------------------
| UPDATE HISTORY |
------------------
[April 2011]
This FAQ has been almost totally rewritten, simply because it was more than
ten years old, and quite frankly a bit rubbish. See the section
"April '11 Rewrite" for more information.
[October 1999]
Added new hidden code that allows both players in a 2-player game to choose
the same character, plus info on hidden lives in some levels.
Repaginated the document, and also added copyright info.
------------
| CONTENTS |
------------
Use the four-character code to the right in your browser's search function to
jump to the relevant section of the FAQ.
Introduction.........................................ITRD
Controls.............................................CNTR
Character Profiles...................................CHAR
Items and Weapons....................................ITEM
Enemy Strategies.....................................ENEM
Walkthrough..........................................WALK
Sequel to the original, Streets of Rage 2 puts you back on those eponymous
Streets, where the mysterious Mr. X has kidnapped your pal Adam and
let loose his minions to terrorise the population. Four people, two of which
are Axel and Blaze, heroes of the original game, plus Max, a wrestler and
Skate, Adam's little brother, stand in their way. Choose one of these
characters, clean up eight locations then do battle with Mr. X himself.
Impossible, dont'cha think? Not by a long shot.
Streets of Rage is basically a rejig of the Golden Axe game engine.
Seriously, the similarities between the two games is staggering. Same
premise, same style of play. Special moves activated by the same button
combinations. However, SoR managed to make a name for itself in the
annals of fighting game history. It's a shame that SEGA's never gone back
to the franchise.
[April '11 Rewrite]
About six months after I wrote the first version of this FAQ (way back in
1999), the copy of Streets of Rage 2 that I'd been using mysteriously
vanished, leaving me with no way to play the game. I sighed, and said
"Oh well, that's life". After all, the information in the FAQ is perfectly
vaild, and will probably be ok without major updates. Oh, how wrong I was.
I was 13 years old when I wrote that FAQ - now I'm older, better at writing,
and more experienced in writing FAQs. Looking back, the first version was,
and I say this with no regrets, utter crap. With the release of this game on
the Wii's Virtual Console, PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade, I felt
it was time to do this FAQ right.
A quick description of what button does what. This mainly applies to the
original Mega Drive/Genesis game and its control pad; if you're playing on
a modern system or an emulator, you can remap the buttons to whatever you
desire.
| Button A | Special Attack. Each character has two different special attacks,
a moving and standing special. Using a special attack costs a
chunk of your health bar - the standing special only takes health
if it connects, while the moving special always takes life. If you
don't have enough health, you can't use a special.
| Button B | Standard attack. Press repeatedly to catch an enemy in a standard
combo attack.
| Button C | Jump. Press B while in the air to execute a jump attack; there are
variations depending on whether you hold a direction while jumping
or just press the button.
More advanced techniques are described below.
| Rush attack | Press Forward twice, then B, to produce your character's rush
attack. See "Character Profiles" for full details.
| Grapple | Get close to an enemy to grapple them. While in a front-facing
grapple, press B to attack, using the directional buttons to
vary your attack. Holding away from the enemy and pressing B
will throw the enemy; pressing C will jump over them, allowing
you to press B for a powerful slam attack.
| Back attack | Press B and C together to perform an attack unique to your
character that will hit enemies behind you. Blaze's back attack
will also hit enemies in front of her.
-----------------------------
| CHAR | Character Profiles |
-----------------------------
MAX
Very slow professional wrestler; powerful, though. He isn't as acrobatic
as the others, so he can't vault over an enemy while grappling.
• Rush attack: A sliding tackle. Clears out enemies but does not send them
flying.
• Back attack: Mule kick.
• Standing Special: Max spins with his fists outstretched; great for clearing
enemies away.
• Moving Special: Max shoulder-barges forward, then rolls. Knocks enemies
away, and does decent-enough damage.
AXEL
Your bog-standard fighter. Average in all respects, but he's got good reach
with his kicks.
• Rush attack: Axel scrapes the ground, clearing a path in front of him
and sending enemies flying.
• Back attack: A simple backfist.
• Standing Special: Dragon Punch - sweeping attack, hits all enemies in range.
• Moving Special: Axel wails on the enemy with a set of punches, ending in a
neat uppercut.
BLAZE
Token girl, quick on her feet but lacking in power.
• Rush attack: Blaze cuts through enemies with an attack to their upper
bodies. Sends enemies down to the ground.
• Back attack: Leg sweep. Can hit enemies on either side of Blaze.
• Standing Special: Somersault Kick - Nice for removing enemies in all
directions.
