Streets of Rage 2 FAQ by velo city([email protected])
Version 4.0
Copyright 2002-2003 velo city
________________________________

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction                         (Shift + 1)
2. Legal Junk                           (Shift + 8)
3. Version History                      (last letter of the alphabet)
4. What is Streets of Rage 2?           (equals sign)
5. Streets of Rage 2 FAQ:               (Shift + 3)
  a. Storyline                         (greater than sign)
  b. Characters and strategies         (less than sign)
  c. Moves and how to use them         (left bracket)
  d. Enemies                           (right bracket)
  e. Bosses                            (Shift + left bracket)
  f. Items and weapons                 (Shift + right bracket)
  g. Walkthrough                       (forward slash)
  h. Secrets, hints, and codes         (Shift + 7)
  i. Other things I noticed            (semicolon)
  j. Scoring System                    (two plus signs)
  k. High Scores                       (two semicolons)
6. Contact me                           (Shift + 4)
7. Credits                              (two equals signs)
________________________________


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1. Introduction                    !
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Welcome to my Streets of Rage 2 FAQ.(my first FAQ ever) I'd like to
start off by saying that I'm a big fan of the Streets of Rage series,
and that I felt the guides already posted weren't enough in detail, so I
decided to write this when I was bored and had time on my hands.
Throughout this FAQ, don't expect me to be stiff, like most FAQ writers
are, as I am merely the opposite of this. So...enjoy!

Oh, and another thing I added for convenience is if you press Ctrl + F
and type in the symbol or symbols described in the Table of Contents
next to the chapter you want to see, it will skip you directly to that
chapter!


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2. Legal Junk                      *
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*takes a deep breath* This FAQ is protected by Copyright Law, and cannot
be reproduced in any way without asking me first. If you do take
something out of my FAQ, give me full credit and leave it _unaltered_.
This FAQ cannot be printed, sold, or by any other means damaged or
tampered. The latest version of this FAQ is currently available at:

www.gamefaqs.com

Any other sources will be posted at a later date. If you see this
document on any other site than the ones mentioned above, notify me and
appropriate action will be taken. There, I'm done with the serious part
of the FAQ.


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3. Version History                 z
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Version 1.0: Finished roughly all of the FAQ except three sections.
Yippee.

Version 2.0: Completely finished every aspect of the FAQ. Added the
"Scoring System" and "High Scores" sections. Also added tons of secrets
I didn't even know were there. Unless I find lots more secrets, one that
is so ground-breaking that it HAS to be posted, or I get tons of
info/high scores, the FAQ will not be updated again.

Version 3.0: Added and revised plenty of secrets to the "Other things I
noticed" section, gave more tips on high scoring, changed a little on
the scoring system, submitted four more high scores, added a "low
scores" section, gave another tip on Blaze, redefined a downward attack,
changed a little on the character and enemy move damage estimates, added
a "Name variaties" section to the enemies and bosses, found more enemy
and boss color variaties, thoroughly tested two Game Genie codes to find
odd results, gave an alternate tip on R. Bear, and did a lot of
spellchecking. Also realized that I don't do version numbers like
everyone else does.(1.0, 1.1, 1.2, etc.) Oh well, deal with it.

Version 4.0: Nothing major, just posted two more high scores and tidied
the FAQ up a bit.


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4. What is Streets of Rage 2?      =
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Sequel to Streets of Rage, Streets of Rage 2 is a major upgrade to the
first game with all new characters, moves, and special attacks. For
those not familiar with the Streets of Rage series, let me describe it.
Streets of Rage was a side-scrolling beat-em-up Sega made to rival
SNES's Final Fight, a similar beat-em-up. Since Sega had no direct cash
flow, they depended on this game to be a hit. And sure enough, it was.
Not only was it a hit, it went on to spawn two sequels, Streets of Rage
2 and Streets of Rage 3.(Bare Knuckle II and III in Japan) Anyway, back
to Streets of Rage 2. You have four characters, each with their own
specialties. Max has power, Skate has speed, etc. Plus, the old cop car
call from Streets of Rage is gone and replaced with special moves,
meaning that you're on your own this time. This also means that you have
to use more strategy, and you can't just knock off half a boss's life
bar or kill an entire horde of enemies by pressing A. Another addition
is that everybody has a completely different set of moves, namely
special moves, combos, "blitz" attacks, grab combos, power blows,
throws, single attacks, and slams. Each character is good in a certain
situation, where others aren't. All four players have weaknesses, but
these weaknesses can be easily conquered with strategy and timing. Well,
enough of my babbling, and on with the game!

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5. Streets of Rage 2 FAQ           #
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____________________________________

A. Storyline                       >
____________________________________

With the previous downfall of Mr. X, Adam, Axel, and Blaze went their
seperate ways. One year later, the gang decided to meet up in town to
celebrate the moment. What they didn't know was that the Mr. X they
thought was defeated wasn't, and had kidnapped Adam to lure Axel and
Blaze into a trap. When Adam's kid brother Skate came home and saw the
ransom note and the house in ruins, he immediately called Axel and told
him the news. Axel and Blaze rushed over to find the house destroyed by
Mr. X. Soon after that day, Mr. X's minions rose in number and the
streets were once again filled with thugs. With the help of Skate and
Axel's ex-wrestler friend Max, Axel and Blaze went out to once again
defeat Mr. X's plan and end the _Streets of Rage_.


____________________________________

B. Characters and strategies       <
____________________________________

In this part of the FAQ, I will list the four characters, their
strengths/weaknesses, and my review on the characters. I will also list
some strategies for each of the characters, general and specific. There
are four categories the fighters are measured in. These are:

Power: How strong your character's moves are.(duh)

Technique: This is a tough one to define. I think this means how well
your character works under pressure and how efficiently he/she fights.
It might also mean the probability of your character getting cornered.
This could explain why Axel has three stars and everyone else has two in
this catagory.

Speed: How fast your character moves at a walking speed.

Jump: How high your character can jump.(a different definition by Dan
Gallagher is that this catagory actually is how long your character
stays in the air and how fast he/she recovers when landing. The theory
isn't totally solid, but it makes you think...)(doesn't really effect
gameplay)

Stamina:(supposedly) How much punishment your character can take before
dying.(also doesn't effect gameplay, for some strange reason)

General Tips:

* If you see a roast and you're at the end of a scene, save it until you
get low on HP. Don't save it too long, as you might proceed to the next
scene without getting it.
* Some enemies and bosses can be manipulated by barely walking across
the screen so that only a few enemies/bosses appear instead of a lot.
Here are the instances when you can manipulate enemies/bosses this way:

In the alley in Stage 1, you can keep away from Barbon so that he stays
still and you can beat up his cronies by themselves.

In the scene right before the pirate ship in Stage 3, you can activate
the Samurai Warrior at the end of the screen without activating the
Donovan by slowly creeping along the screen. This makes it much easier
in Hard, Hardest, and Mania.

In the first scene in Stage 4, you can fight the Samurai Warrior without
interferance of the Donovan.

In the baseball stadium in Stage 4, you can activate one Firebreather
without activating the other.(this takes a lot of practice)

On the road in Stage 6, when you get to the Electras/bikers, you can
lure one Electra without signaling the other Electra and the mass horde
of bikers.

You can manipulate the boss of Stage 6 so that only Souther and maybe
one Jet fights you.(see "Other things I noticed" for more info)
* Every time you go into a scene, you gain a small portion of your HP.
Use this to your advantage.
* A way to grab almost all non-blocking enemies/bosses is to downward
attack them, then quickly grab them, but my keyboard is too sucky to
execute a downward attack with any efficiency. This tip is useful for
those playing the real Streets of Rage 2.(submitted by Truncated)
* When you're carrying a weapon, press B + C to throw it. Weapons also
can only be dropped three times before they disappear.(the bomb is
unconfirmed)
* If you have a weapon that has been dropped twice and see a fresh one,
pick that one up, as it will last longer.
* You lose your weapon every time you enter a new scene.

And now, my reviews and tips on the characters...

****
Axel
****

Power:     **
Technique: ***
Speed:     **
Jump:      *
Stamina:   **

Strengths: Two words, Grand Upper. Also, he can handle with enemies the
easiest.

Weaknesses: Can't jump for crap.(not like it effects gameplay
anyway...or does it?*twilight music is heard*)

My review: Axel is, IMO, the best character to play with. He is well
rounded in fighting skills, and he isn't lopsided like Max/Skate is. He
is also the second most powerful character in the game, which helps.
Grand Upper is probably the best move in offense and defense, and I like
to use it.(a little too often, in fact) Of course, Grand Upper may be
the only reason Axel is number one on my list...

Rating: 9/10

Tips:

* Only use Dragon Smash if you're going to hit all the characters on the
screen.(or if you're playing Very Easy) Or better yet, just Grand Upper
them.
* Using Vertical Kick against regular enemies is a bad idea. If you
miss, you are open to attack for 3/4 of a second. Although it may not
sound bad, it is bad.
* There is a disadvantage to doing a Body Slam on an enemy. Every time
you slam an opponent, Axel jumps in the direction he's facing. Here's a
diagram to show you what I'm talking about: (A = Axel, E = Enemy)

A E (grab)

 A
 E (vault)

 E A (grab from behind)

   E
   A (first part of the slam)

  A
     E (second part of the slam; Axel jumps)

 A   E (Axel lands)

Not only does it let the enemy get up without you contending to him, but
you are suspectable to attack by other enemies as well.
* If you're going to interrupt your combo to do a Grand Upper, do it on
the second hit, not on the third hit. For some unknown reason, the CPU
removes a hit on the Grand Upper if you do it on the third combo hit,
thus resulting in less damage. I've also noticed this same phenomenon
happens when you do it right after you pick up an item.(sometimes)
* Axel's low jump kick is an advantage for taking out speeding bikers
easily. All other jumps take much more timing.
* Axel's Vertical Kick also does surprisingly well against bikers in the
lower difficulty levels, so keep that in mind.

*****
Blaze
*****

Power:     **
Technique: **
Speed:     **
Jump:      **
Stamina:   **

Strengths: No weaknesses.

Weaknesses: No strengths.

My review: Blaze is a very good character, considering she is good in
all categories. Her Vertical Slash is almost as efficient as Grand
Upper. Her slam can leave her invincible for quite a while, which helps
a lot. In fact, I had to make a tough decision of which character is
better, Max or Blaze. In the end, Max beat Blaze by two tenths of a
point. Anyway, Blaze is still a good character to deal with multiple
punks efficiently.

Rating: 8.5/10

Tips:

* Unlike Axel's vault-and-slam combo, Blaze's slam does considerably
more damage than her throw, and it doesn't have the unfortunate side-
effect that Axel's slam has.
* Blaze's combo structure is quite odd. Sometimes the last hit either
doesn't knock the enemy down,(this happens when Blaze is as far away
from the enemy without him/her being out of range) hits twice, or
advances Blaze forward mysteriously. If the first thing I mentioned
happens, Blaze can start a new combo. I once successfully pulled off
three combos in a row on an enemy using this method.
* Vertical Slash often. Like Grand Upper, Vertical Slash does good
damage, closes in on the opponent, and makes you unstoppable if used
right. Using this move in the first two combo hits is the most
effective.(although the damage is the same no matter what hit you do it
on, unlike Grand Upper)

***
Max
***

Power:     ***
Technique: **
Speed:     *
Jump:      *
Stamina:   ***

Strengths: BY FAR the most powerful character in the game.

Weaknesses: Slow as molasses in January. Also, he gets hit a bit too
often.

My review: Most people bash Max because he's way too slow.(unless you
Power Slide your way through the game) Though this is true, that doesn't
mean Max isn't a good character. In fact, he's a KICKASS fighter! All of
his attacks(especially his combo) dominate the enemies until they're
dead. Max also has the three most powerful moves in the game.(Bear
Punch, Atomic Drop, and Suplex) Plus, he has some good moves for staying
mostly invincible for good periods of time.(Power Slide, Brain Buster,
Atomic Drop, Thunder Body Slam) Overall, Max is a very good character to
play, but in the end, Max gets second place because of Axel's Grand
Upper.

Rating: 8.7/10

Tips:

* Here's a very handy trick to do infinite Atomic Drops on normal
enemies and some bosses. First, Thunder Body Slam an enemy, then Power
Slide behind him and right as he/she gets up, press <- or -> to grab
him/her from behind. Atomic Drop, Power Slide, wash, rinse, and repeat.
* If you Thunder Tackle too many enemies in a row, there's a chance that
they can punch you out of it. Use at your own risk.
* You can sometimes Power Slide into grabbing the enemy, although it
doesn't happen very often.
* You are almost invincible(read: ALMOST invincible) while doing Power
Slides, so if you find yourself in a tight spot, Power Slide like crap.
* Either it's just me, or at lower difficulties when you do a Bear
Punch, the enemies tend to reduce their aggressiveness until you stop.
Maybe it intimidates them.
* When you start a Bear Punch, you cannot stop it unless you're hit, so
be sure not to use it around too many enemies.
* Thunder-Tackling Samurai Warriors from afar is not a good idea.
They'll either jump kick you, or do a Palm Strike.
* Using Super Hammer Punch on speeding bikers is much more effective
than jump-kicking them.
* Although it doesn't have much throwing range, Thunder Body Slam is the
best you're going to get out of Max. Actually, it isn't half bad
considering you can move either left or right before tossing your
opponent to the ground.
* Pipes and swords are your best friends when you're Max. He can hit on
both sides of him pretty fast with these weapons. It's like a non-
draining non-invincible special!

*****
Skate
*****

Power:     *
Technique: **
Speed:     ***
Jump:      ***
Stamina:   *

Strengths: VERY fast.

Weaknesses: VERY weak.

My review: There is no way around Skate's weakness, unlike
Axel/Blaze/Max, so that may be why Skate is number four on my list.
Skate's good moves are too few to cover up his lack of strength, so
you'll be finding yourself doing Migraines/Neck Throws throughout the
game. Ok, enough about Skate's bad side, let's talk about the good side.
Skate is faster than Axel, Blaze, and Max combined! He can also
dash,(press <- or -> twice in a row) which means he can basically
outmanuever any enemy, no matter how fast they are.(Mania, however, is a
different story) Regardless, Skate is fun to play around with, but if
you want a serious and "gotta get the best character" game, go with
someone else, preferrably Max or Axel.

Rating: 6.5/10

Tips:

* You are not invincible while doing a Migraine. Enemies can still knock
you down with jump kicks/anti-air attacks.
* If you, for some reason, hit multiple enemies with Migraine and kill
one before the other, you will immediately stop doing the
Migraine.(there are exceptions)
* If you damage an enemy while doing the headbutt animation of the
Dynamite Headbutt instead of when Skate turns into a ball, you'll do
more damage.
* Like Thunder Tackle, multiple enemies can stop you if you're doing a
Dynamite Headbutt at four or five enemies.
* It is very possible to do a Corkscrew Kick, get five hits, and miss
the sixth hit, which will leave the enemy standing and you open to
attack.
* Maybe it's just me again, but at lower difficulties, the enemies seem
to get a massive aggression boost while you're doing a Roller Uppercut.
* Unlike Migraine, Neck Throw leaves you invincible, so if you need a
break from getting hit, Neck Throw.
* Being small has it's advantages. Skate is said to have a smaller hit
collision box(the invisible box that determines whether or not you get
hit) than Axel/Blaze/Max, so he can often times "cheat death" because of
this.(credits go to Truncated for finding this out)


____________________________________

C. Moves and how to use them       [
____________________________________

Being one of the major upgrades in Streets of Rage 2, each character has
their own set of tons of different moves, some are efficient, others are
not, and some are only efficient if you know how to use them properly.

Here is the order I will list the moves for each character:

Combo
Single attack
Back Attack
Blitz
Stationary Special
Directed Special
Grabbing combo
Power Blow(Skate doesn't have one)
Throw
Vault
Neck Throw(Skate only)
Slam
Suplex(Max only)
Atomic Drop(Max only)
Flying Kick(not moving)
Jump Kick(moving)
Downward attack

The Maximum Damage will be the largest possible amount of damage the
move can perform on a standard enemy with no special defense. To give
you an idea of the damage scale, a move with four stars can successfully
take out a Stage 1 Galsia on Normal/Hard setting.(approximately three
letters or numbers across)(Note: The damage estimates are NOT pinpoint
accurate)

*************
Generic Moves
*************

Land:(when thrown, press Up + C before you hit the ground) Prevents you
from taking damage from a throw.

