Streets of Rage 3

Last updated

Streets of Rage 3
Streets of Rage 3 (box art).jpg
North American cover art
Developer(s) Sega
Ancient
Publisher(s) Sega
Producer(s) Ossiy, Noriyuki, Maxwell Taylor
Designer(s) Yui
Programmer(s) Hiroshi Momota
Composer(s) Yuzo Koshiro
Motohiro Kawashima
Series Streets of Rage
Platform(s) Genesis
Release
  • JP: March 18, 1994
  • NA: July 1994
  • UK: July 21, 1994 [1]
Genre(s) Beat 'em up
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Streets of Rage 3 [a] is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed and published by Sega in 1994 for the Genesis. It is the third installment of the Streets of Rage series and the last game in the original trilogy. The game includes several changes over Streets of Rage and Streets of Rage 2 , such as a more complex plot, inclusion of character dialogue, longer levels, more in-depth scenarios and faster gameplay. Weapons can be integrated with unique moves with certain characters, hidden characters were added, and a few cutscenes were included to give the story greater depth.

Contents

It was later released for the Japanese version of Sonic Gems Collection for the GameCube, PlayStation 2 and the Wii Virtual Console in September 2007. The game also appeared in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game also appeared in Sega Genesis Classics for Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

Gameplay

Gameplay screenshot, with the player engaged in combat MD Streets of Rage 3.png
Gameplay screenshot, with the player engaged in combat

Much like the previous two games, Streets of Rage 3 is a side-scrolling beat 'em up in which up to two players fight against waves of enemies. Players can choose from returning characters Axel, Blaze, and Skate, along with a new character named Dr. Zan, a robot who automatically converts every weapon picked up into a ball of energy. By fulfilling certain conditions, two bonus characters, Shiva and Roo (known as Victy in Japan), can be unlocked for play, with a third unlockable character, Ash, being exclusive to the Japanese release.

Several tweaks have been made to the gameplay following Streets of Rage 2. Whereas only Skate was able to run in the previous game, now each character is able to run, as well as perform a vertical dodge roll. Blitz attacks can be upgraded through successive play, and a rechargeable meter allows players to perform a Special attack without losing any health when full. Certain weapons now have special attacks that can be performed in the same way as Blitz attacks. However, all weapons now have a limited number uses before they break, and unlockable characters are unable to hold weapons at all.

Stages in the game include hazards, originally featured in the first Streets of Rage , such as bottomless pits. Some stages have alternate routes depending on certain actions, such as whether players can clear a room of enemies before a non-playable character is killed by poisonous gas. Enemy AI was also expanded so more enemies can pick up weapons, block attacks, employ co-operative attacks, and even steal exposed food items to regain health. Compared to the Japanese version, the Western release of this game features altered graphics and sound effects, and increased difficulty, and does not feature Ash as a playable character. Like the previous game, a Battle mode lets two players fight against each other.

Plot

After being defeated twice, Syndicate crime boss Mr. X has started a research company called RoboCy Corporation to act as a cover for his illegal activities. The world's best roboticist, Dr. Dahm (Dr. Zero in Japan), has been brought in to help him create an army of realistic robots to replace important officials from Wood Oak City. With the replacements in place, Mr. X plans to run the city using a remote control device. His criminal organization, The Syndicate, has strategically placed bombs around the city to distract the police while the city officials are dealt with. Dr. Zan discovers what the research is really for and knows the Syndicate must be stopped. He contacts Blaze Fielding with the details of The Syndicate's plan. Blaze quickly contacts her old comrades Axel Stone and Adam Hunter for a task force to bring down The Syndicate once and for all. Axel quickly joins the task force, but Adam cannot make it due to his own assignments from within the police, and sends his younger brother, Eddie "Skate" Hunter instead.

