"Greatest Sega game ever" I wouldn't argue. I was 13 when it was released, I'm now 40, and to this day, I still have my Megadrive, and still play this game every once in a while. When a game is that good, it's just THAT good !
This game. *This game in particular*, is how my brother and I overcame our initial estrangement, and bonded growing up. I didn't even know I *had* a brother until I was already in elementary school. And at the time, while he often was able to get access to games more often, I usually had a much better setup (better tv, connections, et al). This game helped us overcome, bond, and prove ourselves. The first night we finally beat the game on Mania difficulty was cathartic. How could anyone think I'd ever forget that?
I'm one of those people who say that Streets of Rage 2 is my favorite game ever, for many of the reasons you go over. I think what sets it apart from everything, particularly beat 'em ups, is its accessibility. Double Dragon, Final Fight and the first SoR all made it a point to punish you - even on the base difficulty. SoR 2 isn't like that. SoR 2 is fair. If you died you could easily learn from your mistakes and become better. Effective use of the move set was key, but pulling off moves wasn't hard to learn or too difficult to master. I think that is what gets over looked a lot in why this game is so great - it's a game that can be enjoyed by everyone, in a genre that had been traditionally been designed to hate you. Great video Top Hat.
It's probably because Final Fight and Double Dragon both came from the Arcade/NES era, which designed games to guzzle up quarters or continues. Street of Rage 2 was designed from the ground up to be a fun home experience, and thus had no need to frustrate the player.
I will always remember the impact this game had on me FOREVER! My older brother and I strangely never got to play SOR1 at the time before it's sequel's release. We always heard of it's greatness, but we never could rent it and none of our friends had it either! . We rented SOR 2 and had such a blast playing it. The gameplay, the graphics and the AMAZING music stayed in our heads for days after we returned it. Luckily my birthday and Christmas were right around the corner. My brother got me 2 games that year: Chakan-The Forever Man (hey, we loved it even though it was both frustrating and confusing)... and Streets of Rage 2!! I was over the moon! We played it to death and then some! While we went back later a.nd loved the original, the 3rd entry was our favorite (gameplay wise). The music grew on us eventually, too! But SOR 2 will always be the best overall. It's too iconic to not be! No entry of Final Fight could even touch this! - Thanks Big Bro!
SoR2 is Sega's the greatest game, hands down. From the characters' unique move sets, the gameplay, to the soundtrack none has been better. I'm still playing it in 2020.
I like Final Fight 2 but SOR 2 just is superior is most areas of gamplay , characters moves , music is still top level , graphics ( Final Fight 2 a bit better ) but an upgrade from SOR 1
I'm one of those people whose favourite game of all-time it is. GENIUS-LEVEL graphics, music, sound design and gameplay SOR2 FOR LIIIFFFFFFFEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
SoR2 stands the test of time sooo well. So fun to play still and remains the king of scrolling beat 'em ups. Its soundtrack perfectly fits those environments...
I wouldn't say it's the King. The Final Fight arcade game holds that title for me, because Streets of Rage 2 is painfully slow in comparison. It just doesn't have the same adrenaline rush.
This was the pack in game that came with my Sega Genesis back in the day: I spent so many nights after school replaying this. If Max isn't in SOR 4, we riot.
NES tunes are also bomb (master blaster), however there is simply no beating the Genesis audibly in this era. Super Nintendo you ask? BLEH... overbearing mixes, poor polyphony, and lacking texture or grit.
@The monster under your bed I'd agree, there were some mega hits made for the SNES but I think the modern versions of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger sound much better, also.... the live orchestra versions are insanely worth going to see!
The SNES and Genesis had very different sound chips. The SNES was technically better and had some fantastic orchestral music themes but the Genesis did great with what they had. They’re chip was grittier and they implemented more guitar and electronic music. I’d agree they had more catchy tunes but both systems did some great things with their hardware.
The SOR series is hands down my favorite beat 'em up series of all time. I got into music production because of the music in the games! I technically started playing SOR3 first, and it has a special place in my heart, then played SOR2 then the first one. And I love all three of them, graphics modernization aside. Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima even did a Red Bull Music Academy concert out here in LA a few years ago, playing all the SOR tunes, it was epic! These guys motivated me into taking music production seriously.
You, sir, are absolutely right. Streets of Rage 2 is a Masterpiece in every sense of the word. The stakes for developing Streets of Rage 4 are now insanely high, and I hope DotEmu, Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games can pull it off.
@@HedgieDaUmbrehog I'd be OK with a tie for first place. Both games have something unique to offer and are essential for seeing the best of what the Mega Drive / Genesis has to offer.
I agree! Greatest SEGA game ever!!! I use to go into the options screen just to listen to the soundtracks. That music still moves me. Just like the the progression of the stages tell a story, so does the music as you go through it.
This has definitely been one of my favorite games ever since I was a child and it still is to this day. By the way, you left out mentioning the sub-boss Shiva, who was a nightmare to fight.
Remember the hilariously grotesque artwork on the packaging! Just like street fighter series..for real I love SoR..peaked at 2..but 3 had decent additions...anyone that loves it ...must play SoR remake!!
