10 Best Beat 'Em Up Video Games Of All TIme
6. Streets Of Rage
Big city lights gleaming from across the water; a tantalising prologue; a shadowjerk then three beefy bods come into view, yeah, intro screens don’t get much better than on the original Streets Of Rage. The game that followed wasn’t half bad either, a polished side-scroller showing off a killer soundtrack – composed by Yuzo Koshiro, an industry legend – and some addictive, fast-paced action.
Given the choice of three characters (Axel, every time) the aim of the game is to wander across a New York esque city taking down burly foes and bosses. At your disposal there are plenty of bats and barrels to hurl at people and, in what was something of a one-off function within the genre, the option to call in police cars to assist with the street clean up.
There are memorable moments aplenty in this game, from getting into a ruckus with the Ultimate Warrior – sans the license from the then WWF – on a beach, to facing off against potentially the first enemies in gaming to cause absolute devastation with a slide tackle outside of the Kick Off series – note, it’s the chaps in the hideous yellow jackets.
Gloves off, Streets Of Rage was the first jab in what would go to become one of the greatest trilogies in gaming history.