For true retro gamers, the mere mention of late ’80s and early ’90s video games is enough to invoke feelings of nostalgia. The early ’90s introduced gamers to the fourth generation of consoles — SNES and the iconic SEGA Genesis — and some of the most iconic titles the world of gaming has ever seen, such as Super Mario World, The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Streets of Rage — oh, and let’s not forget Final Fight.
Thanks to the fourth generation of video game consoles, which is arguably one of the most influential generations, the early ’90s in gaming remain emblazoned as the era of chunky pixels, side-scrolling action, and button-mashing gameplay. And among the myriad of gaming classics that defined the decade, Streets of Rage stands tall as the paragon of the beat ’em up genre of the ’90s.
However, the game, and later the whole series, didn’t happen overnight. It was the brainchild of SEGA’s talented developers as a response to the aforementioned Final Fight series by CAPCOM.
The first Streets of Rage was released in 1991, with SEGA aiming to bring the experience of an arcade brawler into the living rooms of gamers worldwide. Needless to say, the company did a fantastic job, and the first game was so successful that it gave birth to a franchise. In fact, its success transferred to its sequels. The whole series was so well-received that it has been re-released many times in the past 30 years, both on various SEGA compilations and as standalone games.
The story of the original game was rather basic, but it offered just enough foundation to set the stage for future releases. The first entry in the franchise, Street of Rage, introduced the four main characters, young ex-police-turned-vigilantes Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, and Adam Hunter, as well as Mr. X, who — as you might’ve guessed from his name—was an evil mastermind and the game’s antagonist. It was also the only game in the series that had a special Shinobi attack that defeated all non-boss opponents that were present on the screen.
Each of the aforementioned characters featured their own unique style and set of moves, which really made the gameplay exciting for several different reasons. The unique style and move sets of the game’s protagonist made the gameplay mechanics deceptively simple, with players moving from left to right across various urban settings of Wood Oak City, using headbutts, back slams, reverse kicks, and a whole plethora of other moves to defeat enemies that would appear from both sides of the screen.
The main characters also had weapons, such as knives, glass bottles, lead pipes, baseball bats, and other “negotiation tools” scattered throughout the level at their disposal. However fun it was schooling a group of thugs about the power of a fist’s angular momentum and the effects it has on reducing crime in a lawless city, this actually wasn’t the best part of Streets of Rage. Not that bashing the baddies wasn’t fun, but it couldn’t actually compare with the game’s co-op mode.
The original Streets of Rage featured two-player cooperative play, allowing gamers to team up with friends, family, and random acquaintances to clean up the crime-ridden streets of Wood Oak City together. This co-op gaming experience is where the true joy of Streets of Rage lies. Even with friends at your side, Streets of Rage was no cakewalk; you had to master your characters’ moves to progress, the enemies were plentiful, the bosses were larger than life, and confronting them was an adrenaline-filled experience.
From a technical aspect, the early ’90s were the age of pixel art, at least when it came to gaming, and Streets of Rage, as well as its successors, wasn’t an exception. The game’s visuals are a testament to the graphical capabilities of the SEGA Genesis console, which was revolutionary at the time. The character sprites (2D graphical objects used in video games) were somewhat smaller compared to those of Final Fight, but they were meticulously detailed, with each punch, kick, and special move well animated and fluid.
The in-game surroundings — SEGA Genesis developers had a pretty interesting approach to generating depth-of-field in 2D games — exuding a unique charm that depicted urban life in the ’90s (bandana in tow), along with neon lights, boom boxes, and baggy pants. Though it seems simple by today’s graphical standards, the graphics associated with the SEGA Genesis were quite revolutionary at the time, and those advancements in graphics and in-game physics were really well-reflected by Streets of Rage, which went on to inspire a trilogy of games.
The release of recent 16-bit megahits, such as 2017’s Hollow Knight and 2019’s Blasphemous, and the resurgence of retro gaming prove that nostalgia for ’90s gaming is still strong while also sparking renewed interest in game preservation. Streets of Rage remained a cherished relic of that era and a true gem of ’90s gaming culture. SEGA recognized the lasting appeal of the franchise and released a modern-day sequel titled Streets of Rage 4, with updated graphics, gameplay mechanics, and a soundtrack that pays homage to the series’ roots.
But for retro gamers, Streets of Rage remains a time capsule that transports us to the ’90s with every punch, every neon light from the game’s background, and every beat from the acclaimed techno soundtrack. It’s a reminder of a simpler gaming time in which couch co-op reigned supreme. We can highly recommend that you grab a controller, call up your friends, and relive the glory of pixelated violence in the game that raised a new generation of gamers.