Xboxist

Review: Streets of Rage 2 (XBLA)

We often remember events, people, and objects from our younger days with fondness. In this remembrance, we sometimes mistakenly remember these things as being better than they actually were. Furthermore, our memories of these events, people, and objects may also be spoiled by the fact that they just don't stand up to today's events, people, and objects. Such is the case for Streets of Rage 2, available on Xbox Live Arcade. I remember logging hours and hours after school being immersed in Streets of Rage 2 on Sega Genesis, and after being able to relive some of those hours on Xbox Live Arcade, my memories of Streets of Rage 2 have barely withstood the test of time.

The classic beat-em-up mentality of Streets of Rage 2 remains in it's full entirety. It has retained the vintage button mashing combos that made the series famous, as well as the continuous onslaught of enemies attacking from both sides. Even more impressive is the simplicity in which one can execute a grapple move, which I remember being extremely frustrating in the original SOR2. Finally, the mini-bosses and bosses are still as simple yet challenging as they were in the original's hey day.
The only major improvement of this game has been the graphics. Much like with most XBLA remake titles, the environments, characters and weapons are all less pixelated and blocky, and include much more vibrant color palettes. This is a welcome change to the remake, and it does not go so far as to remove the art style of the original SOR2. One change that needed to be made that was omitted was an increase in the speed in which the characters navigate the screen, and a better detection of where exactly the character was on the screen(depthwise). Other than that, the game made the only true improvement that should have been made.
Streets of Rage 2 for XBLA's downfall is something it can't contol. The game has just gotten old. Much like all of us will someday become decrepid and tired, Streets of Rage 2 is a train that left a long time ago. The atmosphere is not nostalgic but cheesey, and with names like Blaze and Max, I couldn't help but be reminded of how ridiculously tongue-in-cheek the 90's were.
The team who remade Streets of Rage 2 recreated the Streets of Rage 2 experience just like I remembered it, yet those memories just cannot compare with what gaming has to offer now. There is still room for retro gaming in today's consoles, but this entry hasn't retained the charm that is necessary to make it a truly worthwhile experience. It's sluggish, simple and shallow, yet it is only these things because of what we as gamers have become accustomed to. It was a great game, but now, no matter how good it looks in HD, it is over the hill.