Streets of Rage 3
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Critic Reviews 79% add missing review
Shin Force (9.2 out of 10) (92%)
Streets of Rage 3 lives in the shadow of Streets of Rage 2. The second game was perfect. We all know it. This is one of those strange situations where the sequel isn't as good as the previous game but is still great. At least Sega took this sequel seriously unlike the travesty that was Golden Axe III.
Jun 18th, 2016 · Genesis · read reviewVideo Game Critic, The (A-) (91%)
Overall Bare Knuckle 3 is a far more playable and memorable title than Streets of Rage 3. Fans of the series really owe it to themselves to experience this one as it was originally intended.
Nov 13th, 2011 · Genesis · read reviewSega Force (90 out of 100) (90%)
Overall så är Streetan klart värd att kolla in, och jag kan försäkra er att ni inte kommer att spela igenom spelet på en dag. Och skulle någon fixa det så blir vi här på Sega Force-redaktionen griniga i en vecka...för det klarar inte vi!
Sep 14th, 1994 · GenesisRetrogaming.it (9 out of 10) (90%)
Personalmente considero Street of Rage 3 il migliore picchiaduro a scorrimento orizzontale per Mega Drive. I personaggi sono stati completamente ridisegnati e hanno più animazioni, c’è la possibilità di vedere diverse fini del gioco, ogni personaggio ha parecchie mosse da utilizzare e può aumentare la propria forza, i livelli sono graficamente ben fatti e con non pochi particolari. Sinceramente era impensabile avere un miglioramento grafico uguale se non migliore rispetto a quello che c’è stato tra il primo ed il secondo episodio.
Sep 12th, 2008 · Genesis · read reviewGame Players (90 out of 100) (90%)
If you've never taken Axel for a spin and want to give it a shot, Streets of Rage 3 is the one to try. And you sure can't go wrong if you're already a fan. If there's one flaw, it's that you've already seen all that this game has to offer in previous outings.
Jul 1994 · GenesisMega Play Magazine (90 out of 100) (90%)
As good and even better than it's predecessor. Now with more moves, characters and action, it's the best one yet. I especially like the "hidden" character that you can play as. Nice touch!
Jul 1994 · GenesisGamePro (US) (4.5 out of 5) (90%)
Streets of Rage 3 is like an old friend - an old friend who won't stop trying to kick your butt! The fighting formula is still feisty, if familiar. But no one wants the Streets to be too safe, do they?
Aug 1994 · GenesisConsoles Plus (89 out of 100) (89%)
Un beat-them-all somme toute traditionnel mais qui ne perd rien de son efficacité.
May 1994 · Genesis · read reviewneXGam (8.5 out of 10) (85%)
Das perfekte Gameplay und die feineren Animationen stellen die Verbesserungen dar, allerdings verlässt einen das Gefühl nicht, man würde eine Variation von SoR2 spielen. Von einem Nachfolger muss man hier mehr erwarten können, zudem die Musik und das Leveldesign auch nicht das Wahre sind. Für alle, die die ersten beiden Teile schon gespielt und geliebt haben, selbstverständlich ein Pflichtkauf. Alles in allem aber trotzdem schade, man hätte es wirklich besser machen können.
Dec 27th, 2009 · Genesis · read reviewPlay Time (84 out of 100) (84%)
Mit der dritten Auflage verwirrt Sega etwas seine Fangemeinde: Zum einen sorgt der erhöhte Umfang mit vielen neuen Gegnern und den unzähligen Möglichkeiten für eine gehobene Spielkultur, zum anderen wirkt SoR 3 aber technisch nicht mehr so ausgereift wie der zweite Teil, da dir Farbauswahl an manchen Stellen gründlich misslang und Yuzo Koshiros Techno-Spielereien zu sehr in den Hardcorebereich abglitten. Unter dem Strich ist Streets of Rage 3 immer aber noch einer der innovativsten Vertreter seines Genres.
Jun 1994 · GenesisMean Machines (83 out of 100) (83%)
A stylish continuations of the series, but not all it could - and should - be. A classic case of 'If only they had...'
Jun 1994 · GenesisComputer and Video Games (CVG) (82 out of 100) (82%)
The graphics and sound are well polished as is the whole game but I don't think Sega will be able to get away with a fourth game unless it's radically overhauled, it's just too similar to previous versions. Good stuff but Streets of Rage 2 was better.