• Moving Special: Energy ball attack, one-directional but cuts through to
enemies standing in a line.
SKATE
Fastest but weakest fighter. Double-tapping forward lets him run.
• Rush attack: A nasty-looking headbutt.
• Back attack: A backflip.
• Standing Special: A break-dancing spin kick, throwing away enemies in
all directions.
• Moving Special: Corkscrew Kick - has a "cutting" effect that can deal
more damage than you'd think.
----------------------------
| ITEM | Items and Weapons |
----------------------------
Items can be found under objects, or just lying around.
Apple - Restores a small amount of health.
Chicken - Restores a larger amount of health.
Moneybag - Gives you 1000 points.
Gold Bar - Gives you 5000 points.
Weapons are sometimes found on the floor, but mostly you'll find them in the
hands of the random punks. Notably, the Infinite Knife Punks (Jack et al) will,
as their name suggests, always have knives. Relieve them of their tools by
knocking them down or grabbing them - but be warned, some enemies can do the
same to you. All weapons vanish if they're dropped more than three times, and
most can be thrown by pressing B and C together.
| Knife | A close range weapon, but not too powerful.
| Pipe | A long-range weapon, great for taking out clusters of enemies.
| Ninja Knife | Slightly better than the Knife, but performs an identical
| | function.
| Ninja Sword | As with the Ninja Knife, similar in most respects to the
| | Pipe.
| Bomb | Don't hold onto it for too long! Not much for attacking, but
| | throw it into a cluster of enemies and watch them go boom.
---------------------------
| ENEM | Enemy Strategies |
---------------------------
DENIM JACKET PUNK:
Your standard scum. A couple of hits will do.
NAMES: Galsia, Joseph, Surger, B.T, Jonathan, Brash, Garam,
STAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
SIGNALS:
Yellow's the weakest, followed by Red, Green, Blue, Fuscia, Plaid... Ok, so
I made those last two up. They can throw you, and use an annoying slide tackle.
NAMES: Y.Signal, R.Signal, Axi, Mavin, G.Signal, P.Signal, B-Signal,
STAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7.
BALD GANGSTA PUNK:
When you attempt an aerial attack, they can intercept it with an uppercut.
Still, not much more powerful than Denim-Jackets.
NAMES: Donovan, MC.K, Altet, Z, Gonzalez, Reid, Martin, U-3, Gudden, Brown
STAGES: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
INIFINITE KNIFE PUNK:
Best exemplified by Stage 1's Jack. They can throw their knives, as well
as perform a lunge attack which can't be intercepted.
NAMES: Jack, Beano, Soya
STAGES: 1, 3, 7.
DOMINATRIX:
Whip-wielding femme fatales, all kitted out in PVC and fishnets. Their
whips have an electric shock feature, and they have a mean flying kick.
NAMES: Electra, L.Lisa, Sug.Q, Metal.M, Caska, Reine
STAGES: 1, 3, 4, 7.
MACHO MACHO MEN:
Irate bartender Barbon typifies these guys. Grappling with them is
futile and will only get you thrown across the stage. They've got a
mean punch, and will block and move away if threatened.
NAMES: Barbon, Wayne, Vulture
STAGES: 1, 5, 8.
BIKERS:
Usually come at you on their choppers. Knock them off, and they become
far less deadly - many don't have the health to survive the fall!
Their bikes will explode if left alone, and some throw bombs.
NAMES: Fog, Calm, Storm, Gale, Tempest, Hail, Blade, Frost, Mist, Dew,
Gust, Typhoon, Tornado
STAGES: 2, 3, 5, 6, 7.
NINJAS (thousands of 'em):
Clad in brightly-coloured ninja suits, this type of enemy is handy
with a sword or a knife. They can leap around the level, as well
as circle around you, making them harder to hit. They can throw
you, and dodge away from your attacks very quickly.
NAMES: Kusanagi, Hanzou, Ryuohin, Setsura, Yagasira, Izayoi, Seiryu, Ho-Oh
STAGES: 3, 5, 6, 7.
KARATE MASTERS:
They have the annoying habit of jumping down from where you least
expect it with a flying kick. Other than that, they have lightning-fast
punches, and an energy-punch attack similar to Blaze's.
NAMES: Hakuyo, Ryokurou, Suzaku, Ko-Shu, Byatcko, Hakuro, Ko-Kaku, Huwa, Mutsu,
Kongoh,
STAGES: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
JETPACKERS:
Insanely difficult to hit, and requiring aerial moves to do the most damage.
If you can get one in a grapple, don't be afraid to let loose. Avoid the
"takedown" attack if at all possible.
