============================== Streets of Rage / Bare Knuckle Game (c) 1991 SEGA Music (c) 1991 Yuzo Koshiro Sega Genesis - Mega Drive - Sega CD - Mega CD - Game Boy Advance (?) Player's Guide - Version 1.14 Author: Frank Provo E-mail: frank@frankprovo.com ============================== The current version of this guide is always available in text format at: http://www.gamefaqs.com This Streets of Rage / Bare Knuckle guide may be reproduced or the information herein included in publications (online or print), provided credit is given. Original portions of this Guide may not be reproduced or modified for used in profitable (read: Commercial) endeavors without the expressed written permission of Frank Provo, the owner of this Guide/FAQ. This Guide is copyrighted to Frank Provo ((c) 2001). ================= Table of Contents ================= A. Plot / About B. Characters & Moves C. Items, Weapons, and Scoring D. Enemies E. Walk Through (8 Rounds) F. Codes G. Closing Comments, Other SORs, etc. * WARNING: THIS GUIDE CONTAINS MASSIVE SPOILER INFORMATION * =============== A. Plot / About =============== (in-game) This city was once a happy, peaceful place... until one day, a powerful secret criminal organization took over. This vicious syndicate soon had control of the government and even the police force. The city has become a center of violence and crime where no one is safe. Amid this turmoil, a group of determined young police officers has sworn to clean up the city. Among them are Adam Hunter, Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding. They are willing to risk anything... even their lives... on the... Streets Of Rage. (manual) What was once a happy, peaceful, productive city full of life and activity, has fallen into the hands of a secret criminal syndicate. The leader of the syndicate has somehow managed to keep his identity a secret. The organization soon absorbed the city government (anyone can be had if the price is right). They even have the metropolitan police force in their back pocket. Looting, random violence and destruction are rampant. No one is safe walking the streets, day or night... As the chaos continued at full strength, three young police officers tried to establish a special attack unit. They were repeatedly refused by their superiors, most of whom had either been bought by the organization or were too afraid to make a stand. One day, when they could no longer stand by and watch their city being demolished, they quit the force! Adam Hunter, Axel Stone and Blaze Fielding decided to forego their careers in legal law enforcement and put their lives on the line. They are without weapons, but each possesses great hand-to-hand combat abilities. Take them into the heart of the city and battle the most dangerous wave of bad dudes and chicks ever assembled. Make the city a place where people no longer have to walk the Streets of Rage! Streets of Rage / Bare Knuckle is a side-scrolling beat' em up for one or two players. If you're familiar with the genre, the game is quite formulaic - although it was upper-echelon for its time. Walk forward, pummel gangsters, use weapons, and watch the timer - you know the drill. It first came out in cartridge form on the Sega Genesis, then a couple years later on a Sega CD compilation disc. Lesser ports also exist for both the Sega Game Gear and Sega Master System. NOTE: SEGA has just announced that a Streets of Rage title will be coming to Nintendo's Game Boy Advance as part of their GBA Smash Pack. Yes! But will it be Streets of Rage 1 or 2? Time will tell. ===================== B. Characters / Moves ===================== My friend Jeff Gerstmann says the only guide anyone needs to this game is: "Hit punch fast. If you have to call in the cop car, you're a big sissy." For everyone else, the next few sections are for you. Basic Moves: D-Pad = Move Around A = Summon Backup Attack (P1-Napalm, P2-Grenades) B = Jab Punch (Men), Karate Chop (Blaze), Pick Up/Use Item C = Jump C, B = Jump Kick C, Back+B = Jumping Reverse Kick B+C = Rear Attack (see below) Grapple Moves: (get close to an enemy to grapple) Back = Tap backward to release an enemy B, B, B = Knee, Knee, Head Butt (Men) or Kick Flip (Blaze) Back+B = Throw B, B, Back+B = Knee, Knee, Throw C = Shoulder Vault C, C = Double Shoulder Vault (releases opponent) C, B = Reverse Backdrop (STRONGEST THROW!) The vault (C) is very useful if you grab an enemy from behind, since it lets you flip in front of them to perform more than just a throw. Grab, flip, attack, flip, throw - yum. Tied Up Moves: (when an enemy grabs you from behind) B = Neck Throw C = Double Leg Kick (take out enemies in front) Up+C = Perform if you're thrown and you'll land on your feet Character Moves and Combos: Adam Hunter - Male - Age 23 - Ex-Cop Hobby: Bonsai Ability: Boxing Power: A Jump: A Speed: B Clothing: Black Jeans and Yellow Muscle Shirt B+C = Jumping Reverse Kick B, B, B, B = Two quick jabs, an uppercut, then a kick B, B, B, pause, repeat = A cycle of two jabs and an uppercut B, B, B, grapple, B, B, C, B = 5 hits, vault, backdrop Thanks to his flying kick and power, Adam is probably the best character for beginners. He's also the least frustrating. Axel Stone - Male - Age 22 - Ex-Cop Hobby: Video Games Ability: Martial Arts Power: A Jump: A Speed: A Clothing: Blue Jeans and White Muscle Shirt B+C = Backward Fist Smash B, B, B, B = Two quick jabs, a body blow, then a knee slam B, B, B, pause, repeat = A cycle of three punches B, B, B, grapple, B, B, C, B = 5 hits, vault, strong throw Axel is the front man of the Streets of Rage Series, but his wussy flying knee is a hindrance. He's not as fast as his speed rating suggests, either. Blaze Fielding - Female - Age 21 - Ex-Cop Hobby: Lambada Ability: Judo Power: B Jump: A Speed: A Clothing: Red Leather Jacket & Skirt Ensemble B+C = Standing Snap Kick B, B, B (repeat) = Two quick punches, followed by a kick B, B, B, grapple, B, B, C, B = 5 hits, vault, strong throw Other than her terrible lack of power and stamina, Blaze