I remember nights when me and my dad will stay up all night put this on hard and try to flip the game on school nights at that... this game is great on all levels
Everything is perfect about Streets Of Rage 2, everything, even the bone crunching soundfx (which a lot of people rarely mention) My friend had a SNES and I had a Megadrive, I remember playing Streets Of Rage 1 with him and he did like, especially the music, when I showed him Streets Of Rage 2 though, he as absolutely blown away. We were playing on Mania. For SOR1 fans you will remember that SOR1 Stage 2 is a kind of sombre and not too exciting tune and the bosses with their teleporting claws are annoying to hit, we would always be looking forward to Stage 3 and all the other stages after that. SOR2 on the other hand wow, Stage 1 is amazing, but once Stage 2 kicks in you knock open the barrels and the music just starts off really hardcore and the bosses whizzing past and all the explosions on Mania is really high octane, Stage 2 is an INSANE rush and I had my Megadrive hooked up to massive loud speakers. For 1993 this was just so incredible. We also love Stage 7 lift music on Mania, the music is so hyper and the action is so difficult and over the top. I will never forget this awesome game.
I loved Final Fight. A LOT. So much so that I bought a Sega CD with my savings to play it on my Genesis, a Gameboy Advance SP (Final Fight ONE), and many years later, a genuine Final Fight arcade cabinet when I had a lot more than just a few quarters in my pocket. I couldn't play it at home originally since it never made its way to the Genesis, and I didn't have an SNES (would've been disappointed by that port anyway), so I was pretty stoked about the original Streets of Rage. When I learned about Streets of Rage II the following year while reading a preview in GamePro, I was incredibly excited. I told my parents I wanted it for Christmas that year, since the release would be just in time. Months passed, and they told me that Christmas Eve that they couldn't find it any of the stores, they were all sold out, so I'd just have to wait. I was unbelievably bummed out. Later that night, after midnight mass with my family, my mom and dad revealed we'd be having a scavenger hunt for a bunch of presents my parents hid all over the house. My final gift after finding the rest was Streets of Rage II hidden in their grandfather clock. My dad knew how much I'd wanted it, so he pre-ordered it via snail mail and paid by check right after I told them I absolutely needed to have it. It had arrived that afternoon and they kept it a secret. The speed of play, the characters, the graphics, the sounds, the enemies, the soundtrack! It is the greatest beat-em-up game of all time, hands down. Even better than my beloved Final Fight-- which I also still play on a regular basis.
The only time my brother and I got along as kids are when we played co-op video games. Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, and Secret of Mana are just some of those games that brought us together, and I will always cherish those games
I remember having played SOR1 and SOR3 first. Then when I finally played SOR2 It was immediately my favorite. That changed though as I got older. SOR3 is now my favorite, SOR1 being the best and SOR2 being the least that I play now.
Streets of Rage 2 is a game that I will always hold dear, I've played this game with brother, my dad, and even my Mom. My brother picks Skate, Pops picks Max, and Mom get Blaze. As I got older, I forgot about this game until the Sega Smashpack came out and there was SoR2. To this day, me and my brother still play it every once in a while and pass it for good measure. Part 4 just came out and my brother got Xbox Live just so we could play it and pass it like we did 2. Streets of Rage is a family game as far as I'm concerned.
I was 12 years old when this game came out my mind was blown with the soundtrack and till this day it's my favorite VG soundtrack,this is the first soundtrack that I actually imported,this game is very special to me
Definitely my favorite beat em up. Streets of Rage 2 is one of the only games I can playthrough over and over again without ever getting bored of it. I was very disappointed with the 3rd game though.
This was one of the games to define my childhood. I remember my little brother and I playing this en masse, our much younger siblings watching us in awe, and eventually them taking the reigns to play with us from time to time. This bonded us as one family unit, and it will always be a priceless treasured memory. This, super Mario world, Sonic 3 complete, kirbys dreamland 3, TMNT 4, and mortal kombat 2 made me fall in love with games on such a grander stage than ever before.
I found your channel after you very kindly answered alot of questions in a facebook forum. I was humbled how open and honest you were and i congratulate you on making YT a full time career. Very cool content.
Definitely my favourite beat ‘em up of all time. Just one quick point, there was a beat ‘em up called Renegade (Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun in Japan) made by Technos Japan and distributed by Taito that had the guys on bikes at the start of its second level. That came out in 1986.
I love Streets of Rage 2 and I consider it the best beat em up of all time. Heck you could make the argument of it being the best SEGA game althought there's bigger competition for that spot. You have Space Harrier, Sonic 2 and/or Sonic 3&K, Phantasy Star 4, Outrun and so on.
Streets of Rage 2 truly is one of the very best. Everything from the play control to the music is top-notch and I go back to it again and again for more. It remains one of the funnest beat-em-up experiences on any console before or since. Once again, great video.
I'm one of the ones who calls this game one of my favorites of all time, and I give it a completed play through each year, and I'm very very excited for SOR 4 to be released later this year.
@@fitnessabcvideo Yes, but I'm not as big of a fan, and I've also played SORR(Streets of Rage Remake), and was following that project being a beta tester sending my feedback to Bombergames till SEGA forced the end of development. I'm sad as a Linux user that there is no Linux version of SORR, but I do have my maxed out DOS/Win 9x/XP Pentium 4 build for retro gaming I can play it on.
I still play it every once in a while when I want to have some classic gaming fun in my PS4. It can more then hold it's own when compared to a lot of arcade beat them ups of the day.
Wow, so much interesting information here about the backstory of this game, great job assembling and presenting all of this, your game history videos are awesome.
Oh yeaaaaaaaaa! The cream of the crop of one of the most fun and enjoyable 16-bit genres! The only reason this isn't my favorite game of all time is because Guardian Heroes exists!
