The Streets of Rage Trilogy on the Sega Genesis

Episode 10 - This week I take a look back at the entire Streets of Rage franchise for the Sega Genesis and Megadrive. These are some of the best games of the 16-bit Generation, with amazing soundtracks by Yuzo Koshiro.
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Music courtesy of Kevin MacLeod (www.smartsound.com/royalty-free-music/incompetech)

[@ColonyWarrior]

I remember buying Streets of Rage 2 on a whim for 80 dollars at a flea market brand new when it first came out, and being amazed at how much better it was than Final Fight on SNES at the time. Hell it might have been even better than the arcade version of Final Fight. This was one of the games that gave Genesis owners bragging rights as it was probably the best beat em up of the 16 bit era.

[@keiranninjaspirit]

yes I loved this game ,great for 2 players...it came very close to beating Final fight for the fun factor and put a crown on the megadrive for creating the best home scrolling beat em up!!

[@robyoink]

Contra Hard Corps wasn't an unplayable mess. It was just... hard core. One of my favorite games and soundtracks of all time, just like Streets of Rage.

[@CGQuarterly]

It's funny, I didn't know that you had to punch the bulldozer when I first started playing this game way back when. So I would always get game over'ed at that stage because somehow I stupidly thought that I just wasn't going fast enough. I mean really, who would automatically think to punch a bulldozer?

[@teen_laqueefa]

Contra Hard Corps fans .....that's who! Lol

[@jeremyjohnson8844]

Haha, I got the genesis SoR II pack for Xmas 92, after wishing on an apple at school for a gen. Happiest Christmas of my life. What top grade games. They truly made that Yamaha FM IC sweat its balls off.

[@ScottWozniak]

Thanks for the tip about the Bare Knuckle III English translation! I didn't know it existed 👍🏻

[@CGQuarterly]

Awesome! Definitely check it out. It feels a lot more like a continuation of Streets of Rage 2 than the US SOR3 does.

[@ScottWozniak]

Yeah, loaded it up in OpenEmu. This is the version we should've gotten to begin with!

[@CGQuarterly]

Nice! I too am a fan of OpenEmu.

[@robbierupac9442]

Classic Gaming Quarterly I have to say Your Voice is just darn perfect for these videos and not to be outdone I've been Binge watching alot of your videos on the SEGA Master System and Genesis. I'm Such a SEGA fan boy that I landed here because of your in-depth research in-depth analysis knowledge for everything you do!! Thank-you for making KZbin Sega cool again!!!

[@fatmaabdalla178]

My father made a forgotten Streets of rage cartoon. ⅚ Rating!

[@sglider]

I like the ocean waves in Streets 1, there's an old school charm to them. Love the music in part 1 the most, love part 2 overall as the best game in the series. Absolutely hate 3's soundtrack. I do like the ability to roll and run in 3 though. But I actually didn't care for 3's level designs and didn't care for the storyline idea.

[@Speakup84]

Streets of rage 2,one of my favorite games of all-time!

[@anon7596]

say it! saaaay itttt! SEGA!

[@gpgp9198]

Oh! how wonderful memories about one of my favourite gaming trilogies of all time! Thank you so much. Greetings From Argentina.

[@roboyle]

I love the pipe as a weapon in SOR2 and for the same reason! The kangaroo was also playable if you defeated his master before killing him in SOR3. And you don't fight outside the White House in SOR3 depending on how you doin in saving the Chief of Police/Army guy in the earlier round.

[@CGQuarterly]

Ruaidhri O'Baoill KLONG!!! I didn't know that about the kangaroo, or about not fighting outside the White House. Is that in both versions of the game?

[@roboyle]

Yeah, I think there is another playable character (without cheats) but can't remember now... not Shiva I think - if I google it I'd find out but it'd be better to just play it again and figure it out as I go! And on the alternative routes through the game, there's three endings - if you save the chief and destroy the last boss before the time runs out (a pissingly-annoying robot that constantly bounces about the place!), if you save the chief and you don't beat the time limit in the last level and then if you don't save the chief and play through the alternative last level instead. #replayability

[@lewjones3]

That bartender is the same guy u fight outside

[@SegaCDUniverse]

Always reminds me of when I moved to Florida for a few years as a child. I'm pretty sure I asked for the second or third one as a gift for Christmas/Birthday. Can't remember which. Not sure why I attach that memory to this game, but I guess we do remember weird stuff in odd ways. ha!

[@larrygreen8828]

so...the character models, attack animations, weapons, the way barrels break...basically everything is Final Fight.

