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Streets of Rage 2 is a side-scrolling beat-’em-up game that was originally released for the Sega Genesis in 1992 and was also ported to the Sega Master System and Game Gear (and other systems later on). It is generally considered to be the best in the series, one of the best games on the Genesis, and even one of the best games of all time.
The Game Gear version, while also quite good and had very solid reviews, was not quite up to the level of the Genesis original. I guess that is to be expected given the inferior hardware (8-bit vs. 16-bit) and much smaller screen. Whereas the Genesis version added two new characters (for a total of four), the Game Gear version left one out. The levels were also considerably different and of course the graphics and sound also did not live up to the Genesis original.
Having said that, the Game Gear version is still quite good and the graphics, sound, and music are still excellent. Streets of Rage 2 improved on the original in a variety of way, including having bigger characters, more details and more animation. In addition, new moves were added along with additional features such as life bars and names (though these are omitted on the Game Gear version).
The plot, while not terribly interesting, original or even important, involves once again finding Mr. X and defeating him and his minions. This time, you must rescue Adam who has apparently been kidnapped by Mr. X as indicated by his trashed apartment and photos left behind. You can play as Axel, Blaze or Skate and 2-player cooperative games are supported via the use of the “Gear-to-Gear” cable. The Game Gear version has 6 stages, each consisting of 3 to 4 acts culminating with a battle against Mr. X himself.
Streets of Rage 2 has had a few later re-releases including releases on the Wii, Xbox 360 (via Xbox Live Arcade), and PlayStation 3. However, as far as I know, these are all based on the Genesis original. If you really want to play the Game Gear version which has unique levels, then I’m not sure there is another way to do other than with a Game Gear and original cartridge or via emulation. In any case, if you like this genre or retro games in general, then this is definitely one you should try. The Genesis version or any of the re-releases are best but for completeness, the Game Gear version is definitely worth checking out as well as it offers a unique experience.
All screen shots above are from the Game Gear version of the game.