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In the era of coin-ops and 16-bit consoles, scrolling fighting games had picked up the torch of Double Dragon and had become one of the most popular and important genres in the industry. From Final Fight to The Punisher, passing through Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, Alien vs Predator and without forgetting the game dedicated to Ninja Turtles and the beautiful forays into the world of Dungeons & Dragons, there were many ways in which an honest player could face hordes of increasingly tough enemies by treating themselves with roast chickens. Streets of Rage 2 represents one of the most classic examples of this golden age, embodying within itself all the basic characteristics of the genre: the possibility of choosing different characters ranging from the big and strong guy to the fast and weak one, the presence of enemies of various types, without forgetting the inevitable female opponent with a whip, tough bosses jumping everywhere and of course a level set in an elevator where enemies fall from above. These and many other features make it a canonical game, a way forward and one of the finest examples of what was played 30 years ago. The Final Fight duality, which was Nintendo exclusive to consoles, and Streets of Rage, which was released for the Mega Drive, was one of the most important topics of any classroom, garden or after-school day of the 90s. The similarity between the two was evident and you know on the one hand there was the pride of having finished first, the second could show the cooperative mode, which was missing in the home Final Fight. A precarious balance that was definitively compromised when SEGA launched a second chapter, full of improvements.

Streets of Rage 2 returns to Nintendo 3DS and is as difficult and beautiful as you remembered

The big one, the fast one and all the others

Therefore, the move to re-propose Streets of Rage 2 for Nintendo 3DS is absolutely sensible, since it allows the most seasoned players to retrace one of the toughest, most visionary and well-made fighting games of the time and gives the youngest a test bed on which test your credentials as a hardcore gamer.

Streets of Rage 2 is the classic story in which a mysterious villain kidnaps someone and someone else is forced to cross the whole city to save him. In this case, the cruel "Mr. X" holds Adam Hunter prisoner, already seen in the first chapter, and it will be Axel and Blaze, also old acquaintances, to come to his aid, with the collaboration of Skate and Max. The four embody the classic fighting character stereotypes: Max is huge, slow and powerful, Axel is the more balanced character, Skate the nimble and weak one, and Blaze is somewhere between the two. There are three buttons used to deliver justice with punches: the jump, the attack and the special move. Obviously the latter consumes some energy, but it definitely hurts more than the normal attack, which can be combined with jumping or other movements to perform more powerful and effective moves, essential for the more advanced levels. There is also no shortage of holds and projections, although to make them you will have to approach the opponent without being hit, so it is better to use them on weaker enemies. During the game we will have to face every type of enemy: robot wrestler, samurai, ninja, thai boxer, aliens inspired by the Ridley Scott saga (yes) and to do so we will also be able to count on weapons such as knives, katanas and iron pipes, while the energy we lack can be obtained by eating roasted apples and chickens, as tradition dictates.

All nostalgia

Visually M2 has added a little touch of nostalgic class: if we want we can decide whether to play in "normal" mode, that is with clean graphics and without distortions or using the "classic" view, that is slightly blurred and deformed at the edges, as if we were in front of us. to an old TV. For the sake of completeness, the developers also let us choose whether to play the American or Japanese version of the game, while the soundtrack has remained totally unchanged.

In addition to 3D, M2 has introduced some new modes: the first is the Rage Relay Mode, which allows you to decide an order of choice between the four characters, so that, when you lose a life, you have to choose another fighter. This is a great way to force yourself to try out all fighting styles, learning to adapt to the situation and spice up the game. For those who just can't manage to overcome the toughest fights, there is also a "Casual" mode in which enemies will die the first time they fall to the ground, so a flying kick will be enough to kill even the toughest boss. And if even this is not enough, once the game is over, the "Fists of Death" mode will be unlocked in which only one shot will be enough to kill each enemy and we will be able to feel like new Kenshiro. It may be fun at first but the truth is that the gaming experience inevitably comes out impoverished. The only real flaw of this conversion perhaps concerns the control system, it is undoubtedly accurate but perhaps a bit woody compared to the classic arcade stick and requires some habit before being used to the fullest. Obviously there is no lack of double, or the possibility for two players to share the gaming experience with a local connection. It won't be like fighting shoulder to shoulder in front of the same screen and the game must be present on both Nintendo 3DS, but it still remains a fun experience. If you want, there is also the "Duel Mode" in which you can clash with a friend of ours, but cooperation remains the best way to share the game with someone.

The 3D effect

The development team, which is the original M2, did not have an easy time introducing 3D to Streets of Rage 2, but the result is very good. You can choose between a three-dimensional effect that goes in depth or one that "pops out of the screen" and in both cases the effect is convincing, the characters detach perfectly from the backdrop and, thanks to the improved 3D of the new Nintendo DS, they give a decidedly new twist to the game.

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Digital Delivery Nintendo eShop Price 4.99 € Resources4Gaming.com

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9.9

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3D Street of Rage 2 is a conversion that fully respects the original and is perfectly capable of reproducing the gameplay of the coin-op and of showing one of the best 3D effects that have been seen on the Nintendo system. A treat for nostalgics, but also a history lesson for those curious to know what was played thirty years ago.