[@TB-TheGoldenAgeGamer]

The bartender running is actually the Boss at the end of the level. He rips off his shirt. I know EGM used to post Cartridge sizes of games in their reviews, but I thought the original Streets of Rage was only 4mbs and sor 2 was 16meg. I believe most of the early Genesis games until Strider were only 4megs since the price was so high back then. I can only imagine if all the early original games had 16mb or higher. This was an incredible video btw and now I need to track down bare knuckle III and play it the way it was meant to be played

[@TB-TheGoldenAgeGamer]

i always wondered too if Sega cd would have just focused on Arcade ports, Final fight cd was amazing. Just imagine if they have Turtles, Xmen, Simpsons, Amazing spiderman, and all the other great beat em ups and arcade ports and shooters just on the sega cd. Oh well.

[@moisesvirella94]

contra hard corps an unplayable mess? I couldn't disagree more. That being my favorite Contra game ever. The Japanese version was too easy and took the hard out of contra.

[@gonewiththemilk-1999]

facs

[@sonicmario64]

Yuzo Koshiro composed the music for the 8-bit Sonic games as well as "Super Smash Bros. Brawl"? I totally did not know that at all until it was mentioned in this video! :D

[@CGQuarterly]

+Casey Decker We dig out the facts!

[@Yuzoboy]

Actually he only did a few for Brawl, Shenmue and Castlevania Portrait of Ruin.

[@sonicmario64]

Yuzoboy But still, it's kind of interesting to know because of him being known for composing awesome-sounding music for some of the best video games to come out over the years. :)

[@Yuzoboy]

For sure. He is my idol :)

[@therealbossplaya]

Streets of Rage was and still is the greatest "Beat em' up" and the 3rd installment was very "Hardcore" this series needs a 4th game now!!!

[@CGQuarterly]

+therealbossplaya I agree, but I also worry that they would tarnish the series with a crappy 4th game.

[@RobS83]

Streets of Rage 4 on PS4 is awesome!

[@Darknights23]

One of my fav franchise too streets of rage has one of the coolest soundtrack

[@ravager48]

Agreed!

[@Jbayz]

Those games had the most memorable music.

[@shaolinlueb]

the music, still some of the best in 16 bit era.

[@unclesesi5559]

Good Job, Your Channel Rocks! Guys don't forget to play the Indie Remake of Streets of Rage on PC, It's awesome

[@philipslattery2883]

I never knew about that difficult level on SoR3. it took me so long to complete it but what an achievement!

[@Hayabusadrop]

SOR2 had the best soundtrack in the series hands down, but i do love them all

[@michaelk8860]

I always though Axel was saying, "Grab the paw!"

[@terryphillips5911]

Awesome video.

[@therock3314]

these games were awesome. I played Streets Of Rage 1 and 2 on the genesis it wasen't until I got a Wii that I played Streets of Rage 3 on the VC

[@mikewhiles4635]

Classic but I preferred Final Fight... Great video 😎😎😎

[@akelly2113]

Just a FYI...The bartender is the one you fight, in the rain, right after you leave the bar in Streets of Rage 2

[@egotram]

Great games. Great vid

[@CGQuarterly]

Thanks!

[@aguyandhiscomputer]

I'd love to see a video entirely of beat 'em ups like Final Fight and Vendetta.

[@2fly916]

reminds me of Final Fight in damn near every way

[@alexbrookner5331]

Actraiser = Best soundtrack on super famicom

[@RETRO_BELL]

thanks for the video....!! Big fan

[@CGQuarterly]

+rhett bell Thank you for watching!

[@RETRO_BELL]

These videos bring some Nostalgia... I also think you have the potential to become a television host or something in the entertainment business.....!! Your voice is perfect for easy listening..Keep the videos coming....!! I'am the President of the C.G.Q fan club.

[@NYYanks2003040506]

One of the best trilogies ever. Can't believe that this year we're finally going to get SoR 4. Even if it turns out mediocre I'll still buy it.

[@RobS83]

Good thing it's not mediocre

[@NYYanks2003040506]

@@RobS83 Nope, turned out great, thankfully. Bought a physical copy for Switch and digitally on both PS4 and Xbox One. Liked it that much.

[@pferreira1983]

Great video. Any idea why the boxart for the third game was changed for PAL? Strange choice.

[@CGQuarterly]

+P Ferreira No idea. I generally don't understand why box art is changed between regions. Japan always had really cool box art back in the 16-bit days, and then we got something more conservative-looking.

[@pferreira1983]

Classic Gaming Quarterly It's odd as the artwork for the third matched the other two but was changed for PAL. Weird.