The game has four endings depending on the difficulty setting and if the player completes certain stages in an allotted amount of time. In the game's true ending, from which the events of Streets of Rage 4 follow, it is revealed that the real Chief Ivan Petrov was kidnapped and replaced with a duplicate. After Ivan is freed, Axel suggests Adam take Ivan to the city hall before his doppelgänger arrives, then goes to Mr. X's robot factory hideout in the forest. Once Dr. Dahm is apprehended and confesses to the government officials' kidnapping and replacement, the real Mr. X is revealed to be reduced to nothing but a brain in a laboratory capsule, controlling all the robots with his mind. As the heroes destroy Mr. X's brain capsule and his Robot Y, the bomb timers are neutralized. The dying Mr. X attempts to self destruct the lab to kill the heroes, but they are rescued by Adam. With Mr. X gone, RoboCy becomes defunct, Dr. Dahm is left to recover at an asylum, and Dr. Zan's name is cleared.

Characters

Three of the playable characters from former games return in the sequel: Axel Stone, Blaze Fielding, and Eddie "Skate" Hunter (Sammy Hunter in the Japanese version), each of which have their respective strengths and weaknesses. Dr. Zan replaces Max from the second game, with any weapon he picks up turning into a ball of energy. Adam from the first game makes a story cameo, and Max only makes a cameo appearance in the game's "good" ending.

Three of the game's boss characters can also be accessed through in-game codes. The first mid-boss, a homosexual named Ash, was removed from the Western releases of the game (although he can be accessed through cheat cartridges). Shiva, the martial artist who debuted in Streets of Rage 2 and newcomer Roo (Victy in the Japanese version) the kangaroo can also be accessed. Shiva, Roo, and Ash are unable to use weapons, which also serves as a main inspiration for Shiva's unique mechanics in Streets of Rage 4, where he is also a DLC[ clarification needed ] playable character.

Development and release

Several pre-release screenshots show that there was originally a section where the players got to ride the motorcycles they are so often attacked by. This section was removed for the final version, but is still playable (though buggy and unfinished) with a Game Genie code in the Japanese version. [2]

Version differences

When the game was localized from the original Japanese version to the English-language release, significant changes were made. The clothing of the three returning heroes (Axel, Blaze, and Sammy) was altered from their original colors seen in previous Streets of Rage games, the female enemy characters wore less-revealing outfits, and a sub-boss named "Ash", a gay stereotype, was removed from the English version (though he is still accessible in Streets of Rage 3 as a playable character via cheating and/or hacking). The voice-effects were also changed, with most noticeably Axel's catchphrase of "Grand Upper" for his blitz move being replaced with "Bare Knuckle".

Another notable difference between the two games is the plot: The Japanese version of the story opens with a new explosive substance called "Raxine", [b] discovered by a character named Dr. Gilbert (who is revealed to be the true identity of Dr. Zan), which explodes in the city and kills thousands of people. At the same time, a military general named Ivan Petrov vanishes. It is later discovered that Mr. X orchestrated the general's disappearance and plans to use Raxine to start a global war.

In the English version, all references to Raxine were removed, General Petrov was replaced by the city's Chief of Police, and the plot now involves a scheme to switch major city officials with robot clones in order to take control of the city. Another difference was if the player failed to save the general, the player has to head to what appears to be the White House. This too was changed in the English adaptation, where instead if the player failed to save the Chief, then the player has to head to City Hall, although the building depicting the City Hall is still clearly based on the White House. The bad ending sequence from the Japanese releases features a photo of a devastated city as text narrates the player's failure; this was removed in the Western releases and text scrolls upward on a black background. The credits were removed from the bad ending of the Western version (possibly to show that it was not the true ending), whereas in the Japanese version they still play.

The game's overall difficulty was also altered for the English version, with the game's Normal setting being significantly more difficult than even the Japanese version's Hard setting. Also, the English version of the game cannot be completed on the Easy setting (it will end after Stage 5). Axel and Skate are noticeably absent from the European box art, while the new character Zan appears alongside Blaze. This is because the box art for the game was originally used as a magazine cover art that Sega of Europe bought later to be used. Another significant difference between versions is that the Special attacks consume less of the player's health in the English version.

