Streets of Rage 4 (2020)

I wanted a simple couch co-op game I could play with my 13-year-old son and this game seemed in the vein of the old arcade games I played with friends as a kid; Double Dragon, Golden Axe, etc.

The game itself is pretty good side-scrolling combat. I never quite mastered the various moves to really beat those bad guys up. After a couple of normal runs, I turned it down to easy to beat the game.

I doubt I'll ever pick it up again but I enjoyed playing with my son.

I love Estel's moveset so much. Her side air attack covers a lot of distance and is good for movement and you can change the direction instead of committing to one. It can also be cancelled by a grenade toss. Her combo can lead into a dash attack and then into a charge attack for high DPS which gives just enough time for a grenade to toss which leads into more combos. Her back throw can lead into a dash attack too. Her grenade toss can push her back to retreat while still dealing damage to set up juggling. Her attacks just flow into each other so well. She's my favorite character so far.

Edit: I started using her charge attack towards the end. Oh my god. It ties literally everything together.

Rakastan Beat em up genreä ja erityisesti Streets of Rage sarjan kakkososaa. Kun legendaariselle pelisarjalle tuotiin jatkoa hommasin pelin melkein samantien ja tykkäsinkin pelistä. Jotain silti tuntui uupuvan ja viimeisen kentän armottomuus alkoi kyrsiä niin pahasti, että peli jäi pitkäksi aikaa kesken. Sitten tajusin yhden oleellisen ainesosan puutteen: muut pelaajat. Vasta couch-cooppina peli nosti itsensä kolmeen tähteen ja sain pelin myös vihdoin pelattua läpi.

Mätkintä on hauskaa ja hahmot mukavan erilaisia. Silti peli tuntuu hieman hitaalta kaikilla muilla paitsi nopeimmalla Cherryllä. Musiikit ovat pääosin ookoo, vaikkakin kakkosen tunet jäivät paremmin päähän soimaan. Hyvä peli jokatapauksessa ja saman julkaisijan Turtles Beat em up kiinnostelee kovasti!

3/5 Hyvä

Streets of Rage 4 is a return of the classic beat 'em up that was one of the most popular games on the Genesis. You play as the characters from this game, though now they are older, and some of them now have their own children who join in the fight. This new version has some gorgeous hand drawn graphics that make you feel like you are playing a living comic book. Also, the music is a great mix of jazzy tunes, as well as some 90s tinge dance tracks.

While this is a fun game, two things bothered me about it. One, the game is pretty short. You can finish it in likely 2 hours or less. Two. it's so unbalanced. Some parts are laughably easy, while others you are bombarded with enemies all over the place and there is little you can do about it. The end in particular gets annoying, as you have to fight like five different versions of the final boss. Also, this is one of those games where if you lose all your lives, you have to start at the beginning of the level. I just don't have the time or patience for that anymore. However, they do provide you with assistance if you want to make beating the level easier.

Overall, a fun but flawed beat 'em up.

I'm not entirely sure how younger gamers will feel about this game, but for someone like me who grew up playing the original trilogy this is a fantastic throwback sure to tickle that nostalgia bone. I'm really amazed how they were able to capture the look and feel of the previous games so perfectly. From the soundtrack to the level design and artwork, it's all there. And the combat is SO satisfying. I found myself restarting the story mode with another fighter immediately after I finished it which is something I never do. There's a level of difficulty out there for everyone (it can get quite challenging), and you can even go for the full arcade experience with just one 'credit'.

It might feel too short for some (depending on your difficulty level you can easily finish it in about 2 to 3hrs), but that's also what makes it such a great addition to Game Pass, especially for those who don't have much time or like to go through whole games in one sitting.

This is a solid 7.5/10 for me. Definitely recommend it at least for older generations, but I think younger ones would appreciate it too for what it has to offer.

Streets of Rage 4 takes an old series and thrusts it into the future with amazing results, creating one of the best beat em' ups in recent years, if not one of THE best beat em' ups.