I absolutely love this game. One of the greatest home console beat em ups ever. I love the chunky ness of the characters and the feel of the fighting is what makes it great for me. Some modern beat em ups feel like you’re controlling a piece of cut out paper. I really hope streets 4 keeps the chunky ness.
Adam was my favourite character in the first game and I remember when the second game came out I was a bit gutted until I played Max, when the third game came out I hated all the characters and couldn't be arsed with the game, maybe the third game needed a bigger roster but everything about the second game ticked all my boxes
Streets of Rage 2 is definitely up there, but is it the best SEGA game ever? I dunno, I mean SEGA also made Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Gunstar Heroes, Shinobi 3, Ristar, Panzer Dragoon, House of the Dead 2, Jet Set Radio, Super Monkey Ball, Skies of Arcadia, Golden Axe Reveange of Death Adder, the Yakuza series, and Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed, to name a few. SEGA also share custody with Atlus on the Persona series, and with Platenuim on Bayonetta, it’s very easy to forget nowadays but SEGA did make some of the biggest titles out there.
When I was a kid I imagined the staff that worked on the games enjoyed their success, not that they were deceased from overwork. May they rest in peace.
I have always been a big Final Fight fan. When Streets Of Rage 2 came out it made me a fan of the SOR series. EVERYTHING about this game was done right, and the soundtrack went above and beyond what people expected from game soundtracks. Games like this are what developers need to reference when striving to make a great game. THIS was when Sega was one of the major faces of gaming.
I first played Streets of Rage 2 on December 24 2008. It was on the Wii's Virtual Console and I had already downloaded the first one. I was 28 at the time and it took me back to the 90's in the best possible way. It's one of those games that showed how good the Genesis is. I also have it on my 3DS and the Atgames plug and play.
1. Double Dragon (Arcade) 2. Final Fight (Arcade / sega CD) 3. Streets of Rage II Best beat em up of all times in my opinion SNES Final Fight missing a Stage and no co-op was pure lazyness from developers IMO
Streets of Rage 2 is my favourite game on the Megadrive/Genesis bar none and definitely one of my favourite games of all time. Everything from the gameplay, characters, level design to the amazing Yuzo Koshiro sound track. Streets of Rage 2 is one of the best games to ever be made period! 13:10 Back in the Industry stage 7 in Streets of Rage 2 along with Lost Soul stage 8 in Streets of Rage are my 2 favourite tracks from the whole series. There isn't many games from back in the day that hold up as well today as Streets of Rage 2 does. I always try to play this classic at least once a year because it's that damn good. As was said in the video that I wholeheartedly agree with is that Streets of Rage 2 is the best game Sega has ever made and released and still to this day nothing they've came out with since has ever topped it. Great video Top Hat, thanks.
You're like the UK version of the Angry video game nerd with that impressive collection and not being angry of course. Fantastic video and I agree with everything you said, the game's soundtrack is amazing, I'm nearly forty and still play it in my car from time to time.
I read once that 'boo' is the name/nickname of someone who worked on the game? Not sure how true that is though. Though yeah, it still makes no sense with such a dodgy translation :D
I loved this game when I owned it as a kid. Me and my best mate played it to death. It played so well and it looked beautiful. I loved the design of everything in the game and the music was incredible. My fave part of it though was the fact that playing 2p meant more enemies compared to 1p and also increasing the difficulty mixes the difficulty through increased enemy health bars but also again more enemies. You could be fighting a single boss on 1p on a lower difficulty but on higher difficulty and 2p at times that would then go to 5-6 bosses at same time.
If I had to play a beat em up for 8 hours straight there's only two I might pick over this: Violent Storm and Fight 'n Rage. All others might come with fun new improvements, but also notable flaws these three gems of the genre just don't have.
This game was the stuff that 11 year old me lived for every weekend. My best friend and I played through it countless times. Best SEGA game ever made. No question.
I think Sega has made better games, especially in the arcade. This always reeked as a poor man's Capcom brawler. At the time, the arcade was still the place to go for beat-em-up action and Ninja Warriors(again) was my favorite brawler on the home console. Best beat-em-ups imho are: 1. Aliens Vs Predator (best played with joystick) 2. Dungeons and Dragons Shadow over Mystaria 3. Ninja Warriors Again. I do have some affection for Guardian Heroes by Treasure.
Shouldn't be a question. It simply IS the greatest game ever. The replay-ability is still going *28 years strong* (released in 1992) and still being talked about, played, etc. The soundtrack alone is simply the greatest sound track in gaming history. Not even up for debate. FACT. Every other game sound track can fight it our for 2nd place cause 1st is taken by Streets of Rage 2.
Super Smash Bros Melee would like a word with you I have played a LOT of obscure, esoteric beat em ups, so I feel qualified to say its the best beat em up with no real competition
"It is the best game in the series, the best game in the beat-em-up genre and even one of the best games of all time." Yes, yes and YES! As a long time gamer this is without a doubt one of my favourite games ever. As a beat-em-up it is pretty much perfect and its one of those games that simply does not age. I play through it at least once a year to this day alone or two players with my nephew as a big part of our childhood was spent playing SOR2. Also that soundtrack... that soundtrack is epic and timeless. Not only do I still enjoy playing this game to this day I also love listening to it's soundtrack and it is often in my playlists specially when I'm out walking on the streets. 😆
Contrary to popular opinion, I liked SoR3 best. I thought it added mechanics that advanced the series while making it even more distinct from other beat em ups. I also liked the leveling up mechanics as well as the hidden supers that were mostly overlooked. With multiple endings, 3 is still my favorite in the series.
xenoranger79 People get caught up with the change of music and rough sounding voices. They are a downgrade from part II but certainly not a deal breaker. I also love the challenge of part III. All of the aforementioned features, I have never seen on any other 2D brawler.