Soundtrack

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
Streets of Rage 3 – "Boss" (1994)
"Boss" from Streets of Rage 3 (1994) demonstrating elements of electro, house, techno and jungle.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The soundtrack was composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima, who had both worked on Streets of Rage 2. It features influences from Detroit's hard techno scene which was popular in Tokyo nightclubs at the time of the game's development. [3] For the soundtrack, Koshiro created a new composition method called the "Automated Composing System" to produce "fast-beat techno like jungle." [4] It was among the most advanced electronic music creation technique at the time, incorporating heavily randomized sequences. [5] This resulted in sounds generated automatically that, according to Koshiro, "you ordinarily never could imagine on your own." [3] The soundtrack incorporates "fast-paced percussion", and "wailing hyper-melodic synths", with "atonal shards of algorithmic experimentation". [6] Fact wrote that the soundtrack foreshadowed trance, gabber and the work of later experimental electronic musicians. [6]

Re-releases

The Japanese version of Sonic Gems Collection includes Bare Knuckle I, II, III (Streets of Rage 1, 2 and 3). These are excluded from releases outside Japan to obtain lower age ratings. Streets of Rage 3 later appeared alongside its other games in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection , and in Sega Genesis Classics . On May 3, 2012, Streets of Rage 3 was released on Valve's Steam platform, both as a stand-alone game as well as part of the Sega Genesis Classics Pack 5. A Streets of Rage Collection, which released under the Sega Vintage Collection series in 2012, features the original trilogy and allows the player to choose between the Japanese, European, or North American versions of them. Streets of Rage 3 is included in the North American and European models of the Genesis Mini 2 microconsole released on October 27, 2022. Although the Japanese Bare Knuckle III, not featured on the Japanese Mega Drive 2 Mini, can be played by changing the language settings, the section in which players can fight against and unlock Ash has been removed from this version of the game. [7]

Reception

GamePro commented that the game is little different from previous entries in the series, but praised the new moves and support for the six-button controller. [18] The four reviewers of Electronic Gaming Monthly praised the new moves and larger levels, though two of them criticized that the soundtrack was well below Yuzo Koshiro's usual standard. [9] Mean Machines Sega said the game had easily outdone the graphics of the first two Streets of Rage games due to the larger sprites, but had failed to significantly advance the gameplay of the series. They concluded it to be overall fun and playable, albeit too easy. [13] Digital Press gave it 8 out of 10. [19] Mega said it was "uninspiring and easy to finish", but later placed the game at #25 in their Top Mega Drive Games of All Time. [20] Diehard GameFan praised the gameplay and graphics, but took exception to the localization, saying it "neutered" an otherwise fine title, advising readers to import the Japanese version or pass it up entirely. They also were very critical of the music. [11]

The soundtrack, which was created through a semi-random process, was divisive. [6] Mean Machines wrote that it was "terrible". In 2018, the Fact editor John Twells wrote: "When you're forced to hear snippets again and again, the atonal shards of algorithmic experimentation can be grating, but listening to the soundtrack as a whole is a different experience altogether: historical, challenging, innovative and artistic ... Whether it's art is subject to debate, but it's definitely techno." [6] Twells described the soundtrack as Koshiro and Kawashima's "crowning achievement" and recommended it to all electronic music fans, even those uninterested in video games. [6]

In a retrospective assessment, Mean Machines commented that the plot is lackluster and the music "takes some getting used to," but the visuals are colorful and beautiful, the levels are varied, and the challenge is more than sufficient. The reviewer concluded, "If you've never played any of the SOR series before, SOR2 is probably a better entry point, but be sure to sample this third outing at some point." [13] In a retrospective review, Colin Williamson of Allgame gave Streets of Rage 3 a review score of 3 out of 5, he praised the game having flashy new moves for the characters but criticizing that there is nothing really new in the game and called the two new characters as "stale". He concluded the review stating: "If you're in need of more bare-knuckle fun, this will suit the bill - just don't expect to be blown away." [21]

