Arguably one of the best beat-em-ups in history holds up very well on the Wii's Virtual Console.
+ Good ol' fashioned 16-bit and gameplay glory
Games such as this goes to show that you don't need to have beautifully rendered PS3/360 graphics along with whatever type of technology roaming around right now to make games worthwhile. Streets of Rage 2 provided some of the best 16-bit graphics of its time and the Genesis controller works well for the Wiimote. It's almost like playing the real game all those years back on the Genesis (though fans of the console would disagree, which I would agree with as well).
+ Good soundtrack
One of the things that can make or break a game is usually the soundtrack that it provides and Streets of Rage 2 delivers in that concept. From the opening stage to the final boss fight, the music in this game definitely gets you pumped and ready to plow through every enemy in your path.
+ Well-balanced fighters to choose from
In total they are 4 characters in this game to use and each have been programmed to correspond well with the way they are portrayed. Axel is the typical well-balanced fighter with good power and decent speed to boost, yet his jumping is terrible. Blaze is not as strong as Axel yet she is one of the faster fighters. Skate, the little brother of Eddie (in the first Streets of Rage) is incredibly fast by tapping forward twice yet does not have enough strength to handle the more stronger enemies. And finally there is Max, a professional wrestler and friend of both Eddie, Axel and Blaze, who I consider to be the worst fighter in the game. Max is easily the most powerful out of all 4, yet his bulky body and snail-paced movement makes him a sitting duck for the more quicker and agile enemies in the game such as the katana wielding ninjas.
+ Multiplayer Mode
Grab a second Wiimote and join in with a friend to take the streets again. Also with a VS mode deathmatch style game added, multiplayer mode will last a long time for beat-em-up fanatics.
+ - Difficulty settings
One can choose between Easy, Normal, Hard or Hardest difficulty at the start. While this is a good thing, I also consider it bad at the same time, especially when it comes to multiplayer mode (and your partner is a pansy when it comes to more challenging difficulties).
+ - Boss fights can be annoying at times
With the exception of the first boss who is an obvious pushover, the bosses in this game can be a bit annoying the first time around on the easier levels while being a complete nightmare on the harder ones. Bosses 3, 4 and 5 are easily my most hated in Streets of Rage 2.
- Short game
I am well aware that beat-em-ups are never long (unless it's a relatively hard beat-em-up like Final Fight was), though the game could have been a bit longer, especially with the entertaining value that it had, wouldn't you agree?
All in all, Streets of Rage 2 is a well-crafted and fun beat-em-up for any fanatic of the genre to get their hands. However like most games of this calibur, you can beat the game with relative ease in at least an hour. If you're the type of person who likes to challenge themselves (I.E: beat the game on a harder difficulty and not lose a single life) or to beat your high-scores (which sadly do not save on the Wii), then Streets of Rage 2 can last you for hours on end.