STREETS OF RAGE 2
Original Release: Sega, 1992, Genesis
Other Releases: Master System/Game Gear (1993), Dreamcast (in Sega Smash Pack, 2001), Wii/Xbox 360 (2007), iPhone (2011), Android (2018), Switch (2021)
The sequel to Sega's flagship beat-em-up adds two new characters, special moves and another classic Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack
Streets of Rage 2 (Genesis, Sega, 1992)
Where to Buy: Amazon
How to Emulate: coming soon!
Review by: C. M0use
Streets of Rage 2 was where the series started to establish its own identity, rather than being just a poor man's Final Fight. Everything about this game is a step up from the original. The graphics are better, the levels are much more inventive and paced a lot better, the gameplay's smoother with a few new moves, and there are four playable characters now (Adam, who was sort of just a black clone of Alex, has been dropped for giant wrestler Max and quick rollerblader kid Skate).
Yuzo Koshiro's back with another nice pumpin' industrial/house soundtrack that manages to use the Genesis sound chip about as well as it can be used. The first five levels are great, but unfortunately that's about where new enemy designs stop appearing and the final five levels turn into this tedious festival of the most annoying enemies in the game being palette-swapped and tossed out at you over and over and over again in endless waves.
The great music and colorful backgrounds help to buoy it somewhat, but eventually you'll get fed up of fighting the same boss enemy for the fifth time with the same old cheap moves. Still, this one is an OK choice for two players, and since you can listen to all the music from the options screen it might be worth a download just to pump the soundtrack and have some Yuzo Koshiro dance party.
TMNT: Shredder's Re-Revenge (Genesis, Savok & PPI-Akiko, 2022)
Where to Buy: Freeware (sorta)
How to Emulate: coming soon!
Review by: C. M0use
I normally don't cover ROM hacks that are just sprite replacements, but Shredder's Re-Revenge goes above and beyond with a little code hacking and changes to the gameplay engine. It's ultimately pretty much SOR2 with a new paint job, but is a fresh enough experience I feel it's worth a mention.
Obviously inspired by Shredder's Revenge, this hack takes that game's sprite style and move set as its inspiration. It keeps the original SOR2 layout and music, but entirely replaces the enemies and bosses. It also adds playable characters to the roster, and tweaks everyone's move sets.
Some new gameplay features include 6-button support (with a new special attack type), juggling, instant knockdown recovery with the jump button, and an optional "turbo mode."
If you're in the mood to play an SOR game again but want something new and a little different, this one is definitely a good option.
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