Sequel

Streets of Rage 4 was announced by Dotemu in August 2018, and released on April 30, 2020. [22] [23]

Notes

  1. ↑ Known in Japan as Bare Knuckle III (ベア・ナックルIII, Bea Nakkuru Surī)
  2. ↑ This is the romanized spelling used in the English version of Project X Zone 2 . The original Japanese spelling is ラクシン (rakushin), which was used romanized in the Bare Knuckle 3 fan translation.

Related Research Articles

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog 3</i> 1994 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. Like previous Sonic games, players traverse side-scrolling levels while collecting rings and defeating enemies. They control Sonic and Tails, who attempt to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds to stop Doctor Robotnik from relaunching his space station, the Death Egg, after it crash-lands on a mysterious floating island. Sonic 3 introduces Knuckles the Echidna, the island guardian, who lays traps for Sonic and Tails.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (1991 video game) 1991 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 1991 platform game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. It was released in North America on June 23 and in PAL regions and Japan the following month. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog, who can run at near supersonic speeds; Sonic sets out on a quest to defeat Dr. Robotnik, a scientist who has imprisoned animals in robots and seeks the powerful Chaos Emeralds. The gameplay involves collecting rings as a form of health, and a simple control scheme, with jumping and attacking controlled by a single button.

<i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> (8-bit video game) 1991 video game

Sonic the Hedgehog is a 1991 platform video game developed by Ancient and published by Sega for the Master System and Game Gear. It is a companion to the 16-bit Sega Genesis game Sonic the Hedgehog for the 8-bit Sega Master System and Game Gear consoles. Ancient—a studio founded by composer Yuzo Koshiro—was contracted to develop the game. The 8-bit Sonic is a side-scrolling game similar in style to the 16-bit game, but reduced in complexity to fit the 8-bit systems.

<i>Sonic & Knuckles</i> 1994 video game

Sonic & Knuckles is a 1994 platform game developed and published by Sega. Players control Sonic the Hedgehog or Knuckles the Echidna in their quests to save Angel Island; Sonic tries to stop Doctor Robotnik from re-launching his orbital weapon, the Death Egg, while Knuckles scuffles with Robotnik's minion, EggRobo. Like previous Sonic games, players traverse side-scrolling levels at high speeds while collecting rings and defeating enemies.

<i>Streets of Rage</i> (video game) 1991 video game

Streets of Rage is a beat 'em up game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis in 1991. Players control one of three former police officers turned vigilantes who battle a crime syndicate. Streets of Rage establishes many conventions of the Streets of Rage series, such as two-player cooperative play and an acclaimed techno soundtrack from composer Yuzo Koshiro. It was ported for the Game Gear, Sega CD and Master System and has been rereleased as part of various compilations and on download services.

<i>Batman Returns</i> (video games) 1992 video game

Batman Returns is the name of several video games for various platforms based on the 1992 film of the same name.

<i>The Revenge of Shinobi</i> (1989 video game) 1989 video game

The Revenge of Shinobi, released in Japan as The Super Shinobi, is a hack-and-slash action video game developed and published by Sega in 1989. It was the first Shinobi game developed for the Sega Genesis, and was later released on the coin-operated version of that console, the Mega-Tech.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yuzo Koshiro</span> Japanese composer (born 1967)

Yuzo Koshiro is a Japanese composer and sound programmer. He is often regarded as one of the most influential innovators in chiptune and video game music, producing music in a number of genres including rock, jazz, symphonic, and various electronic genres such as house, electro, techno, trance, and hip hop.

<i>Sega Classics Arcade Collection</i> 1992 video game

Sega Classics Arcade Collection is the name of two compilations released for the Sega CD. Despite their titles, both versions of Sega Classics Arcade Collection include only the Sega Genesis ports of all the games included.