is quite speedy. Her near-infinite BBB combo is great. Thanks to her sweet jump kicks and sexy skirt, she's a fan favorite. Fan service note: if Blaze is thrown, especially by a partner, you can see her underpants if you pause at the right time. Team Attacks: In 2-Player mode, not only can you beat up your partner, but you can join with them to perform team attacks. Grapple(Back+B) = Throw partner into a flying kick Grapple(C) = Flip over partner into a flying kick ============================== C. Items, Weapons, and Scoring ============================== There are a number of beneficial items and weapons scattered throughout Streets of Rage. Most are hidden within phone booths, metal drums, under tables, or behind similarly fragile objects. From time to time, an enemy may walk onscreen carrying an object. In rare cases, the game's programmers hid a few items behind pillars or other obstructions! To pick up an object, stand over it and press the attack button. If it's a weapon, use the attack button to use it. Weapons, except the knife and Pepper Shaker, are unlimited use until they're knocked out of your hands. Items: Apple - A juicy, red apple that restores 25% of your life Beef Slab - A filling meal that restores 100% of your life Cash Bag - $1,000 points Gold Bars - Three gold ingots worth $5,000 points 1UP - Grab the statue of our heroes for a free life Extra Special - Grab the toy car for a bonus 'call backup' attack You also earn an 1UP for every 50,000 points you accumulate. Weapons: Knife - A short range, sharp knife. ~5-6 uses, then you throw it. Bottle - Similar to the knife, only a bottle. Aluminum Bat - A long range pummeling weapon. Stronger than a throw. Lead Pipe - Similar to the bat. Pepper Shaker - Toss at enemies to stun them. Scoring: You receive points for every hoodlum you vanquish. At the end of each level, you'll also earn a clear bonus: Clear Bonus - 20,000 points Time Bonus - 100 points/second Level Bonus - 10,000 points (+10,000 for each difficulty above normal) Player Bonus - 1,000 points/life (+1,000 for each difficulty above easy) You'll also receive a 5,000 point bonus for unused special attacks. ========== D. Enemies ========== The first Streets of Rage didn't contain names for any of the gang members or bosses, either in the manual or within the game itself. Not until Streets of Rage 2 did we learn the names of these nefarious bad dudes. However, since calling them "blue denim dude" and "dark whip girl" sounds silly, I've arbitrarily adopted the SOR2 and SOR3 naming conventions for SOR1's enemies. When the walk through later on mentions the term "aggressive," it means gang members exhibit the aggressive behaviors noted below. Remember, bosses are called bosses for a reason - they're big and dish out double the damage. Gang Members: Garcia - Blue/Green/Red denim pants and jacket Garcia is SOR's generic thug of choice. You'll encounter these guys on practically every level. In general, it only takes four punches or a three hit grapple combo to defeat the blue ones. The green and red ones take 50% more punishment. Aggressive behaving Garcias walk quickly up to you and try to hit with a three punch combo. Signal - Yellow/Purple/Green pants and coat Noted also for their spiky hair, these guys love to throw and aren't afraid to slide kick your feet from under you. Aggressive Signals LOVE to slide. Their damage rating is roughly double that of Garcia. Shiva - Gray/Red/Black suited Ninjas with long hair What a pain. These guys take damage like Signals, but do their work with standing and flying kicks. The best way to fight them is get in close and make the first move. Aggressive Shivas are quick and twice as apt to jump in at you. Amusingly, the sole surviving Shiva from SOR1 lived on to become Mr. X's right hand man in Streets of Rage 2. Electras - Red/Black/Light Blue dominatrix women with whips Okay, so in SOR2, they have electric whips, but it didn't make sense to call the non-electric gangstresses in SOR1 Lisas. Electras are reserved combatants, as their only attack is a whip strike. Sometimes, when you hit them, they will kneel in fear and become invulnerable to you for a time. Your best bet is to get in close and grapple them. They're not too worthy unless in a group. They too take damage much like Signals. Their aggressive variant isn't much different than the normal one, although a tad quicker. Jacks - Red/Gray/Black freaks with spiked hair and axes They weren't in SOR2, but they look close enough to Jack, SOR2's knife throwing boss, that I named them after him. These guys are a pain. All of them take around 9 normal hits or three throws to vanquish. What's worse is, if they're juggling their axes, you'll get knocked down if you get in close. If you don't see axes, grapple. If you do, kick. They come in regular and "burning" axe forms. Other than the bosses who crop up in later levels to invite a rematch, this is about it for regular enemies. Five people repeated 500 times. Bosses: Boomer - Blue-jeaned dock worker with red striped shirt I wish I knew this guy's name, but alas, he didn't make it into SOR2. He carries a boomerang that he'll toss around from time to time. He also likes to kick. He's easy to beat, so long as you don't stay too far away from him. Punch, grapple, pummel, and jump kick him into submission. He will be dispatched with about 12 punches or four throws - twice that on tougher difficulty settings. Zamza - Blue pants, red jacket, Adamantium claws A WolverineTM wannabe who bulked up for his appearance in SOR2. Here in Streets of Rage though, he's easy, provided you're patient. Similar to the first boss, you don't want to be on a diagonal plane from this one. Attack straight on or grapple from above/below. Don't jump into him - just play it straight. He has about as much stamina as Boomer. Abadede - Lots of Muscles Abadede is a fan-favorite. He's tall, muscular, and has only two attacks, a running uppercut and a throw. He'll take about 20 punches or six throws to dispatch. To defeat