I think it was the mag mean machines that brought out a short video with up coming games on there. Streets of rage 2 was on there. I must of replayed that tape a million times. I remember when I got it my sister's used to dance to the music while I played, they loved it as well. It is true number 1. I do think the 90s soul tune in the bgm were key to the experience!
One of my favorite in the series and 1 of 5 in the Side scroll Era for me.. TMNT in time,X-Men Children of the Atom, Battle Toads and Captian Commando..Great Stuff Hope you cover more
The port of The Punisher on Mega Drive is an underrated entry in it's beat'em up library, it doesn't look or sound quite as nice as SOR2 but gameplay-wise it is just as good and it's two-player, with many aspects that SOR doesn't have, like grenades and loads of weapons and even guns to use, and a deep move set. Check that out for a video
The arcade Punisher & AvP had the best 2D beat-em-up mechanics PERIOD. Final Fight 3 & Return of Double Dragon on Super Famicom are my favorite console beat-em-ups. Western console beat-em-up ports were always censored. Streets of Rage series is no exception.... gotta play the Bare Knuckle series from the Japanese Megadrive for uncensored visuals.
I’ll always have a soft spot for the first streets of rage. That’s the one my buddy had and we played the crap out of it. Streets 2 was sadly just a rental
Bad ass babes on pc is a great retro style beat em up and has digitized sprites like mortal kombat. Story is like a cheesy sci fi B movie. Check it out and review next !
I agree this game just keeps getting more relevant. Like, we’re not seeing a new final fight coming out this year. But there’s real excitment over SoR 4 - more than 25 years after the last official title in the series. It’s clearly one of Sega’s best games ever, sadly they didn’t realize what they were sitting on. They could have done so much more with this franchise. But then again, we might not remember it quite so fondly by now if they had milked it dry in the Saturn and Dreamcast eras.
![Mega Drive Longplay [002] Streets of Rage](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/UV9CD-KVapc/mqdefault.jpg)
"Greatest Sega game ever" I wouldn't argue. I was 13 when it was released, I'm now 40, and to this day, I still have my Megadrive, and still play this game every once in a while.
When a game is that good, it's just THAT good !
96 likes ecin
I sold my Mega Drive years ago but thankfully this and many other Mega Drive classics were put on a compilation disc for first PS3 and then PS4
This game. *This game in particular*, is how my brother and I overcame our initial estrangement, and bonded growing up. I didn't even know I *had* a brother until I was already in elementary school. And at the time, while he often was able to get access to games more often, I usually had a much better setup (better tv, connections, et al). This game helped us overcome, bond, and prove ourselves. The first night we finally beat the game on Mania difficulty was cathartic. How could anyone think I'd ever forget that?
I was 8 in 1992- I couldn't stop listening to the music. we had the model 1 with the headphone port & I would be up allllllll nigh just jamming🙌🏿
I'm one of those people who say that Streets of Rage 2 is my favorite game ever, for many of the reasons you go over. I think what sets it apart from everything, particularly beat 'em ups, is its accessibility. Double Dragon, Final Fight and the first SoR all made it a point to punish you - even on the base difficulty. SoR 2 isn't like that. SoR 2 is fair. If you died you could easily learn from your mistakes and become better. Effective use of the move set was key, but pulling off moves wasn't hard to learn or too difficult to master. I think that is what gets over looked a lot in why this game is so great - it's a game that can be enjoyed by everyone, in a genre that had been traditionally been designed to hate you. Great video Top Hat.
It's probably because Final Fight and Double Dragon both came from the Arcade/NES era, which designed games to guzzle up quarters or continues. Street of Rage 2 was designed from the ground up to be a fun home experience, and thus had no need to frustrate the player.
2 was the worst of the 3 games. Get your nostalgia glasses off.
"My opinion is correct because I think so."
N1ce Dreams you’re so funny man!🤣
@Surf Surfing 3 was my favorite, too. It was really over the top, which was perfect for SoR, imo.
This game is responsible for me becoming a music producer
Yuzo Koshiro was way ahead of his time....
@@TheAmazingLSB He had his own sampling method- PURE GENIUS
Yup, same!
This comment.
Makes sense.
I will never tire of hearing the tale of this legendary game.
I will always remember the impact this game had on me FOREVER! My older brother and I strangely never got to play SOR1 at the time before it's sequel's release. We always heard of it's greatness, but we never could rent it and none of our friends had it either!
.
We rented SOR 2 and had such a blast playing it. The gameplay, the graphics and the AMAZING music stayed in our heads for days after we returned it. Luckily my birthday and Christmas were right around the corner. My brother got me 2 games that year: Chakan-The Forever Man (hey, we loved it even though it was both frustrating and confusing)... and Streets of Rage 2!! I was over the moon! We played it to death and then some!
While we went back later a.nd loved the original, the 3rd entry was our favorite (gameplay wise). The music grew on us eventually, too! But SOR 2 will always be the best overall. It's too iconic to not be! No entry of Final Fight could even touch this!
- Thanks Big Bro!