<i>Beyond Oasis</i> 1994 video game

The Story of Thor, known in North America as Beyond Oasis, is a 1994 action-adventure game developed by Ancient and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. The game was produced and had music written by Yuzo Koshiro. The Story of Thor was later released in various emulated collections. A prequel, The Story of Thor 2, was released for the Sega Saturn in 1996.

<i>Sonic Gems Collection</i> 2005 compilation video game by Sega

Sonic Gems Collection is a 2005 compilation of Sega video games, primarily those in the Sonic the Hedgehog series. The emulated games span multiple genres and consoles—from the Sega Genesis to the Sega Saturn—and retain the features and errors of their initial releases with minimal edits. Player progress is rewarded with demos of other Sonic games, videos, and promotional artwork spanning the history of the Sonic franchise. While its 2002 predecessor, Sonic Mega Collection, comprises popular Sonic games, Gems Collection focuses on more obscure games, such as Sonic CD (1993) and Sonic the Fighters (1996). Other non-Sonic games are included, but some, such as the Streets of Rage trilogy, are omitted in the Western localization.

<i>Streets of Rage 2</i> 1992 video game

Streets of Rage 2, known as Bare Knuckle II in Japan, is a 1992 beat 'em up game developed and published by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. A sequel to Streets of Rage (1991), the characters Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding return while the game also introduces two new characters: Max Thunder, and Eddie "Skate" Hunter, the younger brother of Adam Hunter from the first game.

<i>Shinobi</i> (series) Video game series by Sega

Shinobi is a series of hack-and-slash games created by Sega. The ninja (shinobi) Joe Musashi is the protagonist of the original series of games. The first Shinobi was released in 1987 as an arcade video game. Along with Alex Kidd and Sonic the Hedgehog, Joe Musashi has long been one of Sega's flagship characters, acting as a mascot for a short time in the late 1980s when ninjas were popular in mainstream media. The series' games are a showcase of Sega's technical accomplishment, noted for their high quality of graphics, gameplay and music, as well as their high level of difficulty. The Shinobi franchise sold more than 4.6 million copies.

<i>Alien Storm</i> 1990 video game

Alien Storm (エイリアンストーム) is a beat 'em up shooter released as an arcade video game by Sega in 1990. It was ported to the Genesis/Mega Drive and Master System. The Mega Drive version was re-released on Wii's Virtual Console in 2007 and was also included on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The game was also re-released on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack in 2022.

Streets of Rage is a series of side-scrolling beat 'em up video games. It centers on the efforts of several ex-police vigilantes trying to rid the fictional American metropolis of Wood Oak City of a crime syndicate that has corrupted its local government. The first three games in the franchise were developed and released by Sega for the Sega Genesis in the early 1990s and have since been ported and re-released on various platforms. A fourth entry was also released in 2020.

Music of the <i>Streets of Rage</i> series Video game discography

The music of the Streets of Rage series of beat 'em up games, released in the early 1990s, was primarily produced by Yuzo Koshiro.

Ancient Corp. is a Japanese video game developer founded by composer Yuzo Koshiro and his mother and sister on April 1, 1990. The company has worked on games such as the 8-bit version of Sonic the Hedgehog, Streets of Rage 2, Beyond Oasis, Shenmue, and Gotta Protectors, among others.

<i>Streets of Rage 4</i> 2020 video game

Streets of Rage 4 is a 2020 beat 'em up game developed by Dotemu, Lizardcube, and Guard Crush Games and published by Dotemu. The game is a continuation of Sega's Streets of Rage trilogy, originally released for the Sega Genesis during the 1990s. It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Linux, and macOS, in 2020, for Stadia in 2021, and Android and iOS in 2022. Streets of Rage 4 received generally positive reviews and sold over 2.5 million copies by April 2021. An expansion, Mr. X Nightmare, was released in July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sega Genesis Mini</span> Home video game console

The Sega Genesis Mini, known as the Mega Drive Mini in regions outside of North America, is a dedicated console modeled on the Sega Genesis. The Mini emulates the original console's 16-bit hardware, and includes 42 games made available through emulation software by M2. It was released in North America and Japan in September 2019 and in Europe and the Middle East in October 2019. A follow-up, Sega Genesis Mini 2, was released in October 2022 and includes 60 games from the Genesis and Sega CD.

