Bare Knuckle

I remember when I first played this game on my brother in-law's Genesis console back 1996. Me and my brother in-law played together for about an hour. When he left, I played alone where I reached the fifth of the eight stages. My playing of the game was also the first time I played a Genesis. Prior to that, the only console I played was a Famicom.

Of all the video games I played, Streets of Rage has the scariest boss music I've ever heard. What makes it scary is that once you reach the boss of a level, the music for that level fades into silence. Then about 4 or 5 seconds afterward, the boss music starts out with a sudden eerie boom. The boom is then followed by things that sound like sirens, and beats that sound like screams. I remember times where I mute the TV before I reach the boss. If there's a scarier boss music, I don't know.

As for other aspects of the game, the control is decent, and the visuals are okay.

This game was and still is absolutely amazing. I think everything in it is worth a mention...but I won't spoil anything for people who haven't played this game before. I was too young to remember it when it was originally released (I was only 2). I first played it when I was 10 after a mate let me borrow it when he said he'd owned it. I'd never played it before so I wanted to know whether the rumours were true. I played it once...and I was hooked. It was truly amazing.

It's about three characters, Axel, Blaze and Adam, who try to bust an evil syndicate that's taken over the city. You get to choose one of the three characters to play as, and you travel through the Streets of Rage, beating up loads and loads of baddies on the way, until you reach the final boss. It's entertaining, as you try to earn more and more points, and find different ways of killing your enemies. Rest assured, the game gets harder and harder as you go through the game.

The graphics are the only disappointing thing...compared to the 2 sequels, that is. But, even so, it is amazing. The music is just completely out of this world. It is the best out of all the techno music of the age, and it is still pretty darn good. The sound also broke the barriers of the technology of the time, and I fully appreciated that. Also, I found the plot line very appealing, and I loved the way it expanded in the following 2 sequels...which don't disappoint.

If you love the games of old, you will love this. Here, we have music that is second only to Sonic the Hedgehog, and a plot line which does set the standard for future games, as it's structure has been copied endlessly, and if you play it, you'll see what I mean. It will be well worth it.

Saturday, November 27th 1993. I had become bored of Last Battle and Shadow of the Beast. They were poorly-chosen Xmas presents a few months earlier and I wanted to swap them for something more worthy. I only owned said games for 12 weeks but it felt like eternity back then, but something more worthy was about to come.

I traded the games at a trading barrow in Falkirk shopping mall. The games I got in return were Golden Axe and Streets of Rage. Upon returning home and jammed in SoR and my mind was blown, first by the funky soundtrack and second by action. Here was a beat-em-up worthy of the arcade that was finally available on home consoles. As a kid, I loved this game. I played it a zillion times during Spring 1993 with my friend Andrew. I used to play Axel or Blaze and he would be Adam and no matter how often we played it we never seemed to get bored. Then Streets of Rage 2 came out, and we quickly forgot that this one even existed.

You play as ex-cops Axel Stone, Adam or Blaze Fielding, who have quit the force in order to take on the bad guys in their own way. There are 8 levels to work through in a run-down and corrupt city led by the evil Mr X. Beating up all the bad guys and the end-of-level boss is much fun, and the screen progression gives the game panel-to-panel comic book vibe.

Level 4 (The Bridge) was my fave because you could chuck baddies down the holes into oblivion. You even have the chance to become Mr. X's right hand man at the end of the game (at a price). This leads to the 'bad ending' in which you become the the boss of the syndicate. Exactly how this is possible is a mystery since you destroy the syndicate on your way to Mr. X, but never mind.

Streets of Rage also has truly fantastic music. The composer Yuzo Koshiro did absolute miracles with the limited technology of the time. The main theme, Level One, Level 4 and Final Boss are standout tunes. Hell, they are ALL standout tunes and classics in their own right.

I am a proud owner of SoR, but when you also own Sor2 it does sort of render this one obsolete. The graphics are a little choppy too, but it is still one of the finer side-scrolling beat-em-ups ever made.