Weapon Throw: Press B + C while holding a weapon to throw it.(note: it
will not dissappear if it hits a wall[that is, unless it has been
dropped twice])

************
Axel's Moves
************

Combo:(press B repeatedly) Two left jabs, a straight, a middle kick, and
a high kick.(the high kick is only performed if you press B really fast
and are a good range from the opponent)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*******_______|
Strategy: Axel's combo is OK, but even better if you change into a Grand
Upper(Axel's blitz attack) in the first two hits. Never bother using the
full combo if you can use the Grand Upper more efficiently.
Rating: 7/10

Single Attack:(hold B for a second, then release) A middle kick and a
high kick.(the high kick will always be performed)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |******________|
Strategy: Use it if you don't want to bother going into a full combo or
a Grand Upper. An easy and fast way to deal decent damage to the
opponent, but there are better ways than that...
Rating: 6.5/10

Back Attack:(press B + C together, or hold B and press C) A backhand
punch.(hits two times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |***___________|
Strategy: If you're caught in a situation where you're getting beat on
both sides, you're better off pressing A, as it is easier to pull off
without getting hit a bunch of times. I never use back attacks, to tell
you the truth.
Rating: 3/10

Blitz:(press <- or -> twice in the same direction, then press B) A Grand
Upper.(Axel sweeps the floor with his hand then comes up with a nasty
uppercut)(hits three times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |********______|
Strategy: Use this move while in the first two hits of your combo, and
it will simply dominate the enemies into submission. Grand Upper is
probably Axel's best move, but don't overdo it in Mania, as you are left
standing for a half-second defenseless each time you use it. But still,
this move is a great choice, and I tend to use it often. Grand Upper
also doubles up as an anti-air attack.
Rating: 9/10

Stationary Special:(press A while standing still) Dragon Wing(Axel
swings his fist around in a Dragon-esque motion)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |***___________|
Strategy: There is no real strategy, just use it when you get cornered
or when you know 100 percent you will get hit by an enemy's attack.
Great for getting out of cheap shots.
Rating: 8/10

Directed Special:(press A + <- or ->) Dragon Smash(Axel goes into a rage
and swipes the enemy with a combo of seven smacks and a Ryu-style
uppercut)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |********______|
Strategy: This move mostly sucks because once you use it, you are
defenseless on one side for four full seconds. In this game, that is a
lot of time. Still, the move is good for single enemies, multiple
enemies on one side, and getting back at a Signal that just slid you.
Rating: 5/10

Grabbing combo:(get close enough to an enemy to grab him/her/it, press
the directional button closest to your enemy, and press B repeatedly)
Two knees and a double knee.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |****__________|
Strategy: Don't even bother with the double knee, as there are stronger
ways that finish an opponent in less time. Just combine the two knees
with a throw/slam, and you got a decent damage maker.
Rating: 6.5/10

Power Blow:(grab an enemy and press B) A headbutt.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |***___________|
Strategy: Ignore this move, it's a waste of time when you could just
throw/combo/slam.
Rating: 3/10

Throw:(grab an enemy and press the button farthest away from the enemy +
B) A throw.(surprise!)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*****_________|
Strategy: Despite the not-so-great damage, this move is great for when
you have tons of punks surrounding you and you need to get rid of
them.(which happens often in this game)
Rating: 8/10

Vault:(grab an enemy and press C) A vault.(Zzz...)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |N   O    N   E|
Strategy: Use to slam.
Rating: N/A.

Slam:(grab an enemy from behind or vault from the front and press B) A
body slam.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*****_________|
Strategy: If my memory serves me correct, Axel's slam does a little more
damage than his throw. Only use this if you need the vault/slam combo to
be invincible. Otherwise, throw.
Rating: 7/10

Flying Kick:(press C, then B while in the air and not moving left or
right) A Vertical Kick.(hits two times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*****_________|
Strategy: You get hit out of this move so many times it's not funny.
Only use against Abadede.
Rating: 3/10

Jump Kick:(do a Flying Kick while pressing <- or ->) A jump kick. (!)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*_____________|
Strategy: Don't even bother with this move. It's damage is pathetic, and
you can easily get knocked out of it.
Rating: 2/10

Downward Attack:(press C + <- or ->, then press down + B) A knee press.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |**____________|
Strategy: I have trouble executing this move on an emulator, but it may
be of some use to other people for grabbing purposes.
Rating: N/A

*************
Blaze's Moves
*************

Combo:(press B repeatedly) Two punches, an elbow punch, and a high
kick.(hits five times, seven on multiple opponents)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |******________| (this damage figure is for two hits by
the first two punches, two hits by the elbow punch, and one hit by the
high kick. If it is possible to hit twice with the high kick while
hitting twice with the elbow punch, notify me with a damage figure, and
you will be given credit)
Strategy: You can either use this combo, or do a Vertical Slash in the
first two hits. Either way, it's a good bet.
Rating: 7/10

Single Attack:(hold B for a second, then release) A high kick identical
to Blaze's last combo hit.(hits twice)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*****_________|
Strategy: Don't even bother. You get hit out of this move too many times
for it to be useful.
Rating: 3/10

Back Attack:(press B + C together, or hold B and press C) A 180 degree
foot sweep.(hits twice on multiple enemies)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*_____________|
Strategy: You can tell by the damage figure that this move is not useful
at all.
Rating 1/10

Blitz:(press <- or -> twice in the same direction, then press B) A
Vertical Slash.(Blaze jumps in the air and thrusts her arms downward,
emitting a blue charge)(hits two times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*******_______|
Strategy: Not only does this move do a lot of damage, but it is
efficient as well as being almost as good as Grand Upper. Just watch out
for anti-air attacks.
Rating: 8.5/10

Stationary Special:(press A while standing still) Embukyaku.(a backflip)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |****__________|
Strategy: There is no real strategy, just use it when you get cornered
or when you know 100 percent you will get hit by an enemy's attack.
Great for getting out of cheap shots.
Rating: 8/10

Directed Special:(press A + <- or ->) Kikousho.(basically the same as a
Samurai Warrior's Palm Strike except stronger)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |********______|
Strategy: Why use this move and lose HP when you could Vertical Slash?
Still, this move is good in itself and does lots of damage.
Rating: 7.5/10

Grabbing combo:(get close enough to an enemy to grab him/her/it, press
the directional button closest to your enemy, and press B repeatedly)
Two knees and an elbow smash.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |******________|
Strategy: Like Axel's grabbing combo, you should use the two knees and
ditch the elbow smash for a throw/slam.
Rating: 6.5/10

Power Blow:(grab an enemy and press B) A throw.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |******________|
Strategy: Nice, fast, and damaging. Use this often.
Rating: 7.5/10

Throw:(grab an enemy and press the button farthest away from the enemy +
B) A back sacrifice throw.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |****__________|
Strategy: Great for getting rid of multiple enemies.
Rating: 7.5/10

Vault:(grab an enemy and press C) A vault.(if you think this is getting
monotonous now, just wait until you get to the enemies' move
descriptions)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |N   O    N   E|
Strategy: Use to slam.
Rating: N/A.

Slam:(grab an enemy from behind or vault from the front and press B) A
back drop.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |******________|
Strategy: Good damage and temporary invincibility. What more could you
ask for? The only problem is the time it takes to vault over.
Rating: 8/10

Flying Kick:(press C, then B while in the air and not moving left or
right) A roundhouse kick.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*****_________|
Strategy: Nice damage and not a bizarre hit range like Axel's Vertical
Kick. Use moderately, but watch out for anti-air attacks.
Rating: 7.5/10

Jump Kick:(do a Flying Kick while pressing <- or ->) A jump kick.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*_____________|
Strategy: Say NO to this move. It's damage is crap and you can easily
get hit out of it. Use Blaze's flying kick instead.
Rating: 1/10

Downward Attack:(press C + <- or ->, then press down + B) A flying chop.
______________
Maximum Damage: |**____________|
Strategy: *copy/paste* I have trouble executing this move on an
emulator, but it may be of some use to other people for grabbing
purposes.
Rating: N/A

***********
Max's Moves
***********

Combo:(press B repeatedly) Two chops, a hook, and a Hammer Punch.(hits
seven times, but can hit nine times on three opponents, two of which
must have a jumping move[see "Other things I noticed" for more info])
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |**************|(thanks to Truncated for this estimate)
Strategy: This will be the backbone of Max's attacks. Extremely huge
damage, but can get you cornered easily. Use often, but not too often.
Rating: 8/10

Single Attack:(hold B for a second, then release) A Hammer Punch.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |****__________|
Strategy: This move is pretty much a waste of time. The only time it
could possibly come to use is when you're cornered and need to get out
fast, but this takes a second to charge.
Rating: 1.5/10

Back Attack:(press B + C together, or hold B and press C) A Mule
Kick.(hits twice, three times on multiple enemies)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |****__________|
Strategy: Mostly useless, but may come in handy in some situations.
Rating: 4/10

Blitz:(press <- or -> twice in the same direction, then press B) A Power
Slide.     ______________
Maximum Damage: |***___________|
Strategy: Despite being one of Max's weakest moves, it is actually one
of his best, because:
1) Max can move twice as fast this way.
2) Max is invincible to everything but air attacks/bikers/weapons/long
distance attacks while doing this.
3) This move is great for getting out of having enemies on both sides of
you.(Power Slide to one enemy, then do a Brain Buster/Thunder Body Slam)
4) It is also good for approching Signals, Samurai Warriors, Kickboxers,
and other enemies without getting whomped.
It is almost as good as Grand Upper, IMO.
Rating: 9/10

Stationary Special:(press A while standing still) A Knuckle Bomb.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*****_________|
Strategy: There is no real strategy, just use it when you get cornered
or when you know 100 percent you will get hit by an enemy's attack.
Great for getting out of cheap shots.
Rating: 8/10

Directed Special:(press A + <- or ->) A Thunder Tackle.(hits twice)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |********______|
Strategy: Great for taking down multiple enemies or zooming across the
screen. Well worth the HP loss.
Rating: 8/10

Grabbing combo:(get close enough to an enemy to grab him/her/it, press
the directional button closest to your enemy, and press B repeatedly)
Two knees and a headbutt.(hits four times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |***********___|
Strategy: Combine the two knees with a Bear Punch or a Thunder Body
Slam.
Rating: 7/10

Power Blow:(grab an enemy and press B) A Bear Punch.(hits five times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |**************|
Strategy: Now THIS is a Power Blow! Even though this is the most
powerful move in the game, it is not the best. You can get knocked out
of it, and it lasts too long, but it's very good for single enemies or
2-3 seperated enemies with lots of HP. Also, enemies tend to not hit you
as much as they should while you're doing this.
Rating: 8/10

Throw:(grab an enemy and press the button farthest away from the enemy +
B) A Brain Buster.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |********______|
Strategy: This move is great for staying invincible and getting an
opponent on your other side. Good damage as well.
Rating: 7.5/10

Vault:(grab an enemy and press C) Max jumps in the air while holding the
enemy.       ______________
Maximum Damage: |N   O    N   E|
Strategy: Use to slam.
Rating: N/A

Slam:(vault from the front and press B) A Thunder Body Slam.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*********_____|
Strategy: Another good invincibility move/throw that can easily get you
out of rough situations.
Rating: 8/10

Suplex:(get behind an enemy and press B) A suplex. *belch*
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |************__|
Strategy: Since it's hard to get behind an enemy with Max when you need
it, this move isn't all that great. Atomic Drop is better.
Rating: 6/10

Atomic Drop:(get behind an enemy, press C, then B) An Atomic Drop.(Max
jumps and breaks the opponent's back with his knee)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |************__|
Strategy: The damage and invincibility are worth it if you can get
behind an enemy. Don't go too out of your way to execute this move,
though.(see "Characters and strategies" for info on how to easily
execute this move)
Rating: 7/10

Flying Kick:(press C, then B while in the air and not moving left or
right) A Super Hammer Punch.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |******________|
Strategy: Good range, a stable hit collision box, and good damage make
this move worth using often. Just watch it for anti-air attacks.
Rating: 7.5/10

Jump Kick:(do a Flying Kick while pressing <- or ->) A drop kick.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |**____________|
Strategy: Unless you're in a situation where you need to drop the
opponents, don't even bother using this.
Rating: 3/10

Downward Attack:(press C + <- or ->, then press down + B) An elbow drop.
______________
Maximum Damage: |***___________|
Strategy: I have trouble executing this move on an emulator, but it may
be of some use to other people for grabbing purposes.
Rating: N/A

*************
Skate's Moves
*************

Combo:(press B repeatedly) Two jabs, a Heel Kick, and a Roller Kick with
a backflip.(hits five times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*****_________|
Strategy: Too little damage, and takes too long to perform. Only do this
if you can't grab the enemy.
Rating: 5/10

Single Attack:(hold B for a second, then release) A Roller Kick with a
backflip.(hits twice)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |**____________|
Strategy: Total waste of time. This move has absolutely no purpose
whatsoever.
Rating: 0/10

Back Attack:(press B + C together, or hold B and press C) A Backflip
Kick.(hits twice)______________
Maximum Damage: |********______|
Strategy: This is the most useful back attack in the game, in both
damage and range. Use occasionally.
Rating: 6/10

Blitz:(press <- or -> twice in the same direction, then press B) A
Dynamite Headbutt.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*******_______|
Strategy: Use the dash to temporarily escape danger, and use the
Dynamite Headbutt to knock down anybody in your path. A good move in
both offense and defense.
Rating: 7.5/10

Stationary Special:(press A while standing still) A Double Spin Kick.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |***___________|
Strategy: There is no real strategy, just use it when you get cornered
or when you know 100 percent you will get hit by an enemy's attack.
Great for getting out of cheap shots. Unfortunately, this move has less
range and is lower than the other three characters' moves.
Rating: 7/10

Directed Special:(press A + <- or ->) A Corkscrew Kick.(Skate jumps in
the air and comes down diagonally in a corkscrew-type motion)(hits six
times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |***********___|
Strategy: Superb damage, but is inaccurate. As with a double-edged
sword, use at your own risk.
Rating: 6.5/10

Grabbing combo:(get close enough to an enemy to grab him/her/it, press
the directional button closest to your enemy, and press B repeatedly)
Two headbutts and an elbow.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |*****_________|
Strategy: The two headbutts are so weak, I'd recommend skipping the
whole thing and doing a Migraine/Neck Throw.
Rating: 4/10

Throw:(grab an enemy and press the button farthest away from the enemy +
B) A Roller Uppercut.(hits two times)
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |********______|
Strategy: Even though this move does good damage, it sucks because if
there is more than one enemy on the screen, the one you're not holding
will punch you out of it so fast it's unbelievable. Even casually
lenient enemies like Signals will become aggressive while you're doing
this. Migraines/Neck Throws are much safer.
Rating: 4/10

Vault:(grab an enemy and press C) A vault.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |N   O    N   E|
Strategy: Use to slam.
Rating: N/A.

Neck Throw:(press B while in the middle of vaulting) A Neck
Throw.(shocker!)       ______________
Maximum Damage: |******________|
Strategy: A great move for both invincibility and damage. Plus, it can
get you out of dangerous situations quickly. Use often.
Rating: 7.5/10

Slam:(grab an enemy from behind or vault from the front and press B) A
Migraine.(Skate gets behind the enemy and hits him six times on the
head)            ______________
Maximum Damage: |********______|
Strategy: This is one of Skate's best moves. The near-invincibility is
good paired with the damage, but you can get knocked down by anti-air
attacks.
Rating: 7.5/10

Flying Kick:(press C, then B while in the air and not moving left or
right) A Double Back Kick.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |****__________|
Strategy: Not only is this move's damage bad, but the range is pathetic
and you can easily get knocked down.
Rating: 3/10

Jump Kick:(do a Flying Kick while pressing <- or ->) A jump kick.
                ______________
Maximum Damage: |***___________|
Strategy: Better than Skate's Flying Kick, this move doesn't make you an
easy target and has good range. The poor damage, however, is a drawback.
Rating: 6/10

Downward Attack:(press C + <- or ->, then press down + B) A Roller
Press.           ______________
Maximum Damage: |****__________|
Strategy: I have trouble executing this move on an emulator, but it may
be of some use to other people for grabbing purposes.
Rating: N/A

____________________________________

D. Enemies                         ]
____________________________________


_Galsia_: The main punk of the game, you'll be meeting a LOT of these
guys. They usually have very little HP and like to use numbers to beat
you. When they have knives, they're annoying as hell. Just jump kick or
blitz them and they will turn back into a normal Galsia.

Description: A slim red-haired guy in denim jeans and a jacket.
Color variaties: Blue, green, orange, yellow, dark blue, white, grey.
Name variaties: Galsia, Talk, Joseph, Surger, B.T, Brash, Jonathan,
Garam.

AI/Strategy: All this punk really does is walk up to you and punch you a
couple of times, then step back and repeat. Just wail on him and you'll
be fine. If you see a Galsia with a knife, jump kick.

Difficulty: 1
Difficulty:(with knife) 3
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 2

Attacks:

Punch: A weak ass punch. Yippee.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Just smack the dude and he won't punch you.

Knife Run: Galsias can only do this if they have a knife. They run
across the screen at random speeds, eliminating anything in their path.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Jump kick, special, punch, blitz, anything. Just knock 'em out
of your path before they get you.


_Donovan_: Another standard punk, Donovan isn't much different than
Galsia, except that he has more HP, an uppercut attack, and occasionally
comes with a pipe.

Description: A shirtless bald guy with sunglasses and jeans similar to
Galsia's.
Color variaties: Blue, green, orange, yellow, dark blue, white, grey.
Name variaties: Donovan, U-3, Mc. K, Altet, Gonzalez, Reid, Z, Martin,
Brown, Gudden.

