Streets of Rage 2 is one of the greatest beat-em-ups ever made.
Yes, this is a Final Fight clone, but a damn good one. You choose one of four vigilantes, each with different abilities, skills and strengths. Skate has to be one of the best characters ever. The enemies range from standard, generic dudes (like Galsia and Donovan) to over-the-top clowns (like Abadede, Jet and R.Bear). It's even more fun to beat the crap out of them and earn some nice achievements while doing it. Throw in some nifty weapons, such as a lead pipe and even a katana, some weird yet intriguing level designs and a handful of relentless goons coming at you from all sides, and you've got the makings of what went on to become Sega's most popular and legendary game for the Genesis.
The game has aged pretty well. The graphics look great, with or without HD displays. Yuzo Koshiro's music still sounds as cool as ever. I wish they could have included a remixed soundtrack, but in its own merit, the original 16-bit music can still get your foot thumping.
I don't have to tell you to download the game if you're a fan of Streets of Rage 2 like I am. But if you're not, it might just make you one.