There is no question that side-scrolling fighting games were popular back in the 90’s and 80’s. Take Double Dragon, for instance. Or Final Fight. Captain Commando also springs to mind. But it’s hard for any true fan to forget Streets of Rage, a game which caused a sensation when it debuted back in 1991.
This game featured several colourful characters, including former cop and brawler Axel Stone and his sidekick Blaze. These were out to rid the city of a crime syndicate, taking part in streets fights and putting down their opponents with punches, kicks and cool martial arts moves.
It was one of the top games to hit the old Sega Genesis (or Mega Drive as it was known across the pond) console at the time, so it’s no surprise that two sequels followed in later years.
It’s been a while, though, since a Streets of Rage game came out: after all, Streets of Rage 3 was released way back in 1994.
But those who grew up playing these arcade classics (and younger folk wanting to find out what all the fuss is about) are in luck, as French developer Lizardcube and Guard Crush Games are now hard at work on a Streets of Rage sequel, the first trailer of which has now been released online.
In the video above we see iconic characters Axel and Blaze kicking butt in the city, and judging by this early footage of Streets of Rage 4, it already looks like the devs have captured the feel of the original games with this 21st century sequel.
And this is not the first time Lizardcube have worked on retro games, as the developer released the well-received remake of 80’s classic Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap back in 2017. Here’s hoping then, that Streets of Rage 4 lives up to the earlier Sega games when it’s released at some point in the future.