SuperKokuJin916 Chakan is super underrated
When that boss music kicked in.... It's so badass!
Oh man, that music! When that track hit, you just knew you were in trouble!
SoR2 is Sega's the greatest game, hands down. From the characters' unique move sets, the gameplay, to the soundtrack none has been better. I'm still playing it in 2020.
im still playing sor 1 and sor remake i wouldnt touch sor 2 or 3 if my life depended on it.
Yeah still playing 1 and 2 but haven't got time for the third installment
I like Final Fight 2 but SOR 2 just is superior is most areas of gamplay , characters moves , music is still top level , graphics ( Final Fight 2 a bit better ) but an upgrade from SOR 1
I hear that. SoR2 is the only one I really go back to.
Was playing it with my 6 yr old daughter last week. She loves just like I do.
I'm one of those people whose favourite game of all-time it is. GENIUS-LEVEL graphics, music, sound design and gameplay
SOR2 FOR LIIIFFFFFFFEEEEE!!!!!!!!!
SoR2 stands the test of time sooo well. So fun to play still and remains the king of scrolling beat 'em ups. Its soundtrack perfectly fits those environments...
I wouldn't say it's the King. The Final Fight arcade game holds that title for me, because Streets of Rage 2 is painfully slow in comparison. It just doesn't have the same adrenaline rush.
@@Syklonus That's why there is SOR3
This was the pack in game that came with my Sega Genesis back in the day: I spent so many nights after school replaying this. If Max isn't in SOR 4, we riot.
dont worry, you can unlock him!
I swear SEGA always had the catchiest tunes in their games.
NES tunes are also bomb (master blaster), however there is simply no beating the Genesis audibly in this era. Super Nintendo you ask? BLEH... overbearing mixes, poor polyphony, and lacking texture or grit.
@The monster under your bed I'd agree, there were some mega hits made for the SNES but I think the modern versions of Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger sound much better, also.... the live orchestra versions are insanely worth going to see!
The SNES and Genesis had very different sound chips. The SNES was technically better and had some fantastic orchestral music themes but the Genesis did great with what they had. They’re chip was grittier and they implemented more guitar and electronic music. I’d agree they had more catchy tunes but both systems did some great things with their hardware.
I play this so much when i was a kid.I miss that time.The sound and music are amazing still in my memory even today.
The SOR series is hands down my favorite beat 'em up series of all time. I got into music production because of the music in the games! I technically started playing SOR3 first, and it has a special place in my heart, then played SOR2 then the first one. And I love all three of them, graphics modernization aside. Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima even did a Red Bull Music Academy concert out here in LA a few years ago, playing all the SOR tunes, it was epic! These guys motivated me into taking music production seriously.
SOR3 was dope AF. Hella underrated
This game has an amazing ost.
You, sir, are absolutely right. Streets of Rage 2 is a Masterpiece in every sense of the word. The stakes for developing Streets of Rage 4 are now insanely high, and I hope DotEmu, Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games can pull it off.
I never get tired of doing Max's jumping powerbomb and atomic drop in this game.
I'm torn between Streets of Rage 2 and Sonic 3 & Knuckles for my favourite Mega Drive game.
Ever play Gunstar Heroes?
Sonic 2 ftw :D
Why not both? I’m a massive sonic nerd, and the only thing, in my eyes, to top Sonic 3 complete is SoR2
@@HedgieDaUmbrehog I'd be OK with a tie for first place. Both games have something unique to offer and are essential for seeing the best of what the Mega Drive / Genesis has to offer.
@@ВадимБаев-с9в S3&K > Sonic 2
I agree! Greatest SEGA game ever!!! I use to go into the options screen just to listen to the soundtracks. That music still moves me. Just like the the progression of the stages tell a story, so does the music as you go through it.
This has definitely been one of my favorite games ever since I was a child and it still is to this day. By the way, you left out mentioning the sub-boss Shiva, who was a nightmare to fight.
Remember the hilariously grotesque artwork on the packaging! Just like street fighter series..for real I love SoR..peaked at 2..but 3 had decent additions...anyone that loves it ...must play SoR remake!!
100% agree!!!
That Mega Man style box art was always strange to me.
@@FelixMuk Yes, the characters didn't look like in the game.
It make me mad how hard them streets of rage beats went for no damn reason 😂
Loved the boss theme!
Yo phantom! :)
@@DintheAbary wassup man!
I remember nights when me and my dad will stay up all night put this on hard and try to flip the game on school nights at that... this game is great on all levels
Everything is perfect about Streets Of Rage 2, everything, even the bone crunching soundfx (which a lot of people rarely mention)
My friend had a SNES and I had a Megadrive, I remember playing Streets Of Rage 1 with him and he did like, especially the music, when I showed him Streets Of Rage 2 though, he as absolutely blown away. We were playing on Mania.
For SOR1 fans you will remember that SOR1 Stage 2 is a kind of sombre and not too exciting tune and the bosses with their teleporting claws are annoying to hit, we would always be looking forward to Stage 3 and all the other stages after that.
SOR2 on the other hand wow, Stage 1 is amazing, but once Stage 2 kicks in you knock open the barrels and the music just starts off really hardcore and the bosses whizzing past and all the explosions on Mania is really high octane, Stage 2 is an INSANE rush and I had my Megadrive hooked up to massive loud speakers. For 1993 this was just so incredible.
We also love Stage 7 lift music on Mania, the music is so hyper and the action is so difficult and over the top.
