Streets of Rage 2 Restoration

The game

A city under pressure

Adam Hunter has been kidnapped, and the Syndicate has returned to the city. Axel and Blaze join forces with Adam’s younger brother Skate and Axel’s friend Max to bring him home. The route moves beyond sidewalks into places such as a bridge under construction and an amusement park, turning an urban rescue into a succession of changing battlegrounds.

Clear the crowd, read the space

Each section holds you in place until its enemies are defeated; a scene change or Go arrow then sends you onward. You have 99 game seconds per section, with a fresh clock after clearing it. Fighting takes place across the depth of the scene as well as left and right, so reaching an opponent means finding the right line of approach. Walk close enough and your fighter automatically takes hold, opening up a separate set of close-range attacks.

This edition

About Restoration

This is SCD’s modified Genesis / Mega Drive edition, rather than an official Sega rerelease. The project targets details including Japanese Blaze kick artwork, Mr. X’s cigar, corrected enemy names, interface labels, a pause-screen KO counter, and an unused track for the Pirate Ship area. These describe the project’s scope; individual restoration details vary by revision and optional patches.

Start here

1. Set the opening difficulty

   From the title screen, press Start to reach Game Select, then open Options. Easy is available alongside Normal, Hard, and Hardest; the Players setting gives you one to five fighters per game. Leaving the settings alone starts Normal with three fighters.

2. Compare the four fighters

   Choose 1 Player and look over the character ratings for Power, Technique, Speed, Jump, and Stamina. More stars indicate a stronger attribute. Move the selection box to your choice, then press Start or C to begin.

3. Open the street’s containers

   Break nearby containers to uncover supplies. Apples recover some health, roast chicken fills the life gauge, and a 1UP grants another fighter. Cash bags and gold bars add points, making the scenery worth checking as you advance.

Original controls

These are the original game's controls. For keyboard, controller and touch settings in this player, see Controls & help.

D-Button

Left and right move sideways; up and down move toward the rear and front of the scene.

B: Attack and collect

Press to attack or pick up an item beneath you. Repeated presses produce your fighter’s regular attack sequence.

C: Jump

Press to jump; use B during the jump to attack.

A: Special attacks

A performs a special attack. The stationary move costs health when it connects; the directed move costs health on every use.

B plus C: Rear attack or weapon throw

Press together for a rear attack while unarmed. With a weapon equipped, the same combination throws it.

Start: Pause

Pauses the action and resumes a paused game.

Playing tips

• Bring trouble into view

  Fight away from the screen edges and draw enemies into visible space. Watch ground shadows for warning of attackers arriving from above.

• Disarm the dangerous opponent

  Prioritize armed enemies. An assault can make them drop their weapon, letting you remove a threat and claim the tool yourself.

• Keep your weapon working

  Avoid standing over loose weapons while attacking with one you want to retain: B may swap equipment instead. Repeated drops also make weapons disappear, so favor approaches that keep yours in hand.