AI/Strategy: Like Galsia, he'll come up and punch you twice, but instead
of backing off, he'll finish you with an uppercut. He also uses the same
uppercut move if you jump too far into him. If he has a pipe, he'll aim
a horribly slow shot at you, which can be easily avoided with a blitz, a
jump kick, or a sidestep.

Difficulty: 1.5
Difficulty:(with a pipe) 2.5
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 2.5

Attacks:

Punch: Exactly the same as Galsia's punch.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: ...

Uppercut: An uppercut. Wow.
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Watch it when you jump kick him.

Pipe Smash: Donovans can only do this if they have a pipe. He'll swing
it at you, but it can't connect until half a second later, and by that
time, you should have him pinned.
        ________
Damage: |*****___|
Strategy: Do any kind of attack that will drop the Donovan before he can
connect. Or you could just sidestep it...


_Signal_: A fairly common street punk, Signals love indirect combat.
They will either aim a backhand punch, throw you, or slide you, all
which are annoying attacks. They also have more HP than Donovans and
Galsias.

Description: Geeky-looking guys with mohawks, black jeans, and brightly-
colored loose jackets.
Color variaties: Yellow, red, purple, blue, green, dark green.
Name variaties: Y. Signal, Mavin, Axi, G. Signal, R. Signal, B. Signal,
D. Signal, P. Signal.

AI/Strategy: If you are within a certain distance, he'll slide you. If
you're right in front of him, he'll do a backhand punch. Sometimes when
you grab him, he'll throw you. How can you avoid all of this? Easy,
don't let him do anything! Take advantage of his lack of aggressiveness
by constantly beating him up in close range 'till he's dead. And make
sure you don't beat down heavy on a punk and leave a Signal unattended.
He _will_ slide you when given the opportunity.

Difficulty: 2
Difficulty:(when paired with other enemies) 3.5

Attacks:

Slide: Right out of the blue, a Signal can do this and send you to the
ground.
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Stay out of mid-range.

Backhand Punch: Signals can turn around and quickly take you down with
this.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Since Signals can often do this in a heartbeat, it is best to
maul them before they can even start this move.

Throw: Signals will occasionally throw you if you try to grab them.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Hold Up + C and you will land unharmed.


_Knife Maniac_:(unofficial name) Fairly uncommon and acting as "mini-
bosses", Knife Maniacs love to use knives. They pull one out every time
they lose one(yes, they have infinite knives) and try to cut you up
whenever possible. They also have a lot of HP, so stay on your toes.

Description: A crazed guy wearing a jacket full of knives and jeans with
holes in the knees.
Color variaties: Orange, grey, purple.(hair color)
Name variaties: Jack, Beano, Soya.

AI/Strategy: Never stay in the same horizontal row with a Knife Maniac,
or they will throw a knife across the screen at you. When he isn't
carrying one, he'll try to combo you into submission. Try to grab him
from above/below, as that is his weak spot. He isn't much trouble if you
keep grabbing him from all directions. Combos and blitzes are also good
to use.

Difficulty: 4
Difficulty:(when paired with other enemies) 6

Attacks:

Knife Combo: A series of knife jabs while walking.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Sidestep, blitz, combo, or stay out of his way.

Knife Throw: Knife Maniacs can do this from all the way across the
screen.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Stay. Out. Of. Range.

Quick Combo: Two jabs and a straight.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|(credits go to Dan Gallagher for finding this)
Strategy: Never dangle in close range unless you're going to beat the
crap out of him.


_Electra_: Sort of like the Knife Maniac, Electras have a lot of HP.
They love to whip you and jump-kick you into submission, and can be very
annoying with other enemies. If I'm not mistaken, Electras in Streets of
Rage 2 can also deliver a shocking amount of voltage through their
whips...

Descrption: What the hell do you think a dominatrix looks like?
Color variaties: Blue, orange, white, dark blue.
Name variaties: Electra, Metal M., Sug. Q, Eldy, Nora, Bloody, L. Lisa,
Reine, Caska, Enola, Dallala, Zora.

AI/Strategy: When you're dealing with a woman who can whip, shock, and
jump kick you from a distance, the best way to defeat her is constant
grabbing.(not like that, you pervert!) Don't underestimate an Electra's
quickness, as she can jump kick you pretty fast. If you're next to her,
combo like there's no tomorrow. If you're far away from her, either get
out of range or throw an enemy at her. She's pretty easy to defeat by
herself, but she's very dangerous with other punks, so always stay on
alert.

Difficulty: 3
Difficulty:(when paired with other enemies) 6.5

Attacks:

Whip: ...________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: See AI/Stretegy.

Electric Whip: ...
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Don't stay in the same horizontal row with her...

Jump Kick: ...
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Same as above.


_Biker_: One of the most unique enemies in Streets of Rage 2, the biker
can be very annoying. Whether they're on bikes, in groups, or by
themselves, they love to knock you down in one hit. They can also grab
you from behind, which then you must either back attack or special,
depending on what level you're on. They are also the only enemies to use
bombs.

Description: A lanky guy with no shirt, striped pants, shoulder pads,
and a helmet.
Color variaties: Yellow, green, orange, light blue, purple.
Name variaties: Fog, Gale, Wanter, Blade, Typhoon, Tornado, Gust, Storm,
Frost, Tempest, Hail, Mist, Calm, Dew.

AI/Strategy: There are several types of bikers: they can be on bikes and
zoom across the screen, be without their bike, jump off their bike to
fight you, weild a pipe, weild a bomb, be in the scenery, fly across the
screen in their bike, or contunue trying to run you down until you're
dead. If they're on their bikes, bikers can be defeated with one jump
kick. If alone, however, things can get more tricky, as they have more
HP. Since his only ground attack is a combo with good range, you should
figure out some way to approach the biker without getting
clobbered.(blitz, jump kick, downward attack, etc.) Then, unleash hell
on the defenseless little biker and continue doing so until he's down
for the count. Grabbing is risky business. He can cheat and grab you
from behind when you're facing him, then follow immediately afterwards
with a knockdown punch. He is also pretty fast with a pipe, so keep that
in mind.

Difficulty:(with bike) 2
Difficulty:(without bike) 3
Difficulty:(with pipe) 3.5
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 5

Attacks:

Combo: This is the biker's only ground move without using the pipe or
bike. Annoying as ****.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: See AI/Strategy.

Pipe Smash: Bikers can only do this with a pipe.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Attack, attack, attack!

Run Over: Bikers can only do this if they have a bike.
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Jump kick or sidestep.


_Samurai Warrior_:(note: I have no clue whatsoever whether or not they
are actual samurai, I just call them that) The main job of this guy is
to move around faster than you and eventually knock you down. He's very
annoying in medium range, and can be a threat when you're dealing with
multiple enemies.

Description: A shirtless dude in a fancy-looking pair of pants.
Color variaties: White, orange, purple.
Name variaties: Hakuyo, Ryokurou, Suzaku, Ko-Shu, Byatcko, Hakuro, Ko-
Kaku, Suicho, Seiryu, Rakan, Ho-oh,(wait a minute...) Kongoh, Ashurah.

AI/Strategy: Like Electra, the Samurai Warrior's weakness is close range
and grabbing. Try your best to stay out of his way until you can grab
him, then beat the living crap out of him and continue doing so until he
dies. Combos are effective, so use them as well. The Samurai Warrior can
also jump kick a good distance.

Difficulty: 3.5
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 6.5

Attacks:

Palm Strike: The Samurai Warrior juts his arm out and his hand emits a
charge. Similar to Blaze's Kikousho.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Avoid staying in the same horizontal row with him...

Combo: Two weak slaps and a pimpslap.(a slap with knockdown)
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Combo him before he combos you.

Jump Kick: ...
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Same as Palm Strike.


_Ninja_: These annoying bastards will have you on a wild goose chase.
They jump around and either throw you, combo you, or swipe you with
their swords/kunais. They are really fast, and like to distract you
until they can attack. When mixed up with other enemies or a boss, they
can be deadly.

Description: A scuba diver. 'Nuff said.
Color variaties: Blue, green, orange, grey, yellow, dark blue.
Name variaties: Kusanagi, Hanzou, Ryuohin, Ranzou, Setsura, Izayoi,
Yagasira, Unsai, Tenzen, Genyosai, Kanzou, Jay, Buoh, Huwa, Mutsu.

AI/Strategy: Since they're so freaking hard to catch, deal with other
enemies before them.(unless they have a weapon) If they have a sword,
blitz/combo/grab them and take the sword. If they have a kunai, get a
long way away from them, let them do a Spinning Kunai Jump, then jump-
kick/do a flying kick. Throw the kunai/sword if you're not going to use
it, because Ninjas will pick up their weapons after losing them. Jump
kicks are mostly useless, as the Ninjas will become invincible and do a
weird defensive sliding move away from you. Grabbing is risky, as Ninjas
can throw you if they don't have a weapon.

Difficulty: 4
Difficulty:(with sword) 6
Difficulty:(with kunai) 5
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 6

Attacks:

Combo: A punch and a slash.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Don't stand there like an idiot! Attack!

Sword Slash: ...
        ________
Damage: |*****___|
Strategy: Get out of his way.

Kunai Stab: ...
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Same as the Sword Slash.

Spinning Sword Jump: Ninjas can only do this if they have a sword.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Be more subtle when approaching him.

Spinning Kunai Jump: Ninjas can only do this if they have a kunai. They
jump across the screen with it.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Jump kick when they do this.

Single Star Throw: The Ninja throws one of his stars at you.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Stay out of long range if they don't have a kunai.

Triple Star Throw: Similar to Shinobi's move, the Ninja jumps in the air
and throws three stars in varying angles.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Same as above, but easier to avoid.

Downward Attack: ...
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Stay out of mid-range.

Low Kick: The Ninja ducks down to the floor and kicks you at your feet.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: ...

Throw: ...
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Don't go for grabbing attacks unless he has a weapon.


_Vehelits_: The weirdest enemy in the game, Vehelits has only one
attack, to knock you down. It floats around attached to the wall while
making disturbing noises and trying to fling itself at you. What else is
there to say?

Description: A face-looking thingy attached to the wall by(what looks
like) chains.
Color variaties: Vehelits is unique, it has no clones.
Name variaties: Vehelits.

AI/Strategy: Since it floats in the air, your only defense is jump-
kicking. Watch out, you need to hit at percisely the right depth for the
attack to connect.(Side note: Am I the only person that has trouble with
this enemy?)

Difficulty: 4
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 5

Attacks:

Knock Down: ...
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Jump kick...


_Firebreather_: Even though this baseball fan looks like a defenseless
fat loser, he can do plenty of things to take you down. He can combo
you, jump all over you, and even breathe fire while running across the
screen!(hence the name) He also has plenty of HP. Completely vaulnerable
by himself, but can be a menace if he is assisted with a few other
punks.

Description: An extremely obese guy wearing overalls and a hat.
Color variaties: Red, blue, green, purple.
Name variaties: Big Ben, Big-Go, Heart, Anry, Balloon, Bongo, Gourmand,
Golba, Buffet, Dante, Titan.

AI/Strategy: Grabbing is your best bet. You can also combo them after
they land from a jump. If you see one of these dudes breathing fire
across the screen, either get out of the way or throw another punk at
him. He is also open to attack when he gets up, but back off when you
knock him over the side of the screen...

Difficulty: 2.5
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 5.5

Attacks:

Combo: Two slaps and a pimpslap.
        ________
Damage: |******__|
Strategy: Combo him first.

Jump Attack: The Firebreather jumps and uses his girth as a weapon.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Sidestep, and don't try to stop him while he is doing this.

Jump Kick: The Firebreather will choose between this attack and the one
above.   ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Same as above.

Firebreathing Attack: Don't even ask me how he pulls this off.
        ________
Damage: |*****___|
Strategy: See AI/Strategy.

_Kickboxer_: Another of the cast of annoying punks. The Kickboxer can
not only fully block your attacks, but has a good range and can grab
you. Having a good deal of HP, they can make you in for a rough ride,
whether it be alone, or in groups.(like in Stage 6)

Description: A tall guy wearing a shirt, shorts, a bandana, and tape
around his hands and feet.
Color variaties: Red, green, blue.
Name variaties: Eagle, Raven, Ibis, Condor, Galuda, Sparrow, Falcon,
Bantam, Pheasant, Thrush, Raptor, Phoenix.

AI/Strategy: Blitzes are the most effective against Kickboxers. Since
they can block your attacks and occasionally grab you, combos and grabs
are not recommended. Jump kicks are also not a good idea, as they have
an anti-air attacks. If you are dealing with this guy and other punks,
either pay attention to him or throw other enemies into him, as you
would do to a Signal. DO NOT try and grab a Kickboxer when he does the
Jumping Knee, as they will most likely grab you.

Difficulty: 3
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 5.5

Attacks:

Kick Combo: Two kicks and a double-hit kick.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Blitz or combo.

Jumping Knee: Similar to a downward attack.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Avoid so he can't grab you afterwards.

Grabbing Combo: Up to seven knees and a double-hit kick.
        ________
Damage: |*******_|
Strategy: Don't try to grab.

Anti-Air Kick: Exactly what it sounds like.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Don't jump.


____________________________________

E. Bosses                          {
____________________________________

At the end of every stage, there is a large enemy with enormous amounts
of HP and skill, called a boss. Here is a list of the bosses:


___Barbon___: A beefed-up bartender, Barbon wants to show you who's boss
at the end of Stage 1. He has a fairly good arrangement of moves, walks
fast, and can partially block some of your attacks. He also has quite a
few Galsias/Donovans as backup.

Description: A muscular bartender with no shirt.
Color variaties: White, dark purple, orange.
Name variaties: Barbon, Wayne, Vulture.

AI/Strategy: Barbon loves to move around a lot, so you need to execute
"on the go" moves. Get up close to him, pull the punches first, blitz,
then back off when you take him down, as he will roundhouse-kick you
when he gets up. Also beware when you grab him, as he will throw you
often. If you can, pin him to the wall as Max. Then you can do infinite
Atomic Drops 'till he dies.(only works with Wayne and Vulture)

Difficulty: 4.5
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 6.5

Attacks:

Punch: ...
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Once you get close to him, pound him into submission before he
can do anything.

Roundhouse Kick: Barbon sweeps you with his foot. He often uses this
when he gets up after being knocked down.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Back off when he gets up, and don't linger too long in his
range.

High Kick: This is sort of an anti-air move, like Donovan's uppercut.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Just don't jump too far into him.

Throw: Exactly the same as Signal's throw.
        ________
Damage: |*****___|
Strategy: Don't go in for grabs too often. If you do decide to grab him,
damage him first so that he will be stunned.


___Jet___: Jet is an annoying little bugger who rides around on a
jetpack, waiting to inflict pain on you at the end of Stage 2. He only
has three attacks, but he can use them quite efficiently. Throws are
ineffective on this guy because his jetpack starts up before he hits the
ground. He also has very little HP for a boss. Jet isn't really hard by
himself, but when you double the Jets, you almost double the difficulty.

Description: A blond-haired guy with goggles in a suit with a jetpack
attached to it.
Color variaties: Grey, blue, green.
Name variaties: Jet, Comet, Spitfire, Mosquite, Blitz, Tomcat, Bomber,
Mach, Stealth, Kite, Griphis.

AI/Strategy: If you get far away from him, he'll drop and do a flying
punch. Do a flying kick/jump kick or a sidestep to counter this. If
you're medium range/close range to him, he'll slowly rise up, then do a
diagonal charge. Sidestep the charge/take advantage of the "Jet
glitch"(see "Other things I noticed" for more info on this), judge where
he will stop, and grab/combo him. If you're dead under him, he'll drop,
pick you up high, and slam you into the floor hard. When you're Axel,
you can Vertical Kick to stop this. If you get slammed, Jet will be open
to attack when you get up. So the best strategy is to go in middle range
and let him do a diagonal charge. If you're fighting more than one of
these guys, get in middle range of all of them, let them diagonal
charge, then concentrate on one without not having to deal with the
others. Also, if you hold him from behind too long, he will break
through your hold with Autostart. You can stay far away and make him do
flying punches so that you can jump-kick him into oblivion.

Difficulty: 4.5
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 6.5
Difficulty:(when paired with another Jet) 8

Attacks:

Flying Punch: Jet drops, puts his fist out, and rushes the ground with
it.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Do a flying kick/jump-kick/sidestep it.

Diagonal Charge: Jet slowly rises, then diagonally charges to the floor.
        ________
Damage: |*******_|
Strategy: See AI/strategy. Flying kicks aren't very effective against
this.

Vertical Slam: If you're under him, Jet will drop, pick you up, then
slam you to the ground. If he misses, he will go into a Flying Punch.
        ________
Damage: |******__|
Strategy: Don't get under him!

Autostart: If you hold Jet from behind for 3/4 of a second, his jetpack
will automatically start and you will be burned.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: If you're gonna slam him, slam him fast.


___Zamza___: Occupying the Alien House in Stage 3, Zamza isn't very
happy about your precense. He'll flip all over the place, only stopping
to slide, slam, swing his claws, or just plain hurt you. He can also
block, so keep that in mind. Most people claim this guy's hard, but with
timing and strategy, he can be easily conquered.