I will never forget this awesome game.
I loved Final Fight. A LOT. So much so that I bought a Sega CD with my savings to play it on my Genesis, a Gameboy Advance SP (Final Fight ONE), and many years later, a genuine Final Fight arcade cabinet when I had a lot more than just a few quarters in my pocket. I couldn't play it at home originally since it never made its way to the Genesis, and I didn't have an SNES (would've been disappointed by that port anyway), so I was pretty stoked about the original Streets of Rage. When I learned about Streets of Rage II the following year while reading a preview in GamePro, I was incredibly excited. I told my parents I wanted it for Christmas that year, since the release would be just in time. Months passed, and they told me that Christmas Eve that they couldn't find it any of the stores, they were all sold out, so I'd just have to wait. I was unbelievably bummed out. Later that night, after midnight mass with my family, my mom and dad revealed we'd be having a scavenger hunt for a bunch of presents my parents hid all over the house. My final gift after finding the rest was Streets of Rage II hidden in their grandfather clock. My dad knew how much I'd wanted it, so he pre-ordered it via snail mail and paid by check right after I told them I absolutely needed to have it. It had arrived that afternoon and they kept it a secret. The speed of play, the characters, the graphics, the sounds, the enemies, the soundtrack! It is the greatest beat-em-up game of all time, hands down. Even better than my beloved Final Fight-- which I also still play on a regular basis.
How dies the saying go “it takes a village?” That definitely applies to the development of this amazing game.
One of the greatest Genesis games ever and one of the best OSTs ever
The only time my brother and I got along as kids are when we played co-op video games. Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, and Secret of Mana are just some of those games that brought us together, and I will always cherish those games
I remember having played SOR1 and SOR3 first. Then when I finally played SOR2 It was immediately my favorite. That changed though as I got older. SOR3 is now my favorite, SOR1 being the best and SOR2 being the least that I play now.
Streets of Rage 2 is a game that I will always hold dear, I've played this game with brother, my dad, and even my Mom. My brother picks Skate, Pops picks Max, and Mom get Blaze. As I got older, I forgot about this game until the Sega Smashpack came out and there was SoR2. To this day, me and my brother still play it every once in a while and pass it for good measure. Part 4 just came out and my brother got Xbox Live just so we could play it and pass it like we did 2. Streets of Rage is a family game as far as I'm concerned.
Nah, motorcycles wasn't new (element to the beat'em up genre). Renegade/Nekketsu Kouha Kunio-kun had these in 1986.
They were tricky oponents in the NES!
They were also in Ninja Gaiden (arcade) from 1988.
I was 12 years old when this game came out my mind was blown with the soundtrack and till this day it's my favorite VG soundtrack,this is the first soundtrack that I actually imported,this game is very special to me
Definitely my favorite beat em up. Streets of Rage 2 is one of the only games I can playthrough over and over again without ever getting bored of it. I was very disappointed with the 3rd game though.
I can't stand SOR3
Sor 3 gameplay saves it for me. I could play it over and over trying to be untouchable because the gameplay is faster.
I love this game! Spent so many hours playing it on my megadrive, Bought it again on PS3 and PS4 but SOR3 is my favourite.
Arobmikaus SOR3 is also my favorite of the 3. Glad to see I'm not alone on that one.
BK3 is my favorite in the series too! I love everything about this game!!
Streets of Rage 2 has an amazing 3D port for the 3DS. Get it!
This was one of the games to define my childhood. I remember my little brother and I playing this en masse, our much younger siblings watching us in awe, and eventually them taking the reigns to play with us from time to time. This bonded us as one family unit, and it will always be a priceless treasured memory. This, super Mario world, Sonic 3 complete, kirbys dreamland 3, TMNT 4, and mortal kombat 2 made me fall in love with games on such a grander stage than ever before.
I never played this. I’ll have to try it out soon. Thanks for showing us 🙂
Blasphemy!😱
I found your channel after you very kindly answered alot of questions in a facebook forum. I was humbled how open and honest you were and i congratulate you on making YT a full time career. Very cool content.
Thank you :)
Definitely my favourite beat ‘em up of all time. Just one quick point, there was a beat ‘em up called Renegade (Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun in Japan) made by Technos Japan and distributed by Taito that had the guys on bikes at the start of its second level. That came out in 1986.
I love Streets of Rage 2 and I consider it the best beat em up of all time. Heck you could make the argument of it being the best SEGA game althought there's bigger competition for that spot. You have Space Harrier, Sonic 2 and/or Sonic 3&K, Phantasy Star 4, Outrun and so on.
Used to blast this games soundtrack as recently as this year when I'm chefing up pizza dough.
Well done mate.
One of my favorite games ever, I would say this game holds a candle to the iconic Street Fighter 2
Streets of Rage 2 truly is one of the very best. Everything from the play control to the music is top-notch and I go back to it again and again for more. It remains one of the funnest beat-em-up experiences on any console before or since.
Once again, great video.
Easily one of my favorite games of all time, and the standard for all side-scrolling beat 'em ups.
Love maximum carnage because of the Spiderman aspect but this is objectively better in every way. Sets a standard that games still strive to meet.
Streets of rage 2 was my introduction to the series what an introduction!!! Miss the 90s
A Tatsunoko va Capcom video would be cool
I'm one of the ones who calls this game one of my favorites of all time, and I give it a completed play through each year, and I'm very very excited for SOR 4 to be released later this year.
