Streets of Rage 2

Streets of Rage 2 is the definitive beat 'em up — not just of Mega Drive, but the entire genre. Yuzo Koshiro composed the soundtrack on a PC-88 programming directly in assembly, creating dance/techno/house tracks still remixed in clubs today. Axel, Blaze, Skate and Max had radically different fighting styles: Skate lightning-fast and acrobatic, Max slow and devastating. Bosses were memorable: Shiva, Jet, crime lord Mr. X. Two-player co-op was Mega Drive's definitive social experience. Ancient (Koshiro's studio) achieved perfect balance between accessibility and depth.