PS3/Xbox 360 Review - Streets of Rage 2
Sequel to the Classic Brawler on Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection
As the middle child in the SoR trilogy, number two had a lot to do to convince players it was taking the series in a bigger, better direction.
Its inclusion on Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection (Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in Europe) is sure to convince any that missed out on it that Streets of Rage 2 is another genuine classic, just like the original.
Classic Sega Beat ‘em up Action. Again.
As with the rest of the 48 titles available on the Genesis Collection, Streets of Rage 2 needs to be looked at from a nostalgic viewpoint – it’s both unfair and pointless to judge the title by modern-day standards.
Graphically, Streets of Rage 2 was a huge leap in quality compared to the first in title and even stands up to this day as a good example of 2D gaming. It isn’t the greatest-looking game of the era, but it has a wonderful cartoony charm which is impossible to ignore.
As with all games on the Genesis Ultimate Collection there are options to smooth graphics and play in full widescreen. Both offer something interesting and can help a title look a bit better for the graphics snobs out there, but they aren’t hugely necessary and smoothed graphics tend to take away some charm.
Sound also took another huge leap when compared to the original Streets of Rage – again, it was never perfect thanks to the general grainy quality of Mega Drive sound, but once again the music by Yuzo Koshiro is a fantastic part of the game, genuinely adding to the experience.
Does Streets of Rage 2 Battle the Test of Time?
The game manages to provide a fun, if short-lived, challenge for gamers of all skill levels, even if things have aged a bit. Having said that, Streets of Rage 2 looks, sounds and plays better than the original game.
The game plays in a very similar fashion to the original, though things have been refined and improved upon in almost every aspect. The computer doesn’t seem as cheap as in the original, with less in the way of unavoidable attacks and sporadic invulnerability, weapons can be used in a different way and specials are completely revamped.
Unfortunately, just as in SoR 1, the Ultimate Collection version does not have any online play or scoreboards – a bizarre omission as they are included in the Live version of the game.
Whereas in the original, a random squad car would drive up and launch a frankly ridiculous barrage onto the field of combat, Streets of Rage 2 introduced individual special attacks for each character.
Which comes neatly onto the subject of characters – Alex from the original has disappeared, replaced by the walking tank Max and the aptly-named Skate. These two join the original Axel and Blaze from Streets of Rage 1.
Where the original title stands up on Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection as a fine example of a near-forgotten genre, Streets of Rage 2 takes the variety to a new, even better level. The game is still an incredible amount of fun to this day and is well worth putting time in to – there is guaranteed fun to be had.
A Second Classic Game from the Same Series
The control layout remains the same as the original with three buttons used for attacking, jumping and specials. A few extra moves are added to help enrich the experience, and they manage to do exactly that – the mini-special especially is a great help.
Weapon combat returns, though the pepper shaker disappeared somewhere, and pipes are just as effective as they were in the original. Generally though, things remain the same as they were in Streets of Rage – walk to the right; fight a lot. An added one-on-one multiplayer mode adds a bit to the multiplayer experience, but nothing compares to the co-operative two-player mode.
Streets of Rage 2 is another example of a fantastic game that has withstood the test of time. It is still eminently playable and while it may not offer the depth of storytelling or the length of play that many modern titles offer, it does offer a very good experience.
Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection/Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection is the ideal place to play Streets of Rage 2, especially as it comes with the other two SoR games in the package – all of which are fantastic titles well worth a play.
Streets of Rage 2 Box Cover
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