Jul 1994 · GenesisSEGA-Mag (Objectif-SEGA) (8 out of 10) (80%)
Streets of Rage 3 est un bon beat them all mais qui a beaucoup souffert de sa bande son qui ne plaît pas à tout le monde et de son passage de la version japonaise à la version européenne. Si on ne cherchera plus à comprendre les raisons de ce revirement de la difficulté, il n'en demeure pas moins que le jeu dans sa version euro a perdu en fun et qu'au final, Bare Knuckles 3 est clairement meilleur. Yuzo Koshiro déçoit un peu, mais il créé tout de même une ambiance unique et nouvelle, et ce sur Megadrive, ce qui reste tout de même un petit exploit. En terme de gameplay le jeu est devenu tellement riche avec ses coups nombreux et ses fins multiples qu'il sera difficile de trancher entre cet épisode ou le précédent, tout de même plus mou à bien des égards...
Aug 17th, 2007 · Genesis · read reviewGame Informer Magazine (8 out of 10) (80%)
The story is also the epitome of why many gamers still skip cutscenes to this day, but when you are smacking down hundreds of street punks who all auspiciously share names like Bono, Donovan, and Ice you have to just take the game for what it is. While preteens with backwards hats and rollerblades never make acceptable protagonists, it's fun to revisit a time when rules like this was ignored.
Sep 2008 · GenesisSega-16.com (8 out of 10) (80%)
Streets of Rage III is my second favorite game in the series and I've played it a good deal. Even after beating it several times or playing multiplayer a lot, it's still fun to play. It should've stuck to the look, sound, and the feel that Streets of Rage II had, only with the new ways to use weapons, being able to run and roll, and so on. If it would've done that, it probably would've been the best in the series, but instead the makers chose to make it more like the original in the series. If you ask me, I say that Streets of Rage III is the second best game in the series and it's definitely worth buying.
May 5th, 2005 · Genesis · read reviewVideo Games (77 out of 100) (77%)
Langsam aber sicher langweilen mich diese ewigen Fortsetzungen ganz gewaltig. Es wurde zwar versucht, das Thema mit einigen “neuen“ Spielideen aufzuwerten, unterm Strich bleibt es allerdings wieder das gleiche. Selbst bei der Grafik sind keine großartigen Verbesserungen festzustellen, was jetzt nicht bedeuten soll, daß diese schlecht sei. Aber wie bitte will man etwas viel besser machen, was ohnehin schon gut ist? Die Spielbarkeit gestaltet sich um einiges flüssiger als bei den Vorgängern. Allerdings hat mich die Musik von Yuzo Koshiro diesmal keinesfalls vom Hocker gehauen. Das Ganze klingt flach und einfallslos, es fehlt eben das gewisse Etwas. Bleibt abschließend zu sagen, daß Streets of Rage 3 nur jenen empfohlen werden kann, die sich an den beiden vorangegangen Teilen noch nicht sattgespielt haben.
Jun 1994 · GenesisMAN!AC (76 out of 100) (76%)
Altbewährt oder ausgelutscht? Fortsetzung des Prügelhits mit einigen Gags, aber ohne echte Neuerungen.
Dec 17th, 2016 · Genesis · read reviewVideo Game Critic, The (B) (75%)
The only bright spots include a flashy discothèque and a bar with an aquarium. Streets of Rage 3 is the first of the series to support the six-button controller, but the extra moves don't add much in terms of gameplay. And if you really want to make your life complicated, the body-controlled Activator is also supported. In terms of sound, SOR3 isn't even in the same ballpark as the original SOR. This game features some of the worst music of the series, and the tinny sound effects are the exact same as those used in earlier editions. Other problems include slow-down, bad guys who linger off the screen way too long, and a dumb, T2-inspired background story. After finishing each of the first two Streets of Rage games, I was looking forward to the sequels. But after playing SOR3, I felt like I had just about had enough. Even gamers looking for more of the same will be disappointed with this one.
Sep 29th, 2002 · Genesis · read reviewMega Fun (75 out of 100) (75%)
Viel vom Vorgänger aufwärmen, einen neuen Charakter dazupacken, mit 24 MBit protzen, auf Koshiros Können vertrauen und fertig ist ein neues Streets Of Rage. So oder so ähnlich muß Sega wohl gedacht haben, als sie über den Aufbau des dritten Teils nachbrüteten. Stellenweise die Feinde 1:1 aus Streets Of Rage 2 zu übernehmen halte ich für eine Frechheit. Was aber am meisten verwundert (-ärgert): Die Grafik hat im Vergleich zum Vorgänger abgebaut und kann trotz 24 Megs nicht mit dessen Abwechslungsreichtum mithalten; und dann wäre da noch der Sound: Dumm gelaufen, wenn Yuzo einen derart schlechten Tag erwischt, daß es sich empfiehlt, die Musik des zweiten Teils mittels Stereoanlage aufzunehmen und zum dritten nebenher laufen zu lassen. So erlebt man dann wenigstens ein solides Beat‘em Up, das aber eigentlich nur für Leute interessant ist, die No. 2 nicht kennen.
