I'll make it known; I loved the first Streets of Rage game. Yet again, the main reason for that is the nostalgia I get playing it. I never had that nostalgia when it comes to this game - my first time playing it came only a few weeks ago when I decided to download it onto Virtual Console.
Everything is vastly improved over the original. The story begins with one of the three playable characters from the original game, Adam, being kidnapped by the criminal Mr. X, who appeared in the first game. So Axel and Blaze return to rescue him, along with two new characters - wrestler Max and Adam's rollerblading younger brother Skate.
Each character has different playability, with Max being the strongest and Skate being the fastest. It plays standardly in pretty much the same way as the original, with you beating up on thugs and criminals. Also, instead of relying on a police car like you would in the original, the characters have special attacks of their own which they can utilize at any time, though it appears to take away some of your health if it lands. There is a greater variety of thugs and hoodlums than there was in the original.
What's more, you can even play it with a friend using the 2 player, where you'll team up to play the game together as a team. Or you could go to 'duel' and battle each other. So there is something there for those who want to play multiplayer.
The graphics were visually impressive for the Mega Drive and look a lot better than the original's, with a little more detail added. The music is brilliant, as are the sound effects.
Overall, this is probably one of the best side-scrolling beat-'em-ups I have ever played and I wholely recommend it for those who do like side-scrolling beat-'em-ups. If you're looking for a good beat-'em-up for your Virtual Console library, then this is one game I can definitely recommend.