Sega released the original Streets of Rage back in 1991. It was followed by sequels in 1992 and 1994. The franchise went on to become a cult classic with a massive following. The side-scrolling beat ’em up classic is still remembered for its iconic music and strong visual style. After almost a quarter century, there is finally an official confirmation that we will soon be able to play the Streets of Rage 4.
The Streets of Rage franchise went dark after the third installment in 1994. But its revival was expected considering the classic 2D gaming has seen a resurgence in recent times. On Monday, publisher Dotemu announced that it had teamed up with Sega to bring the Streets of Rage 4. Dotemu is developing the game in collaboration with LizardCube (Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap) and Guard Crush Games (Streets of Fury).
Are you willing to risk anything on the Streets of Rage?@Lizardcube, @Guard_Crush and @Dotemu are proud to announce Streets of Rage 4. https://t.co/ARohSIBflh #SOR4 pic.twitter.com/PJgxmlb6ok
— Dotemu (@Dotemu) August 27, 2018
Streets of Rage 4 release date remains a mystery
Dotemu did not reveal the platforms the new game will be available on. It also did not mention the Streets of Rage 4 price and release date. Recently, the French publisher announced that it was developing Windjammers 2 for Nintendo Switch and PC. It will be released sometime next year. The Windjammers 2 will be a sequel to the 1994 sports arcade game Windjammers, which was remastered in 2017.
Dotemu’s announcement for the Streets of Rage 4 was accompanied by a trailer that offers an animated look at the characters Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding beating their enemies to a guitar-heavy soundtrack. They show off their signature moves. The characters appear to have aged, and Axel is shown with a beard. The trailer doesn’t include the third character Adam Hunter. They are former police officers trying to eliminate crime from their city.
The developers have promised that the Streets of Rage 4 would feature hand-drawn visuals from LizardCube. It will also bring an original story, new mechanics, and unforgiving streets filled with rage. It will also include solo and cooperative gameplay, though it’s unclear whether the co-op mode will be available online, offline, or both.
Streets of Rage is also available on mobile
In December last year, Sega introduced the Streets of Rage on mobile as part of their SEGA Forever Collection. The ad-supported game is free to play on both Android and iOS devices. If you want the ad-free classic gaming experience, you’ll have to shell out $1.99. The mobile version allows players to play against their friends over WiFi, thanks to the multiplayer support.
The mobile version of the Streets of Rage retains the retro visuals and feel of the original title. It offers haptic support, cloud saves, and leaderboards. It also has the original soundtrack composed by Yuzo Koshiro. The game allows users to move ahead through the levels in a side-scrolling manner. You can also move up and down to escape enemies. Your objective is to beat up the bad guys.
The Streets of Rage is known as Bare Knuckles in Japan. It’s known for its non-stop action and electronic dance influenced music, says LizardCube. It is still considered one of the best beat ’em up series of all time, even though the last installment was released nearly 25 years ago.