NAMES: Jet, Mach, Stealth, Griphis
STAGES: 2, 5, 6, 7,
VEHELITS:
There's only one of these in the game. It can be damaged in many ways, but
aerial attacks seem to work best. It'll knock you off your feet as it sweeps
across the stage.
NAMES: Vehelits.
STAGES: 3.
CLAW GUYS:
Nasty. Incredibly agile, very hard to hit, can counter just about everything
you throw at it. Grappling is almost always futile, unless you can catch it
from behind. Go in with a reaching weapon, and you'll have a bit more of
a chance.
NAMES: Zamza, Souther, Nail.
STAGES: 3, 6, 8.
FAT GUYS:
More annoying than dangerous, these guys will move surprisingly fast across the
screen, slap you down, belly-flop on you and - yes! - breathe fire. They have
an irritating snigger, too.
NAMES: Big-Ben, Heart, Balloon, Gourmand, Buffet, Anry,
STAGES: 4, 5, 6, 7,
WRESTLERS:
Wrestlers can get themselves out of grapples and basic combos, so unless you're
very lucky, that tactic won't be of much help. Instead, watch out for *their*
grapples. Jumping attacks seem to be the way to go, but watch for the rush
punch attack.
NAMES: Abadede, Z.Kusano
STAGES: 4, 8.
KICKBOXERS:
Fast and quick to attack, these guys have a very long reach with their lunging
kick attacks and can block your attacks. Still, very vulnerable to grappling
moves.
NAMES: Raven, Condor, Falcon, Pheasant, Ibis, Sparrow, Phoenix
STAGES: 5, 7, 8.
BOXERS:
Their large profile might fool you into thinking they'll be slow, but when has
that ever held true? They dart around, jabbing, uppercutting and using a quick
rush punch. Don't try to grapple them; they have a very violent reaction to
you doing so.
NAMES: R.Bear, Bear Jr.
STAGES: 5, 8.
ROBOTS:
Rocket-powered and fast jumping, they pack a punch thanks to their flail arms
and laser eyebeams. They don't have any real defenses other than their weapons,
so get in close and immobilize them. They explode when defeated, and will
electrocute you if you grapple too long without attacking. Very few were
manufactured, thankfully; you'll see your first one on stage 7.
NAMES: Molecule, Particle, Oxygen
STAGES: 7, 8.
----------------------
| WALK | Walkthrough |
----------------------
The item locations refer to the game's 1-player mode only, on the Normal
difficulty setting. On 2-player mode, the item count is roughly 1.5x that
of 1-player mode, and many breakables that were "empty" will now have an
item in them.
-------------------------------
| 1STR | Stage 1: The Streets |
-------------------------------
At the start of the level, head to the bottom left hand corner and press B
for an extra life. The first few screens are as easy as the proverbial
pie. The mailbox on the first screen has a moneybag in it. On the downward
slope, the first box has an apple, and the second is empty. The box
after that has a Knife, so use it on the R-Signal there. The MC.K who
jumps out of the manhole is carrying a Pipe, which might come in handy.
The next two boxes have money and an apple; Altet will have another Pipe,
and a Galsia will be running across with a Knife. In the area with the
parked car, Jack will appear after you've dealt with any hangers-on. A
chicken is underneath the uppermost sign. Jack has unlimited knives, but
the Pipe should make short work of him.
Inside the bar, the tables and chairs can be broken for items - the first
of which is a moneybag and an apple. You'll get two more moneybags from
the next few chairs, and another apple near to where Electra's standing.
Speaking of which - she's weaker than her "sisters", and her whip can't
electrify you.
Barbon is waiting for you out back, and doesn't take too kindly to
you beating the crap out of his clientele. There's a chicken under one of
the trash cans. As in most boss battles, don't bother about the small fry
- cut the one that matters.
The drums at the start of the level contain two moneybags, a gold bar and a
knife. After taking on one or two Bikers, you'll find two more drums with
a Pipe and an apple inside. Many Bikers will now come at you. Some will
throw bombs, others will ride across the screen until you knock them off.
Blade, a tougher Biker, is waiting at the end, along with a chicken and a
gold bar inside the drums.
There's a Karate Master inside the truck. The Bikers along the wall will
attack once he's dispatched, and another Karate Master will join you. The
boxes contain money bags and an apple.
At the under-construction section of the bridge, head up to the top-left corner
of the screen and press B for an extra life. You'll find a moneybag under
the second barrier, and an apple under the next. Just before the boss, you'll
find a chicken and a moneybag. Jet makes his entrance. The key with this battle
is never to stay in one place for any length of time, as he'll be quick to
swoop down on you.