him, get below him and grapple or stand about 2/3 of the way across the screen and punch like crazy. Big Ben - A fat man who breathes fire! Big Ben, or Benny, is a well known baseball fan. Somehow though, his main attack is to run across the screen while breathing fire. To defeat him, sneak behind him, grapple, flip over him, punch twice, tab back to release, grapple again, punch twice, repeat... He'll go down after about 12 hits, provided you don't try to throw him. Mona & Lisa - Green clad Blaze look-alikes They're psychic demons in SOR3, but here, they're just devilishly difficult. They love to backflip in response to anything you do, moving in only to throw you or jump kick. To beat them, face away and do your B+C rear attack. After that, the bosses end up as mid-bosses from time to time or, in the case of Zamza, battle you in pairs in a later stage! Mr. X - Green Armani suit - FINAL BOSS Mr. X is so cool that he's at the end of every Streets of Rage game. Wearing an expensive Armani suit, he barks orders to his minions from a throne of gold. When you face him, he'll send some Garcias out first, then stand up to deliver some pain. His main attacks are a machine gun blast from the upper or side of the screen and a charging rifle butt. The machine gun blasts are best dealt with in close, while the rifle dash can be dodged from below. Just wail on him. =============== E. Walk Through =============== Here is a walk through for all 8 rounds of the game. This walk through was completed on normal mode in single player. Where possible, I have also included the two player gameplay differences in parentheses - so if you see Shiva (2), it means there'd be two in 2-Player mode. In general, the harder the difficulty, the lengthier the gangsters' life meters - although, from time to time, extra enemies do appear. In 2-Player mode, there is an increase in enemy appearance by about 25%. The greatest difference in two player mode are the addition of team attacks (as noted above) and the fact that you'll need to face TWO bosses at the end of each level. Also, most bosses have backup in the form of four denim clad Garcias, who seem to delight in attacking one at a time. The last one tends to have a knife. The enemy count for these rounds reflects this +4 baseline increase. A note on life meters: Only bosses have visible life meters. When there is a mention of tri or quad-colored meters, it means that the indicator starts out one color, then changes colors until settling into a nice baseline orange hue. While the orange section seems to indicate 100%, each successive color seems to only tack on an additional 50%. In layman's terms, 50% is about two punches and a throw. Odd note: In the Japanese version of the game, Bare Knuckle, the timer at the top of the screen resets when you encounter a boss. Lucky! *** ROUND 1 - City Street - Boss: Boomer *** Thugs: 32 (44) - blue Garcia, yellow Signal, red Electra, gray Shiva Items: 8 - 2xApple, Lead Pipe, Baseball Bat, Bottle, 2xKnife, Beef Slab You begin the game in front of the Pine Pot restaurant. Once you move ahead, the first gang member (2), a Garcia with orange hair and a blue denim jacket, will accost you. Advance about two-thirds of a screen more and you'll face another of these chumps, plus a yellow Signal with purple hair. You should be in front of Bar L. Devo after. In front of Bar L. Devo, three (4) Garcias will accost you. Once the screen says "GO," you'll notice another Garcia - let him come to you. In front of the Breakfast Diner here, a metal door will slide open and reveal an aggressive Garcia. Let him come to you. Walking some more, you'll be in front of another Bar L. Devo. Take out the yellow Signal (he'll do slide kicks if the difficulty is set higher), get the apple from the phone booth (2), and watch out for the kneeling Garcia (3) just ahead. Just ahead is the Rach' Shop Breakfast Diner - you'll fight two Garcias (4) and a yellow guy here (2). Use the bottle hidden in the phone booth if need be. The next phone booth holds a lead pipe. As you walk, you'll face two (4) more Garcias (one from a metal door), and the first Shiva, a gray clothed, long haired, martial artist. Past them, you'll face two more Garcias, one of whom will be wielding a baseball bat. Now, you should be in front of ABC's Shop which has three phone booths - Get the apple from the middle one if you need to. Four (5) Garcias and a Shiva will swarm in. Once the screen says "GO," you'll come across two more Garcias in front of the Cafe, one who is kneeling. The kneeling one is very aggressive. Walk ahead some more and you'll face two more Garcias and two red clothed Electras, one of whom comes out of a metal door. One of the Garcias may have a knife. Beat them and take the Beef Slab (2) up ahead. (sort of looks like a caramel apple). Eat it to replenish your life. (2) In front of the last Pine Pot, you'll face two more Garcias and an Electra (In 2 Player mode, you'll face two waves, 2 Electra and 1 Garcia, then 2 Garcia and 1 Electra). One of the Garcias has a knife - beat him up and take it if you want. Once they're dispatched, it's time to fight the boss (2), Boomer, a boomerang throwing dude with a red striped shirt. He's easy to beat, so long as you don't stay too far away from him. Punch, grapple, pummel, and jump kick him into submission. Sometimes he will let loose a long range kick of his own, but this can be avoided by moving upward or jump kicking. On normal, he will have a single life meter. On hard or above, a double life meter. Thus, he will be dispatched with about 12 punches or four throws - twice that on tougher difficulty settings. *** ROUND 2 - Inner City - Boss: Zamza *** Thugs: 46 (58) - blue Garcia, yellow Signal, red Electra, gray Shiva, black Jack Items: 10 - Cash Bag, Pepper Shaker, 2xApple, Lead Pipe, 2xBottle, 1UP, Knife, Beef Slab Welcome to the gritty slum area. Walk ahead a screen and you'll encounter two (3) Garcias - one aggressive and one normal. Just ahead, bash the yellow Signal and snag the Cash Bag