Description: Futuristic alien-looking guy in shades and snow-white hair,
covered with armor and armed with wicked claws.
Color variaties: Blue, red.
Name variaties: Zamza, Souther, Nail.

AI/Strategy: He jumps around the screen quite frequently, so you have to
be on the move as well. One very effective tactic is to patiently wait
'till he jumps near you, predict where he will land, then grab him RIGHT
WHEN HE LANDS. If you're more than one-sixth of a second off, he'll slam
you. Combos aren't very effective, as he blocks almost all of it and
claws you afterwards. If you're Axel or Max, blitzes are effective.
Never stay in the horizontal range of this guy, or he will punish you
from afar. Just stick to grabbing him when he lands, and you should beat
him pretty easy.(see "Other things I noticed" for info on an alternative
method using Max)

Difficulty: 6
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 6.5
Difficulty:(when paired with Jet as the Stage 6 boss) 7.5

Attacks:

Foot Slide: Zamza slides forward with his foot knocking anything in his
path down.
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: If you are far away from Zamza, he will choose between this
and the Clawing Jump. Moral: stay close at all times.

Clawing Jump: Zamza does a long-range spinning jump with his claws
sticking out.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: See above, lazy.

Lunging Jump: If you're medium range from him, Zamza will hover
mysteriously in the air for a half second, then come rushing down with
his foot.
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Sidestep...

Suplex:(thanks to Dan Gallagher for classifying this move) He does this
if you hesitate to grab him when he lands.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: If you get hit by this, it's your own fault. Sharpen those
reflex skills...

Clawing Uppercut: You figure it out.
        ________
Damage: |*******_|
Strategy: He does this if you are in close range of him, so...don't go
there, girlfriend! *snaps fingers*

Claw Combo: Two weak claws.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Don't get too close.


___Abadede___: Remember that guy from Streets of Rage 1 who kept doing
charging uppercuts? He's back, and he means business in Stage 4. He
knows a lot more than how to charge uppercut this time, and can be quite
deadly if you don't know how to deal with him. He can also break out of
your grabs/combos quite quickly, and has some of the strongest moves of
any enemy in the game. Beware of his combo as well.

Description: A black-haired, muscular professional wrestler with knee-
high white boots.
Color variaties: Red, purple.(boot color)
Name variaties: Abadede, Z. Kusano.

AI/Strategy: First of all, Abadede does NOT like to be pounded on. DO
NOT combo him unless you're Max, as you will feel the wrath of Abadede
after the first couple of hits.(unless you want to risk it and combo
slowly with Axel, Blaze, or Skate) Secondly, you cannot grab him unless
you're very, very lucky. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred he'll suplex
you and you _will_ regret it.(unless you want to risk it again and
downward attack him[see Characters and Strategies for more info]) Even
if you DO grab him, he'll break out in a half second unless you unleash
pain fast. So, how do you damage him without him retorting? Well, there
are different ways for different characters. With Axel, just punch him
twice, then Vertical Kick. With Max, combo him to death. With Blaze, hit
him twice, then Vertical Slash.(this is risky) With Skate, punch him
once, then go into a Dynamite Headbutt quick. No matter which character
you use, ALWAYS stay close to him. If you don't, he'll most likely
charge uppercut you. Also, if you knock Abadede off the screen, get to
the opposite side fast, as he will try to charge uppercut you, and you
will have advance warning if you're across the screen.

Difficulty: 7
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 8.5

Attacks:

Charging Uppercut: When you least expect it, Abadede charges you from
afar and ends in a nasty uppercut.
        ________
Damage: |*******_|
Strategy: Stay near him at all costs!

Suplex: Most times when you try and grab him, Abadede does this in
retort.
        ________
Damage: |*******_|
Strategy: Don't even think about grabbing him unless you're going to
downward attack him.

Throw: ...
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: This is a rare move that Abadede only performs in the lower
difficulty levels.(Normal and below)

Combo: Two chops and a downward chop.
        ________
Damage: |******__|
Strategy: Stay close, but never dangle in his range unless you're going
to hit him.

Grabbing Combo: Another rare move performed in the lower difficulty
levels,(Normal and below) Abadede grabs you, hits you with a bottle
opener twice(thanks to Truncated for this info), then (oddly) lets you
go.
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: ...

Break Through: Abadede becomes invincible and thrusts his arms outward
in a defensive position.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: One of the most important things when facing this boss, NEVER
POUND ON HIM!(unless you're Max)

Square Uppercut: I call it this because Abadede uppercuts in a 90 degree
angle.
        ________
Damage: |*****___|
Strategy: If you're Blaze, Vertical Slash carefully.

Jump Attack: Abadede jumps and uses his weight as a weapon.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Stay out of mid range and when he does this when you get up,
use this advantage and grab him when he lands.


___R. Bear___: One of the toughest dogs in the game, R. Bear is a real
bastard to take down at the end of Stage 5. He's a pro-boxer, and won't
be afraid to punch your lights out in a heartbeat. He moves really fast
across the screen, only stopping to knock you down with an assortment of
fast punches. If you have a sword/pipe, R. Bear is really easy to defeat
due to his lack of a better range, but without it, prepare for a rough
fight.

Description: An extremely beefy bald dude with black and white stripes
on his shirt and boxing gloves.
Color Variaties: Red, green.
Name variaties: R. Bear, Bear Jr.

AI/Strategy: Another "on the go" boss, R. Bear loves to move around you
and eventually strike, so that means you must pull the punches first. He
isn't very powerful, but he does move fast and act fast. Do not stay in
his horizontal row unless you're going to pound him into submission.
Don't get too close to him, because he will often grab you and beat you
to the ground. You have to have quick reflexes if you want to combo him
and get away with it. Blitzes are effective for all except Blaze, so use
them. Use Skate's speed to your advantage and corner R. Bear when he
least expects it. Most of all, KEEP MOVING! If you stay in the same spot
for too long, you are sure Bear-prey. Also watch out for a charging
uppercut similar to Abadede's and a high-flying cannonball that Bear
performs if you're not in his immediate horizontal range. If you have a
pipe/sword, get in his range and slash away. Just keep on him and ALWAYS
pull the punches first or you will regret it.

Here's an alternate strategy by Anthony. If you knock him down, get in
the middle of him, and special when he gets up, he will do an uppercut,
both of you will miss, and you will recover before Bear. That way, you
can grab him with ease.(doesn't work with Bear Jr.) Also, thanks to
Truncated for posting this tip in his FAQ, as that's where I found it.

Difficulty: 8.5
Difficulty:(when paired with other punks) 9
Difficulty:(if you have a pipe/sword) 4

Attacks:

Combo: Two jabs and a straight.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Since this move is performed lightning-fast, the only way to
get out of this combo is to special. Not much to say except hit him
before he hits you.

Cannonball: R. Bear jumps in the air headed for you, hoping to squish
you in his enormous weight.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Either sidestep it, or if you're Axel, Grand Upper so that the
punch will be aimed at Bear.

Charging Uppercut: Same as Abadede's but not as deadly.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: ...

Grabbing combo: A flurry of knees and headbutts.
        ________
Damage: |******__|
Strategy: Don't grab him unless you can pay the price.

Elbow Jab: When you hold him from behind for too long, R. Bear will gut
you in the stomach with his elbow.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: ...

Jumping Uppercut: ...
        ________
Damage: |**______|(thanks to Truncated for this)
Strategy: You shouldn't be that close to him in the first place.



___Molecule/Particule___: Two robots who want to kick your can at the
end of Stage 7. They jump around frequently and if you get caught in
their horizontal row, they'll thrust their maces out at you or shoot you
with their lasers. They will also electrocute you if you try to grab
them for too long. Still, they're pretty easy for Stage 7 bosses.

Description: A metal robot with one eye and maces attached to it's
shoulders.
Color variaties: Grey, light red.
Name variaties: Molecule, Particle, Oxygen, Isotope, Hydrogen, Mercury,
Uranium.

AI/Strategy: Like Zamza, Particule/Molecule likes to jump around the
screen frequently. Use the same strategy as you do for Zamza except now
you don't have to deal with annoying blocking and clawing attacks.
Beware when it gets low on health, as Particule/Molecule will attempt to
self-destruct in your immediate area.

Difficulty: 4
Difficulty:(when paired with another robot) 6

Attacks:

Stretch Punch: A punch with longer distance.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: You figure it out...

Diagonal Stretch Punch: Used as an anti-air attack.(only in Hard and
above)
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Don't jump.

Laser: Molecule/Particule ducks to the ground and shoots a laser from
it's eye.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Don't stay too far away from the robot.

Oval Stretch Punch: Molecule/Particle takes it's mace and swings it
around in an oval shape.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: If you see it doing this attack, sidestep.

Electrocute: If you grab it for too long, Molecule/Particle will
electrocute you.
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Throw/whatever fast, or don't grab at all.

Self-Destruct: When Molecule/Particle gets low on health, it'll try to
blow itself up near you.
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: Grab/blitz Molecule/Particle right as it lands.


___Shiva___: In my opinion, Shiva is a cheap boss. He fully blocks
almost everything you do and counterattacks when you hit him once. You
can't grab him at all unless you're very lucky. Only jump kicks and
specials are effective, so either you'll waste two lives beating him or
run out of time. He also has an annoying selection of moves ranging from
a jump kick to a slide n' hit move called "Final Crash".

Description: A ninja in a black robe with red tape around his fists.
Color variaties: Shiva is a unique boss, he has no clones.
Name variaties: Shiva.

AI/Strategy: Blitz, jump kick, or special. Pick one, but do NOT combo. I
really don't have a strategy for this boss, I just special 'till he
drops.

Difficulty: 8

Attacks:

Final Crash: Shiva slides, then does a somersault in your face.
        ________
Damage: |****____|
Strategy: Stay out of long range.

Combo: Two Palm Strikes, a straight, and a High Kick.(thanks to Dan
Gallagher for reminding me)
        ________
Damage: |******__|
Strategy: Don't stay in close range for too long.

Hit and Slam: After grabbing you and hitting you, Shiva vaults and slams
you.
        ________
Damage: |*******_|
Strategy: If you get caught in this, special before Shiva vaults, as it
is unstoppable after that.

Jump Kick: ...
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Avoid, simple as that.

Flaming Roundhouse Kick: Shiva's special attack.(i.e. he is
invincible)(creds to Dan Gallagher)
        ________
Damage: |***_____|
Strategy: DON'T COMBO. EVER. Just don't do it.

Downward Attack: A Downward Palm Strike.(again, credits go to Dan
Gallagher)
        ________
Damage: |*_______|
Strategy: Actually, when Shiva does this, this is your chance to attack.


___Mr. X___: Back to seek his revenge, Mr. X is just as annoying as he
was in Streets of Rage. He didn't learn any new moves this time
around,(in fact, he only has two, which is pathetic) so you might
experience deja vu when fighting him. He can be tough if you let his
thugs get in your way, and sometimes he mows them down while trying to
get to you! Mr. X may seem tough, but with timed grabs and lots of
throws, you can beat the final boss without too much difficulty.(read:
without TOO much difficulty)

Description: A very tall guy wearing a green jacket and carrying a
Uzi.(or whatever the hell it is)
Color variaties: Mr. X is a unique boss, he has no clones.
Name variaties: Mr. X.

AI/Strategy: When Mr. X gets up, get as far away from him as possible,
as he is prone to do a Uzi Ram when he gets up. Remember, throws are
your best friend here, so unless you're Max, throw like crazy. If you
are in the middle of the room and he starts shooting from a corner, do
standing specials like a madman, because it's IMPOSSIBLE, I repeat,
IMPOSSIBLE to jump over the stream of bullets as Max if you're in the
middle of the room.(however, if you're at the top of the screen, you can
easily jump the bullets)(I've found it's possible to do it as Axel in
the middle of the room) Also, if you're Max, when Mr. X starts shooting,
you can get behind him and do an Atomic Drop on him, which helps a lot.
Remember, Mr. X's backup is enormous, but not infinite. Eventually,
he'll run out of mindless thugs to sic on you.(right before this
happens, a 10,000 point Galsia named Talk faces you) Blitzes are always
good to use, so keep that in mind. Also, beware when you get near him to
grab, as he will attempt to Uzi Ram you. For best results, try grabbing
him from below/above so he can't react.

Difficulty: 7

Attacks:

Uzi Ram: Mr. X smacks you with his machine gun for lots of damage.
        ________
Damage: |*****___|
Strategy: Be careful when trying to grab.

Shooting Frenzy: Mr. X goes in a corner and fires away.
        ________
Damage: |**______|
Strategy: Special, get in the opposite corner, or get behind Mr. X.


____________________________________

F. Items and weapons               }
____________________________________

Here I will list all the items/weapons in the game, as well as the
damage done, points scored, or HP healed by using the item/weapon. In
the weapons category, I will give a description, damage figure, and
strategies with the weapon.(like in the "Moves and how to use them"
section) Also, there will be a section called "Usefulness" which lists
the characters in order from the best with that weapon to the worst.

Knife: Just your basic, ordinary run-of-the-mill knife. Blaze has a
special advantage with this weapon.
        _______
Damage: |***____|
Strategy: The only time the knife comes to use is if you're playing
Mania and need to drop the enemies fast. Otherwise, avoid like the
plague.
Usefulness: Blaze, Skate, Axel, Max.

Sword: The best weapon in the game, the sword has long range, and Max
can hit on both sides with this weapon and the pipe.
        _______
Damage: |*******|
Strategy: Use at all times possible. This weapon should never be dropped
under any circumstances. None.(unless you're Skate)
Usefulness: Max, Blaze, Axel, Skate.

Kunai: Just like a knife, but worse. Ninjas carry them. Also, Blaze has
no advantage with this weapon.
        _______
Damage: |***____|
Strategy: Never EVER use this unless you're in Mania.
Usefulness: Skate, Blaze, Axel, Max.

Pipe: Exactly like the sword, except it does a little less damage.
        _______
Damage: |****___|
Strategy: Use this if there isn't a sword around.
Usefulness: Max, Blaze, Axel, Skate.

Bomb: Definately the worst weapon in the game, these are dropped by
speeding bikers and sometimes bikers in the scenery. They explode after
three or so seconds, whether you use it or not.
        _______
Damage: |**_____|
Strategy: Unless you're asking for a death wish, don't even think about
tampering with these things. In fact, the bomb does less damage if you
throw it!(thanks to Truncated for this info)
Usefulness: All characters use the bomb the same way.

And now, the items...

Apple: Restores 25% of your HP.
Roast: Restores all of your HP.
Cash Bag: Gives you 1000 points.
Gold Bar: Gives you 5000 points.
1-UP: Gives you an extra life.(rare)


____________________________________

G. Walkthrough                     \
____________________________________

Here I will list a guide to beating the game, plus some strategies for
dealing with certain combinations of enemies and locations of secret
items. First though, I will tell you the differences between the
difficulties...

Very Easy - I really pity anyone who loses more than five lives on this
difficulty. Minimum enemies with no AI, a horrible selection of moves,
and almost no HP makes this difficulty easy as cake. Even somebody who
has never played video games can beat this.

Easy - Still pathetic. Enemies have a little better selection of moves
and will punch you for a change, but there still is a massive lack of
HP/aggressiveness.(Side note: There is an extra Donovan that pops out of
Barbon's bar right as you leave it. The Donovan, oddly enough, is only
in this difficulty level.)

Normal - Kinda easy. More enemies pop up, and have a wide variety of
moves. They are also smart for a change and will catch you off-guard
occasionally...

Hard - Normal difficulty level right here. The enemies are no pushovers
and have good amounts of HP. This difficulty is the first to present
aggressiveness.

Hardest - Definately a hard difficulty. Enemies are far more aggressive,
and have tons of HP, making this difficulty way tougher than Hard. To
tell you the truth, I've only beaten Hardest once with Axel.

Mania - WHOA NELLY!! This difficulty is so hard, I don't know where to
start. The enemies are SUPER AGGRESSIVE, and will walk right up to you
and beat the living crap out of you, sort of like in Streets of Rage.
Also, new enemies pop up everywhere with a load of HP and all move
faster than Skate. Almost all of the bosses have four-star lifebars, and
are extremely agile as well. You'll be very hard-pressed to find someone
who has beaten Mania.

And now, on with the walkthrough...(the stages are coded with various
characters for convenience)(this walkthrough is for the Normal level,
but additional enemies in higher difficulties will be listed)

*************************************
*Stage 1, Scene 1: Pimpin' the streets*
*************************************

This is the typical "get adjusted to the game" stage that gets you used
to the controls. Start by thrashing a few weak Galsias and grabbing a
cash bag from a trash bin. A couple of Signals will walk onto the
screen,(three on Hardest and Mania) but they won't have any brains, so
they shouldn't be a problem.

Keep going, and the road will turn to a diagonal direction, where you
must beat up some Galsias/Donovans that come from the sides, and a
Yellow Signal halfway down the turn. Beat up all the Galsias/Donovans
before you get to the Signal. At the end, the road will go back to being
horizontal, where a Red Signal and his cronies await you.

