With the 1980s gaming boom came the birth and eventual popularity of platformers – a game genre allowing players to take a character from one side of the screen to another in hopes of completing a goal usually hampered by various enemies both large & small. As platformers evolved so did the developers in their presentation. These side-scrolling presentations could do more than just have a plumber jump up & down; adding combat to the fray similar to fighting games. One of the most revolutionary games in the then-budding genre known as “Beat ‘Em Up” games was none other than the Sega exclusive, “Streets of Rage”. While the original was heralded for its impressive level variations, characters and precise combat, its direct sequel upped the ante in all the right ways. Over the course of three years three iterations of “Streets of Rage” arrived on various Sega platforms before the franchise went dormant after 1994. Following many attempts to restart or resurrect the franchise, “Streets of Rage” is finally back. It’s time to rise up, kick some thugs around a dark alley, and burn some knuckle with these first impressions of “Streets of Rage 4”.