from the metal drum. Further ahead, you'll fight another Garcia (2) and a yellow Signal, and can acquire a Pepper Shaker from the drum in front of the apartment building. Use the pepper spray on the four Garcias (7) (one with a knife) and yellow Signal who come to attack you (in single file no less). Once the screen flashes "GO," walk forward. The two metal drums contain a bottle and a red apple (or two for 2-Players). Two Garcias (3) will attack, one of whom has a knife. After vanquishing them, walk forward and two more Garcias will attack. The next two barrels hold a bottle and an 1UP. There's a second 1UP in a barrel on 2-Player mode. Once you snag the 1UP, you'll face two Garcias and a red Electra, followed by another Electra, a Garcia (2), and two yellow Signals - but they don't attack as a single group. Once the screen flashes "GO" again, walk... forward. Take out the Garcia with the knife, then focus your attention on the Shiva just ahead. There's a lead pipe in the drum, but don't snag it just yet. Beat up the Garcia who'll rush on-screen, then take it. By now you should be in front of another dark apartment building (with a stripper poster). Get the red apple (2) from the drum and defeat the two Shivas, four Garcias (6), and Jack, the juggling fire axe guy (they'll attack in pairs). The screen will flash "GO" again, so walk forward and take out that oncoming pissed-off Garcia. Two more Garcias (3) and a Shiva will accost you as you continue walking, and there's a knife in the metal drum. Once you reach the dripping pipe, you'll have to take out another juggling Jack. Defeat him and snag the Beef Slab in the next drum. As you walk forward some more, the screen will stall again, forcing you to contend with four Garcias (6), a Electra, and another Jack. Now it's time to fight the Round 2 Boss, Zamza. He has a tri-level life meter, although it can grow to five levels on Mania. Similar to the first boss, you don't want to be on a diagonal plane from this one. Attack straight on or grapple from above/below. Gang members will come out to distract you. Don't jump into him - just play it straight to beat him. In 2-Player mode, divvy up the chores, cuz they like to gang up. *** ROUND 3 - Beachfront - Boss: Abadede *** Thugs: 46 (56) - blue Garcia, green Garcia, yellow Signal, red Electra, gray Shiva Items: 10 - Baseball Bat, 5xKnife, Apple, Cash Bag, Lead Pipe, Beef Slab One of my favorite levels. Walk forward and enjoy watching the undulating waves. This level introduces stronger Garcias who wear green outfits. Take out the green clad Garcia and Shiva up ahead. There's a baseball bat in the stack of tires. You'll need to take out two more green clad Garcias, one of whom has a knife. (If you're playing 2-Players, two more green Garcias and another Shiva will interrupt here) After that, one regular Garcia, another green clad Garcia, and a yellow Signal will attack. After seeing "GO" flash onscreen, take out the red Electra in front of the flashing sign. Grab the apple from the stack of tires, and the money bag from the next. Along this route, two Garcias and three Electras will accost you, and the screen will come to a halt, whereupon three more green Garcias and one blue one will attack. Two of them are carrying weapons, a knife and a pipe. After beating them, two more green Garcias and a yellow Signal will appear. (In 2-Player mode, the Electras are spread out, but you'll face two additional normal Garcias in the melee) "GO" will flash again, crossing your path with another red Electra and a yellow Signal. Grab the Beef Slab from the tires up ahead (there will be an additional Pepper Shaker in 2-Player mode), and contend with yet another red Electra. Past her, you'll have to contend with three aggressive Shivas. Take them out here, because if you press on, you'll have more bad guys to contend with. (Player 2's Beef Slab is here too, amusingly enough) Once you beat them, the next screen will send an Electra (2), a yellow Signal, and another Shiva at you, as well as two Green Garcias and a blue Garcia with a knife. Upwards of five gang members will be onscreen at once. If you survived the onslaught, walk forward and enjoy a quick rain shower, then get rid of the two (3) green Garcias (both with knives) and the red Electra up ahead. After them, two more green Garcias will attack. (In 2-Player mode, two more with a knife and bat will hang around) The screen will stall again, and you'll have to beat two green Garcias (3), a red Electra, and a yellow Signal - who attack in pairs. Now it's time to fight the Round 3 Boss, Abadede. He has a quad-level life meter, although it can grow to six levels on Mania. You want to stay well in front of Abadede, as his favorite attack is a quick charge followed by an uppercut. The strategic way to attack is to get below him and then grapple, or time a jump kick while he's running. The BEST way to fight him is to simply stand off-center of the middle and tap punch repeatedly, he'll charge right into them. Don't get in close without attack, because he can throw you as well. Gang members will come out to distract you again. On 2-Player mode, this can get quite insane due to the Abadedes' speed. Divvy up and jump! Fun note: if you use your special attack within a second after beating him, it will juggle him for a 5000 point bonus. *** ROUND 4 - Unfinished Bridge - Boss: Big Ben *** Thugs: 48 (56) - blue Garcia, green Garcias, yellow Signal, purple Signal, black Electra, red Shiva, red Jack Items: 13 - Pepper Shaker, 6xKnife, 2xCash Bag, Baseball Bat, 1UP, 2xApple I'm not sure why, but I think this level is lame. Even if you could justify it by saying it's a shortcut onto the ferry level, it's still dumb to ponder gang members populating a half-finished bridge rife with gaping holes. On the other hand, the level can be blown through pretty fast if you just throw all the gang members into the openings in the bridge. Can ya swim, Bobby? Walk forward and take out the first purple Signal and green clad Garcia (2). A bit