Ten years after Streets of Rage 3, Mr. X's children (The Y Twins) have nefarious plans for the city. Blaze, Adam, and Axel all return as well as Adam's daughter Cherry and Floyd, an apprentice of Dr. Zan - evildoers beware! The plot is perfect enough dressing and gets the player right into the action.

As for gameplay, the player has a straightforward combo, can grab, do a "blitz move" with a dashing action, back attack, grab, pull off a variety of specials, flying kick in the air, do an ultra powerful star move, you name it! There's a dizzying amount of tactics available from the start and while the game doesn't show right away how and when to use everything, the difficulty ramps up naturally enough to get the player to start using everything in their disposal.

Enemies throw every kind of challenge in the book, from pipe wielders to flying kicks to grabs to tasers to high tech riot shields to fire breath to deadly rolls to powerful charges to throwing all sorts of nasty materials to the barrel of a gun. Even with palette swaps of enemies that get stronger over time the enemy variety is MASSIVE. There's also a bunch of items at your disposal such as weapons, food, and score items. On top of that if the player keeps up a consecutive combo they can also rack up a big score which awards a life every 8000 points. This keeps the player performing as well as they can in order to stay alive for longer. Bosses also provide a high variety of challenge, from throws to high kicks to clones to fencing and everything in between. There's also plenty of throwbacks and references to old games and enemies as well as secret levels, with a TON of different characters to unlock if the player keeps their score high.

The game is GORGEOUS. The art style is cartoony but super stylish, with plenty of FX and animations to keep things exciting at all times. Reigning champ Yuzo Koshiro returns for the soundtrack as well as some new faces to create one of the best video game soundtracks ever made, with super catchy thumps, beats, and all sorts of tunes to make every level memorable.

And the fun doesn't end there! With co-op and vs battles across 17 different characters, Streets of Rage 4 is one of the best games of 2020 and the absolute gold standard for modern beat em' ups.

Completed 24/1/2021 -

Few thoughts.

I never got beat'em ups until now.

I played Cherry first and that definitely weaned me on to it well - didn't experiment with other characters until after first playthrough. Impressed to see they play entirely differently.

The music is INSANELY good, and definitely contributes to that all encompassing feeling that results in flow-state.

My end screen grades reflect my real life educational track record. Mostly C's then smash an S out of nowhere for the finale.

Nothing tops that combo feeling.

Altogether this has been a total blindside hit for me, took a chance on it with gamepass and it's frankly blown me away. The art, the music, the gamefeel -MY GOD THE GAMEFEEL- and some razor sharp mechanics that all work together flawlessly.

The difficulty felt perfectly paced too, never so much that you felt to put out, never so little that you're stomping. Pier was the level that made me actually have to figure stuff out properly, wiped multiple times until something clicked - balancing crowd control, combo, invulnerability on specials, and the various enemy types means you're always doing some kind of higher-level thinking/strategising as well as letting out some of that pure button-mashey-power-fantasy goodness.

It's only January, but I feel like this will place high for the games I play in 2021 for sure.

Everything I wanted from a new Streets of Rage: Classic beat-em-up action with a pinch more strategy involved than usual (thanks to the new special-versus-health trade-off), online and local co-op and, above all else, a gorgeous presentation. Its hand-drawn aesthetic and excellent soundtrack ooze style, nostalgia and fan service. I'm having a blast re-playing the story with multiple characters.

^ earned the 5 million point and platinum trophy at the end of the video.

Streets of Rage 4 is, personally, the epitome of a 3 out of 5 star rated game.

Having been a huge Streets of Rage fan since I was a kid (owned 1 and 2, both on release. Thanks dad!), I had somewhat high expectations for 4. I played 3 much later on in life but appreciated it for its faster pace, experimental soundtrack, and unforgiving difficulty, as I mainly played through the game in co-op with a friend who I'd regularly plow through SoR2 with on Mania difficulty.

