Go Straight: The Ultimate Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat-’Em-Ups

Secret arcade machine levels let you earn extra Floyd’s star move sees him let rip with a massive,
points and bonus items. powerful laser blast.

into the game’s new chaining mechanics. Chaining moves is essential in story mode, as
Newcomer Cherry handles a lot like Skate, with you’ll be rewarded with extra lives once you hit
rapid melee strikes that deal multiple hits to certain point milestones. You’ll need them too,
keep combos flowing nicely, plus specials that as Streets of Rage 4 is much harder than the
involve her guitar. It’s easy to batter an enemy original trilogy, with tough enemies that will
with a standing combo, hammer them with a utterly destroy players foolish enough to simply
dashing knee strike, then finish with a neutral spam attacks. Stage two’s riot cops are a good
special that sends them flying across the example, as they have shields that can be
screen with a powerful guitar riff. It just feels broken with rapid strikes, but they can hit back
incredible when you start hitting the big with a fierce baton swipe. You really need to
combo numbers. think tactically about how to take them down,
while keeping an eye on spacing and other
Meanwhile, Floyd is a mash-up of Max and Zan. enemies around the screen.
He’s slower, but hits like a truck, thanks to his
augmented arms that charge up with electricity Some enemies, like the burly fire-breathers,
to give enemies a nasty shock. The original occasionally become armoured, so they can’t be
fighters all have their standard command lists, stunned or knocked down by your attacks for a
so they’re easy to pick up and play, but you can brief period, and will most likely punish you with
spend a long time experimenting with the way a counter for even trying. There are also judo
their moves chain together. It’s also possible to masters who can flawlessly counter your moves,
bounce your opponent off the screen’s edge, punk girls who lob vials of toxic sludge, robots
launch them into the air or catch them on the that can use levitation powers to hurl weapons
rebound after slamming them into the ground. at you, and crooked cops who can shock you
The possibilities are endless. with tasers. All of these traits make this the most
tactical Streets of Rage game to date.

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You can use the cop car special when playing as Max was initially only available in his 16-bit form,
the first game’s characters. but was later added as DLC.

Thankfully, all of the classic strategies still Combat aside, Streets of Rage 4 looks and
work and some of them are even laid out in sounds incredible. Lizardcube used the same
the game’s handy tutorial screen. The most art and animation style seen in its superb retro
important thing to know is that every revival, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap. Every
character’s neutral special (just press the character moves fluidly, with a staggering
special button without holding left or right) number of animation frames, while every
has invincibility frames, which means you can’t backdrop feels alive with movement and colour.
be hurt while pulling them off. If your timing is The opening stage is like a grand homecoming
right, you can use this to make gunfire pass as you battle Galsias, Donovans and Y. Signals
right through you, dodge enemy attacks or on a neon-lit street full of bars and diners. It
avoid being grabbed. Throws also have these immediately captures the vibe of the classic
I-frames, so you should learn how to use them Streets of Rage games, except now there are
tactically to avoid taking damage. animated revellers inside the clubs, while steam
hisses and rises out of vents on the sidewalk.
Special attacks drain your health every time Every screen is a true work of art, dense with
you use them, even if they miss, so you can’t detail and character.
just spam them like crazy. The segment of your
health bar lost through specials turns green, Of course, this wouldn’t be a Streets of Rage
but you can refill it by hitting enemies enough experience without a banging soundtrack and,
times. Be careful, though, as you’ll lose the thankfully, the score here doesn’t disappoint.
entire green segment if you get hit just once. The first stage starts with a banger from
It’s a genius risk-reward mechanic that makes original composer Yuzo Koshiro called ‘They’re
you think twice about when and how to use Back’, which sounds like a tribute to the second
specials, especially when your health is low. game’s opening track, ‘Go Straight’. Koshiro’s

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End Floyd’s standing combo with a forward- The gallery stage really shows off just how
forward strike to rack up hits. artistic and vibrant this game is.

co-composer Motohiro Kawashima also drops be played right now. For the best part of 30
a few tracks in that fit perfectly with the series’ years it felt like an impossible project that
love affair with house and techno beats. neither SEGA nor its co-developers could figure
out. The monumental achievement of the
The majority of the soundtrack was scored by developers can’t be overstated, as they pulled
Olivier Deriviere, who delivers killer songs that off something that lives up to, and in many
run the gamut of ‘90s dance influences, from the ways, surpasses the original trilogy.
jazzy horns of the second stage’s ‘Funky HQ’ to
a glorious fusion of pounding beats and oriental Most importantly, the fact that Streets of Rage 4
flourishes that kicks in during the Chinatown exists is proof that the side-scrolling genre is
level. There are even some guest composers alive and well today. Despite hitting some rough
that include Hotline Miami contributor Scattle patches over the years, the genre never really
and Chilean electronic artist Das Mortal, who went away, thanks to the incredible dedication
contributes a high-octane final boss tune. of homebrew developers, the many studios who
took their own stab at it and, of course, the
In 2021, Streets of Rage 4 received a superb unwavering interest of fans like you.
expansion pack called Mr. X Nightmare, which
added Max, Shiva and no-nonsense cop Estel To everyone who has helped keep this genre
as playable fighters. It even has a Rogue-like alive over the years:
survival mode set in a VR simulation, which is
immensely addictive. Be sure to check it out. Thank you.

