Streets of Rage II
Widely considered the greatest side-scrolling beat-'em-up of the 16-bit era — and home to one of the best video-game soundtracks ever made. Axel, Blaze, Max, and Skate vs. Mr. X's syndicate on the Sega Genesis.
Released for the Sega Genesis in December 1992 (as Bare Knuckle II in Japan), Streets of Rage II is widely considered the finest side-scrolling beat-'em-up of the 16-bit era. Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding return, joined by the wrestler Max Thunder and the skating Eddie 'Skate' Hunter, to fight their way through Mr. X's crime syndicate one alleyway, elevator, and pirate ship at a time.
The game's landmark is its soundtrack. Composer Yuzo Koshiro (with three tracks by Motohiro Kawashima) pushed the Genesis sound chip into pulsing house, techno, and breakbeat — dance music years ahead of what anyone expected from a 1992 console, and still regularly cited as one of the greatest video-game scores ever made. Koshiro's studio Ancient co-developed the game alongside Sega and several partner studios; a Street Fighter II cabinet in Ancient's office reportedly shaped its punchy, weighty combat.
Critics of the day handed it near-perfect scores and 'best beat-'em-up' awards, and its reputation has only grown — it routinely lands on lists of the best Genesis games and the best brawlers of all time. For a generation, it's the definitive two-player-couch, quarter-free memory of the whole genre.
Similar items
Sega Genesis
Sega's 16-bit home console arrived in 1989 and dominated the early 90s with its attitude, speed, and Sonic the Hedgehog. The Genesis ('Mega Drive' everywhere else) promised 'Blast Processing' and delivered games that felt faster and edgier than what Nintendo offered, winning hearts — and quarters — across a generation.
Street Fighter II
The 1991 arcade fighting game that singlehandedly revived the arcade industry and invented the competitive fighting-game community. Capcom's Street Fighter II featured eight selectable characters with unique movesets, and combos—initially discovered as glitches—became the foundation of an entirely new genre. From the SNES port to EVO championships decades later, this game's influence on gaming culture is immeasurable.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade
Konami's 1989 beat-em-up starred four turtles, infinite pizza, and quarter-guzzling boss fights. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade was a four-player coin-op sensation: pick a turtle, bash foot soldiers, work through a story ripped straight from the cartoon. The 1990 NES port added new levels and Pizza Hut advertisements, securing its place in gaming legend.
Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
The definitive version of Mortal Kombat 3 — the one with all the ninjas back in it. Owner's memory is the Sega Genesis port: the run button, the fatalities, and everybody on the roster.