Did you ever play beats of rage
@@fitnessabcvideo Yes, but I'm not as big of a fan, and I've also played SORR(Streets of Rage Remake), and was following that project being a beta tester sending my feedback to Bombergames till SEGA forced the end of development. I'm sad as a Linux user that there is no Linux version of SORR, but I do have my maxed out DOS/Win 9x/XP Pentium 4 build for retro gaming I can play it on.
I introduced this to my 16 y.o. daughter at Christmas but on the mini. We played 1,2, & 3 over the Christmas break and she loved it.
SoR2 literally was the Genesis/MegaDrive's finest hour...
My favorite Genesis game
Nah Sonic 3
Happy to see your channel growing. You have been working like crazy on it. Gratz
I still play it every once in a while when I want to have some classic gaming fun in my PS4. It can more then hold it's own when compared to a lot of arcade beat them ups of the day.
man, so many memories and that music and the history of the game itself... I'm just sweating through my eyes, that's all
Wow, so much interesting information here about the backstory of this game, great job assembling and presenting all of this, your game history videos are awesome.
Oh yeaaaaaaaaa! The cream of the crop of one of the most fun and enjoyable 16-bit genres! The only reason this isn't my favorite game of all time is because Guardian Heroes exists!
I absolutely love this game. One of the greatest home console beat em ups ever. I love the chunky ness of the characters and the feel of the fighting is what makes it great for me. Some modern beat em ups feel like you’re controlling a piece of cut out paper. I really hope streets 4 keeps the chunky ness.
Adam was my favourite character in the first game and I remember when the second game came out I was a bit gutted until I played Max, when the third game came out I hated all the characters and couldn't be arsed with the game, maybe the third game needed a bigger roster but everything about the second game ticked all my boxes
On SoR 3 u can unlock 2 charts. Research it
Streets of Rage 2 is definitely up there, but is it the best SEGA game ever? I dunno, I mean SEGA also made Sonic The Hedgehog 3, Gunstar Heroes, Shinobi 3, Ristar, Panzer Dragoon, House of the Dead 2, Jet Set Radio, Super Monkey Ball, Skies of Arcadia, Golden Axe Reveange of Death Adder, the Yakuza series, and Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed, to name a few.
SEGA also share custody with Atlus on the Persona series, and with Platenuim on Bayonetta, it’s very easy to forget nowadays but SEGA did make some of the biggest titles out there.
@5:33 MegaBIT, not megaBYTE. 16 megabits is 2 megabytes.
This. Many times this!
'Console wise' this is easily the best beat em up' game of all time, only TMNT: Turtles in time on SNES comes close, great video mate! :)
When I was a kid I imagined the staff that worked on the games enjoyed their success, not that they were deceased from overwork. May they rest in peace.
I have always been a big Final Fight fan. When Streets Of Rage 2 came out it made me a fan of the SOR series. EVERYTHING about this game was done right, and the soundtrack went above and beyond what people expected from game soundtracks. Games like this are what developers need to reference when striving to make a great game. THIS was when Sega was one of the major faces of gaming.
What an astounding achievement! Thanks for covering it!
I first played Streets of Rage 2 on December 24 2008. It was on the Wii's Virtual Console and I had already downloaded the first one. I was 28 at the time and it took me back to the 90's in the best possible way. It's one of those games that showed how good the Genesis is. I also have it on my 3DS and the Atgames plug and play.
I didn’t realize Electra has a robo wip arm
1. Double Dragon (Arcade)
2. Final Fight (Arcade / sega CD)
3. Streets of Rage II
Best beat em up of all times in my opinion
SNES Final Fight missing a Stage and no co-op was pure lazyness from developers IMO
please, do a video about Cadillacs and Dinosaurs
As the best Streets of Rage 2 player on the planet, I approve this message :)
Streets of Rage 2 is my favourite game on the Megadrive/Genesis bar none and definitely one of my favourite games of all time. Everything from the gameplay, characters, level design to the amazing Yuzo Koshiro sound track. Streets of Rage 2 is one of the best games to ever be made period!
13:10 Back in the Industry stage 7 in Streets of Rage 2 along with Lost Soul stage 8 in Streets of Rage are my 2 favourite tracks from the whole series.
There isn't many games from back in the day that hold up as well today as Streets of Rage 2 does. I always try to play this classic at least once a year because it's that damn good. As was said in the video that I wholeheartedly agree with is that Streets of Rage 2 is the best game Sega has ever made and released and still to this day nothing they've came out with since has ever topped it.
Great video Top Hat, thanks.
I still love this game and still have my sega genesis to play this!
"Are you a bad enough dude to rescue the city and Adam??"
You're like the UK version of the Angry video game nerd with that impressive collection and not being angry of course. Fantastic video and I agree with everything you said, the game's soundtrack is amazing, I'm nearly forty and still play it in my car from time to time.
Some of the stage soundtrack sounds similar to the music at the time this game came out like Ace Of Base, that's what drew me to the soundtrack
One of my all-time favorite games. My favorite character was Blaze , because she was well-rounded. Max was my 2nd favorite.
Thank you for mentioning the "Unique move"....I just commented on your SoR1 vid mentioning that. Yeaaaaaaaa. Great video BTW
"It's like Boo!"
Still scratching my head over that one.
