Streets of Rage
Overview
Streets of Rage (known as Bare Knuckle in Japan) is a trilogy of beat 'em up games developed and published by Sega. The series is known for its memorable characters, gritty urban settings, and especially for its groundbreaking music, composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima. The first game was released in 1991, with two sequels following in 1992 and 1994.
Gameplay
The gameplay of Streets of Rage is characteristic of the beat 'em up genre, with players moving their characters through side-scrolling levels, battling against waves of enemies. The games feature both single-player and cooperative multiplayer modes. Each character has a range of attacks, including basic punches and kicks, as well as special moves that can be used to deal significant damage to enemies.
Characters
The series features a roster of playable characters, each with their own unique abilities and fighting styles. The original game introduced three characters: Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, and Adam Hunter. Subsequent games introduced new characters, such as Max Thunder in Streets of Rage 2 and Dr. Zan in Streets of Rage 3.
Development
The Streets of Rage series was developed by Sega's AM7 (later Overworks) division. The games were designed to compete with Capcom's popular Final Fight series, and were heavily influenced by the arcade beat 'em ups of the time. The series is notable for its high-quality graphics and sound, and for its innovative gameplay features, such as the ability to call in support attacks from a police car in the first game.
Music
The music for the Streets of Rage series was composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima, and is considered some of the best video game music of all time. The soundtracks blend elements of house, techno, hardcore, and breakbeat, and were highly innovative for their time. The music has been released on several soundtrack albums and has been performed live at video game music concerts.
Legacy
The Streets of Rage series has left a significant legacy in the world of video games. The games are considered classics of the beat 'em up genre, and have been re-released on numerous platforms. In 2020, a new game in the series, Streets of Rage 4, was released, developed by Dotemu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games.