[@shahiedhoosen]

my favourite game of all time . still playing it in 2017

[@ZBR_ProXP]

SOR3 is the greatest soundtrack i ever heard in my life. Gameplay-wise it has way more variety in levels than the first two. The roll is a very welcome mechanic. And the graphics are just killer. I think it's the best SOR and I never even played BK3. I gotta try it!

[@Phantasystar77]

I may have missed it, but I don't think you mentioned the new roll more, or character unique special attacks for the weapons on SOR3.

[@CGQuarterly]

Yeah I don't think I mentioned the roll move. This video is kind of old now so my memory is fuzzy, but I don;t think I mentioned the fact that the characters can run, either.

[@lancelindqvist8848]

Awesome

[@DrMurdercock]

Love your videos. Glad I discovered your channel last night. keep the quality content going. Oh and SOR2 has the best sound track! ;)

[@CGQuarterly]

Thanks!

[@SegaCDUniverse]

Wait, why did they change Axel's outfit in the american release?

[@CGQuarterly]

+SegaCDUniverse No idea. Looks ugly, though.

[@angeles2425]

Same goes for pal.

[@SteveT3D]

+Classic Gaming Quarterly Apparently the changes to Axel (and Blaze) were in the interests of "gender neutrality". Or perhaps, bored Sega execs trying to justify their salaries...

[@winterwolfryan]

Streets of Rage 2 was one of the most epic games ever made. The soundtrack alone is a masterpiece, but the game itself is phenomenal. By the way, that original Genesis Fighting Console commercial has to be one of the funniest things I have ever seen - I wish advertising in todays world allowed for such amusing antics...It might just entice me to actually buy something.

[@Armando.Sepulveda]

They should have brought back Adam in the third game and excluded skate, since he wasn't playable in the second game

[@CristianHernandez-hj6jc]

I like and I have this games to

[@FranciscoFJM]

Have you ever played the remake? its awesome!

[@anthonycobb3028]

I wish Streets of rage was on PlayStation 4

[@yashaouchan]

You didn't play Shiva's music. It's the best one!

[@alfredcowans880]

I've done said it....am Im Gona Keep On Sayin it.... SOR2 IS THE BEST...HANDSDOWN💪✊😎

[@goemon74]

yo dude in sor 2 axel also shouts bare knuckle not grand upper. that's totally wrong

[@DocBrewskie]

Lmao “when I punch this broad in the face”. Love it.

[@pietjebel9130]

Where is SOR 4????????????? Why is SEGA sleeping, and doesn't make it?? So many people want this sequel!

[@roboyle]

Have to say I really liked this guy's retrospective of the SOR series: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hn2zl39qn9iNrMk

[@CGQuarterly]

Ruaidhri O'Baoill Absolutely. Kim Justice has a great channel.

[@pietjebel9130]

Best music ever in any game? No doubt! (mostly 1 and 2)

[@16-bitjunkie4]

I think more developers should have used the master system sound chip in the genesis like streets of rage did, adds a lot more depth in the music.

[@Omega666Evil]

Hi bro I been looking for this game that reminds me of this one. Can't remember what its called thought I'll ask you. First stage you run into bikers and you fight them. I used a plank on one of them. That's were I stop. Great vid by the way.

[@keiranninjaspirit]

hi, there are so many beat em ups with this theme..you might be thinking of vendetta which is also called crime fighters 2..hope this helps.

[@Omega666Evil]

Very close. But I think its something else.

[@captainmartin1219]

I enjoyed all three games,but it sucked that they left Adam out. They could have kept skate's punk ass out of the game. I remember going to one of those video game shows and telling one of the Sega guys working in the booth that skate could go to hell.

[@Armando.Sepulveda]

Yeah they should have brought back Adam in number 3 because he missed out in Streets of Rage 2, he was a good character to play in the first

[@pietjebel9130]

SOR 3 feels unpolished, they should have spend more time on it

[@donjuan1384]

3rd is the best games

[@pietjebel9130]

SOR2 best game on the Genesis / Mega Drive?? Yes!!

[@neil2905]

streets of rage 2 was the best. I hate streets of rage 3. too hard and the level progression is all over the place. you can tell it was chopped and censored and put back together. the music deviated too much from 1 and 2.

[@0nly1truth]

Streets of Rage 1&2 = One of the best games ever on the Mega Drive. *Gameplay:* 1st place - Streets of Rage 2 2nd place - Streets of Rage 1 3rd place - Streets of Rage 3 *Soundtrack:* 1st place - Streets of Rage 1 (Superb) 2nd place - Streets of Rage 2 (Excellent) 3rd place - Streets of Rage 3 (..terrible)

[@TheEliaz78]

this trilogy is the final fight killer...

[@kyosuke452]

in the us version street of rage 3 dont have sub bosses wearing gay outfit.

[@w00dyp0p]

"Gas grenade?" I thought it was a lowly pepper shaker.

[@Prizrak-hv6qk]

One of my favorite game series for sure. I'm going to start a Change.org petition demanding that they include Ash in Streets of Rage 4. Ash is my boy (girl?)! Extra fabulous effeminate homosexual men are way under-represented in video games!

[@captshamm9272]

I just happened upon your channel. I'm digging the style and production value of your videos. I just subscribed so it looks like I'll be binge watching the rest of these for the next few hours. Keep up the badass work!

[@CGQuarterly]

+Capt Shamm Thanks, man! Welcome aboard!

[@osopar666]

I can't believe there's no mention of the amazing, fan-made Streets of Rage Remake for the PC. It combines all of the best parts of all 3 games, and also adds new characters, features and even the Streets of Rage Maker, which allows you to make your own levels and chain them together with a story of your own making. Extremely cool!

[@markus1a1]

Streets of rage remake is the ultimate and best streets of rage game.

[@elgiacomo]

SoRR is a masterpiece. If you are a fan of these games or this genre and haven't played it, you owe it to yourself to do so.

[@74Vidgamer]

Not only are these some of the best Genesis games ever made but they're arguably the best "Beat Em Up" games ever created on any console, period!! These games are still highly playable and I think their are several reasons for it. The excellent 16-bit sprite graphics, the varied & fun gameplay, plus that killer soundtrack that each game has. I still listen to them very frequently when I'm not playing them. The SNES had amazing symphony orchestra type sound but the Genesis did techno/electronic like nobody's business!! Once again, excellent work my friend!!

[@Deathtank75]

Nothing is better than Final Fight...

[@HouseOfFunQM]

Jesus ffffffff I had never noticed that Barbon outside was the bartender who runs away, until I watched this. Woah.

[@djmercenary6588]

why do we not have a sequel/remake of these games? my life wont be complete till it happens!

[@elgiacomo]

Check out Streets of Rage Remake on the PC. It's amazing.

[@amsterdamG2G]

streets 2 is the best

[@CGQuarterly]

No doubt.

[@doom1067]

The original is great but 2 and III (JPN ver) are among the greatest 16 bit games ever made. III is generally the underdog due to it not being nearly as popular or well known as 2 which is unfortunate I would say.

[@CGQuarterly]

+Maccha.ice Yeah, I agree. SoR III kind of flies under the radar. Partially I think it's because the North American version is inferior to the Japanese release.

[@pontiarello2010]

Best Genesis game and why not to say that's the best game ever made, for me ofcousre

[@GameplayandTalk]

I never gave Streets of Rage 3 much of a chance, but after watching this video I think I will have to. I mean, how can you NOT like a game that allows you to punch a bulldozer away from you?

[@WhatsHisName26]

This series had the best Genesis music ever composed!

[@Prizrak-hv6qk]

Sega of America really did a number on SoR 3. This was the time when they tried to push their own shitty games (Chakan, Greendog, Eternal Champions, etc), but they also messed with Sega's of Japan's games. At least SoR3 got a US release, unlike Alien Soldier, Yu Yu Hakusho, Monster World IV or Panorama Cotton. It was the beginning of the end for Sega in 1994.

[@RAMCARTGAMER]

SOR2 is better than final fight Arcade. after this, games companies copied SOR not FF!

[@angeles2425]

They are also available on Sonic Gems Collection Japanese version for the Playstation 2 and GameCube.

[@Ricoroso]

Love the channel 👍🏽👌🏽🙌🏽

[@CGQuarterly]

+Beavis and Butthead Thanks dude!

[@santcer]

i love sor 1 and 2 but not 3. haven't played yet Streets Of Rage Remake v5? you have to!

[@CGQuarterly]

+Santcer Laurens I need to check it out but just haven't had a chance.

[@santcer]

You don't find the game ?

[@ALLDefLepp]

The rage games always felt clunky to me. Final fight > steers of rage.

[@PicoFromTX]

Streets of rage 1 and 2 have the best 16 bit sound track of all time. Part 3 had doodoo music though. :/

[@captainmartin1219]

+Pico The music to 3 is not as good,but it has kind of grown on me over the years. I wish they had put Adam back in as a playable character and eased up on the challenge a bit.