further, you'll need to fight two more green Garcias and a black Electra, immediately followed by another Electra and two more green Garcias. (On 2-Player mode, a purple Signal also joins in) Up to four enemies at once may be onscreen at any single time. As you take one out, another purple Signal and a blue Garcia will join the fray. Once you've beaten the mob and the screen flashes "GO," walk forward until you run across the first construction pit. (In 2-Player mode, a green Garcia will attack soon) There's a Pepper Shaker under the parking cone. By this point, an aggressive green Garcia with a knife will appear. Forge ahead - you won't get very far, since three more green Garcias will attack. Pepper spray them and bash their heads in. Grab the Cash Bag hidden under the obstruction indicator. Up ahead, you'll have to fight three green Garcias (one with a knife), a purple Signal, a blue Garcia (with a bat), a black Electra, and a flaming Jack in pairs of two. You can throw them all into the next construction pit, or beat on them for points. There's an apple hidden under the parking cone here. After taking out that group, the next "GO" indicator, two yellow Signals (3) will accost you between two inconveniently placed pits. Snag the 1UP (2) under the parking cone, then throw them in. Be careful not to fall in yourself. Just ahead, the warning light yields nothing, but the obstructions will reward you with a Cash Bag and an apple. A single red Shiva will attack here, followed just ahead by two yellow Signals (3) coming from behind. Once you reach the LENGTHY pit section, you'll be fighting in cramped quarters. Use the bottle to fend off the red Shiva, two aggressive yellow Signals, knife-wielding blue Garcia, and the yellow Signal you encounter. (An additional blue Garcia with a knife and a black Electra will appear during 2-Player games) Do not collect $200, but do pass "GO" and into the next area where the lengthy construction zone continues. Three green Garcias, two with knives, will accost you, followed by two purple Signals and another green Garcia. (2) There's a slab of meat here you'll want. In the next area, you'll fight three green Garcias, two purple Signals, a blue Garcia with a knife, and a green Signal. After that, it's time to fight Big Ben. Big Ben is a big, fat, fire breathing pain. First, since he breathes fire, attacking head on is a bad idea. Secondly, random gang members back him up from time to time, diverting the attention you should be paying in staying out of Ben's way. Ben likes to appear from one end of the screen, and run diagonally to the other while breathing fire. Your best route of attack is to be under or above him when he appears and either grapple or attack him from behind. Don't try to throw him - you'll just collapse under his girth. Grab, attack twice, let go, repeat is a good strategy. *** ROUND 5 - Aboard Ship - Boss: Mona & Lisa *** Thugs: 62 (74) - blue Garcia, green Garcias, yellow Signal, black Electra, red Electra, shiva, purple Signal, Jack, flaming Jack, Abadede Items: 13 - 4xKnife, 2xCash Bag, Apple, 3xBeef Slab, Pepper Shaker, Extra Special, Baseball Bat How big is this ship anyway?! It's as if Mr. X and his syndicate turned the Titanic into the Kumite. This level also contains at least one of every gang member type encountered up to this point. Right away you'll fight three blue Garcias, followed up by three green Garcias. Ahead further, you'll fight three green knife-wielding Garcias. (In 2-Player mode, the pattern is five blue Garcias, then three green and two blue Garcias, then finally followed by five green Garcias - two of whom have knives) Once the screen flashes "GO," walk ahead some more. Don't ask me why there are four vent shafts here (or 7 in 2-Player Mode!), just take them out to get two Cash Bags, an apple, and a pepper spray. (An additional Cash Bag and gold ingot appear in 2-Player mode) You'll encounter two green Garcias, a red Shiva (2), and another green Garcia with a bat as you forge ahead. After them, you'll fight a group of 6 aggressive green Garcias at once, who'll be backed up by a lonely blue Garcia (3). Up ahead, you'll need to fight a group of four black Electras, some of whom kneel down and beg for mercy. Two additional black Electras will join them up ahead. When the screen stops scrolling, you'll need to fight three yellow Signals, a red Electra, and a solitary green Garcia dude. There's a Beef Slab here, for your enjoyment. Past the life boat section, the screen will flash "GO." Keep moving. You'll fight three green Garcias and two normal Shivas up ahead. (On 2-Player mode, you fight three Shivas and two Garcias) Two more Shivas will leap up from below deck. Once you snag the Beef Slab out of the vent shaft, you'll have to tackle a green Garcia with a pipe and another gray Shiva. Once they're gone, you need to fight Abadede again. It seems he survived your last whupping and wants a second round. The same strategy applies - don't stand in front unless you can mash that attack button. After dancing with Abadede, three gray Shivas will accost you in front of the next life boat. Don't get caught between them. Do put your foot in their faces. As you walk forward, four additional Shivas will join the melee. Up ahead is one of the meanest predicaments in the game: Four black/white axe juggling Jacks (6) will appear from opposite ends, happily throwing axes at you. Snag the special weapon power up that's in the vent and use it. Otherwise, jump and kick, jump and kick, and repeat. Once you've survived the Ginsu nightmare, walk ahead and beat that green Garcia senseless. If you have to, take his bat to do it. Two more (or four in 2-Player mode) will join him. Past those meanies, two more purple Signals and two green Garcias, one with a knife, will beg for your sadistic pleasures. Let em have it and grab the Beef Slab. When the screen stops, you'll fight a blue Garcia, (and another Abadede in 2-Player mode), a yellow Signal, and a red flaming Jack (2). Boss time! Oh boy, two cute