Good Mechanics, but lackluster Bosses debut in the very first in the streets of rage series.
Streets of Rage is a classic beat-em'-up, using mechanics similar to that of double dragon. You control one of three characters, Adam, Axel, or Blaze, Three cops out to get a devilish Mr. X. You roam through locale after locale, beating the living snot out of muggers and gang members, using whatever you find on the ground as an artillery.
The characters all move about the same, with some minor changes in speed and appearance being the biggest thing. Some move sets are also changed, but at the end of the day they are all relatively the same.
To put it bluntly, enemies in the game are cheap. You can hit them and hit them, knock them down, then as they get up perform some crazy, unblockable, unavoidable blow. It seems pretty unfair, even on the easiest difficulty its hard, which in this case, is a bad thing.
Another frustrating aspect of this game is the variation of enemies, or lack thereof. Don't be surprised if you see the same boss you fought two levels ago is now a regular enemy thats just as hard to defeat. Enemies are divided into several groups, and throughout the game become stronger with a simple change of color.
Streets of rage is a good game, it flows well and attacking works, but the bottom line of it is that it leaves alot to be desired, especially if you've played any of the sequals. It's still worth the play if you're a fan of the genre or name.