May 1994 · Genesis · read reviewElectronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) (29 out of 40) (72%)
It's back again. Streets of Rage 3 offers new fighters, more moves and better levels than the previous episodes. Does this make it a better game? Sure, but not without some compromises. The music, although done by Yuzo Koshiro? The levels are really huge and offer tons of thugs to beat up over and over again. It's good, but in the end, it's strictly another walk-and-fight game.
Jul 1994 · GenesisMegablast (71 out of 100) (71%)
Wer also eine anständige Prügelei mit relativ niedrigem Schwierigkeitsgrad sucht, darf hier zuschlagen. Falls er jedoch die vorangegangenen Folgen der Serie schon aufgemischt hat, sollte er sich nicht zu sehr auf Neuigkeiten freuen...
Jun 1994 · GenesisASM (Aktueller Software Markt) (8 out of 12) (67%)
Das Ganze ist o.k. für zwischendurch, aber auf Dauer nicht so der Reißer: Die einzelnen Kampftechniken sehen zwar genial aus, sind aber doch eher aus der Rubrik „Hau drauf“ und verlangen eher einen schnellen Finger als raffinierte Technik. Die Hintergrundbilder sind gelungen. Etwas enttäuschend fällt dagegen der Sound aus: Vor allem die Musik ist nicht gerade hitverdächtig. Den Schwierigkeitsgrad hat man nicht allzu hoch angesetzt: In dieser Beziehung ist das Spiel gut gemacht und bringt Fans des Genres eine Menge Fun. Wer sich aber große Neuerungen gegenüber dem Vorgänger erhofft, wird enttäuscht.
Oct 1994 · Genesis · read reviewDigital Press - Classic Video Games (6.5 out of 10) (65%)
Of the 3 games in this series, this one received the most attention due to it's "Americanization." The first boss of the game has been changed from a, uh, well, garter-wearing Village People wanna-be to a more standard kung-fu kinda guy. The main characters have also been edited. Axel now wears a yellow shirt that looks like it been, well, lets just say "stained." Blazes bright red leather skirt and top is now an ugly gray. Other than this, the game does look decent. Though the second installment looked better overall, this one does handle a lot of sprites at one time with no slowdown or flicker. The gameplay in this one is solid and that can't be denied. However, it's very rare that video game music is so ungodly bad that hinders the game every single second it's being powered. Considering this, turning down the sound, grabbing a friend for the multi-player mode makes this one to own, but be sure you hit the mute button before-hand.
Dec 10th, 2003 · Genesis · read reviewAll Game Guide ( ) (60%)
Get ready for more side-scrolling, butt-kicking mayhem than you've ever seen before -- Streets of Rage 3 is just as big as its predescessors, and packed with more bad guys, more special moves, and more violent thrills than ever before!
2007 · Genesis · read reviewRetro Game Reviews ( ) (60%)
Bare Knuckle III is a decent game but it's almost as if Sega focused too much on the graphics and forgot to pay attention to the overall fun factor. In my opinion, much of the series' charm was lost here and you're better off sticking with the first two titles for your beat-em-up fix.
Mar 17th, 2015 · Genesis · read reviewGames World: The Magazine (44 out of 100) (44%)
Time to shoot this one and put it out of its misery, I think. Streets of Rage was a very satisfying sideways scrolling beat'em-up, Streets of Rage II was okay because we all wanted more of the same, but Streets of Rage III... Please, no more! The same characters walking or skating along, whacking the same stupid CPU controlled baddies again and again. Dated and sad.
Jul 1994 · Genesis · read reviewVRgames N/A
Третья часть в трилогии Streets of Rage по праву стала лучшей в своей серии, венцом сериала на данной платформе. Даже хорошо, что последовавшая затем Fighting Force уже превратилась в отдельную дилогию для PlayStation One, никак не связанную с линейкой Streets of Rage. Так и получилось, что серия Streets of Rage завершилась лучшим проектом, собравшим в себе все самые сильные стороны обеих предыдущих игр.