Initially, I found Streets of Rage 4's design choices to be awkward, both in its soundtrack and sprite work. Everything just looked too colorful, with tones that felt more fitting for something like a side-scrolling Hotline Miami. Hell, even Scattle was commissioned for a track! Fortunately, over various playthroughs, I was able to appreciate it for what it was. The soundtrack is incredibly hit-or-miss, with some decent tracks peppered in here and there while others are completely forgettable. However, I feel that the soundtrack didn't live up to what it could've been, had it been completely left in the hands of series veterans Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima. Yoko Shimomura being onboard was interesting but her contribution didn't quite fit with the overall theme of the game or the series itself.

As far as the gameplay is concerned, it felt familiar enough, just with some questionable additions/differences here and there. Super armor on every single boss and even various scrub enemies felt really out of place at first but it doesn't take too long to get accustomed to it. Unfortunately, it forces the flow of the action to slow down at points, as you have to wait for a window of opportunity to attack or to position yourself behind or away from enemies. There were no real surprises in level or enemy designs. Star specials feel like a complete downgrade from SoR3 and neutral/defensive specials are almost worthless, as they have no invincibility frames and can't be used to interrupt grabs/attacks. On the bright side, air specials are a welcome addition, as is juggling. I was worried that juggling would make the game too River City Girls-ish but it feels great and requires a bit of skill to keep a juggle going (outside of easy-mode infinites).

Overall, I can say I enjoyed the game. Sure, there's a lot of improvements that I'd like to see made to the game but it delivered a solid enough Streets of Rage experience. I still feel that Streets of Rage 2 (or Remake, if that counts) to be the pinnacle of the series, with 4 being RIGHT under the Japanese Bare Knuckle 3. Hopefully, some dlc and patches will improve upon some things that can help it fight for that second place spot in my heart!

Streets of Rage 4 definitely brings retro-nostalgia back in a fun way, but with it, old flaws return.

First: This game is very entertaining! Especially when played with friends. The beat 'em up is top notch, levels are beautifully designed, secrets and unlockables are a treat and graphics are AMAZING! I could LICK this updated art style. Also, it probably has one of the best OSTs of the year. I love how semi-accessible and party-like it manages to be, while also putting a HARD challenge. It just works!

SOR4 certainly does what it sets out to do, but by dragging this feeling back, it doesn't fix mistakes. Difficulty is a bit unbalanced, you do no damage but takes a bunch of it, your star power is weak, enemy variety is a joke, getting an extra life is a bore (especially during multiplayer), strong attacks drain your life instead of having its own bar and YOU CAN'T DASH OR DEFEND! This game would've been A LOT better if it had a dash button, a dodge move and a defense command. Bosses are too fast and just landing a hit on them is very annoying. Also, the story sucks. Why didn't they even try to make a good one? The ending is as bad as previous entries.

I can only really recommend SOR4 if you're not playing solo. This is a beautiful and fun game, but its unnecessary flaws keep it from being very good or consistent. But that's something you can probably overlook when having fun with friends, through all of the stages.

I had more fun with this than I thought. I believed I had to try it because side scrolling arcade style brawler games were a set piece of my childhood. playing final fight over and over again was an obsession for my young self once. I dabbled in the derivatives along the way, all three streets of rage games, river city ransom, the tmnt arcade game, the simpsons arcade game, the alien V predator arcade game.

When I saw the trailer for a new streets of rage and i was captivated by the updated art style, I knew I had to try it and relive those days. I thought i'd be bored in an hour or two and toss it aside. I was pleasantly surprised to find a satisfying game play loop that felt just as good as it once did. Here I thought my tastes had become snobbish and narrowed by the complexity of modern titles, but this felt..comfortable. just being able to let loose on waves of enemies with a simple combat repertoire that can be very versatile in it's application. The challenge is just right on normal but it's both very approachable if you need a break or if you just don't want to try, with lower difficulties. extra lives and special moves on offer for the price of a lower score, and very challenging if you want to up the difficulty. It's not without it's flaws.

