Genre: Beat-‘Em-Up Developer: Sega Enterprises Publisher: Sega Enterprises Players: 1-2 Released: 1991
Axel, Blaze, and Adam are three bad ass ex-cops who are taking it to the streets so they can make an attempt to clean the city up of all the smelly, good for nothing punks that are polluting the area. A madman named Mr. X is at the head of all this troublesome turmoil in the big city, and he is also the trio’s main nemesis. But to get to Mr. X, the bold threesome must first make it through stages consisting of seemingly endless streets, towering elevators, a beach that never sleeps, and a few other not so welcoming places.
On the streets, you have to have some moves and grooves if you want to survive more than thirty seconds. In the video game world, there are also some rules to abide by. The most noticeable of these rules is the fact that only one or two of the three available fighters (in either a one-player or two-player co-op game) may go up against the countless numbers of thugs and overpowering bosses at a time. Axel, Blaze, and Adam will need to use all the death-defying moves they possess in order to have a chance of getting the funky city back in its original, peaceful form.
Axel, Blaze, and Adam all have their own set of strengths and weaknesses, along with a similar, yet different array of fighting moves. For example, Adam is powerful and he has a nice jumping ability, but he moves slower than a redneck talks. On the other hand, Blaze is as fast as a jackrabbit but she’s not all that strong. There are many moves for each of the three fighters to show off. All three of them can punch, kick, throw, and do your everyday suplex.
Really, their fighting moves aren’t all that varied from one another, except for a couple of signature moves, such as Axel being the only one that can perform a head butt. To help them along the way, there are also weapons they can pick up and use such as skin-penetrating broken bottles, sharp-edged knives, lead pipes for making enemies see something beyond stars, and splintering, wooden baseball bats. I hope you have eyes in the back of your head because a few of the enemies can also use the weapons.
There are also a few non-weapons that can be put to use. Hidden inside various places such as phone booths or sets of tires are extra lives, apples and chickens for energy, and extra specials. The specials in Streets of Rage aren’t anything like the ones used in Streets of Rage 2 or 3. Instead of each fighter having their own special moves, anytime you use a special in this original, a police car will drive up behind you and then somebody will get out of the car and fire a rocket launcher (yawn). Once the projectile lands, it sets off a perfectly round chain reaction of fire on the ground, with you being right in the middle and remaining unaffected. Even if this circular pattern of fire doesn’t appear to touch a certain opponent, he/she/it will be knocked down silly and maybe even killed. There’s a place at the top of the screen that tells you how many specials you have left in storage at all times.
Streets of Rage has a decent variety of enemies to tear apart and stomp on like a photograph of your ex-girlfriend. There are everyday looking freaks comprised of a red mohawk and a laughably weak punch, earth-shaking fat guys that have a whale of a time by running unbelievably fast (for their size) while breathing out broiling flames from last night’s chili dogs (at least they’re not breathing from the other end), whip-carrying women who want to bruise you into shape, and so on. At the end of most levels is a challenging boss of sorts. The bosses range from a huge wrestler with an unbearable uppercut to the mysterious Mr. X himself.
All the levels in Streets of Rage are fairly short and there aren’t many separate parts, or stages, to any of them. The overused phrase ”short but sweet” comes to mind as I type the previous sentence. Indeed, though it may not be that long for a game that has eight main levels, there is still a good bit of fun to be had with this little 16-bit cartridge.
Moreover, there are some locations that have some nice effects included. At certain points, you can throw or knock your enemies into a bottomless pit or off of a platform that is seemingly hundreds of feet above ground, causing them death even if they have a full life bar of energy. Another nice touch is having the elevator rise up several levels and then unleash legions of enemies the second it comes to a stop on certain floors.
For Streets of Rage to be the first title in the series, its graphics aren’t bad at all. The characters have a decent amount of detail and animation, even though they’re small in size. The backgrounds and levels also have detail that is good enough, though it seems to be lacking in areas such as the color scheme (most of the game is a little dark with a colorful part occasionally). Streets of Rage does have a few neat graphical effects though. Watch for a part in which the sun rises in the background and the nice up and down screen motion while you’re onboard the ship, giving you a nice on-the-boat atmosphere.
The sound effects are sort of bland and lacking. The music, on the other hand, was done by one of the most respected video game music composers of all, Yuzo Koshiro. The music is mostly fast-paced and the majority of the tracks are nice to sit back and listen to, though none of the tracks stand out as being particularly catchy or memorable. Finally, the controls are tight and well done for the most part. It may take you a few tries to get used to the way the fighters jump (it feels sort of stiff at first), but after playing the game for a while, those problems should diminish. Performing the numerous throws, punches, and other moves is a cinch.
Streets of Rage is still an enjoyable game to play over and over just like its sequels, only to a much lesser degree. If you’re a Streets of Rage fanatic that must have all three games in your collection (I certainly did), I would recommend getting this one. It’s great to have it around and it’s a fun game to play from time to time. However, if you just get one game in the series, this isn’t the one you want.
SCORE: 6 out of 10
“none of the tracks stand out as being particularly catchy or memorable”
WTF ????????????
6 out of 10 seems harsh. The reviewer seems to be comparig SofR1 side-by-side SofR 2&3, as if they are contemporaries of another another. For 1991, SofR1 is excellent. The soundtrack is the best in the series and that alone should push the score to 7. The graphics are more basic, but I like the zoom-ed out perspective. The smaller characters mean that you see more of the screen at one time. The fighting too is fluid and fun. A few more moves would be nice, especially the ability to do perform quick vertical roles, in order to avoid enemies, but these are minor issues. The action is varied enough that one never gets bored. As I get older and busier, the more I want simple games that I can get in and out of in an hour with a sense of satisfaction. This is such a game. Easy, quick, fun.
I agree. I like the music in this one more than in SOR 2, and I like being able to see more of the screen. The second game improved in many areas, but the original is definitely better to me than a 6.
Streets of Rage is the only one that also has the pepper shaker. But, can’t throw the big heavy guys in Streets of Rage (they’ll fall right on top of Axel, Blaze, or Adam because they are too heavy). Blaze is the best on to choose because the bosses on the boat are two like Blaze (although Adam’s delayed back kick timed correctly also works). Most of the enemies in Stage 7 can be thrown off the elevator with very little fighting. No special power is available at all on the last Stage 8.