Streets of Rage: Video of Cancelled Proto by Ruffian Games

This was to be a grittier version of the series. An intro starts out inside the Pine Pot arcade, zooming out to a street view. Some punk wings a Molotov into the window and blows the place to hell.

The music doesn't sound very good; it's obviously not Yuzo Koshiro at work here. If not Yuzo, they should have considered Megaten & Aya instead of whoever cranked out a boring generic rock soundtrack. SpikeOut Battle Street's soundtrack kicks, and Megaten is also responsible for some of Fighter & Attacker's BGM which veers fairly close to SoR style tunes. Anyway, the action looks decent but a bit slow- reminding me somewhat of Fighting Force (the game that almost was SoR4). I'm not so sure this was really worthy of the SoR name, but it could've probably been fine as a standalone franchise. Now I do dig the head stomp on the downed enemy at 1:23.


Something like Time Looper from F&A wouldn't have sounded out of place in an SoR game.

The title track sounds like something I've heard before (Prodigy? Somebody please help me out).

To be perfectly frank, I'm glad this was cancelled. You're right in that it's not worthy of carrying the SoR name, but I don't think there's anything special about it to warrant release as a standalone title.

Fuck this shit just play the unofficial Streets of Rage Remake instead.

3D beat em ups blow by definition.

Remember how great fighting force was?

Right.

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Originally Posted by Brisco Bold

The title track sounds like something I've heard before (Prodigy? Somebody please help me out).

To be perfectly frank, I'm glad this was cancelled. You're right in that it's not worthy of carrying the SoR name, but I don't think there's anything special about it to warrant release as a standalone title.

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It sounds like Prodigy circa Fat of the Land. Almost like Diesel Power sped up.

Looks alright for a super early prototype. Loads better than the Dreamcast-era one, anyway.

And yes, the soundtrack is generic and disappointing.

Give it to Wayforward.

It's a quick prototype quickly done to give a rough idea to Sega on how it might look if Ruffian got a crack at developing. For what it is, I think it looks pretty sharp. It's not meant for public viewing, after all, so it doesn't have to be perfect, or even particularly polished.

James

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Originally Posted by Chux

It sounds like Prodigy circa Fat of the Land. Almost like Diesel Power sped up.

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It's "Shoot Down" from Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned.

Streets of rage with The Prodigy doing the soundtrack seems like a great idea. Not Fat of the Land era stuff but early or recent. Or I could just play Streets of Rage 2 listening to Dirtchamber. Works either way.

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Originally Posted by GohanX

Give it to Wayforward.

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Give it to Ancient or Bombergames. Otherwise give it to no one.

Crackdown 2 is the worst shit ever.

Fighting Force on PS1 has not aged very well, but the PC version is a little better. TBH I did like finding guns or bazookas once in awhile.

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Originally Posted by sixteen-bit

Give it to Ancient or Bombergames. Otherwise give it to no one.

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IBTN. A 2D side-scroller by Bomber and Ancient working together could be epic. Wayforward? Not after Double Dragon Neon. I'd be afraid of them adding cheesy elements. DDN looks a little too cartoonish for that series.

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Originally Posted by jyoung

Fuck this shit just play the unofficial Streets of Rage Remake instead.

3D beat em ups blow by definition.

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QFT on the first part. Seriously, I cannot think of too many good 3D beat em ups but the Dynamite Deka series and SpikeOut are great (SlashOut probably is but I haven't tried that yet).

I wouldn't lump the Dynamite Deka games in with 3D. They are basically old style 2D brawlers just with polygonal characters. The actual fighting still takes place on the same old left-to-right "rectangle" plane.

The 3D brawlers go to shit by having wide open playing fields to move around and fight in. That's when you start to run into camera issues and target tracking issues that plague all "open space" 3D brawlers.

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Originally Posted by GohanX

Give it to Wayforward.

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I would buy it.

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Originally Posted by GohanX

Give it to Wayforward.

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They miss more than they hit. They're the new Treasure.

Was there a Dreamcast era 3D brawler that was House of the Dead themed, or am I remembering it wrong? Like, maybe an arcade game?

I don't remember anything like that.

Zombie Revenge:

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Originally Posted by Korly

Was there a Dreamcast era 3D brawler that was House of the Dead themed, or am I remembering it wrong? Like, maybe an arcade game?

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Zombie Revenge.

It was an arcade game and an early Dreamcast title.

As far as 3D brawlers go, it's one of the better ones, but the camera still sucks hard.

