Streets of Rage
1991 · Beat 'em up · Genesis
Overview
Streets of Rage was Sega's beat 'em up for the Genesis — three playable characters, responsive combat, and a celebrated Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack that applied house and techno music to a video game for the first time. The game established a franchise and demonstrated what Genesis hardware could produce in the genre.
Deep Dive
Streets of Rage was developed internally at Sega as a response to Capcom's Final Fight, which had arrived on SNES but not Genesis. The game's music — composed by Yuzo Koshiro using FM synthesis to produce house and techno tracks — was technically remarkable for 1991 game music and remains one of the most distinctive soundtracks of the era. The three characters — Axel, Blaze, and Adam — had different speed and power characteristics that made character selection a meaningful choice.
Developer Story
Streets of Rage was developed by Sega's internal development team as a direct competitor to Capcom's Final Fight. The game launched in Japan in August 1991. Yuzo Koshiro's music became the game's most celebrated element.
Did You Know?
- Streets of Rage's soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro applied house and techno music production techniques to FM synthesis, producing music that contemporary DJs played in clubs without knowing it was from a video game.
- The game includes a special police attack — calling in a police car that fires a rocket at all enemies on screen — that could be used once per level.
- Streets of Rage was released on Genesis because Sega couldn't port Final Fight, which had launched as a SNES exclusive.
- Yuzo Koshiro composed the Streets of Rage soundtrack using a custom music sequencer he had written himself.