----------------------------------
| 3AMU | Stage 3: Amusement Park |
----------------------------------
Your first enemies are asleep on benches, like the vagrants they are. A
Mist comes in from the left with a Pipe - take it from him. The nearby
box has a Knife, but I think you'll like the Pipe better. The next box
contains an apple.
Inside the arcade, the machines (Bare Knuckle) can be smashed open, usually
for money. After all, who keeps food inside arcade machines anyway? You'll
be met with stronger Signal-type enemies and the usual scum.
Climb aboard the pirate ship. A Joseph will be running across with a Knife,
if you want it. On the screen with the barrels, enemies will fall down on
you, and you'll meet a Karate Master at the end. Aboard the actual ship,
you'll have two Ninjas to contend with - one with a Sword, the other with a
Knife. The good part is that there's a life, in plain sight, under one of
the boxes.
Back to the streets. An apple awaits in the box, while new versions of
Jack and Electra - Beano and L.Lisa, respectively - challenge you. Head
inside the main attraction once you've beaten them.
Here, the item receptacles will explode when you hit them, so stand back.
The first has a chicken. Enemies will appear from the shadows; the next
item pod contains a Sword, which will help. Be careful with Vehelits -
don't let the minor enemies distract you. Next comes a Ninja, followed by
a chicken in one of the two pods, and the boss - Zamza. Use the Sword
that the Ninja was carring to help you beat it.
-----------------------------
| 4BAL | Stage 4: Ball Park |
-----------------------------
Signals, Galsias etc. populate the first part of the park. There's a pipe in
the first trash can which should help you make short work of them. Watch out
for the Brashes, who'll dart across the screen with knives. The two bins
near the end of the first area contain a money bag and an apple. Karate Master
Ko-Shu attacks you; the punks here will have pipes for you to take.
Inside the stadium, the first two boxes have a money bag and a knife. More
punks assault you; the next two boxes both have money bags. You'll then be
attacked by two Dominatrixes, both of which can electrocute you with their
whips. Three boxes await you; one's empty, the others have an apple and money
bag. A new challenger approaches - Big-Ben, first of the Fat Guys, and capable
of breathing fire.
You're now descending on the game's first elevator level, with baddies
constantly falling from the above. You'll be attacked in waves of basic punks,
then a Karate Master, then more punks, then *two* Masters... It can get hectic,
so don't skimp on your special attacks to get yourself out of tight situations.
In the final area of this stage, a hidden fighting arena, you'll meet Abadede
- the star of the show, and tough to beat. There's a chicken in the box here;
if you don't really need it, save it until you do.
Inside the hold of the ship, there are two boxes with a money bag each, and a
Garam with a pipe. Liberate it and fight your way towards the Karate Master -
going through Fat Guy Heart along the way, and picking up the gold bar and
money bag. On the second screen, you'll be met by Raven, your first Kickboxer
- and at the end of the level, Wayne, a Macho Man.
Up on deck, the first two boxes contain a money bag and a sword - but that
won't do you much good against Mach, a Jetpacker. After knocking him out of the
sky, you'll be surprised to see Bikers looking to assault you. They're even
lurking in the background, throwing bombs in - needless to say, this isn't a
good thing, especially with Ninjas running around.
Once they're done, you'll be launched into the boss fight - first, another
Fat Guy, and then R.Bear, a Boxer. The closed-in conditions don't help with
this fight; if you're using Max or Axel, they might be too slow to evade
attacks from both Balloon and R.Bear.
You'll start along the shoreline being attacked by a couple of Denim Jackets
and Ninjas, the second of which is wielding a Ninja Knife. Clear through
another few punks and you'll be accosted by three Kickboxers.
Moving into the jungle, you'll find a chicken hidden underneath the uppermost
sandbag pile, right before two Karate Masters drop in on you. Before you can
get the sandbags containing some money, you'll have to fight off your old
friends the Signals - and yet another Karate Master. A bumper load of sandbags
awaits you, but you'll only get money out of them. Along the straight path,
the Bikers catch up with you. One hopes that Fat Guy Gourmand didn't insist
on hitching a ride with them. Gourmand has a full two life bars.
A hail of Bikers on choppers zoom past you, often throwing bombs. Grab the
Knife and Apple underneath the next sandbags. Two Dominatrixes are waiting for
you here, and their deaths herald this stage's boss fight. However, it's a
rerun: Claw Guy Souther and his Jetpacker pal Stealth are here to avenge their
defeated cousins.