It’s strange to realise that we now live in a world
where Streets of Rage 4 is a real game that can

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CLASSIC MOMENT

Streets of Rage 4 – they’re back!
After almost 30 years and many failed attempts to
revive Streets of Rage, the fourth entry’s opening stage
appears almost surreal. The gameplay feels classic but
new, the familiar neon street almost comforting, and
Yuzo Koshiro’s banging tune ‘They’re Back’ is enough to
give you goosebumps. Welcome home, everybody!

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THE END

We’ve reached the end of our journey through

side-scrolling beat-‘em-up history. Here are some

of the best endings the genre has to offer …

KUNG-FU MASTER STREETS OF RAGE 2
Thomas and Silvia are reunited after a gruelling battle With Mr. X and his syndicate crushed, our heroes save
across many floors of action. Adam and ride off into the sunset.

ALIEN STORM FINAL FIGHT
The Alien Busters celebrate their victory over the After saving his love, Jessica, Cody realises he can’t stay
intergalactic horde by dancing like maniacs. and sets off to defeat more evil.

SPLATTERHOUSE MOTHER RUSSIA BLEEDS
Rick staggers out of the ruined West mansion and the In the good ending you become the hero of the revolution
Terror Mask shatters … Or does it? and a statue is put up in your honour.

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DOUBLE DRAGON ALIENS VS. PREDATOR
Depending on which Lee brother wins the last fight, they’re Our unlikely team slays the alien queen and crashes a ship
reunited with the captured Marian. into the Weyland-Yutani base.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES THE SIMPSONS
The Technodrome is trashed, but Shredder and Krang Mr. Burns gets battered and Maggie takes the stolen
appear to have made it out alive … diamond. Wait, is the family rich now?

NINJA GAIDEN BRAWL BROTHERS
After defeating the evil Bladedamus, the mysterious ninja Desperate, the bad guy detonates his own ship, but our
sails back home to Tokyo. crew make it out just in time.

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CREDITS AND THANKS ...

Published by Bitmap Books
Writing and original concept by Dave Cook
Edited by Steve Jarratt
Designed by Ryan Birse, Sam Dyer and Daniel Gruitt
Additional writing by Steve Gregson, SEGA Lord X and Chris Scullion
Sprite rips by Paul McNally
Additional screenshots by Gonçalo Lopes and Julien Fouillat
Cover illustration by Jorge M. Velez

Chris Scullion for Panzer Bandit, The Bouncer, Batman Beyond: Return of
the Joker, Mad Stalker, Gekido: Urban Fighters, Death by Degrees, God Hand,
Final Fight: Streetwise, Streets of Fury EX, The Warriors: Street Brawl, Scott
Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game, Double Dragon 2: Wander of the Dragons,
Phantom Breaker: Battlegrounds, Dungeons: The Eye of Draconus, Dead
Island: Retro Revenge, The TakeOver, and Eight Dragons.

SEGA Lord X for Die Hard Arcade, Three Dirty Dwarves and Nekketsu Oyako.

Steve Gregson for Spikeout: Battle Street, Zombie Revenge and Mortal
Kombat: Shaolin Monks.

Additional thanks:
Yoshisha Kishimoto for his brilliant foreword. Thanks also to our interviewees
for their input: Ninja Baseball Bat Man creator Drew Maniscalco, Double
Dragon IV producer Takaomi Kaneko and Streets of Rage 4 executive
producer Cyrille Imbert; to Mike Diver for casting his expert eye over the book;
to Julien Fouillat from www.video-games-museum.com for the screenshot
assistance; to Karen Giles for the proofreading; and to my lovely wife Rachel
and our cats Rigby and Moxxi for putting up with all the late nights of writing
and gaming.

Resources:
www.hardcoregaming101.net
gamefaqs.gamespot.com
www.gamespress.com
www.punchpedia.com
www.mobygames.com
www.video-games-museum.com

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Get ready for the fight of your life in Go Straight: The Ultimate
Guide to Side-Scrolling Beat ‘Em Ups. Written by award-winning
author, Dave Cook and opening with a foreword by legendary
Double Dragon creator, Yoshihisa Kishimoto, this odyssey through
bare-knuckle nostalgia features over 200 games, spanning 37
years, starting with Irem’s 1984 arcade mash, Kung-Fu Master.
At over 450 pages, Go Straight takes a deep dive into familiar
beat-‘em-up legends like Streets of Rage, Golden Axe, Final Fight
and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, as well as delving into the
more obscure brawlers you just have to try, like Denjin Makai,
Shadow Force and Gaia Crusaders.
If you have fond memories of playing side-scrolling beat ‘em ups
at home on the couch or in noisy arcades, or if you’re excited
by the genre and jumping in for the first time, Go Straight is the
perfect guide for you.

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