Beat them up, and progress right when you see the "Go" sign flash up.
Two 10,000 point Donovans, Mc. K and Altet, will come out of manholes
with pipes, assisted by a few Galsias. Grab the pipes and smack them
into submission while grabbing some powerups from the trash bins as you
meet a Yellow Signal at the end of the screen.

More fun comes around the corner as two Yellow Signals attack assisted
by quite a few Galsias/Donovans. When you walk right a bit, a couple
more Donovans will come from the left side. After tangling with them,
walk right until you see Jack come out of the driveway. First, beat up
the crouching Donovan before Jack gets into "action mode." Then, deal
with Jack without anybody to distract you. Also, don't save the roast in
the road signs for too long, or you might kill Jack and not be able to
get it in time. Either way, you will progress into the bar...

*************************
*Stage 1, Scene 2: The bar*
*************************

First of all, know that the Signals in this place are smarter than their
street buddies, and will slide you at a moment's notice. Knowing that,
knock over the first set of tables/chairs while contending to a Donovan.
Then, move on and two Signals will try and wipe you out. After dealing
with them, move to the end of the screen where another Signal with a
couple of Galsias/Donovans await.

Another "Go" sign will flash up, and a big team of Galsias/Donovans will
try to gang up on you. Remember, contend with the enemies on-screen,
THEN proceed forward. After a long walk down the bar, you will meet
Electra, who has quite a bit of HP and acts as a mini-boss. You will
also see Barbon leave the bar in the background, so you know something's
up.

****************************
*Stage 1, Scene 3: Back alley*
****************************

When you first get to this scene, you will notice that not only is it
raining, but Barbon and his backup Galsias/Donovans/Signals await you.
Beat up as much of Barbon's backup as you can without "activating"
him,(i.e. walking too close to him) and this fight will be much easier.
After twenty seconds of the timer, Barbon will activate whether you're
ready or not. There's a roast in the trash can.(nasty!) After draining
Barbon's life, you will have beaten Stage 1.

-------------------------------
-Stage 2, Scene 1: On the bridge-
-------------------------------

As you start Stage 2, you will notice lots of bikers whizzing by. Just
stay at the bottom and 90% of them will not hit you. Luckily for you,
the ones that stay on their bikes can be defeated with one jump kick.
One speeding biker and a flying green biker named Blade(a 10,000 point
punk[see "Secrets, hints and codes" for more information]) will pass you
as a few Donovans meet you at the end of the screen.

Another biker will cross the top of the screen and a few
Galsias/Donovans will assault you. Trash them, then progress right and
do the same thing to more Galsias. Keep going, and you will notice two
barrels, one which has a pipe in it. Grab the pipe if you're Max/Blaze
and two more bikers at the top will speed along, then another one who
will jump off his bike and face you. He has more HP than his rubber-
burning counterparts, so watch out.

Yet another duo of bikers will rush across the top of the screen,(one
will jump off) and a Donovan will come from behind. Knock them out
easily, then continue going right until two jumping bikers and an
"aggressive" biker(aka. one who continues speeding across the screen in
the same horizontal row that you are) assisted with a Galsia and a
Donovan appear. Keep on going until you reach two more barrels, one
contains an apple while the other houses a gold bar. An aggressive biker
and a bomb-weilding biker rush across the top, followed by a biker at
the bottom who jumps off(you need to move to the middle when you reach
the gold bar) and yet another aggressive biker.

As soon as the "Go" sign flashes, two bomb-weilding bikers will race
across the screen. Avoid the bombs, and progress forward. Two flying
bikers will drive across, then two more bikers. Move some more and a
biker named Fog will jump off his bike and face you. At the end of the
screen, Blade and a Yellow Signal will try and diminish you. Grab some
items, including a cash bag and a roast, before you kill both thugs.

-----------------------------
-Stage 2, Scene 2: In da truck-
-----------------------------

When you start this scene, you will notice that there are bikers on the
wall, one of which has a pipe. You can't hurt them yet. Walk to the end
of the truck and face a Samurai Warrior named Hakuyo. After thrashing
him, the bikers on the wall will come to life assisted by another
Samurai Warrior. Grab the pipe off one of them and you're in for some
smooth sailing. After that, the truck will stop and your character will
special through the wall.(it won't hurt you, though)

------------------------------------
-Stage 2, Scene 3: Back on the bridge-
------------------------------------

Start by grabbing a secret extra life in the top left-hand corner.(it's
hidden behind the truck) A couple of Galsias/Donovans will try and
overwhelm you. Smash up a couple of roadblocks to reveal a cash bag and
an apple while two Galsias and a Yellow Signal await you.

When the "Go" sign flashes, a swarm of weak Galsias called Surgers will
confront you. This can be a real problem in Mania. After dealing with
them, move on and face Jet. There's a cash bag and a roast hidden in the
roadblocks. Take on Jet's Donovans before you face him. If he has an
accomplice, kill the main Jet and the accomplice will die as well. Now
on to Stage 3...

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&Stage 3, Scene 1: Yay! Theme Park!&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

At the beginning of this stage, three Galsias will team up on you. After
that, two Donovans and a biker will confront you. Deal with the biker
first, as he is the most annoying.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&Stage 3, Scene 2: Fun at the arcade&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

This scene goes diagonally, like the road in Stage 1. Trash a few Bare
Knuckle machines containing three cash bags, a gold bar, and an apple
while dealing with the angry Donovans/Signals who were playing them.
More Donovans, Signals, and Galsias will come from behind. After that
onslaught, beat the crap out of the Green Signal at the end.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&Stage 3, Scene 3: Detour&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Beware when you cross this scene, as a knife-weilding Galsia will blaze
across the screen at full speed.(Hard and above) An unruly mob of
assorted Galsias, Donovans, and Signals meet you at the end of this
short scene.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&Stage 3, Scene 4: Detour Strikes Back&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

As you walk along this detour, two Galsias will jump out of nowhere.
Grab them as soon as they land and unleash pain. At the end, a Samurai
Warrior and a Donovan try to tangle your cords.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&Stage 3, Scene 5: Pirate Ship&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Start by dealing with a horde of Galsias/Donovans while grabbing an
apple and an extra life from the crates. A Ninja(two in Hard and above)
carrying a Kunai will try and ruin your day.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&Stage 3, Scene 6: Deja vu&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hmm, this looks a lot like Scene 1...anyway, wake up a sleeping Glasia
on the bench while making the other Galsias/Donovans suffer. Grab an
apple from the trash bin(who are these sick programmers?) and face a
Knife Maniac.(assisted with an Electra in Hard and above)

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
&Stage 3, Scene 7: Alien House&
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Destroy an alien egg and get a well-deserved roast. A Galsia will try
and surprise you by popping out of the underbrush. Grab a sword from the
next alien egg and make him pay. Move on and do the same thing to a
Galsia, a few Donovans, and a Signal while reaping the rewards from an
alien egg.(a cash bag)

Take a stroll down the alien house until an obnoxious sound is produced,
then contend with a Signal approaching from behind. Destroy another
alien egg for a cash bag and deal with the Galsia below you. Then tangle
with another Signal as you get ready to face Vehelits and a Donovan.
Don't forget to grab the free extra life directly below Vehelits'
starting point in the bushes.

After defeating Vehelits, proceed and slash away at the Ninja with a
sword. Then go on to face Zamza. It is IMPERATIVE that you kill the
Ninja before you get to Zamza, or you will not be happy. As usual,
there's a roast in the nearby alien egg. After defeating Zamza, you will
proceed to Stage 4.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%Stage 4, Scene 1: Take me out to the ball game...%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Ever wanted to trash the local slime while enjoying a good American
pasttime? Here's your chance! Start by showing an aggressive Yellow
Signal who's boss and grabbing a pipe from the trash bin. Score a home
run on an aggressive Blue Signal and three Galsias, one with a knife.
Take on a Donovan and another Signal before progressing.

More Galsias and Donovans, one with a pipe, will tackle you. After
rumbling with another Donovan and U-3, a 10,000 point Donovan, face a
couple more Donovans and a Samurai Warrior. Watch out for his jump kick
when he comes down.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%Stage 4, Scene 2: Take me out to the crowd...%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

On Hard and above, you will find a Blue Signal at the beginning of the
stage. Otherwise, move on to fight two Donovans, two Galsias, and a Blue
Signal while collecting a cash bag and a knife from the crates. Keep on
going to the end of the scene and a Blue Signal followed by a
Donovan(two in Hard and above) with a pipe will try and maul you.

Continue onward and receive a cash bag from a crate while dealing with a
Galsia. Grab another cash bag and face two Donovans and a Galsia, which
shouldn't be a problem considering you have a pipe.(you DO have a pipe,
don't you? *sweatdrop*) Go on, bash up another Donovan paired with a
Galsia, and then progress on to deal with a 10,000 point Electra.(two in
Hard and above) There's an apple in the crate, so that should help.

A gang of Galsias/Donovans will try and unsuccessfully beat you up. Grab
the cash bag and the apple and move on to the pitcher's mound. There, a
Galsia and a Donovan are waiting. After dealing with them, you'll have
to face Big Ben, your very own firebreathing fat boy to beat
up...(paired with Big Go in Hard and above)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%Stage 4, Scene 3: Secret Elevator%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Here, Galsias, Donovans, and Samurai Warriors will be poured onto the
screen in waves. Start by eliminating two Galsias and two Donovans.
Then, watch the shadows as a Samurai Warrior jumps down.(two in Hard and
above) After that, two Donovans and four Galsias will try and team up on
you. Trash them, then face two Galsias, two Donovans, and a Samurai
Warrior. Tackle on two more Galsias and two more Donovans before you
face one more final wave, two Samurai Warriors,(four in Hard and above)
a Galsia, and a Donovan. The elevator will then come to a complete stop,
and you move on to the...

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
%Stage 4, Scene 4: Underground Arena%
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Here, you will face Abadede alone while the crowd watches on. Blah blah
blah there's a roast in the crate blah blah blah. After taking down
Abadede, you will have beaten Stage 4.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$Stage 5, Scene 1: Lower Deck$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Right as you start this boat stage, a Galsia with a knife will shuffle
across the screen. Take the two cash bags from the crates and face a
mob, complete with two Donovans, three Galsias, and a Firebreather named
Heart.

Four Galsias and a Donovan will gang up on you as you steal their
loot.(a cash bag and a gold bar) At the end of the scene, a Donovan and
a Samurai Warrior await you. Activate the Donovan and lure him out
before taking on the Samurai Warrior.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$Stage 5, Scene 2: Middle Deck$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Walk a little bit and you will meet Raven, the first Kickboxer you will
encounter with a Galsia.(two Kickboxers in Hard and above) Trash a load
of Galsias/Donovans while grabbing a roast in the crates. Then go on to
face a Barbon clone. I strongly suggest you deal with the
Galsias/Donovans first.

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
$Stage 5, Scene 3: Upper Deck$
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

First, deal with some Galsias/Donovans as you take a cash bag and a
sword from the crates. Move on, and a few more Galsias/Donovans will
come your way, followed by a Jet.(two in Hard/Hardest, three in Mania)
Save the apple at the end until you get hurt. If you're facing one Jet,
tag the Donovans/Galsias first. Also, if you drop the sword, don't pick
it up until there are no Jets left.

Move on and a few bikers from the left and right will try and take the
sword away from you. Use superior range to beat them. A biker in the
scenery will then throw bombs into the playing area. Continue and face a
blue weaponless Ninja while another biker in the scenery throws bombs.
Press on and face a Ninja with a sword. If you have dropped the sword
twice or lost it, this is your chance to get a fresh new one.

The "Go" sign will flash, and a Galsia will come from behind. A few more
Galsias/Donovans and a Firebreather(Hard and above) will block your
path. After that, you have to face R. Bear.(assisted by a Firebreather
in Hardest and above) I hope you hung on to that sword, because you'll
need it. After defeating R. Bear, you will have beaten Stage 5.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!Stage 6, Scene 1: Fun at the beach!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Immediately, a Ninja(two in Hard and above) will fall out of the sky and
attack you. Tackle on a few Galsias/Donovans before having to face a
kunai-weilding Ninja.

When the sign flashes, a collective swarm of Glasias/Donovans will come
onto the screen. After taking a long stroll down the beach, you will
have to face two kickboxers.(four in Hard and above)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!Stage 6, Scene 2: Road Rage!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First, get the roast from the sandbag piles, and eliminate the Samurai
Warrior that drops down. Move right and face a crapload of aggressive
Signals and another Samurai Warrior.(two in Hard and above) Then, get
the cash bag from the lone sandbag pile and grab two more from the three
sandbag piles at the bottom. In Hard and above, you will have to face
another Samurai Warrior at the end of the screen.

Take a few seconds to deliver pain to the wave of bikers.(without bikes)
Then, move on to fight a Firebreather(two in Hard and above) and yet
another wave of bikers.

This is where it gets tricky. A large number of bikers(on bikes) will
come in this order: Wanter(a 10,000 point punk) will rush by, followed
by a bomb-tossing, a rushing, another rushing, two more rushing, a
flying carrying a pipe, and two aggressive bikers.(these two have been
known to not show up at all) Your best bet is to stay in the middle.
After the onslaught, snag up a knife and an apple, then go to work on an
Electra(two in Hard and above) and a group of very weak bikers. Try to
hang on to the pipe.

Walk along the road and collect a cash bag, a gold bar, and a
roast.(only if you need it) The boss fight this time is Zamza paired
with a Jet.(two in Hardest, three in Mania) If playing Hard or below,
take out the Jet first. Either way, when you defeat Zamza, everybody
else dies and you proceed to Stage 7...

#########################
#Stage 7, Scene 1: Factory#
#########################

Start off by trashing the local Donovan crew and fighting a Galsia and a
Firebreather.(two in Hard and above) Make sure to also get the cash bag
and an apple in the metal containers.

A Donovan will come up behind you. Show him who's boss, and go on to
face an aggressive non-biking biker named Typhoon. Fight another Galsia
while grabbing a cash bag, a gold bar, and an apple from the three metal
containers. A biker will start tossing bombs into the playing screen, so
lay low and trash the Donovan behind you. Another biker will toss bombs,
so lay low again and beat up the approaching biker. Another aggressive
non-biking biker with a pipe assisted with a Galsia(and a Donovan in
Hard and above) will give you a rough time. Take away his pipe and smash
him into oblivion.

This part of the scene gets rather annoying, so you better keep the
pipe. Smash up the first Electra that comes out of nowhere, then move on
to do the same to a Ninja. Two metal containers, one housing a roast,
will roll by on the conveyer belt. Be sure to get it before moving on,
whether you need it or not. At the end of the scene, a kunai-weilding
Ninja(two in Hard and above) will drop down.(assisted by one Electra in
Hard, two in Hardest and above)

################################
#Stage 7, Scene 2: Cargo Elevator#
################################

This is the hardest scene in the whole game.(that is, in Hard and above)
Only use the roast when you absolutely need it. Waves and waves of
varying punks will drop down and give you a very hard time. First, deal
with the usual Galsias/Donovans and a D. Signal.(the only one in the
game)(assisted by a Yellow Signal in Hard and above)

The elevator will go up, and a swarm of Galsias/Donovans paired with a
Jet(two in Hardest, three in Mania) will come onto the screen.

Times get tough as a Ninja(more in Hard and above) and a Samurai
Warrior(more in Hard and above) fight tooth and nail with you.

The elevator will go up again and a Kickboxer(more in Hard and above)
and a load of aggressive non-biking bikers with tons of HP will work
with the Kickboxer(s) to make your day bad. This can get super annoying,
as the Kickboxer(s) will kick you from afar while the bikers punch you
up close.(in Mania, bikers in the scenery will throw bombs)

Immediately when the elevator moves, the usual gang of Galsias/Donovans
drop onto the screen with a Knife Maniac.(and two Firebreathers in Hard
and above) Take care of the Galsias/Donovans first, then the
Firebreathers, then the Knife Maniac.

Be sure to throw away the leftover knives before the elevator reaches
the top. There, you will fight two robots,(three in Hardest, four in
Mania) Molecule and Particle. Try to focus only on the robot(s) in your
immediate vacinity. After beating them, you will go on to Stage 8.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@Stage 8, Scene 1: Mr. X's Stronghold@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

This is it, the final stage. Start on the right foot by bashing up a
robot, two Donovans,(one with a pipe) and a Galsia. Go on to face Bear
Jr., one of R. Bear's relatives.(with a robot named Mercury in Hard and
above) Save the apple for when you're about to strike the final blow on
Bear Jr.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
@Stage 8, Scene 2: Boss Elevator@
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

As you can tell by the name, this elevator is full of bosses, and each
time the elevator goes up, you receive a sizable portion of health.
First, a Galsia and a Donovan(assisted by a Samurai Warrior in Hard and
above) will waste your time. After a while, Vulture(a Barbon clone) will
drop onto the screen and face you.

While the elevator is moving up, a Galsia and a Donovan will drop down.
When the elevator stops, Nail(a Zamza clone) will fight you.(also, an
Electra will drop down in Hard and above)

A Galsia and a Donovan(assisted by a Kickboxer in Hard and above) will
stall you as Z. Kusano(an Abadede clone) gets into action. Since he
isn't invincible when he gets up, you can do infinite Atomic Drops on
him.