looking women in skirts. Don't let the fact that Mona & Lisa are palette swaps of Blaze fool you - they want to kill you and both have tri-colored damage indicators. On the surface, these women are hard to damage. They'll back flip of you attack or jump at them, and no amount of walking or maneuvering works. Since there are two of them, they'll gang up on you too. Your best bet is to face away from one of them, let her walk toward or jump at you, then use your B+C backwards attack at the right time. If you're real skilled, walking at them diagonally and grabbing them after they miss a kick works great - but you need to attack FAST. If not, you'll get backflipped. You'll be tempted to save your special attack for these women, and I don't blame you. At least they don't have backup. *** ROUND 6 - The Factory - Boss: Two Zamzas *** Thugs: 50 (65) - blue Garcia, green Garcia, red Garcia, yellow Signal, purple Signal, black Electra, red Electra, gray Shiva, black Jack, Big Ben Items: 12 - 4xKnife, Cash Bag, Apple, Beef Slab, Pepper Shaker, Baseball Bat, Extra Special, 1UP, Lead Pipe It seemed every side-scroller at the time had to have a warehouse or factory stage. Alas. Yuzo's music for this stage is so catchy! Pay special care of the crushers - they trigger when you get near and will heavily damage you if you're under them when they drop. If you keep on moving, though, you can trap enemies under there. This round also features a distinct drop in population compared to the five previous stages. Walk forward. Once you're midway onto the first conveyor, two red Garcias (3) and a purple Signal will swoop in. Dispatch them as usual, but note that if you walk in the direction the conveyor is moving, you'll move twice as fast. There are some Gold Bars in the crate. The next crate houses a Cash Bag, but you'll need to beat on a red Garcia to get it. When the screen stops, you'll need to fight two (3) red Garcias, a purple Signal, a blue Garcia, a black Electra, and an aggressive red Garcia with a knife. After passing "GO," you'll need to take out that red Garcia (2) with the knife and walk ahead to the first crusher. Another red Garcia and two purple Signals will appear - you can use the crusher on them if you need to. A second red Garcia will back them up soon after. Don't forget the apple in the crate. Up ahead, you'll face two purple Signals, a red Garcia, and Big Ben (2) again. Big Ben's the same as before: get behind him, flip, pummel - don't try to throw him. Toppling Ben will earn you the big red "GO." Grab the Beef Slab in the crate if you need it. Once you near the next crusher, you'll have to contend with a red Garcia (2), a red Shiva, and a red Garcia with a knife. They're fairly mild-mannered, so it shouldn't be a problem. Past them, you'll need to face three red Garcias, the first of which has a bat (In 2-Player mode, two of them have bats). Once you're firmly on the dual conveyor section, a yellow Signal and a gray Shiva will come to replace them. (In 2-Player mode, you'll face a trio of red Garcias as well!) Red light, yellow light, green light, "GO!" Up ahead you'll face two black Electras and a purple Signal (2), but if you took the bat, they're more like dirty hobos. After you discover the Pepper Shaker in the crate, another black Electra will succumb to your wiles. The next crate doesn't hold anything. Take out your frustrations on the next black Electra who appears. Two red Garcias (one with a bat!), a green Garcia, and another red Electra will come to her aid once you're past the crusher. "GO" onto the next conveyer and pummel that annoying red Shiva that creeps out. (In 2-Player mode, toss in a flaming axe guy) The three crates here hold an Extra Special, and 1UP, and a lead pipe. (Bonus!) On the conveyor, you'll fight a black flaming axe guy. Past him, two black Electras, a red Garcia with a knife, and a green Garcia will make life hard near the crusher. (Toss in an additional red Shiva in 2-Player mode) Ham on! Across the next series of crushers (after seeing "GO" for the umpteenth time), you'll fight two purple Signals. Once you reach the crate, you'll fight another purple Signal and a red Shiva, followed by a purple Signal, a red Garcia, a blue Garcia, and a yellow Signal - all of whom attack ONE AT A TIME!? Then it's time to fight not one, but TWO Zamzas with tri-colored life meters. If you're playing single player, this can be daunting. Just try to single them out and not get caught in the middle. If you still have two specials, you could use them. On 2-Player mode, you'll still face two Zamzas, but you'll have to contend with blue Garcias as backup as well. *** ROUND 7 - Freight Elevator - Boss: None *** Thugs: 48 (55) - blue Garcia, green Garcia, yellow Signal, purple Signal, black Electra, red Electra, red Shiva, gray Shiva Items: 3 - 2xKnife, Baseball Bat Another beat 'em up maintstay, the fight on the service elevator. How is it the backup artillery can reach this high!? Every time the elevator stops, you'll have to contend with a wave of gang members. Fight them as space allows, noting that you can a. throw them into one another, and b. throw them off the back of the elevator. Five or six will be onscreen at once, with replacements coming as you dispatch them. Wave 1: 4 Green Garcias, 2 gray Shivas, a yellow Signal (2) and a purple Signal. Wave 2: 4 Green Garcias (5 in 2-Player mode and one has a knife), 4 gray Shivas, a yellow Signal, and 2 blue Garcias (one with a knife). Wave 3: 2 Red Shivas, 3 Yellow Signals (4), 1 gray Shiva, and 3 green Garcias (one with a bat) Wave 4: 2 purple Signals (3), 2 red Shivas, 3 black Electras, a blue Garcia, 1 yellow Signal, and 1 gray Shiva Wave 5: 2 yellow Signals (3), 3 red Shivas, 1 red Electra, 1 blue Garcia, 1 black Electra, and 2 green Garcias (one with a knife). (In 2-Player mode, you'll also contend with 2 purple Signals at the end) Once you make it to the top of the elevator, you've passed the round. There is no final boss. *** ROUND 8 - Syndicate Headquarters - Boss: Mr. X *** Thugs: 58 (64) - blue Garcia, red Electra, green Garcia, yellow Signal, purple Signal, green Signal, black Electra, red Electra, red Shiva, black Shiva, blue/gray Electra, gray/green Jack, Boomer, Zamza, Abadede, Big Ben, Mona & Lisa Items: 14 - 3xKnife, 2xBottle, 2xApple, 2xLead Pipe, 2xPepper Shaker, 3xBeef Slab Wow - not only is the final level in a glitzy penthouse, but you're walking left this time instead of to the right! I hope you're ready to kick some tail, because you'll battle every boss you've faced before reaching Mr. X's suite. Watch out for the rampaging room service carts also - they can hurt you, but do contain useful items. Note: You CAN'T summon backup here and if you're playing two players, you'll face double the number of mid-bosses. Walk left, take out the rampaging service cart (2), and pummel the first blue Garcia. A little ways further, you'll face two more blue Garcias (one with a knife), as well as a red Electra. (Oooh, look at the parallax scrolling in the window) Once the screen stops, you'll face four (5) lazy blue Garcias. (Another red Garcia will appear in 2-Player mode) After passing "GO," smash the two stationary room service carts if you wish, but watch out for the third oncoming one - it contains a bottle. Use it to bash the green Garcia who just came onscreen. He'll drop a knife. Past him, two more green Garcias will join the fray, one of which has a lead pipe. Stomp them and smash the incoming service cart (behind you!) for another bottle. The cart that's just sitting there contains an apple (2). You'll face another green Garcia, which leads into another screen stoppage. Here, you need to contend with four purple Signals (5) who attack in pairs, then fight a green clothed version of the Round 1 Boss - Boomer. Beat Boomer and pass "GO." As you walk, you'll encounter a black Jack and three red Garcias - one of whom is carrying a lead pipe. Once they are defeated, watch out for the next two red Garcias (4) and the two oncoming service carts (3) - one from each direction, from the left, then the right. (Wow, according to the window, it's dawn already) When the screen stops, take out the four purple Signals and you'll face a black leather variant of Zamza. After giving Zamza the boot, pass "GO" and snag the pepper spray bomb from the service cart. Use it on the green Signal (2) and purple Signal who come to play. There's a refreshing Beef Slab in the next service cart. (2) Up ahead the screen will stop and you'll face four purple Signals (5), followed by your old friend, Abadede. You'll be seeing red ("GO") again, so walk forward and take out your annoyance on the service cart (2) sitting in front of the window. It holds a Beef Slab anyway. Past that, you'll fight a red Shiva and a rare black Shiva - who's as weak as the gray ones. The next two stationary service carts hold a knife (lower) and a Pepper Shaker (upper). When the third comes into view (it holds an apple), another black Shiva will attack. The screen will stop, forcing you to defeat a black Electra, and four red Shivas. Next, you'll face a yellow-colored Big Ben. You know the drill: Grapple, attack twice, tap back, repeat. Big Ben says with his last breath - "GO." Up ahead you'll fight another rarity, a light blue/gray Electra. The service cart here has nothing in it and neither does the one rushing up behind you. A second light blue Electra will join in up ahead, and there's a Beef Slab in the service cart near her. Another service cart will rush up from behind, again with nothing in it. This leaves you to contend with a rare gray/green colored flaming Jack, followed by four black Shivas. (5) Up ahead are the doors to Mr. X's penthouse, but to get in you'll need to vanquish two black Shivas (who don't appear in 2-Player mode), a purple Signal, two red Garcias, and the boss from the boat stage, Mona & Lisa - the kick flippy chicks. Watch the timer! Once you've beaten the flippy chicks, you'll find yourself in Mr. X's penthouse. Look at him, smugly sitting there in his Armani suit. Hmm, why does he have a lead pipe in front of him? Once you're in front of him, he will open with a line of questioning. In 1-Player mode: "Well, you found your way here, would you consider becoming my right-hand man?" Answer YES and he will say "You show a lot of potential. Here's your reward." You'll end up warped back to Round 6. On your way back to Mr. X, you'll notice Rounds 6, 7, and 8 are more difficult this time around. Once you make it back to him, he'll speak the quote below, then the final battle begins. Answer NO and he will say "You really want to die, don't you... I'll be happy to oblige!" The final battle begins. In 2-Player mode: "Well, you found your way here, would you consider becoming my right-hand man?" If you both answer YES or NO, the exact same outcomes as in the single player game occur. BUT... If one player answers YES and the other NO, he will say "After working as a team so long, you part company. Now, a fight to the death!" You and your partner will battle until all lives are depleted. The winner will be asked a second question: "You're no ordinary man. It would be a waste to kill you. Why don't you join my organization?" Your response here will net you one of the two outcomes listed in the single player game - but if you indeed say NO this time, Mr. X will say "You're an evil man." and you'll witness a "sad" ending (if you beat him) for having killed your partner and become a gang leader. Fighting Mr. X: After the questioning, the battle begins. At first Mr. X will remain seated, summoning two waves of two red Garcias to stop you. After that he will stand up, brandishing a rather menacing machine gun. While additional pairs of red Garcias join the fray, he will attack you in one of three ways. From the top-middle, top-left, or top-right of the screen, he will shoot in an arc, possible tagging you and his minions. Your best hiding spot here is in the upper left or right. From the far left or right, he will shoot in a line, meaning you should