The following feels like nitpicking what was a very solid experience, but nonetheless here are my gripes. The four fully playable characters are varied in their style and a joy to play, but for such a short game (as you'd expect this kind of game to be) there could have been a lot more on offer to unlock. You can earn "classic" characters, who play just like they did in the titles from decades ago and look just like them too. This is probably a fun lark for some or a joyful piece of nostalgia but I just found it unmotivating. These characters lack the full range of playablity the full characters have, they look awful and out of place (because they are). This would be fine as a bonus, but there was no reason to put them in and not go the extra step to create a modernized look for them that fits with the game which you have the option to choose (and give them special attacks like everyone else too, that would be nice). In one case this is a baffling decision, because a fully animated sprite for that character is in the game already. It would have been no effort at all to let you use it. This is the only unlockable reward, more of these. This was a huge letdown. with minimal effort we could have gotten alternate looks for characters, or even a color swap of some kind. The added modes are lacking as well. The only thing to do besides beat the game with each character if you wish, is the boss rush mode, which is what it sounds like, fight each boss in turn for better performance. We could have gotten a mode where you fight increasingly stronger waves of the generic enemies until you lose (just tweak the damage they can do and absorb and their speed a bit and throw them in greater numbers). That would have been the ideal addition.

Still a solid game. It was a joy to play and that's all that matters in the end.

Side note: I couldn't tell you what the story of this game was if you put a gun to my head, even though it played in front of my face more than five times. I just couldn't be arsed to pay attention. It might as well have been in a language I don't speak for all the story for a game like this matters at all. The only story needed is some sorta trouble is going down and the way it will be handled is we're going to walk from left to right punching everyone until it's over. obviously.

Wow, an old school 2D brawler in 2020. This game is freakin' beautiful, but I just wish it had more depth in the actual fight mechanics. I have never played any Streets of Rage but was a big fan of many of similar brawlers like Final Fight, TMNT Arcade, Double Dragon and X-men.

Unfortunately I think this doesn't quite capture my nostalgia, or maybe I just have different preferences in games these days. Played for a few hours on Xbox Game Pass. Enjoyed my time but probably won't be going back.

Ok... So I don't need to finish the game to say that is awesome. I am more or less at halfway and I am totally loving it.

When I play I can feel again like a 10-year-old in front of the SEGA MegaDrive. Same controls (you can choose new controls but I feel the older ones are better), same feeling on gameplay, combats, techniques and enemies.

Of course, they added some new enemies and techniques but I feel that the developer team did a great job because the special techniques and new moves feel really good and it is not strange to mix these new things with the older ones. Moreover, you will have some surprises that I won't say here :)

If you liked the old Streets of Rage, you will love it.

PROS

• New additions to combat are all well-thought out and feel great
• Catching items mid-air is awesome
• Excellent soundtrack, including all-new Koshiro compositions!
• New art style is mostly cool, especially the returning character and enemy designs
• Level designs with interesting environmental effects keep things fresh
• Genuinely feels like a Streets Of Rage game (a good one, not 3)

CONS

• Features the occasional cheap death from getting repeatedly juggled by enemies
• Some of the new enemy and character designs are kinda lame
• The Y Twins are uninteresting villains

Streets of Rage 4 music composers announced...

• Yuzo Koshiro (Streets of Rage 1, 2, and 3, Sonic the Hedgehog, The Revenge Shinobi, Shenmue I and II, etc.)
• Motohiro Kawashima (Streets of Rage 2 and 3, Shinobi II, Batman Returns, etc.)
• Yoko Shimomura (Street Fighter II: The World Warrior, Kingdom Hearts I, II, and III, Legend of Mana, Parasite Eve, etc.)
• Hideki Naganuma (Jet Set Radio and Future, Super Monkey Ball, Sega Rally 2, etc.)
• Keiji Yamagishi (Ninja Gaiden, Tecmo Bowl, etc.)

This is gonna be liiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit