I love Beat 'em Up game, so
naturally i like to test: Streets of Rage
4 (2020) which come out 2 months ago. Sniper_cheers08.wav
Yes, Axel Stone and Co are back
from 26-years hiatus after Streets of
Rage 3. If you disregard Streets of Rage remake (which is fanmade game)
that is. Although this game isn't developed by SEGA but at least they endorse
it. On the first time i run this game, i have some technical issue that almost
makes me give up on reviewing this game. The game doesn't respond with any
keyboard input. Turns out, i need to press left mouse button and then the game
recognizes my keyboard input. That's rather unusual. Oh, boy! The title screen
is surely jam-packed with everyone, isn't? Arcade mode sounds true old-school
but i can't get into it because the game tells me i have to finish the Story
mode first so i do that.
But before that, i check the control
setting like what i usually do when facing new game (except FPS games because
most of them have the usual standard configuration). Initially, the
configuration deploys lots of extra button to pick up item or back attack. If
you turn on the 'Legacy mode' setting, the configuration requires 3 button only
and there's some function that requires two buttons press at the same time. This
Legacy mode is definitely the classic control and i'm going with that because
i'm old school beat em up brawler fans.
On to story mode, we have a narration
where Mr. X is really gone for good but his children: the Y twins are now in
reign along with their syndicate. They should name X's children W because
they're double, you see. Therefore Axel and Blaze are out to beat them as
usual. Also Cherry and Floyd join them. Blaze looks spirited to beat the crime
empire but Axel looks exhausted there. Or maybe he has bad feeling about Floyd
who's apparently Dr. Zan's apprentice and i know too well that Dr. Zan is bad
to play as in Streets of Rage 3.
Oh shut up, game! I know to pick
item by pressing attack button. I'm seasoned beat 'em up player. Besides i'm
having fun by kicking this Galsia. Ok. I shouldn't be harsh on game for
friendly quick hint that's more intended to beginner rather than die hard beat
'em up game fan such as myself. The basics are here. Pressing attack button
consecutively on same enemy will produce solid combo. Pressing attack button while
jump to jump kick. Pressing special button to unleash life-draining blast
attack to free yourself from enemies around you. Pressing attack button + jump
button to do quick attack behind you.
Good thing that Axel can still do
the burning uppercut from/since Street of
Rage 2 by pressing forward twice + attack button. The Donovan(s) who have
ability to uppercut as anti air measure, become gangsta who wear saggy trouser.
What a joke! Can't you tighten those belt, lads? By the way, i played Street of Rage 2 the day before this for
practice and i feel good with that.
Here's Axel in Streets of Rage 2 which -let's be
honest- similar to Cody from Final Fight minus his headband. The moveset here
is pretty much the same with Streets of
Rage 4. Well, there's few difference. Like his side thrust kick on combo
finisher, hits once while the heavy attack (executed by holding attack button
for awhile) is same kick move but with he adds another one that hit higher.
Meanhwhile in Streets of Rage 4, the
combo finisher is double side thrust kick now while the heavy attack is only
single but with a bit dashing. Also Axel looks wider there and with more facial
hair, while here he looks thinner and his abs is more chiseled.
What's new in this game is: the
ability/chance for you to juggle your enemies. Especially if they're thrown to
walls like here i can bash Donovan mid-air numerous time with iron pipe. Mayor
Mike Haggar will be proud!
Then suddenly a car crash to the
wall while damaging foes. This is like the opposite what happens in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles beat em up
game. If i remember correctly that car is similar to the one garaged in SoR 2. In case you wonder, yes that's
roasted chicken on a plate on the left corner. You can change the looks of the
food items in the option setting but i choose the default which is the same with
any SoR. Apple for small food.
Roasted chicken for big food.
What's also new is this super
special move (called 'star move') activated by pressing attack button and
special button together at the cost of 1 star (that you can collect like food
or score items). Axel engulf himself in big flame and later unleash a big
uppercut. That neon sign behind Axel is like in SoR 2.
Then i meet a sub-boss who's
mutant with cyborg leg that has ability to make iron pipes float and fly at me.
I suspect there's Mike Haggar's DNA on his blood.
Then i met a lazy git who keep
his hand on his pocket. Shows some fighting spirit or get the hell out of my
way! Also beware of those electricity leaks.
The boss is some lady with snake
that can electrocutes me. You know what irritates me with this boss fight? Not
her ability to summon the lazy gits or she can show me a quick X-Ray looks of
myself. No. It's some of her attack can't be interrupted! When she flashes
white, i can't cancel her move with my beating although she still takes damage.
I don't know what to do with that except try to beat her half-heartedly and
prepare to get out of her way. It's enigma in my beat 'em up gaming history and
totally not fun. To be fair, i also meet this kind of problem in Double Dragon Neon but i can dodge roll
there but there's no such evasion move here. Eventually i defeat her with
perfect-looking jump kick. That should lightens my mood a bit.
Rank C, huh? I take it even
though i'm experienced beat 'em up player. That 'uninterruptible' status of the
boss that really ruins my score and also my mood. Hey! I can change my
character after finishing a stage like in Mighty Morphin Power Ranger The Movie.
The defeated Diva told us about
the new crime syndicate is too powerful and a master of Dojo in Chinatown who's
used to be its member, can help us about it. But suddenly police jump on us.
Scout_negativevocalization05.wav
I decide to play as Blaze this
time and also beat the prisoners here because i defend myself.
It's unhealthy for Blaze to share
space with the thugs so she has to get out of here also i don't trust the
toilet there. Surprisingly, Blaze can break the bars relatively easy. Makes me
wonder why don't they imprison her in stronger jail or something. Naturally, i
have to fight the cops which i assume they're corrupted as hinted by the
narration. Also they have similar proportion with chief Iron from Resident Evil 2.
I didn't expect this although it
comes to no one surprise (except me because i never see this one before). The
police beats the thugs. That's cool. I'm going to stand besides this wall
calmly until whoever win the fight. Of course, i will reward the victor with my
own beating.
Then i encounter riot police with
plasma shield. What's with the need of needless futuristic equipment, huh?
There's the good-old riot shields lie behind you, for God's sake. But the
shield does something for the bearer. It makes him invincible and his action
uninterruptible until it breaks that is. It can withstand 1 combo so you have
to imply "hit and run" tactic to chip the shield safely. But keep in
mind that, it can recharged to full durability if you leave it unharmed for too
long.
Or you can use Taichi power or
whatever that Blaze currently unleash here. I see the classic "Go!"
sign. Soldier_cheers05.wav
The boss of this level is a
commissioner. Not commissioner Gordon, though. Because he can grab Blaze and
later slam her to wall, Rugal Bernstein style. This commissioner must be evil
because no good guy ever use that kind of grapple, you see. He can also unleash
rapid punch that can't be interrupted. The game really like this
"uninterruptible" feature on the bosses, huh?
After defeating the commissioner,
Mr. Y. along with his bodyguards appear and he offers us a briefcase full of
gold bar and bank notes with condition that we stop our vigilant action.
Suddenly, Axel burns the briefcase. Then they open fire at us as response. We
jump out of building into the water and manage to board a cargo ship.
This time, i play as Cherry
Hunter who's apparently quite iconic due to her electrical guitar as her
justice instrument. Unlike others, Cherry can run by tapping twice and later
holding left/right direction. That reminds me of Skate from Streets of Rage 2 what's with her
ability to run and her long-range running attack, which gives me edge against
that uninterruptible states of the bosses. I think.
She also able to climb on her
opponents and later punch them furiously, just like Skate again. Cherry is speedy
character like Skate with less agility on ground but has more flexibility on
air. For example: she can jump within long distance, and has corner jump
ability (like Guy from Final Fight). In this screenshot, Cherry is in the
middle of beating Big Ben the obese guy that can breathes fire and not oversized
Mario Bros cosplayer.
If everything fails, Cherry can
slide along the floor while playing her guitar and crashes into foes with
radical electrocution and awesomeness.
The boss in this ship is that
dominatrix from Streets of Rage 1! I
think i prefer the one in Streets of Rage 2 because she wears more elegant
cloth. While here, she wears militaristic getup which gives impression of
naughty cosplayer and i dislike it. She doesn't have uninterruptible specialty
on herself but she can make her underlings so by whipping them(!). Think it
like what Soldier's Disciplinary Action can do and you get quite an idea about
it. She's quite easier than previous boss despite of that. After defeated, she
rams the ship into nearby pier. What a sore loser.
On next level, i decided to be
Floyd. He has cybernetic that he can use to unleash this double punch move.
Wait a minute...
Lt. Linn Kurosawa from Alien Vs Predator can also do the same
move. How original, Floyd. [Extra Large Sarcasm]. The difference is: Floyd
activates it by tapping left/right button twice and then pressing attack button
while Linn activates it by holding the attack button for seconds and releasing
it. Also Linn's move covers greater distance that can pierces 2-3 aliens at
once. Now you know why i don't like Floyd.
Back when i first time play Streets of Rage 1, i was cursed with
tendency to get bottle weapon (although when i think about it, it wasn't that
bad) and today the curse returns to me. But i will gladly use the curse to this
boss that apparently want to re-send us back to jail but no thanks! I like the
brawl on background there that build the fighting mood for all of us. The boss
doesn't have power of being uninterruptible. This could be fun.
Wait...wait! You call the bazooka
support from Streets of Rage 1, lady? Medic_autodejectedtie01.wav
It seems Floyd isn't good for this fight because of his slow movement but he can avoid those bombardment somehow, luckily.
But i have this super beam
cannon! SUPER COMBO FINISH!!! Come on! Don't tell me that this scene doesn't
remind you with Marvel Vs Capcom!
The vigilantes surrounded by the
polices but suddenly Adam Hunter arrives with big explosion allow them to
escape. I'm getting more hyped! >:)
I unlock Adam but let's play as
Axel again for now. In this sewer there's toxic pool that can anyone foolish
enough to stand on it. Like that Donovan there. No, the iron pipe won't save
you from that!