[@witnesszer0]

streets of rage 2 had the best music

[@gcmproductions3499]

some of my fav games on genesis

[@mustangmckraken1150]

I never had a problem with Contra Hard Corps, I kind of love how hard it is because despite that, I still enjoy it. Also, have you ever given any thought to doing The Adventures of Batman and Robin? It's got one of the best Genesis soundtracks in my opinion! Contra Hard Corps is up there with it

[@mustangmckraken1150]

+Mustang McKraken Also, in the american Streets of Rage 3 you can unlock the kangroo by not killing him during the boss encounter you find him in, found this out as a kid because I'm not a fan of hurting animals lmao

[@CGQuarterly]

+Mustang McKraken I think that what annoys me about the difficulty in Contra Hard Corps is the fact that the Japanese version is much easier, and their reasoning for doing that. Japanese publishers were worried that game rentals were causing them to lose a lot of money (game rentals were not legal in Japan at that time) so for a while they got the idea to make the American versions of games harder so that you would need to spend more time with a game than a rental would allow.

[@RECHOOSENONE]

I like fist 2 games. SoR 3 like RE 3 - its seems more 2.5 then 3 .

[@CGQuarterly]

+RECHOOSENONE 2 was definitely a bigger improvement over 1 than 3 was over two. But how do you improve on perfection?

[@PaulNat360]

omg... it's only now that i noticed the "sega" on axel's shoes in the first game's box art!

[@boba_rhett]

Watched your Golden Axe video and subbed when I searched to see if you had a Streets if Rage video! Well done!

[@ButcherGrindslam]

"Bare Knuckle III" also available for Steam along with PAL and NTSC-U versions. ROM can be found in "uncompressed ROM" folder from "SEGA Mega Drive Classics Collection" provided with update in April of 2016.

[@khuntington]

great video! some excellent content on your channel :)

[@captainmartin1219]

Whoa there buddy I beat contra hardcorps many times. Inn fact my brother and even my little sisters beat that game. I got all of the possible endings. If you could not beat contra hardcoprs then you are most likely just weak sauce. I would say the arcade version of contra 2 is harder than hardcorps.

[@franknitti9126]

That opening about not looking in the computer screen was fuckin CORNY but AWESOME at the same time

[@Esteban_LeGrafx]

I still remember my brother bringing home SoR 1 & 2...I was floored by the game, sure, but the MUSIC, damn.

[@youtubed3951]

What do you think of the SoRR or the GG/MS games?

[@CGQuarterly]

+You Tubed Streets of Rage Remake is absolutely awesome. As far as the Game Gear / Master System games go, I really don't have enough experience with them to have an informed opinion. Thanks for the question!!

[@youtubed3951]

Classic Gaming Quarterly Great show, I've been playlisting your videos all day

[@CGQuarterly]

You Tubed Oh, thanks dude! Some of the old episodes are pretty rough around the edges, but I think I've gotten the hang of it now.

[@TekMoliGy]

All of the streets of rage games are awesome but i agree that the 3rd one was a little too hard. I think the 2nd one is my favorite overall.

[@markhart4922]

You could buy streets of rage 2 in the uk when it came out not just in the USA

[@bemindful3315]

ultimate warrior was a boss in streets of rage 2?

[@CGQuarterly]

+Tristan Schofield I feel like game designers in the 80's and early 90's took more liberties with stuff like that. You could never get away with that now.

[@bemindful3315]

Wow, you're awesome. I don't usually get replies from successful youtubers at all, let alone a speedy one like that.

[@CGQuarterly]

Well here's another one! I try to personally respond to as many commenters as I can. I know how it feels to leave comments on people's KZbin vids and be ignored. I'm going to bed now though, so no more replies until tomorrow! Thanks for watching and commenting!

[@cygnusprime6728]

when is sega gonna stop screwing around and give this a proper modern sequel?

[@palemonvazequez5696]

final fight vs streets of rage

[@homiedclown]

Final Fight in the arcade is good, the SNES port leaves a lot to be desired though. The Sega CD port is probably the best console version of that game. Streets of Rage 1, 2 and 3 are better games overall though. The sprites and graphics are not as big or as colorful, but the gameplay is a step above.

[@ravager48]

+homiedclown Don't forget the music, my man. :) Well, the first two soundtracks were amazing, but what the hell happened in 3?!

[@masterxeon1001]

why you no play as skate? that was my boy!

[@CGQuarterly]

I'm just an Axel fanboy.

[@masterxeon1001]

well Ill still subscribe. I love the history videos. It makes me yearn for better days ahah. Awesome channel dude! Happy 26K!

[@CGQuarterly]

masterxeon1001 Hahah, thanks dude. Glad you were able to look past this minor infraction. And thanks for the compliment! I think I am going to go home and play some SOR...