Pros:

Average graphics but nice backgrounds represented in a comic-book like panel progression that fits the tone of the game.

Great tunes.

Easy to get into and hard to put down.

Cons:

Vastly inferior to the infinitely more complex Streets of Rage 2.

Poor enemy AI. Baddies often walk away from you instead of engaging in combat. This is especially infuriating with the Level 5 boss.

Lack of combo moves.

Lack of decent weapons.

Bad guy models are repeated far too often.

The "Street of Rage" franchise is my favorite beat em up franchise of all time. This game is also one of those adolescent gems as I played it when I was about 14 or 15 since I got this game later in life. I played this game after the second game believe it or not, and I had fun with is. The first game I'll admit by its nature was kind of a "Final Fight" clone at the time, but I never have a problem with clone games if their fun and there are a few things that do make this first entry slightly unique.

The plot of the game is good, it's true there's not a lot of story, your just cops that must clean up the streets of crime from an evil organization, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. But most to all beat me ups are never known much for story anyway were here for the action, you just press start, beat up anyone that comes within you path and don't die.

The graphical presentation and animation are solid, from the characters down to the backgrounds that are distinguished well as they all are dark and gritty. Each of the levels look different and are straightforward, from the street, beach, ship, alley, just any other place that is polluted with crime.

The gameplay is solid, the control is responsive and balanced as usual. You get to pick out three different characters each with their strengths and weaknesses and each have different distinctive fighting styles. I always like to pick out Axel as he's more balanced, but I also like picking out Blaze as she is quick.

I like how each of them do possess a counterattack move when done right and at the right time, like for Axel when a thug grabs him from behind, he can flip backward and execute a German suplex move against the opponent. I thought that was cool that was always my favorite move in wrestling.

But also they all have that emergency button when things get harry, your character can call back up and a car comes and shoots a rocket in the air that comes down and wipes out everyone on screen, however you have only a limited number of these so be careful.

The boss battles are good, each of them is unique and I like how each of them are total pushovers as each have unique abilities, like one that has Freddy Kruger gloves or even two evil Blaze clones whom I'll admit are a little tricky to beat. Though their all are easy to beat once you find and can exploit the weakness.

But to me the true highlight of this game is the music, the music in this game is just awesome this has some of the most memorable tracks in video game. Most of the tracks in this game I could just listen to on my iPod or even play at a party as some of them just make you want to dance. The tracks just fit the game like a glove as each fit the settings and just sing out action. My favorite track of all is the first level track, it's just awesome as it just has that sound of dark grittiness and as that track is playing while your playing the game it just makes you feel like a bad ass.

Overall, it's this game was a solid start to the series, I'll admit I don't like it as much as the sequels, the sequels I felt had more going on for them. But all the same it's a fun game and if you're into the series or even into vintage video game beat me ups, this game is worth having in your collection.

Rating: 3 stars

I watched it a while way way way back ago... I used to own a SEGA mega-drive and i still have the streets of rage game somewhere in the shed or garage room... It was a great fun easy game that just gets harder and harder and more fun... Esspcially level 8 there was something you couldn't do because your inside on a carpet, but four is not bad except you keep falling in holes u need to be careful and those stupid fire men... Great music i must agree with someone who mentioned it definitely some of the BEST EVER! music ever played or invented for an arcade game... i remember recording bits and bobs... the GAME OVER music was great so great i recorded it for a ring tone and everyone at school was asking me where i got it from...?

I said Streets of rage... i loved it, but it was this game i could always be indulged in forever and if you love action arcade game... with GR8 graphics and easy to use controls there is a remote at the start to be able to move your self and just a b c buttons on it and it was so simple to use you can vary different moves.

i think it was b b c or a c b c and you can throw them it was a while ago that my mega drive broke nearly 7 or 8 years ago so i can't remember..., but i wish i can own one again.

Now play stations have taken over brilliant game machines no one sells the games no more and no more mega drives why and it is not fair.

Do you not WISH it could have been made into a film...