-------------------------------
| 7FAC | Stage 7: The Factory |
-------------------------------
Inside the first part of the factory, the major hazards are the conveyor
belts. Good thing they affect the bad guys too. Just watch your distance.
The first bins here contain an apple and money bag, but watch out for the
falling Fat Guy, Buffet, as you approach. Once he's done, you'll be menaced
again by Bikers, some of whom will hang back behind the railings where you
can't get to them and throw bombs. Grab the money bag and gold bar from the two
bins, and the apple from the one by the conveyor belt. A Biker will jump down
from the railings with a Pipe, which will prove useful against the double-date
pairings of Dominatrixes and Ninjas that follow. Two bins will slide towards
you on the belt, one containing a chicken.
It's elevator time! Grab the chicken from the bin if you need it now, or save
it for later. You'll immediately be assaulted by Signals and other punks. As
the elevator ascends, a Jetpacker will come down to meet you; once he's gone,
two Ninjas and Karate Masters, which can prove challenging in this enclosed
space. One of them has a Sword, which I suggest you make use of. Next up are
two Kickboxers and some Bikers, followed by more random punks, a Fat Guy and
Knife Punk. Plenty of knives for you, then...
Finally you reach the rooftop. What's that clanking sound...? Oh, it's just the
bosses. Molecule and Particle are your first robots; try not to get into range
of their flail arms, and avoid their lasers when far away. Grappling works best
if you can get close enough, but don't hold on too long or they'll electrocute
you.
That somber intro music is playing, so this must be the final stage... Hope
you got a lot of practice fighting robots back there, 'cos here's another one!
And some punks, naturally. One has a pipe - look after it, as it's the last
one you'll ever see! Look out for Bear Jr., out to avenge his dad, falling
from the sky; the lone apple in the left vase seems a little stingy.
Elevator going up! Just ask your Karate Master to hold the door while the
other passengers drop from the sky. Macho Man Vulture is up next, followed by
an interlude of random punks. Claw Guy Nail follows soon after; good thing
this is one-on-one, but the confined space doesn't help. A Kickboxer provides
a quick distraction while the game's only other Wrestler, Z.Kusano, gets ready
to jump in. He's easy enough to pin into a corner, however.
This is it - warm up on some punks, then get ready to take on Mr. X's
bodyguard, Shiva. Shiva has it all; he's as good or better than any of the
player characters. He can jump-kick, block your attacks, grapple and throw
you, escape from your grapples with a spin kick, and land perfectly when
thrown. The best strategy is to keep him away with air kicks and rush attacks;
don't let him near you and you shouldn't take too much damage.
Finally, Mr. X himself joins the fray. He's accompanied by infinitely-
respawning random punks; try to ignore them as best you can, or use them as
projectiles to throw at Mr. X. The man himself is faster than you'd expect;
he wields a machine gun and will fire it from the top corners of the screen
in a wide arc. Any stray bullets will damage his underlings, but you can't
really count on this to get rid of them. He'll waste no time in hitting you
with his gun when you get close, so like Shiva, use moves that attack over
a wide area. When he's down, stay near him and you might catch him in a
grapple; use this to your advantage.
Once he's down... that's it! Congratulations, you've beaten Streets of Rage 2!
---------------------------
| CODE | Cheats and Codes |
---------------------------
[Hidden options]
On the game select screen (with 1 Player, 2 Player, Duel and Options) hold
A+B together on the 2 Player control pad and have Player 1 go to Options
with his control pad. If you've done it right, you'll see the options screen
with some new options:
• Difficulty now has two extra settings: Very Easy and Mania.
• Players can now be set to 9.
• The "Round" option functions as a level select; pick a round and then
start the game as normal to begin on the level of your choice.
[Play as Same Character]
On the title screen, push Right + B on Controller One and Left + A on
Controller Two. Then with everything held down, press C on Controller Two.
Now select two players, and both players can pick the same character.
Unfortunately, they will both be the same color, so it can be confusing.
[Extra Continues in 1-Player Mode]
In one-player mode, just as you're about to lose your last life on your
final continue, hit Start on Controller 2 and continue on. You may even
pick a new character. Unfortunately, all your hard-earned points are lost.
--------------
| END OF FAQ |
--------------
A big thank you goes out to:
• Stephan Dolby - for the "Play as same character" cheat.
What do you think? Better than the original, or maybe I should've left it as
it was? Whatever you want to say, direct your comments to:
cnash DOT mail AT gmail DOT com
Things I've missed, corrections or just general hints to make this guide
better are all appreciated, and you will be credited.
