote in 1993 it "still holds up well."