Finally, the elevator comes to a stop, with Mr. X and Shiva in the
background. A few Galsias/Donovans soften you up at Mr. X's command.
After that, Mr. X snaps his fingers and Shiva jumps into the playing
screen. When is defeated, Mr. X will get up himself and fight you, with
an army of Galsias/Donovans as backup. Once you take him down...that's
it! You have just beaten Streets of Rage 2!


____________________________________

H. Secrets, hints, and codes       &
____________________________________

Here, I will post the not-so-obvious secrets in the game, and some
codes.(thanks to damin mance 0 for most of the codes) There are a lot of
secrets in the game, and most of them you may not know, others are right
under your nose! Let's start with the goodies...

***********
Extra Lives
***********

Throughout Streets of Rage 2, there are three lives scattered where you
can't see them. Here is a list of where they are:

Extra Life #1 - Right at the beginning of Stage 1, go to the bottom
left-hand corner of the screen and press B for a 1-UP.

Extra Life #2 - In Stage 2, once you exit the truck, go to the top left-
hand part of the screen and press B for another 1-UP.

Extra Life #3 - In the Alien House in Stage 3, when you meet Vehelits,
go to the bottom of the screen vertically from Vehilits's starting point
to find a life in the bushes.

******************
10,000 Point Punks
******************

In almost every stage, there are various punks that give you a 10,000
point bonus if you beat them. They always have unique names like Talk,
Altet, and Mc. K, and some of them are bonus punks that you don't have
to defeat to progress in the game. See the list below for descriptions
of all the bonus punks.

Mc. K - The first Donovan that comes out of a manhole in Stage 1. He
carries a pipe.

Altet - The second Donovan that comes out of a manhole in Stage 1. He
also carries a pipe.

Blade - A green biker in Stage 2 who appears twice. He is the first
biker who flies through the screen, and he is the last biker who faces
you with a pipe before you enter the truck.

Axi - Green Signal playing an arcade machine in Stage 3. *

Mavin - Yellow Signal playing the bottom arcade machine in Stage 3. *

U-3 - A Donovan sleeping on a bench next to two trash bins in Stage 4.

Metal M. - Blue Electra seen in the baseball field in Stage 4. *

Wanter - The first purple biker riding through Stage 6.

Anry - Accompanying the elevator in Stage 7, he is a Firebreather. *

Talk - The last Galsia who comes as backup for Mr. X in Stage 8.

* - Thanks to Streets of Rage Online for information on these punks.

**********
Cheat Mode
**********

To get lives select,(up to 9 lives) stage select, and Very Easy/Mania
difficulties, scroll down to "Options" on the menu screen, and hold A+B
on controller two while pressing Start on controller one. Hold down the
buttons until the options screen appears for this code to work.

*******************************************
Player 1 & 2 can play as the same character
*******************************************

On the title screen, hold -> + B on controller one and <- + A on
controller two. Press C on controller one and hold until the menu screen
appears. You should now be able to play the same character in 2-player
mode.

****************
Game Genie Codes
****************

(courtesy of damin mance 0 unless otherwise specified)

AJPT-BFS8(non-knockdown moves hit tons of times, making them ultra
deadly)
A5TT-A42N(all enemies/bosses have very little HP)(does not effect
Abadede in Stage 4, R. Bear in Stage 5, Soya in Stage 7, Molecule in
Stage 7, Uranium in Stage 7, Vulture in Stage 8, Nail in Stage 8, Z.
Kusano in Stage 8, and Mr. X in Stage 8)(Shiva is semi-effected)(it also
gives one of Mr. X's Galsias a four star lifebar, three Donovans a full
yellow lifebar, and four more Galsias[including Talk] a full yellow
lifebar)(tested in Mania)
5BJA-AF24(invincible to everything but throws/slams, ally attacks,
explosions of any kind, knife throws, Electra's Electric
Whip,(sometimes) Molecule/Particle's Stretch Punch/Laser/Oval Stretch
Punch, Mr. X's Shooting Frenzy, and the Ninja's Single Star Throw/Triple
Star Throw)
ABRA-AAAA(converts to Bare Knuckle II[Japanese Streets of Rage 2])
A5TT-A92N(all enemies/bosses have four star lifebars)
BDAA-BDCE(characters go HYPER FAST, zooming across the screen in one tap
of the D-Pad)(this code has been known to produce different
results)(submitted by Seijuro Hiko)
AVGT-AAGA(makes it so that all non-throwing/slamming moves not only
instantly kill an opponent, but you will be stuck in that animation
until the opponent's life bar goes to zero)

More to come!

____________________________________

I. Other things I noticed          ;
____________________________________

This is like a "miscellaneous" section where I list some peculiar things
I noticed in the game. They may be glitches, weird things, or trivial
facts in the game, but if they catch my eye or somebody else's, I put
them here in DYK fashion.

* Max's combo usually hits seven times(if "inside" the opponent) on
normal enemies, but there are some enemies/bosses who receive less
hits.(for some odd reason) Here they are...

Ninja
Shiva(confirmed by Truncated)
Zamza
Mr. X(submitted by Truncated)
Electra(submitted by Truncated)
Molecule/Particle(confirmed by Truncated)
Knife Maniac(submitted by Truncated)
Samurai Warrior(submitted by Truncated)
R. Bear

Something that makes this glitch weird as hell is that some types of
Electras/Knife Maniacs/Samurai Warriors/etc. take the missing hit like a
normal enemy.(creds to Truncated for this info) These enemies/bosses
are: Electra in Stage 1, Suzaku in Stage 3, Ko-Shu in Stage 4, Metal M.
in Stage 4, all the Samurai Warriors in the Stage 4 elevator, both
Samurai Warriors in Stage 5, Scene 1, all the Samurai Warriors in Stage
6, Souther in Stage 6, all the Samurai Warriors in Stage 7, all the
robots in Stage 8, and both Samurai Warriors in Stage 8.

Also, for some odd reason, Abadede is programmed in Mania to either stay
invincible or slam you when you attempt to hook him while inside of him,
yet the same amount of hits can be done to him in the three hit hook
combo. Even if you use Game Genie codes from here to kingdom come, he
will never take all four hook hits no matter what. Very odd. If you want
to test this, enable the "almost invincible" Game Genie code,(see the
"Secrets, hints and codes" section) set the difficulty to Mania, and set
the Stage to 4. When you get to Abadede, stay far away from him but not
at the left edge of the screen so that he will do a Charge Uppercut
right through you to the left side and disappear. Then face right and he
will charge uppercut again, but you will grab him from behind. Allow him
to do his Break Through attack, then quickly get right in the middle of
him. Attempt a four-hit hook combo and you will notice that he will do a
barrage of Square Uppercuts/Break Throughs to make him fully invincible
until he eventually slams you.

* The maximum score possible is 999999. This is obtainable without codes
only in Hardest and Mania.(that is, if you beat them in one continue)

* Max's combo has a secret eigth hit, but it almost never connects with
enemies.(normally, there ARE exceptions in which you can hit enemies,
but they must jump "into" you first) If you don't believe me, get really
close to a trash bin/barrel/whatever, press B, and you will notice that
the object is destroyed when Max's hand is up while doing the first
chop. Weird.

New info! Max's secret eigth hit is twice as powerful as his regular
chop.(thanks to Truncated for finding this out) It is also confirmed
that Max's combo has a ninth hit, since his first two chops are exactly
the same.(credits go to Truncated for confirming this) In order for
somebody to pull off the nine-hit combo in 1-player mode, they would:

1) Have to be "inside" of an opponent with a good amount of HP.
2) Have two Samurai Warriors/other enemies who can jump into him.
3) Start the combo when the first jumping enemy is inside you and when
the second one is starting to jump.
4) Have to time it so that the second secret chop would connect with the
second jumping enemy right as he jumps into you.
5) Finish the combo without interferance or the opponent dying.

In other words, the chances of actually pulling off the nine-hit combo
are one in a million.

If you want to test it in 2-player and Duel Mode, pick Max and Skate.
Hit Skate once with Max's combo, then make Skate jump inside of Max and
make Max hit him again. If you time this right, it should work.(thanks
to Truncated for this tidbit)

* There are signs all around Streets of Rage 2 that advertise Bare
Knuckle and Bare Knuckle II, Streets of Rage 2's Japanese counterparts.
These places include the ball park in Stage 4, the arcade room in Stage
3, and many others.

* No boss in this game(including Mr. X) has infinite backup. They
eventually run out if you keep beating them up. This is also true in
Streets of Rage.

* Nobody's standing special attack is the same. For example, Blaze's
Embukyaku takes time to perform, and Axel's Dragon Wing has less range
than Max's Knuckle Bomb.

* When some things happen to you, you become invincible for a short
while, so you should take advantage of these times. Here are the
situations in which you are invincible:(for roughly one second)

When you get up
When you throw someone
When you are thrown
After you land from getting thrown
When slamming someone
When performing a standing special
When you pick up an item(submitted by Truncated)
When vaulting
And...that's it!

You'd be surprised how much you could use this to your advantage...

* Here's a glitch I noticed that was quite weird. I was on Stage 2 with
Max, and for some reason, two enemies got on both sides of me and
punched me at the EXACT same time. The result was an odd turbo sound and
my life being completely drained. Maybe, since the game didn't have a
sprite animation for getting hit on both sides, it decided to "restart"
the punches to see which one would hit first. Unfortunately for me, it
kept restarting over and over because they both kept hitting me at the
same time, thus taking my life.

More info on this glitch suggests that it may only work if the two
enemies are the same, preferrably Galsias. I'm not sure if this glitch
works with Donovans/other enemies with a punching move.

* It is possible to hit more than one enemy with every single damaging
move in the game.(I've tested this)

* Some enemies/bosses I found are "special", meaning that they are
invincible when they get up, whereas their identical counterparts later
in the game don't have this ability. Here is a small list of the few
"special" enemies/bosses I have found so far:

Jack - Comes out of the alley in Stage 1, right before you get to
Barbon's bar.

Electra - The first whip lady you encounter in the game.

Barbon - The boss of Stage 1.

Abadede - At the end of Stage 4.

R. Bear - Stage 5's boss.

If you find any others, contact me and I will give you full credit.

* Another bizarre bug found. We all know that when Jet does a Diagonal
Charge, you get hit when he charges down. What most people don't know is
that you do not get hit when he is charging while on the floor. To
demonstrate this, I will make a diagram.(Y = You, J = Jet)

Y     J(start of the attack)

      J(Jet rises)
Y

      J(Jet rises some more)

Y

    J(Jet charges; you can get hit in this stage of attack)
Y

Y J(Jet reaches the ground; you can't get hit in this stage of attack)

JY(you are unharmed)

* A bug I just found recently. While I was finding out the damage
figures for Blaze's moves, I damaged Jack(in Stage 1) until he had an
almost full yellow lifebar. When I grabbed him to do a throw,(not to be
confused with the back sacrifice throw) he had a full yellow
lifebar.(which meant he had gained a small portion of life since I last
grabbed him) This was to my advantage, though, as I could more
accurately tell how much damage Blaze's throw does.

Here's a much more serious version of this bug. I was playing as Axel in
Stage 1 on Normal and I got to Barbon. I trashed all of his punks and
got him down to a one star and a half of life. His info when off screen
and when I grabbed him, he had a full yellow lifebar! Something is up...

Another turn-up of this glitch that is really freaky. I was facing
Barbon with Max and I kept doing Super Hammer Punches over and over
again. Barbon had an almost full yellow lifebar. His info went off and
he finally hit me out of the Super Hammer Punch. The next time his info
came up, he had a yellow lifebar with a VERY SMALL shade of red. What is
so strange about this time? I didn't grab him once, which is supposed to
trigger this. Maybe it has to do with the fact that his info goes off.

Yet another encounter with this oddity. I was playing Stage 1 Mania with
Axel and I damaged a Yellow Signal until he had an almost full yellow
lifebar. His info went off, I grabbed him, and the full yellow lifebar
glitch struck again! Now I'm thinking that it "rounds up" the damage so
that it can be more even with the CPU's HP system. That wouldn't explain
the incidents with Barbon, though.

* If you walk left and right at the same time,(almost impossible without
an emulator) you face the direction you pressed last and slowly move in
the direction you pressed first. If you press both left and right at the
EXACT same time, you will turn right for a split second, then turn left
and walk in place.

Truncated informs me that it doesn't work on his emulator, so this has
led me to believe it may not work on the real Streets of Rage 2.(that
is, if you have a flexible or broken but operational D-Pad and can pull
it off) Either way, I'm baffled. Maybe it's just that my emulator or
keyboard is different from Truncated's...

* If you trap R. Bear in the bottom right-hand corner with a sword, he
will stay in place as long as you're a good distance away from him,
which means you can slash away without fear of counterattack.

* Max has two more moves than everybody else.

* Some types of enemies have names that are connected. For example, all
the Kickboxers have names of birds,(Raven, Condor, etc.) the Signals
have names that are the color of their jackets,(Y. Signal, B. Signal,
etc.)(not sure about D. Signal) all the bikers except Blade have
weather-related names,(Storm, Gale, etc.) all the Jets have aircraft
names,(thanks to Truncated for info on this)(Jet, Comet, Spitfite,
Mosquite, etc.) all the Firebreathers except Anry have names that have
to do with their enormous girth or food,(Big Ben, Big Go, Heart, Buffet,
etc.) the two "Bear" bosses are related,(R. Bear, Bear Jr.) the robots
have scientific names,(Molecule, Particle, Oxygen, etc.) and the Samurai
Warriors have unpronouncable Japanese names.

* After a Knife Maniac has lost five knives and they're all on the
floor, he will not pull anymore out, but pick up existing ones until
they disappear, then he will pull out more.

A similar glitch exists, this time with the biker. When bikers in the
scenery toss too many bombs on the screen at one time,(common in Duel
Mode) they will continue doing the animation, but no bombs will be
tossed. When the bombs explode, the bikers will resume tossing more of
them.

Some of them disappear occasionally as well.(thanks to Truncated for
this piece of information)

* Blaze's Kikousho(directed special) cannot be fully interrupted by non-
knockdown moves. If Blaze gets hit, she will start the Kikousho over
again and again until she successfully pulls it off. I wonder if you
could get killed this way in Mania when a really aggressive Galsia comes
up and beats the crap out of you while you're doing the Kikousho.

Max also has a similar glitch with his Thunder Tackle, but they must
punch him right when he starts.(kudos to Truncated for reminding me of
this glitch)

R. Bear also has some moves he will continue restarting until he hits
his target. These are: Connonball, Combo, and Charging Uppercut.

Abadede may start his combo over if he gets hit.

* A widely-known and widely-used glitch. When Max Thunder-Tackles an
boss who PARTIALLY(not fully) blocks the attack,(i.e. Barbon and Zamza)
Max will take bits and chunks off the boss's HP and hit so many times
that he can take anywhere from one to two whole lifebars off!

A similar oddity exists with Skate's Corkscrew Kick, Blaze's Vertical
Slash, and Axel's Grand Upper, but the damage pretty much evens out, so
it is of no use.

* When some enemies are activated and they are in the scenery, they are
invincible until they move onto the normal playing screen.

* One of the very few "unsolved mysteries" of Streets of Rage 2. We all
know that weapons disappear after being dropped 3 times...but what about
the bomb? I don't think anybody has ever successfully dropped a bomb
three times before it explodes.(hell, I'm lucky if I can even pick it up
at all) Any confirmation is welcome.

* Another unsolved mystery that has baffled me. When I killed Blade the
biker one day on Stage 2 when he first appeared, I thought "Hey, wait a
minute...he's supposed to appear at the end of the screen! But I killed
him..." Sure enough, when I got to the end of the screen, there he was
again! This aroused questions. Are there two 10,000 point green bikers
named Blade, or did he simply beat me to the end of the screen?(in other
terms, does the CPU count the two Blade appearances as one enemy?) Even
though Blade gets killed the first time, if the two appearances count as
two enemies, then that would break the "every 10,000 point punk is
unique" rule, which was obviously set up by the programmers.

Truncated informs me that, yes, there are two seperate Blades. He also
says that there's a similar instance in Stage 6 where all the
bikers(Wanter excluded) rush across the screen and later appear behind
you.

* Yet ANOTHER unsolved mystery. Can Blade(or any flying biker, for that
matter) be knocked off his bike in Mania using Axel's Vertical Kick? It
might be possible to do so if one could get to the end of the screen and
time the kick precisely so that the highest point of Axel's jump would
connect at the lowest point of the flying biker's journey. Since Axel's
leg is much higher than his body during the attack, the possibility that
the bike would reach Axel's hit collision box and stop him is slim.
Again, confirmation is welcome.

Some further investigation reveals that Axel could pull off the attack
if given the right angle, but at the speed of which a flying biker
drives in Mania, the chances of getting knocked out of it are far more
than slim. This still doesn't mean he can or can't do it, though.

* If you jump towards Abadede after holding him and after he starts his
Break Through attack, you will not be hurt.(this takes timing)

* We all know that in order to cycle a combo, you must be hitting
someone...but Axel's combo is an exception. The Middle Kick and the High
Kick can both be performed if the opponent dies when Axel does the the
Straight Punch.

