Sega have tried to recreate as much as the 16-bit monster as possible...
So what happens when the police become as corrupt and as bogus as the guys they're trying to catch? Well, you could say the Fitzgerald inquiry, but I'd bet that you'd also have a few cheesed off flat footed coppers running loose trying to act as vigilante heroes and that's what you get in Streets of Rage. Mega Drive owners have had many a months to drool over their version but now the mighty midget Game Gear gets to strut it's stuff with it's own version and it's not half bad.
With five rounds to bash through and a choice of two characters to fight with, there's reasonable variety involved. Each round basically has you working from left to right beating the schnitzel outta anything dopey enough to cross your path. The enemies come thick and fast with loads of sprites scurrying on screen at once and the end dudes are very decently large. The game itself is fairly easy but there is a difficulty setting. Not many options to twiddle around with but the game is set about right anyway.
Sega have tried to recreate as much as the 16-bit monster as possible and the only let down of this title is the size of the sprites making Axel and Blaze look like Pappa Smurf and Smurfette with an attitude problem! The music is almost the same but not as many tracks, but all the moves are still intact. The two player option using the gear to gear utility works really well and is more fun than the MD version as you have your own screen!
Anyway, Streets of Rage has been a long time coming for the GG but this will breathe some fire into a very cold GG catalogue. The only question here is whether you should splash out or wait for Pitfighter or Wrestling? I'd say don't wait and give this a whirl. A definite must look title.
BRIAN COSTELLOE
As printed Megazone Dec/Jan 1992/93