Dreamcast also had a Sword of Bezerk 3D beat em up game that was decent.

I'll be honest, I don't think most 2D beat-em-ups were as good as people remember them being, either.

Agree.

I remember when my friends and I got together to play Final Fight for the first time in a decade. By the second stage of we were all ready to give up and play something else. It just wasn't fun. Meanwhile, I've been playing SoR2 every few years and absolutely loving it.

I've actually played through a few lately, Golden Axe, SoR2, and Pit Fighter.
I still like Golden Axe, but I've discovered that it's not so good as a co-op game unless you're playing with someone that knows how to play and how to manipulate the AI. With one player, it's very straight forward, but with a second player running around drawing enemies away from where you want them, it can be a really random and frustrating experience.
SoR2 works much better as a co-op game, and I still enjoy the gameplay. I think I prefer the first SoR, though. I'll have to give that one a try next.
Pit Fighter is trash and I love it.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

I'll be honest, I don't think most 2D beat-em-ups were as good as people remember them being, either.

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The slowdown in the arcade Double Dragon series' first two games is just hell. How could someone have put up with the game chugging along at an underwater pace? TG for CPU overclocking in MAME, which makes them actually playable. Aside from SFC Return of Double Dragon and PCE DDII, this series is kinda blah.

Final Fight could've been a truly good series if the original releases of the sequels had stayed on CPS boards. FF2 & 3 on the SNES were disappointing on release, and don't hold up so well today. If someone out there makes an OpenBOR conversion of FF2 or FF3 that has the proper number of enemies and AI that's actually aware of your presence, I may check that out.

SoR2's AI is some of the best on a console. Enemies like Barbon, Raging Bear, or Donovan are good at swatting away jump-ins, and Galsia is sneaky. FF2 & 3 would've been decent if their enemies were like this.

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Originally Posted by kedawa

Pit Fighter is trash and I love it.

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It looked so terrible, but I've always been dying to play it. Even when I was young.

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Originally Posted by gameoverDude

FF2 & 3 on the SNES were disappointing on release, and don't hold up so well today

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And yet a boxed copy of FF2 costs $70 at this shop I saw. RARE!

I actually super-love arcade Ninja Gaiden, but most people don't know how to play it. It's an aerial-throwing-dudes game, not a beat em up.

Yeah Final Fight 2 and 3 are only good for their artwork and awesome sprites. Their gameplay and AI are pretty sub par. The SNES just didn't have enough technical muscle to make a good Final Fight game.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

I actually super-love arcade Ninja Gaiden, but most people don't know how to play it. It's an aerial-throwing-dudes game, not a beat em up.

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Exactly. H2H doesn't work as well as throwing- it's very easy to get clobbered when trying to punch. OTOH, throwing an enemy into a phone booth then scoring a katana item is what it's all about. The Japanese version of NG arcade is better due to the absence of certain 1HKOs that some enemies (*cough* last boss) can do in the USA one.

Pit Fighter is good if you take it as kusoge and keep clear of the SNES version. The SNES one is just vomit-inducing. Three enemy characters get the axe, you get NO weapons, and the audience won't attack if someone's too close. And that's not all... one of the best things, the power pill? Nuh-uh. The two girls in the ending don't show up. Your fighter just poses for a few seconds as "The New Champion" flashes on screen and then there's just a GAME OVER sign. Lame. Just goes to show how much THQ sucked on 16-bit.

The Genesis version is totally studly.

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Originally Posted by GohanX

Give it to Wayforward.

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Did you play Double Dragon Neon? Please, no more Wayforward beat 'em ups.

Neon was awesome.

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Originally Posted by Brisco Bold

It looked so terrible, but I've always been dying to play it. Even when I was young.

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It's on the latest Midway compilation.

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Originally Posted by Korly

It's on the latest Midway compilation.

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Midway Arcade Origins (PS3/360). JFTR there's no region protection on the 360 version according to Play-Asia. Pit Fighter did run too fast on the PS2 version, not sure about Xbox though.
I'd like to see Warner dig up Atari Games' Danger Express prototype and put it on a future MAO volume. System 16 has some images of this one, with similar digitized graphics to PF. That game was actually almost finished.

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Originally Posted by kedawa

I still like Golden Axe, but I've discovered that it's not so good as a co-op game unless you're playing with someone that knows how to play and how to manipulate the AI. With one player, it's very straight forward, but with a second player running around drawing enemies away from where you want them, it can be a really random and frustrating experience.

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I played through Golden Axe II this weekend and it is still a great game, though way too short. It needs 1 or 2 more levels. Golden Axe 1 of course is a classic.