jump or sneak in to grapply. If he's walking around and you get close, he may lunge at you and try to hit you with the butt of the rifle, knocking you down. Other than the fact that he does a bit more damage than most bosses, your best bet is to try and work in close from below him, then grapple. Once defeated he will fly across the room in a shower of spent bullet casings. Spoilers!: Enter your initials and the credits will roll. If you played a single player game, you'll witness the "good" ending: scenes of the broken penthouse, our heroes interacting with happy police officers, followed by a sunset viewed from across the bridge. If you played a 2-Player game AND killed your partner, you'll see the "bad" ending: "You became the boss! You are great!" shows onscreen with you sitting in Mr. X's chair. When the credits finish for this ending, the words "BAD END" sit there taunting you. You can actually see the ending to Streets of Rage (and other games) at the Video Game Museum - http://www.vgmuseum.com/ =================================== F. Codes (Require two control pads) =================================== Level / Life Select: Highlight "Options" on the main menu. Hold Right+A+B+C on controller two. Press 'Start' on controller one. You can choose which round to start with as well as the number of lives (up to 7) per continue. Easy/Mania Difficulty: Press 'Start' on controller two at the title screen. With controller two, highlight "Options" and then press & hold A+B. Now, press 'Start' on controller one. Easy & Mania should now be selectable. On Mania, all enemies are aggressive and dole out more damage - plus they're as plentiful as if you chose a 2-Player Hardest level game. For cheats, visit http://www.gamefaqs.com/ =================== G. Closing Comments =================== My Story: I wrote this guide for two reasons. The first, I couldn't find a FAQ for the game anywhere. Secondly, I was getting sick and tired of Streets of Rage 2 getting all the limelight, and even more sick of seeing people insult the first Streets of Rage. Streets of Rage was the pioneer of the series, and although the second game is arguably the best, the original still deserves a modicum of respect. If not for Final Fight and Streets of Rage, titles such as The Bouncer and Cannon Spike wouldn't exist. Okay, so original credit for the strength of the genre probably goes to Technos' Double Dragon, but let's not go there. I also feel that Yuzo Koshiro did a much better job of music in the first game than he did in the latter two. I'm also proud that this guide reached as high as #2 on the GameFAQs Genesis Top 10 and #48 on the GameFAQs Top 50 and remained in both charts simultaneously for 2 days! Not bad for a 10-year old game. Streets of Rage / Bare Knuckle Titles: Streets of Rage (1991) - Genesis, Sega CD, Game Gear, Master System The one that started it all. It's a formulaic beat 'em up, but it definitely has the best music in the series. The Sega CD version is just the same as the cartridge version. The Game Gear release looks grittier, lacks much in the way of animation, has poorly redone music, and shameful hit detection - plus it lacks Adam, the beach stage, and the elevator stage. On the other hand, it has nice background effects, such as shimmering city lights. The Master System version (only released in Europe and South America I believe) is quite well done - it lacks background effects, but there's greater background and character details, and all 8 stages instead of the 5 from the Game Gear version - plus it even has Adam in it. It's a steal to find on places such as eBay. Streets of Rage 2 (1992) - Genesis, Game Gear, Master System, Dreamcast Arguably the best in the series in terms of design. The music is top notch, with a few standouts (the Alien funhouse!), although not as endearing as the first game. They dropped Adam (by kidnapping him) to include Skate and Max - One's speedy and weak, the other slow and strong. This game also featured close-in special attacks instead of backups. As far as sequels go, more enemies and cooler levels makes this an exceptional sophomore effort. The Game Gear version is much improved this time around, with a better use of colors, console-faithful gameplay, and the welcome addition of Skate. The Master System version of SOR2 didn't see the same kind of leap, though - it's decent, but a lot was cut out, the computer cheats, and collision detection is laughable. This is probably one good reason why the SMS version of SOR2 is so easy to find on eBay compared to SOR1. In 2001, SOR2 once again made it to the masses via Sega's Smash Pack compilation with no changes, except wishy-washy sound emulation. Streets of Rage 3 (1994) - Genesis Wow - graphically, this game blows the previous two games away. The characters are bigger, the backgrounds are more detailed, and there's plenty more animation. The diversity in enemies has also increased to include mob-lookin' folks as well. With the addition of Dr. Zan and 3 other hidden characters, about the only bad thing about stopping Mr. X's plot is that a. Adam's still gone, and B. the music is laughably bad. (Why Yuzo? Why?) From a design standpoint, levels aren't as interesting as those in 2, but there's certainly a lot more going on. There are no SMS or GG ports of the game, as they were both unsupported systems by this time. You can find FAQs for all of these at: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ The best places to find legit copies of them is probably: http://www.ebay.com/ or your local Toys R' Us (if you're lucky). How to contribute to this guide: If you have some information you think should be included in this guide, or have any suggestions for improving it, please direct your comments to Frank Provo at frank@frankprovo.com. Tips, codes, hints, and pretty much anything Streets of Rage related is welcome. If I include information you contribute, I will gladly list your name, email address, and web site address at the end of this guide if you so desire. ..end..