"Do! baseball!" Too
I read once that 'boo' is the name/nickname of someone who worked on the game? Not sure how true that is though. Though yeah, it still makes no sense with such a dodgy translation :D
I loved this game when I owned it as a kid. Me and my best mate played it to death. It played so well and it looked beautiful. I loved the design of everything in the game and the music was incredible. My fave part of it though was the fact that playing 2p meant more enemies compared to 1p and also increasing the difficulty mixes the difficulty through increased enemy health bars but also again more enemies. You could be fighting a single boss on 1p on a lower difficulty but on higher difficulty and 2p at times that would then go to 5-6 bosses at same time.
If I had to play a beat em up for 8 hours straight there's only two I might pick over this: Violent Storm and Fight 'n Rage.
All others might come with fun new improvements, but also notable flaws these three gems of the genre just don't have.
This game was the stuff that 11 year old me lived for every weekend. My best friend and I played through it countless times. Best SEGA game ever made. No question.
I think Sega has made better games, especially in the arcade. This always reeked as a poor man's Capcom brawler. At the time, the arcade was still the place to go for beat-em-up action and Ninja Warriors(again) was my favorite brawler on the home console. Best beat-em-ups imho are:
1. Aliens Vs Predator (best played with joystick)
2. Dungeons and Dragons Shadow over Mystaria
3. Ninja Warriors Again.
I do have some affection for Guardian Heroes by Treasure.
Shouldn't be a question. It simply IS the greatest game ever. The replay-ability is still going *28 years strong* (released in 1992) and still being talked about, played, etc. The soundtrack alone is simply the greatest sound track in gaming history. Not even up for debate. FACT. Every other game sound track can fight it our for 2nd place cause 1st is taken by Streets of Rage 2.
💯. No room for debate on ANY of this
Super Smash Bros Melee would like a word with you
I have played a LOT of obscure, esoteric beat em ups, so I feel qualified to say its the best beat em up with no real competition
this is probably my favorite video game of all times.
"It is the best game in the series, the best game in the beat-em-up genre and even one of the best games of all time."
Yes, yes and YES! As a long time gamer this is without a doubt one of my favourite games ever. As a beat-em-up it is pretty much perfect and its one of those games that simply does not age. I play through it at least once a year to this day alone or two players with my nephew as a big part of our childhood was spent playing SOR2.
Also that soundtrack... that soundtrack is epic and timeless. Not only do I still enjoy playing this game to this day I also love listening to it's soundtrack and it is often in my playlists specially when I'm out walking on the streets. 😆
Contrary to popular opinion, I liked SoR3 best. I thought it added mechanics that advanced the series while making it even more distinct from other beat em ups.
I also liked the leveling up mechanics as well as the hidden supers that were mostly overlooked. With multiple endings, 3 is still my favorite in the series.
xenoranger79
People get caught up with the change of music and rough sounding voices. They are a downgrade from part II but certainly not a deal breaker.
I also love the challenge of part III. All of the aforementioned features, I have never seen on any other 2D brawler.
I adore this game. So many great times playing this with friends and family. A true 🐐
I think it was the mag mean machines that brought out a short video with up coming games on there. Streets of rage 2 was on there. I must of replayed that tape a million times. I remember when I got it my sister's used to dance to the music while I played, they loved it as well. It is true number 1. I do think the 90s soul tune in the bgm were key to the experience!
Aw man, I love this channel. Cool upload as ever mate. Yeahhh!!!
Well SOR2 came out huge and successful. Gameplay, music, and clean graphics.
One of my favorite in the series and 1 of 5 in the Side scroll Era for me.. TMNT in time,X-Men Children of the Atom, Battle Toads and Captian Commando..Great Stuff Hope you cover more
enjoyed that :) also you were def playing that with the missis as you let them take both apples when they were low health
The port of The Punisher on Mega Drive is an underrated entry in it's beat'em up library, it doesn't look or sound quite as nice as SOR2 but gameplay-wise it is just as good and it's two-player, with many aspects that SOR doesn't have, like grenades and loads of weapons and even guns to use, and a deep move set. Check that out for a video
The arcade Punisher & AvP had the best 2D beat-em-up mechanics PERIOD. Final Fight 3 & Return of Double Dragon on Super Famicom are my favorite console beat-em-ups. Western console beat-em-up ports were always censored. Streets of Rage series is no exception.... gotta play the Bare Knuckle series from the Japanese Megadrive for uncensored visuals.
I’ll always have a soft spot for the first streets of rage. That’s the one my buddy had and we played the crap out of it. Streets 2 was sadly just a rental
I first played this game on the Sega Smash pack on the Dreamcast and it was a fun game and the Soundtrack was awesome and still is today
It's definitely my favorite sega and beat-em up game.
Brazil is here and we love this game too
Bad ass babes on pc is a great retro style beat em up and has digitized sprites like mortal kombat. Story is like a cheesy sci fi B movie. Check it out and review next !
The factory was my favorite stage both gameplay- and soundwise.
The only 2D beat'em up games that could compete with Streets of Rage 2 were the ones the CPS2 ones from Capcom, that appeared years later.
Great video! Just a small correction. Motorcycle riding enemies were in Renegade and I think a couple other games before SoR2.
I agree this game just keeps getting more relevant. Like, we’re not seeing a new final fight coming out this year. But there’s real excitment over SoR 4 - more than 25 years after the last official title in the series. It’s clearly one of Sega’s best games ever, sadly they didn’t realize what they were sitting on. They could have done so much more with this franchise. But then again, we might not remember it quite so fondly by now if they had milked it dry in the Saturn and Dreamcast eras.