* Even though, when performed on one enemy, Atomic Drop hits only one
time, the CPU, oddly enough, raises your score twice.(or more if you
continue pressing B)(see "Scoring System" for the two scores)

* Usually, when someone holds you, you lose your weapon. With the biker,
this is not the case. Even though he holds you, you don't lose your
weapon. Odd. The same happens with R. Bear's grabbing combo when you
special out(sometimes) and Jet's Vertical Slam.

* Bikers, Ninjas, and Knife Maniacs are the only enemies in the game to
pick up their weapons after they lose them.

* Molecule/Particle is the only boss at the end of a stage that doesn't
die in slow mode. In fact, you can even attack and pause after it is
dead and before the "Stage 7 Clear" sign pops up.

* I've known some occasions where I've gained a VERY SMALL sliver of
life as Skate when I throw knives. It rarely happens, though.

* If Axel is interrupted while he's doing the Dragon Smash, he will
occasionally change into his standing special.

Truncated notifies me that this also works with Blaze's and Max's
directed specials.

* I think I finally figured out what Max's Bear Punch really is. It's
not a neck-breaking combo, but a head-crushing combo!(note: some enemies
and bosses, like Barbon and a Knife Maniac, do not follow this pattern)

* If you finish Mr. X with a Thunder Body Slam or anything similar, he
will not fly to the top of the screen.

* The last two bikers(the aggressive ones in Stage 6) have been known to
not appear at all when they're supposed to appear on that difficulty
level. This seems to happen when you don't move right after Wanter
appears.

* A lot of Zamza's attacks either fail or he gets hit when you do Max's
Super Hammer Punch over and over again. These are: Clawing
Uppercut,(misses) Foot Slide,(he gets hit) Clawing Jump,(he gets
hit)(takes timing) Claw Combo,(misses, but he either does it again or
does a Clawing Uppercut, so you should move after this) and Lunging
Jump.(misses)(takes timing)

In fact, I was once able to defeat Nail on Stage 8 using this method. I
was right in the upper middle part of the elevator, and I knocked Nail
to the left of me and kept on doing Super Hammer Punches. Every time he
got up, he did a Clawing Uppercut, but every time it missed, and every
time I hit him until he was dead.

* If you hold Mr. X while he is shooting and let go, he will resume
shooting at the spot where he left off.

* If you Power Slide immediately when Max walks into a new scene, he
will slide in place.

* Here's a way to grab some enemies/bosses who can be hard to grab as
Max. First, grab an enemy close to the hard-to-grab enemy/boss, do a
Thunder Body Slam facing away from the enemy/boss but moving towards
him/her, then press the button closest to the enemy/boss to grab.
Viola!...What's that confused look on your face? Alright, I'll show you
another diagram:(E = Enemy, H = Hard-to-grab enemy/boss, M = Max)

H    M E(Max grabs the enemy)

   E(Max starts the Thunder Body Slam; you are invincible)
   M
H

  M  E(Max throws the enemy; you are still invincible)
H

H M    E(press <- and you grab the hard-to-grab enemy/boss)

You can also do the Thunder Body Slam towards the opponent for the same
effect, but it only works on enemies/bosses with glitchy hit collision
boxes.(i.e. Barbon)

* If you Power Slide one of the two Donovans in Stage 1 that come out of
the manholes RIGHT as he starts, he will not jump at all and will stand
over the manhole.(you can walk over the manhole as well)

* Blaze and Axel can sometimes grab enemies from behind even if they're
not facing away. This seems to happen when they do multiple throws/slams
in rapid succession.

* Right before you lose control of your character to special through the
front of the truck in Stage 2, jump through it and if you time it right,
the jump alone will destroy it.

* When a bomb explodes, you can see various shadows on the floor if you
look close enough.

* One day I was fighting Nail(Stage 8 Zamza) as Axel, and when he
appeared, I Grand Uppered him right when he was landing on the ground
the first time. The result was that the Grand Upper hit him, but he
stayed in his regular landing sprite until halfway through the move.

* In the truck on Stage 2, one time I was facing the bikers and the one
with the pipe became glitched! The pipe was a little bit to the right of
the biker and when he moved, it moved. I swear, these glitches keep
getting weirder and weirder...

* Some enemies, like a Knife Maniac and an Electra, move abnormally fast
if you're above them and you're both against a wall that's diagonally
slanted to the right. Diagram time...(Y = You, K = Knife Maniac[for
example])

Y\
 \
 K\

In this situation, the Knife Maniac would move up at a rapid rate.

* Once I did an Atomic Drop on a Signal and I landed it right on
Barbon...but he was unaffected! Another example of how glitchy his hit
collision box is...

* Another weird thing about Barbon. On random occasions, whether you're
comboing him, specialing him, etc., sometimes he will advance a little
bit towards you when you're beating him up. This sometimes happens with
Axel's Dragon Smash when you start it as well.(except that you move away
from the enemy)

* If you walk towards Barbon while he's comboing you, you can easily
grab him.

* Most people don't know this, but Max's Super Hammer Punch does less
damage if you do it right before you hit the ground.

* If you do Axel's Vertical Kick right before you hit the ground, you
will do both animations hyper-fast. If you do it while you're VERY close
to the ground, Axel will just do the knee animation only.

* Normally, throws or anything similar inflict approximately 2/3 of the
damage to anybody who gets hit by them. Here are the exceptions:

Thunder Body Slam: 4/5
Brain Buster:(submitted by R B) Full damage
Atomic Drop: Full damage
Suplex: 3/5
Throw:(Blaze)(submitted by R B) 1/2
Neck Throw:(submitted by R B) 3/5

* If you jump kick towards Barbon with Blaze, there's a small chance it
will hit twice, the second time dealing twice the damage as her normal
jump kick.(see below)

* Here's how the partial blocking system(aka. Barbon and Zamza) works:(I
can't believe I went through all this)

Every time you hit Barbon/Zamza with a non-grabbing move, he either
fully blocks it, blocks it and takes full damage, or takes damage like a
normal enemy.(depending on the move) Here is the breakdown on which
moves, excluding grabs and stationary specials, do damage:(Hit = he
takes damage like a normal punk, Block = he takes no damage and blocks,
Blockhit = he does the blocking sprite, but he takes damage, ??? =
Unknown)(tested in Hard mode)(blocks can be blockhits and hits as well,
depending on the situation)

_____________________________________________________________________
|Axel's Combo             |Blockhit + blockhit + hit + hit + hit      |
|Axel's Single Attack     |Hit + hit                                  |
|Axel's Back Attack       |Blockhit + hit                             |
|Axel's Grand Upper       |Blockhit + blockhit + blockhit             |
|Axel's Dragon Smash      |Blockhit + hit + hit + hit + hit + hit +   |
|                         |hit + hit                                  |
|Axel's Vertical Kick     |Block + hit(unconfirmed)                   |
|Axel's Jump Kick         |Block                                      |
|Axel's Downward Attack   |Block                                      |
|Blaze's Combo            |Blockhit + hit + hit + hit + ??? + hit     |
|Blaze's Single Attack    |??? + hit                                  |
|Blaze's Vertical Slash   |Block + block                              |
|Blaze's Kikousho         |Blockhit + hit                             |
|Blaze's Flying Kick      |Block                                      |
|Blaze's Jump Kick        |Block + hit(what the hell?)                |
|Blaze's Downward Attack  |Block                                      |
|Max's Combo              |Blockhit + blockhit + ??? + ??? + blockhit |
|                         |blockhit + blockhit                        |
|Max's Single Attack      |Block                                      |
|Max's Power Slide        |Blockhit                                   |
|Max's Thunder Tackle     |Blockhit*                                  |
|Max's Super Hammer Punch |Block                                      |
|Max's Jump Kick          |Block                                      |
|Max's Downward Attack    |Block                                      |
|Skate's Combo            |Block + blockhit + hit + hit(unconfirmed) +|
|                         |hit                                        |
|Skate's Single Attack    |??? + block                                |
|Skate's Dynamite Headbutt|Block + blockhit                           |
|Skate's Corkscrew Kick   |Block + blockhit + blockhit + blockhit +   |
|                         |blockhit + blockhit                        |
|Skate's Flying Kick      |Block                                      |
|Skate's Jump Kick        |Block                                      |
|Skate's Downward Attack  |Block                                      |
_____________________________________________________________________

* - This move hits a crapload of times, and I'm not gonna count them.

Note: This was tested on Barbon, Zamza may produce different results.

Further Note: If you're going to submit something on this, don't send
the first result you get.(unless it's a block) Make sure Barbon can't
block or partially block that particular attack before you send it in.

Yet Another Note: Barbon seems to block more likely if he's moving away
from you.

* I've got a savestate of a Signal constantly doing backhand punches. If
you want it, e-mail me.(see the "Contact me" section first)

* If you punch a knife-weilding Galsia in the back with a non-knockdown
attack while he's running, he will continue running in the same
direction, only backwards.(thanks to R B for finding this)(I managed to
get in a quick savestate of this)

* The hidden life in Stage 1 looks very strange.(it kinda looks like a
table or stool of some kind) If you want to directly see it, move to the
right so that the mailbox(or whatever the hidden life is behind) moves
out of the way. You can't see all of the 1-UP sprite, but you can see
enough to convince you that it is not your average life.(I've got a
savestate of this as well)

* The stuff in front of your character(mailboxes, lampposts, etc.)
shifts differently in different stages. In Stage 1, for example, it
shifts to the left more, but in Stage 3, it shifts more to the right.

* Normally, you should not be able to do anything when a boss dies in
slow mode...but you can still use your Single Attack by holding down B
right when the boss dies and letting go after a second.

* Every single character and enemy that can pick up weapons uses their
item-pick-up sprite when they get up after getting hit.(in fact, this is
true for Streets of Rage 1/3 and all the Final Fight games)(!)

* I've got a savestate of one of the weirdest and bizarre things I have
ever seen in Streets of Rage 2: a Galsia with a knife running backwards
at the pace of a turtle! Even if you die and make the Galsia fall, he
will get up and continue doing it. If you punch him from the other side,
he will go back to the forwards animation, but still be slow as hell. I
have absolutely no clue whatsoever how in the blue blazes this is
triggered.

* If you get hit from behind while you're doing a Dragon Smash, you can
press <- or -> to switch sides.(not sure if this works with Blaze's
Kikousho)

* You can hit a Galsia with a knife from behind using a Grand Upper and
another enemy. Here's another of the series of diagrams:(A = Axel, E =
Enemy, K = Knife Galsia)

E A  K(the Knife Galsia starts running)

EA K(Axel starts the Grand Upper)

E
AK(Axel finishes the Grand Upper; the Knife Galsia gets hit)

Don't ask me why this works, it just does. Also, you might be able to do
it without another enemy...

Truncated's FAQ reveals that Max's Super Hammer Punch hits anyone behind
him in the first frame as well.

* If you do a Grand Upper on an enemy next to a destroyable object, it
does less damage, probably because the object takes up a hit of the
Grand Upper. This most likely also works with Blaze's Vertical Slash,
Skate's Corkscrew Kick, etc.

More investigation reveals that this works with other moves as well.

* In the first and second frames of the Grand Upper, you are completely
invincible to everything.(yes, that means you can Grand Upper bikers on
bikes, I've done it plenty of times before) Even though you can Grand
Upper bikers, it does so little damage that the biker actually
survives.(sometimes)

* If you do a Dragon Smash far away from a Ninja and in his horizontal
row, he will continuously throw stars until he hits you.(tested in
Mania)

* An Electra is invincible while she's doing an Electric Whip, a Knife
Maniac is invincible while he's doing a Knife Combo, Abadede is
invincible while he's doing a Square Uppercut/Jump Attack, R. Bear is
invincible while he's doing a Charging Uppercut, and a Ninja is
invincible when he's doing a Spinning Sword Slash/Single Star
Throw/Triple Star Throw/his evasion move. Also, any enemy
specials(Abadede's Break Through, Shiva's Flaming Roundhouse Kick,
Molecule/Particle's Electrocute) make them invincible as well.

* One time when I was testing out Game Genie codes, I enabled the
"almost invincible" and "non-knockdown hits do loads of damage" cheats
in Mania. I finally went up against Zamza as Axel, and when I grabbed
him from behind, he did the sprite for me grabbing him from the front!
So I slammed him, and the CPU acted like I threw him...it looked really
awesome.

This has happened to me with Barbon as well, but I still haven't been
able to accurately reproduce this or get a savestate of it.

* For some time, I have been utterly stumped by the problem of the Stage
6 boss.(Souther and Jets) I think I have finally solved this problem. If
you move in Souther's horizontal row until he activates and starts
running/sliding towards you, the Jets should not appear. That way, you
can face Souther alone and this boss will be much easier.(I have a
savestate to prove it)(this has been known to not work at all)

* If you move too close to an arcade machine,(above it) you will get
"stuck" inside the arcade machine until you hit it/blitz out.(again, I
have a savestate of this)(not sure if this works with other objects or
other characters besides Max)

I have been able to reproduce this glitch with the crates in the
underground arena. It seems that if you Thunder Body Slam someone away
from the object but moving towards it, you will get stuck inside.

* When you reach Vehelits in Stage 3, the mist changes color.

* I've got yet two more savestates of a weird incident. Apparently, when
Max tries to grab two enemies that are in the same horizontal row but a
little bit apart from each other, he still grabs both enemies, but it
looks weird.(I also had to use a Game Genie code to get these, but I'm
absolutely 100 percent positive you can do it without the code)

* Here's how the "enemy special" system(aka. Abadede and Shiva) works:

Abadede's Break Through attack seems to be triggered by the following
attacks:

Axel's High Kick(combo)
Axel's Grand Upper(when done in first two combo hits or more)
Axel's Dragon Smash
Blaze's Combo(six hits)(sometimes)
Max's Hook(four hits)(tested in Mania)(see the beginning of this section
for more info)
Skate's Migrane
Hitting him right as he drops to the ground(Z. Kusano only)
Grabbing him

Shiva's Flaming Roundhouse Kick seems to be triggered by the following:

Axel's Dragon Smash
Blaze's Kikousho(up close)(sometimes)
Blaze's Vertical Slash(when it misses and goes through him)
Max's Power Slide(non-knockdown)
Your first combo hit
Hitting him right as he gets up
Grabbing him

* Here's a little info for Truncated. Blaze's throw(not the back
sacrifice throw) structure is a misconception. Blaze doesn't really put
her foot behind the enemy, although it looks that way. She actually
stands up on one foot, holds the enemy with her right hand,(left if
facing left) pulls back her opposite hand, and slams the enemy with it
while using his/her weight to jump and add more force to the
throw.(thats why it does more damage than a regular throw)

* A little piece of trivia. Throwing a weapon is the only move in the
game where the move does damage, but the enemy's info doesn't come up.

* I've seen a Jet rise almost through the top of the screen while doing
a diagonal charge in Mania.

* Sometimes in normal and below, when Abadede grabs you to do a grabbing
combo, he will switch the side that he is grabbing you on. He seems to
do this if he grabs you on or near either side of the screen.

* If you're lucky enough to grab Abadede and do a Bear Punch on him, you
will notice that it's totally screwed up.(it looks like Max is crushing
Abadede's muscles)

I've also noticed that if you grab R. Bear/Barbon/Zamza and Bear Punch,
it screws up badly as well.(it looks like Max is pulling Zamza's hair!)

* Max on the character select screen has blueish hair, but in the game
he has solid black hair.(same for Skate)

* Here is a list of all the enemy attacks that are only performed on
certain difficulty levels: Abadede's grabbing combo,(Normal and below)
Abadede's Throw,(Normal and below) Jet's Diagonal Charge,(Easy and
above) Jet's Vertical Slam,(Easy and above) Molecule/Particle's Diagonal
Stretch Punch,(Hard and above) Molecule/Particle's Laser,(Normal and
above) a Firebreather's Jump Attack,(Easy and above) a Firebreather's
Jump Kick,(Easy and above) the Ninja's Single Star Throw,(Hard and
above) the Ninja's Triple Star Throw,(Hard and above) Electra's Electric
Whip,(Easy and above) and a Kickboxer's seven-knee grabbing combo.(Mania
only)

* Normally, any characters/enemies that get far up enough on the screen
to block the timer/info/score actually go behind the timer. With Shiva
and Mr. X, this is not the case.(watch their sprites block the timer as
the elevator goes up)

* Once you throw someone with a Neck Throw, you cannot be hit by them
while they are flying, even though you are not invincible.(try Neck
Throwing someone against a wall) I'm sure this works with all the other
throws as well.

* Given the right situation, if you attack your ally with the right
attacks, he/she could have zero health and not die.