There's also toxic geyser in this
sewer's floor or wall. Maybe, just maybe. This sewer is the equivalent of
mandatory factory level in any Beat 'em up only minus conveyor belts. You see
that roasted chicken with green unhealthy smoke on it? Can't you believe it's
safe to eat? Because it is.
Phew! This is more like it. I
happen to get inside of biker bar from manhole inside the toilets. I know this
bikers from Streets of Rage 2 but they're not what they used to be, a muscular
man with name like tempest or gale. In here, they're medium fat ladies with
name honey or caramel. But at least they get distinctive move from other thugs:
they can charge at you with their helmet first. That's sensible move. Battletoads
charge at their enemies while their head become either rugby helmet or ram's head.
I forget the name of kangaroo in Streets of Rage 3 and he's certainly
here doing bartender job. Are we going to fight or not? No, apparently. He's
content with doing his bartender business. I will take my leave, then.
Hey, i know you! You're Bourbon
the 1st boss in Streets of Rage 2 and
he's also a bartender. He has 1 uninterruptible move: he spins around with one
leg extended that i believe he learnt from Kung Fu and Ballet lesson. I feel
like he's fairer than that snake lady or even himself from SoR 2.
Oh, yeah! It's Adam Hunter's
turn. He didn't show up in both SoR 2
and SoR 3 as playable character and
now it's his time to shine. Before i test his martial art capability, i found
an unusual weapon in SoR: a steel
boomerang. Adam throws it and it's indeed return to him but he refuses to grab
it in mid-air. He's eager to beat the thugs with bare knuckles so give him a
break.
Oh no! The Muay Thai kickboxer is
here with name of Vulture, Condor, etc. I remember him in SoR 2 for being annoying because he has ability to both block and
high kick as anti-air countermeasure . Also the kitchen is ran by criminals.
That certainly makes health inspector frowns really bad.
The entrance of the Dojo is
guarded by this fellow, Goro Daimon. He will negate any attack and
swiftly deliver powerful counter blow. My solution is: grab and throw him but
don't try to vault over him after grabbing him because he will free from your
grab immediately. Maybe he's equivalent of Axl or Slash from Final Fight. I supposed i will talk
about the grabbing system. Axel, Adam, and Blaze (the trio SoR 1) use the standard SoR 2
grabbing system. Approaching enemies will automatically grab them after
that: 1) pressing attack button will unleash a powerful blow that will make
them fly a bit that allow you to juggle them or in Blaze's case she will do Osoto-gari
instead); 2) pressing attack button + forward allow you to do light grabbed
attack for up to 2 times and the 3rd times will be stronger attack that releases
your enemies; 3) pressing attack button + backward will throw your enemies
backward that useful to use them as projectile toward their peers ; 4) pressing
jump button will make you vault over your enemies and later pressing attack
button will unleash powerful slam which is the strongest grapple technique at
your disposal. Or you can press jump button while vaulting to jump long
distance. Useful for emergency escape. Cherry's grabbing system is quite the
same with Skate from SoR 2. Pressing
attack button (without holding forward button) while grabbing will execute
grabbed attack and she doesn't have the neutral direction throw. Pressing jump
button will make her climb on her enemies instead vault over them. You can
continue it with either furious punches that end with hurricanrana or you can
jump away in the middle and follow up with diving punch. Floyd adapts Capcom's
beat 'em up game. Pressing either left or right direction while grabbing, will
makes him toss his enemies pretty far to corresponded direction. Pressing jump
button will make him jump with his enemies and pressing attack while doing so
will unleash jumping slam like what Max does in SoR 2. In addition, he can walk while grabbing his enemies which
allow him to grab another enemies. With 2 enemies grabbed, he will collides
their head together and toss them away like in Double Dragon Neon.
Inside of the Dojo, Adam unleash
his star move: it's not so Terry Bogard's power geyser. He unleashes crystal of
flame, you see.
The boss is the master of the
Dojo that Diva talked about. It's the familiar kung fu guy: Shiva. He can
unleashes his one or two duplicates. That may sounds unfair but Shiva doesn't
have that uninterruptible non-sense because he's honored fighter afterall.
After that enjoyable boss fight,
Shiva reveals that the Y syndicate uses mind-controlling music to hypnotize
people thus explaining why there's huge speakers in the sewer (that i don't
show you). Shiva quits the syndicate because he despises the mind control
method. Next he points out to where the syndicate hides which is that skyscraper
with huge Y letter on it. That's definitely huge hint, guys. How come you miss
it?
Anyway, to be continued on next
part but i will analyze the characters for a while here.
Much like Cody from Final Fight,
Axel is the average guy: not powerful but also not fast. So his main stats is
Dexterity (3.5/5) but he shows some extra power hinted by his strong grapple/throw
technique and overall damage output thus his strength (3.5/5) also his main
stats. For that he deserves 2 vibranium-colored stars on Strength and Dexterity
stats. As usual, his jump as bad as Max's or Floyd's but at least he has good
style on his jumping kick. As you can tell by his fiery power, he's the main
protagonist like Terry Bogard or Ken Master.
But isn't Ryu the main protagonist instead of Ken? Let's say Ken also has
priority of protagonist role! Don't you agree? Note to mention that his
appearance resembles Chuck Norris now.
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