<i>Paprium</i> 2020 video game

Paprium is a side-scrolling beat 'em up video game for the Mega Drive developed by studio WaterMelon and released in 2020. It was announced as part of a crowd-funding pitch in 2012. Development took eight years, with little to no communication with game's backers or the press, and the game was widely considered to be vaporware.

References

  1. ↑ "Mega Drive & Super Nintendo At Least £10 Off//All New Releases". The Extra. July 21, 1994. p. 17. Retrieved December 30, 2023. Mega Drive Streets of Rage 3 £39.99
  2. ↑ "Streets of Rage 3 Hidden Levels". Soronline.net. November 27, 2016. Archived from the original on November 27, 2016. Retrieved December 17, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Horowitz, Ken (February 5, 2008). "Interview: Yuzo Koshiro". Sega-16. Archived from the original on September 21, 2008. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  4. ↑ Davis, Jeff. "Interview with Yuzo Koshiro". Gaming Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved August 6, 2011.
  5. ↑ Chris Greening & Don Kotowski (February 2011). "Interview with Yuzo Koshiro". Square Enix Music Online. Retrieved June 20, 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Twells, John (February 17, 2018). "Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima's Streets of Rage 3 OST is a valuable slice of techno history". Fact . Retrieved January 20, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Sega Removes Controversial Character from Bare Knuckle 3 on Mega Drive Mini 2". October 27, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Streets of Rage 3 for Genesis". GameRankings . CBS Interactive . Retrieved September 29, 2018.
  9. 1 2 Semrad, Ed; Manuel, Al; Carpenter, Danyon; Sushi-X (July 1994). "Review Crew: Streets of Rage 3". Electronic Gaming Monthly . Vol. 7, no. 7. p. 34. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Legacy Review Archives". Game Informer . Archived from the original on December 14, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2021.
  11. 1 2 Skid; K. Lee; The Enquirer (June 1994). "Viewpoint". GameFan . Vol. 2, no. 7. p. 24. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Review: Streets of Rage 3". Hyper . No. 7. June 1994. pp. 30–3.
  13. 1 2 3 "Streets of Rage 3 review – Sega Megadrive". Mean Machines Sega . Archived from the original on May 19, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
  14. ↑ Mayerick, J.C. (April 1994). "Jungla de Asfalto". Superjuegos (in Spanish). No. 24. pp. 46–51. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Streets of Rage". Video Games (in German). July 1994. p. 87. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  16. ↑ Mellerick, Paul (May 1994). "Streets of Rage 3". Mega . No. 20. pp. 36–37. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  17. ↑ Leadbetter, Richard; Guise, Tom (May 1994). "Streets of Rage 3". Sega . No. 5. pp. 78–79. Retrieved January 4, 2022.
  18. ↑ Slo Mo (August 1994). "ProReview: Streets of Rage 3". GamePro . No. 71. IDG. pp. 42–43.
  19. ↑ Santulli, Joe (September 1994). "Random Reviews". Digital Press. p. 14.
  20. ↑ Mega magazine issue 26, page 74, Maverick Magazines, November 1994
  21. ↑ Williamson, Colin. "Streets of Rage 3 Allgame review". Allgame. Archived from the original on November 15, 2014. Retrieved September 1, 2021.
  22. ↑ DotEmu (August 27, 2018). "Confirmation of "Streets of Rage 4"". Twitter. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
  23. ↑ Webster, Andrew (April 30, 2020). "Streets of Rage 4 is retro in all the right ways". The Verge. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.