____________________________________

J. Scoring System                 ++
____________________________________

Here's a breakdown of the scoring system for every move,(performed on
one opponent) enemy/boss killed, end-of-stage points, extra lives given,
and which moves are best scorewise:

          Move                   Points Scored         Total
______________________________________________________________
|Axel's Combo              | 20 + 20 + 30 + 30 + 40   |  140   |
|Axel's Single Attack      |         40 + 60          |  100   |
|Axel's Back Attack        |         40 + 40          |   80   |
|Axel's Grand Upper        |      70 + 20 + 60        |  150   |
|Axel's Dragon Wing        |           50             |   50   |
|Axel's Dragon Smash       | 20 + 30 + 30 + 30 + 20 + |  250   |
|                          |      30 + 30 + 60        |        |
|Axel's Grabbing Combo     |    30 + 30 + 30 + 30     |  120   |
|Axel's Power Blow         |           60             |   60   |
|Axel's Throw              |           200            |  200   |
|Axel's Slam               |           200            |  200   |
|Axel's Vertical Kick      |         30 + 60          |   90   |
|Axel's Jump Kick          |           30             |   30   |
|Axel's Downward Attack    |           40             |   40   |
|Blaze's Combo             | 20 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 30   |  110   |
|Blaze's Single Attack     |         40 + 40          |   80   |
|Blaze's Back Attack       |           30             |   30   |
|Blaze's Vertical Slash    |         50 + 70          |  120   |
|Blaze's Embukyaku         |           70             |   70   |
|Blaze's Kikousho          |     400/300/200/100<- <- |Same as |
|Blaze's Grabbing Combo    |      30 + 30 + 50        |  110   |
|Blaze's Power Blow        |           200            |  200   |
|Blaze's Throw             |           200            |  200   |
|Blaze's Slam              |           200            |  200   |
|Blaze's Flying Kick       |           70             |   70   |
|Blaze's Jump Kick         |           30             |   30   |
|Blaze's Downward Attack   |           40             |   40   |
|Max's Combo               | 30 + 30 + 40 + 30 + 40 + |  250   |
|                          |         30 + 50          |        |
|Max's Single Attack       |           70             |   70   |
|Max's Back Attack         |         30 + 50          |   80   |
|Max's Power Slide         |           50             |   50   |
|Max's Knuckle Bomb        |           70             |   70   |
|Max's Thunder Tackle      |         50 + 80          |  130   |
|Max's Grabbing Combo      |    30 + 30 + 40 + 50     |  150   |
|Max's Bear Punch          | 50 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 50   |  250   |
|Max's Brain Buster        |           200            |  200   |
|Max's Thunder Body Slam   |  200 + 200(press B X 2)  |  400   |
|Max's Suplex              |           200            |  200   |
|Max's Atomic Drop         |200 + 200(B X 2 or more) +|  420   |(note:
|                          |           20             |        |the
|Max's Super Hammer Punch  |           90             |   90   |second
|Max's Jump Kick           |           40             |   40   |score
|Max's Downward Attack     |           50             |   50   |gain
|Skate's Combo             |  20 + 20 + 20 + 30 + 50  |  140   |happens
|Skate's Single Attack     |         40 + 40          |   80   |every
|Skate's Back Attack       |         50 + 70          |  120   |time
|Skate's Dynamite Headbutt | 150(headbutt) or 70(ball)| 150/70 |you
|Skate's Stationary Special|           50             |   50   |press
|Skate's Corkscrew Kick    | 30 + 30 + 30 + 30 + 30 + |  220   |B after
|                          |           70             |        |once)
|Skate's Grabbing Combo    |      20 + 20 + 50        |   90   |
|Skate's Roller Uppercut   |         50 + 70          |  120   |
|Skate's Neck Throw        |           200            |  200   |
|Skate's Migraine          | 50 + 20 + 20 + 20 + 20 + |  180   |
|                          |           50             |        |
|Skate's Flying Kick       |           70             |   70   |
|Skate's Jump Kick         |           50             |   50   |
|Skate's Downward Attack   |           70             |   70   |
|Pipe Smash                |           150            |  150   |
|Knife Stab                |           50             |   50   |
|Knife Stab(Blaze)         |      50 + 20 + 50        |  120   |
|Kunai Stab                |           50             |   50   |
|Sword Slash               |           100            |  100   |
______________________________________________________________

 Enemy/Boss Killed    Points
____________________________
|Galsia               |  100 |
|Donovan              |  150 |
|Signal               |  200 |
|Knife Maniac         |  500 |
|Electra              |  500 |
|Barbon               | 2000 |(1000 in Stage 8)
|Biker(on bike)       |   90 |
|Biker(not on bike)   |  100 |
|Samurai Warrior      |  300 |
|Jet                  | 3000 |
|Ninja                | 1000 |
|Vehelits             |    0 |
|Zamza                | 4000 |(3000 in Stage 8)
|Firebreather         |  600 |
|Abadede              | 5000 |(4000 in Stage 8)
|Kickboxer            |  800 |
|R. Bear              | 6000 |(5000 in Stage 8)
|Molecule/Particle    | 4000 |(1500 in Stage 8)
|Shiva                | 9000 |
|Mr. X                |10000 |
____________________________

Note: Truncated reminds me that I didn't figure the scoring for hitting
an enemy by throwing another enemy at him/her. Well, I investigated, and
it turns out you get no points for hitting other enemies with a
throw.(or any slamming/throwing move, in fact) You also don't get any
points for throwing weapons at enemies.

At the end of every stage, you get three bonuses. They are:

Clear Bonus: 5000 points + 5000 for every level above one.

Time Bonus: 100 points for every second left on the timer.

Level Bonus: 0 points - Very Easy(that's what you get for playing such a
wimpy ass difficulty)
         5000 points - Easy
        10000 points - Normal
        20000 points - Hard
        30000 points - Hardest
        40000 points - Mania(you should get a helluva lot more than
that)

You get an extra life at 20000 points, 50000 points, and every 100000
points after that.

Also, here is a damage-to-point ratio that shows which moves rank the
highest in scoring big and doing little damage:(1.25 is worst and 12.5
is best)(idea and exact damage figures courtesy of Truncated)(rounded to
the nearest .00)(moves that do varying damages or score different
amounts of points[i.e. Kikousho and Atomic Drop] are averaged)

          Move                  Individual Ranks    Overall Rank
______________________________________________________________
|Axel's Combo              | 3.33 + 3.33 + 3.75 + 3 + |  3.25  |
|                          |           2.86           |        |
|Axel's Single Attack      |         2.5 + 3          |  2.75  |
|Axel's Back Attack        |         5 + 3.33         |  4.17  |
|Axel's Grand Upper        |       2.92 + 5 + 3       |  3.64  |
|Axel's Dragon Wing        |           3.13           |  3.13  |
|Axel's Dragon Smash       | 3.33 + 3.75 + 3.75 + 3 + |  3.46  |
|                          |  3.33 + 3.75 + 3.75 + 3  |        |
|Axel's Grabbing Combo     |  3.75 + 3.75 + 3.75 + 3  |  3.56  |
|Axel's Power Blow         |           2.73           |  2.73  |
|Axel's Throw              |           8.33           |  8.33  |
|Axel's Slam               |           7.14           |  7.14  |
|Axel's Vertical Kick      |         1.5 + 6          |  3.75  |
|Axel's Jump Kick          |           3.75           |  3.75  |
|Axel's Downward Attack    |           3.33           |  3.33  |
|Blaze's Combo             | 5 + 5 + 3.33 + 3.33 + 3  |  3.93  |
|Blaze's Single Attack     |       3.33 + 3.33        |  3.33  |
|Blaze's Back Attack       |           3.75           |  3.75  |
|Blaze's Vertical Slash    |       3.13 + 2.92        |  3.03  |
|Blaze's Embukyaku         |           2.92           |  2.92  |
|Blaze's Kikousho          |           8.93           |  8.93  |
|Blaze's Grabbing Combo    |    3.75 + 3.75 + 3.13    |  3.54  |
|Blaze's Power Blow        |           6.25           |  6.25  |
|Blaze's Throw             |           7.14           |  7.14  |
|Blaze's Slam              |           6.25           |  6.25  |
|Blaze's Flying Kick       |           2.92           |  2.92  |
|Blaze's Jump Kick         |           3.75           |  3.75  |
|Blaze's Downward Attack   |           3.33           |  3.33  |
|Max's Combo               | 3.75 + 3.75 + 2.86 + 3 + |  3.19  |
|                          |     2.86 + 3 + 3.13      |        |
|Max's Single Attack       |           2.92           |  2.92  |
|Max's Back Attack         |       3.75 + 3.13        |  3.44  |
|Max's Power Slide         |           3.13           |  3.13  |
|Max's Knuckle Bomb        |           2.92           |  2.92  |
|Max's Thunder Tackle      |       3.13 + 2.67        |  2.90  |
|Max's Grabbing Combo      |   3 + 3 + 3.33 + 3.13    |  3.12  |
|Max's Bear Punch          |  3.13 + 3.13 + 3.13 +    |  3.13  |
|                          |       3.13 + 3.13        |        |
|Max's Brain Buster        |           5.88           |  5.88  |
|Max's Thunder Body Slam   |            10            | 10.00  |
|Max's Suplex              |           3.23           |  3.23  |
|Max's Atomic Drop         |     8.86(620 points)     |  8.86  |
|Max's Super Hammer Punch  |           3.46           |  3.46  |
|Max's Jump Kick           |           3.33           |  3.33  |
|Max's Downward Attack     |           3.13           |  3.13  |
|Skate's Combo             | 5 + 5 + 5 + 3.75 + 3.13  |  4.38  |
|Skate's Single Attack     |       3.33 + 3.33        |  3.33  |
|Skate's Back Attack       |       3.13 + 2.92        |  3.05  |
|Skate's Dynamite Headbutt |           3.44           |  3.44  |
|Skate's Stationary Special|           3.13           |  3.13  |
|Skate's Corkscrew Kick    |  3.75 + 3.75 + 3.75 +    |  3.61  |
|                          |   3.75 + 3.75 + 2.92     |        |
|Skate's Grabbing Combo    |   3.33 + 3.33 + 3.13     |  3.26  |
|Skate's Roller Uppercut   |       3.13 + 2.92        |  3.05  |
|Skate's Neck Throw        |           6.67           |  6.67  |
|Skate's Migraine          |  3.13 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 +  |  4.38  |
|                          |           3.13           |        |
|Skate's Flying Kick       |           2.92           |  2.92  |
|Skate's Jump Kick         |           3.13           |  3.13  |
|Skate's Downward Attack   |           2.92           |  2.92  |
|Pipe Smash                |           6.25           |  6.25  |
|Knife Stab                |           3.13           |  3.13  |
|Knife Stab(Blaze)         |    12.5 + 1.25 + 3.13    |  5.63  |
|Kunai Stab                |           3.13           |  3.13  |
|Sword Slash               |           2.63           |  2.63  |
______________________________________________________________

So, the moves, in order from best for scoring to worst, are:

Max's Thunder Body Slam
Blaze's Kikousho
Max's Atomic Drop
Axel's Throw
Axel's Slam/Blaze's Throw
Skate's Neck Throw
Blaze's Power Blow/Blaze's Slam/Pipe Smash
Max's Brain Buster/Knife Stab(Blaze)
Skate's Combo/Skate's Migrane
Axel's Back Attack
Blaze's Combo
Axel's Vertical Kick/Axel's Jump Kick/Blaze's Back Attack/Blaze's Jump
Kick
Axel's Grand Upper
Skate's Corkscrew Kick
Axel's Grabbing Combo
Blaze's Grabbing Combo
Axel's Dragon Smash/Max's Super Hammer Punch
Max's Back Attack/Skate's Dynamite Headbutt
Axel's Downward Attack/Blaze's Single Attack/Max's Jump Kick/Skate's
Single Attack
Skate's Grabbing Combo
Axel's Combo
Max's Suplex
Max's Combo
Axel's Dragon Wing/Max's Power Slide/Max's Bear Punch/Max's Downward
Attack/Skate's Stationary Special/Skate's Jump Kick/Knife Stab/Kunai
Stab
Max's Grabbing Combo
Skate's Back Attack/Skate's Roller Uppercut
Blaze's Vertical Slash
Blaze's Embukyaku/Blaze's Flying Kick/Max's Single Attack/Max's Knuckle
Bomb/Skate's Flying Kick/Skate's Downward Attack
Max's Thunder Tackle
Axel's Single Attack
Axel's Power Blow
Sword Slash

Tips for big scoring:

* Slams and throws are your best friends, no matter who you're playing
as. Most of them score 200 points, and aren't that hard to pull off in
rapid succession.
* Choose a difficulty that you can beat most of in one continue and not
get clobbered at.(Mania is not a good choice) Beating the game in one
continue is essential for maximum scoring, as your score goes down to
zero after each continue...but if you think you can tackle down most of
Hardest or Mania in one continue, by all means do so, as you get a
massive score boost for every difficulty you go up...but then again,
don't push yourself too far, as a large bonus is given to you at the end
of the game.
* Even though an enemy may block your attack, it still racks up the
points without doing any damage. Use this to your advantage.
* If you absolutely know that you're going to kill an enemy with a
slam/throw, it is recommended that you soften him/her up by grabbing
combos, etc. That way, you can squeeze more points out of an enemy.
* Even though it does insane damage, Atomic Drop is very good for
scoring big with Max. Since the second score gain of 200 points happens
every time you press B after once and before you hit the ground, you can
easily rack up 800+ points with this move.(considering you have a good
trigger finger)


____________________________________

K. High Scores                    ;;
____________________________________

Even though most people don't care about high scores in Streets of Rage
2, I put this score chart for those who do. These scores are to be
obtained without using ANY cheat codes.(except to activate Mania/Very
Easy) Also, you must start with three lives and cannot use savestates to
achieve your score.(i.e. playing half of the game in one day, half some
other time/playing using other peoples' savestates, etc.) The only
savestating acceptable is right when you lose your last life and have to
use another continue.(see below)(1-player mode only)

        Name            Score     Difficulty  Character  Stage Killed
1. velo city            868470         Hard       Axel      Finished
2. velo city            849790         Hard       Axel      Finished
3. Truncated*           723260          ???       Axel         8
4. velo city            681770         Hard        Max         7
5. velo city*           669360       Normal      Skate         8
6. FOZ*                 611180         Hard       Axel      Finished
7. Alex "Joker" Hall    590350      Hardest       Axel         6
8.         -               -            -          -           -
9.         -               -            -          -           -
10.        -               -            -          -           -

Contributions are encouraged.(if you have an emulator, PLEASE send a
savestate for proof)

And on a lighter note, for those who stink at getting high scores, I
thought I would hold a contest to see who can get the lowest possible
score obtainable by beating the game in one continue.(same rules apply
as above)

        Name            Score     Difficulty  Character
1. velo city            448650      Very Easy     Max
2.         -               -            -          -
3.         -               -            -          -
4.         -               -            -          -
5.         -               -            -          -

I have savestates or visual proof of all the scores above except for the
ones with the stars by them.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
6. Contact me                      $
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

If you want to contribute something I left out or asked help for, my e-
mail is [email protected]. Please be aware that I
will not tolerate four things:

* Hate mail - If you're going to e-mail me just to bash me or my FAQ,
not only will I ignore it and block your e-mail address, but I will keep
the letter and laugh my ass off for the rest of eternity at how anger-
prone people can be.

* SPAM/Advertising - I already receive 100 junk mail letters per day,
and every single one I get, I block and delete.

* Chain/Virus letters - I already have enough problems with my e-mail as
it is. I don't need the Klez virus/chain letters to add to them.

* Common sense questions - If the answer to your question is in the FAQ,
I will send the e-mail back saying that it's in the FAQ and that you
need to get off your lazy bum and find it yourself. Examples:

"Who's Max?"
"What are some Game Genie codes I can use?"
"What's a Grand Upper?"
"Tell me where the secret lives are or I shall hax0rz j00!!!1!1!11!"

That kind of crap is not tolerated in my book.

If you avoid doing the four things above, then your contributions could
be added to the next version of my FAQ! Also note that you must make the
title "Streets of Rage 2 FAQ" or I will skip it. Due to the fact that I
get an enormous amount of junk mail every day, I might accidentally skip
your e-mail without seeing it. If I don't reply in a week, send a copy
of the e-mail again. If I don't reply by then, consider yourself
ignored.

Another means of contacting me is by posting your question on the
Streets of Rage 2 GameFAQs message board. My current username is "atro
city", but that may change in the future.

Unless you are a very honest source,(Truncated, damin mance 0) it would
be VERY recommended for you to send some kind of proof of your
discovery.(i.e. pictures, a small movie, an emulator savestate, etc.)
When it comes to stuff like this, I am pretty lenient on believing your
findings,(I realize some of you don't have a camera, cam-corder, or
emulator) but if I find out you deliberately sent me false information,
I will erase your findings and you will no longer be able to contribute
to the FAQ. End of story.


^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
7. Credits                        ==
vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

Thanks to:

Truncated for submitting useful info on lots of various things.

Streets of Rage Online for information on some of the 10,000 point bonus
punks.

damin mance 0 for a bunch of Game Genie codes.

Seijuro Hiko for one of the Game Genie codes.

Dan Gallagher for pointing out some things.

R B for pointing out a glitch about the knife-weilding Galsia and a few
other things.

Anthony for a tip on R. Bear.

Alex "Joker" Hall for submitting a high score.

CJayC for taking crap from us so long, yet still giving us GameFAQs and
it's free services.

Copyright 2002 velo city(insert copyright sign here)

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