Following the success Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles saw on Xbox Live Arcade, another beat-‘em-up classic, Sega's Streets of Rage 2, has come out of the woodwork to once again find its place in gamers' hearts. Not dramatically altering the game and adding online play is the right choice when dealing with delicate classics such as this, and Streets of Rage 2 is a quality port in that respect. The game is a great alternative to TMNT, and with online co-op and versus play added in the mix, it will undoubtedly satisfy beat-‘em-up fans.

In terms of story, the name of the game says it all: You walk to the right and beat up fools. You can play as one of four different characters, including Axel, the all-around fighter and fan favorite; Max, a big Hulk-like dude, whose attacks do the most damage; Blaze, a speedy female character; and Skate, a somewhat throwaway, roller-skating character that, while entertaining, is hardly viable when going for high scores due to his limited strength. Each of the four characters is different enough to experiment with, but Axel and Max are generally preferred, especially online. Each one is graded on abilities such as strength, speed, and more. Also, each character has completely unique attacks, grabs, and special attacks. Special attacks use a small amount of health but do big-time damage when needed.

Streets of Rage 2 is a solid port of a great beat-'em-up.

Button mashing is unavoidable in this type of game, especially with the number of enemies, but there is always a best attack to use or a better position to be in, so strategy still plays a role. It's good that it does, because the game's eight levels ramp up in difficulty quickly, requiring you to do more than just randomly press buttons. New enemies with more varied attack schemes continually show up, keeping the gameplay fresh throughout the hour or so it will take you to finish the game. Bosses from previous stages return in numbers during the latter parts of the game, and enemies all have their own unique patterns which mix things up. One of the toughest enemies to fight is the jetpack miniboss, which requires you to catch him with a jumping attack in the back, or get him down to your level and give him a few shots. A lot of enemies force you to hang back and wait for openings, which is a distinguishing factor of the series.

One reason for TMNT's success was its co-op, and Streets of Rage 2 has this mode for both local and online play. In co-op, players can hurt each other, so this creates some necessity for unity, unless, of course, your partner needs a whack for not giving a hand. There are high scores and achievements linked to co-op as well, which promotes team work. Depending on your connection, lag in the cooperative mode generally shouldn't be an issue. The same can't be said for versus play. Not as enticing as co-op, nor as deep as a fighting game, versus was (and still is) nothing more than a time killer. Unfortunately, lag plagues every online versus game, and it quickly becomes a button mashing affair.

Aside from a graphics filter that diminishes the hard edges of the original (common to many Sega XBLA titles), the visuals remain unchanged. The filter blurs some detail and makes the game look slightly different from the Genesis version, but is not earth-shattering. The large sprites for the characters and enemies help to make the game easy on the eyes. Sound is excellent, featuring a great techno soundtrack. In terms of production value, you basically know what to expect from a retro remake.

It's not surprising that Streets of Rage 2 holds up well to today's standards. It's simply one of the best 2D beat-‘em-ups of all time and it remains fun, especially with a friend. It's unfortunate that the netcode for versus play isn't perfect, but that's ultimately a small issue. For 400 Microsoft points, this game is definitely a bargain. Streets of Rage 2 is a definite classic, and will prove enjoyable to both nostalgic fans and newcomers alike.