Best Game Ever – Streets of Rage 2

Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega for the Genesis
Released: 1993

Mr. X is significantly shorter when you fight him at the end of the game.

If I had a choice between playing a new Xbox360 game and playing an all time classic like Streets of Rage 2, I would of course pick the Xbox360, naturally. When I got bored with that though, I would bust out my emulator, sync up with my brother Rick and play the hell out of some SoR2.

Streets of Rage 2 was by far the best and greatest, nay the pinnacle of the brawler “beat em up” style game. Double Dragon, the Ninja Turtles games, Bad Dudes, Ikari Warriors? All the pond scum on the bottom of SoR2’s boots.

If you don’t believe me, then it’s clear that you haven’t played this game. Yes it’s that good, so good that if you disagree, then your opinion is literally wrong. Dealing with that kind of extremity is what playing this game is all about. Why only yesterday I was a mere lad and I stole this title from my friend Chris, I somehow convinced him that he “lost it.” *snortle* Used to hook that bad boy up and play with my brother Rick all through the night.

Now this is the best and most important part of the game. This is what makes the game most worthwhile, and why it’s a testament to Japanese perversion. Choose the character Blaze, the hot brunet with the great gravity defying breasts. Make her do her cartwheel kick and pause just as her legs are at a 90 degree angle. UNDERWEAR!!!! Purty pink panties! Old Mary Jane Rotten-crotch! Nice. Is what you would say if you were like 13, which I was at the time.

Now you have no reason to actually play the game.

Provided you were able to make it past the 1st level and all the panty peekabooing, you were in for a beautiful 2D rendered world of punks, hookers, fat guys with chains, motorcycles from Thunderdome and Mr. X. The game progresses from left to right standard 2D side scrolling action, with the occasional diagonal right-down and an elevator scene or two. The colors are gorgeous and the characters look really defined for a 16 bit game.

Story-wise you’re out you rescue Adam, the black dude form SoR1. He’s been kidnapped by that rascal Mr. X. Anyway you got a couple friends to come, including Adams kid brother Skate, and a gigantic wrestler named Max. You go from scene to scene kicking ass and chewing bubble gum, even though you’re ALL OUT OF BUBBLEGUM BABY! This game packs so much punch that in order to keep up with demand for ass kickery, Sega had to import cheap colons from Mexico.

If they made a video game version for that song Old Time Rock N Roll then it would be this game. If you are a 16 bit Sega aficionado this is a title that belongs in your collection.