Never played Golden Axe III, but I hear it is shit. SEGA is dumb for never putting out Death Adder on XBLA/PSN. Death Adder is the best one in the series that I've played.

I've never finished Revenge of Death Adder, but I remember thinking it was a decent sequel.
I like the fan made Golden Axe Myth. It's pretty rough around the edges, but it's fun.

Also, does anyone know how to get the Dynamite Cop "Detonator Pack" DLC onto a Dreamcast VMU these days? I want that extra character back!

I still have all the old Samba De Amigo DLC, but I accidentally deleted my Dynamite Cop DLC off my old VMU.

GOD HAND is where beat 'em ups were going and where beat' em ups stopped.

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Originally Posted by jyoung

Also, does anyone know how to get the Dynamite Cop "Detonator Pack" DLC onto a Dreamcast VMU these days? I want that extra character back!

I still have all the old Samba De Amigo DLC, but I accidentally deleted my Dynamite Cop DLC off my old VMU.

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You might find the VMU save on one of the homebrew utility discs that are out there.
VMU Backup CD V1.3.0 is a pretty good one that I use sometimes, but my DC is packed up now, so I can't check for the save.

I still have the official dreamcast mag disc with that shit on it.

Also, I was watching some footage of the Jap-exclusive Dynamite Deka 3 and holy shit they turned up the weird factor to the extreme for that game. Dynamite Cop is goofy already, but goddamn, they lost their mind making the third game. No wonder it never came to the USA.

The PS2 Sega Ages Die Hard Arcade remake really should've hit US soil, though. I guess SEGA just didn't want to pay licensing fees for the movie/actor rights.

A lot of those Ages releases should have hit the US. It's a shame only the early, kinda iffy ones did.

Just think of what could have been done with the Ages series- unified trade dress, numbered spines, and a regular release schedule would have driven collectors nuts. In a good way. We could have made fun of anyone having the whole set while wishing deep in the pit of our souls that we could have somehow justified it. *sigh*

So anyway, yeah, same lesson as always- Sega hates money.

James

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Originally Posted by A Robot Bit Me

THE WARRIORS is where beat 'em ups were going and where beat' em ups stopped.

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Fixed that for you.

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Originally Posted by kedawa

You might find the VMU save on one of the homebrew utility discs that are out there.

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Thanks for the tip. I downloaded Dream Explorer, burned it, and found a shit-ton of saves preloaded on the program. I don't think I'll ever need to connect my Dreamcast to the Internet again!

Cindy is back in Dynamite Cop where she belongs! I see the DLC also added some extra weapons to the game. Dreamcast was even ahead of its time when it comes to downloadable content.

Are there any other cool Dreamcast apps out there? I haven't really kept up with the scene in years. What program do people use for booting up imports these days? I used to have a Gameshark Lite but I sold it and fuck paying for one of those again.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

A lot of those Ages releases should have hit the US. It's a shame only the early, kinda iffy ones did.

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Alien Syndrome isn't that good. Your player just doesn't cover ground as fast, so it becomes impossible to save all hostages in the time limit. The Out Run remake is OK.

The later ones like Quartet/SDI, Galaxy Force, Gunstar Heroes (with Alien Soldier & Dynamite Headdy), & Space Harrier Complete Collection all begged to be put on some compilation for the US. The first Ages pack for the NA PS2 unfortunately skips After Burner & Gain Ground, which look reasonably good. Hokuto no Ken & Puyo Puyo being cut don't come as a shock, since I think SoA were too cheap to pay the license cost.

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Originally Posted by jyoung

Thanks for the tip. I downloaded Dream Explorer, burned it, and found a shit-ton of saves preloaded on the program. I don't think I'll ever need to connect my Dreamcast to the Internet again!

Cindy is back in Dynamite Cop where she belongs! I see the DLC also added some extra weapons to the game. Dreamcast was even ahead of its time when it comes to downloadable content.

Are there any other cool Dreamcast apps out there? I haven't really kept up with the scene in years. What program do people use for booting up imports these days? I used to have a Gameshark Lite but I sold it and fuck paying for one of those again.

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The one I use is just called Dreamcast CD Loader, but it's often referred to as Utopia Boot CD. There's a VGA version as well that attempts to put every game in VGA mode, so that you don't need to do any cable swapping tricks to force VGA.
Beyond that I don't know what you would even need. NTSC Enforcer might came in handy if you have PAL games, and there are special start up discs for the SD card adapter if you have one of those.