Aug 16th, 2016 · Genesis · read reviewPlayer Reviews
The Good
In the same way SoR 2 improved on pretty much every aspect of the first, this one also improved on a fair number of areas. The minimal plot of the previous games, only told at the starting sequence now develops between the game with some cutscenes, and now there are a few different endings depending on well you do some key parts.
Gameplay was also tweaked a bit: it's now possible to run with any character, as well as perform a defensive roll left and right (or more accurately, up and down). Weapons now can be used a certain number of times before breaking, instead of magically vanishing every third time it is dropped, and Axel's Rising Upper was toned down... until the player reaches two or more stars. Then, it becomes more powerful (and spectacular) than before, but gaining such ranking requires a lot of beating to be done, and each death means a setback. Level-design wise, death pits and traps re-appeared, making levels a lot more varied and opens strategies missing from the second. The developers weren't shy on that, and most levels include a part with them.
The ability to play as Shiva is interesting, although he's far too strong to be taken seriously.
The Bad
I really don't know what went through through the heads of Sega of America executives with this game. Making a few changes to close a bit on cultural differences (such as the removal of the character Ash - with all the noise about video game violence, the last thing they needed was accusations of gay bashing) is acceptable; butcher the story left and right because they could, change the character colours for no reason whatsoever and make the game impossibly hard are the reasons why the game is so lowly regarded among fans of the series. And not only is impossibly hard, but the ending is crippled for those who don't select anything but the hardest difficulty settings. Yeah, there's no doubt SoA knew how to screw up a game completely.
Surprisingly, the music isn't even half as good as the previous efforts. I've read somewhere the music was rendered rather than composed, which explains how Ventolin-ish it occasionally sounds like.
The Bottom Line
On an interesting note, the same SoA refused to give a green light on a SoR4 project for the Dreamcast. So not only they spoiled the last game, but also effectively killed the series. Nice.
Anyway, the game strikes me as a bit of a paradox. While its improvements come in the line of the previous games, making the game effectively better, the butchering of the game at the hands of SoA spoiled most of the game with idiotic changes and an incoherent plot. My advice is to play the original Japanese game with a translation of the plot at hand.
by Luis Silva (13449) on Jul 23rd, 2006 · Genesis
The Good
The fabulously-detailed graphics, the new villains, the two different final levels, the secret characters like Shiva and Roo, the characters' new moves (some of which involves two-player co-operation), the new ideas such as the train level, and having to fight your way through concrete walls whilst keeping a bulldozer at bay. Also, Level 6 features you having to find and destroy computers in order to unlock previously unreachable areas of the enemy HQ.
The Bad
The over-reliance on enemies from Streets of Rage 2, the often watered-down action, and the fact the whole thing soon becomes repetitive. It's not helped by uninspiring, tuneless pieces of music. There are some good end-of-level boss tunes, and a few others, but mostly you'll be turning the sound down. And quite often there seem to be no sound effects to relieve the monotony. Removing Ash from the Western version was a bad idea.
The Bottom Line
Fight your way through seven levels of horizontally scrolling 2D/3D beat-em-up action and save the city from Mr X and his army of thugs and robots. Not as good as Streets of Rage 2, but still recommended to those who are fans of these kinds of games.
by Gary Smith (57) on Nov 30th, 2004 · Genesis
Excellent game but beginning to show signs of fatigue
The Good
Everything about the core action, this game gets generally right. Punching a goon feels good, knocking down enemies feels good, the movement feels good, and just about every aspect of the game feels solid. You can tell the pedigree that this game came from has paid off in terms of control schemes, pacing, and handling of the game itself.
The designs are also visually more interesting, at least to me. The previous game felt like it was a tribute to the greatest 80s action movie ever. This one, however, dials it back and takes on a more somber tone in terms of its palette, which is actually quite fitting given the darker theme and narrative.
The Bad
On the flip side, while the action feels better, the game design feels less thought through compared to it's predecessors.
While the first game was a pioneer in it's overall design, it really was the second game that brought it all together and managed to make sure there was literally no extraneous parts to the game design. The second game felt like the designers really took the time to think through every mechanic, every piece of content, and every extra piece of option they delivered to the players.
Streets of Rage 3, on the other hand, felt like someone built the entire game, and then after the game was completed, decided to add more stuff onto it just because. No where is this more apparent than with the star system. If you ask me, the star system felt completely extraneous to the experience, as anyone who could really benefit from the star moves the most would have the hardest time holding onto it anyways, and anyone who could hold onto their stars probably didn't need the star moves anyway. There are a couple of instances where the lower level star moves are strictly speaking, more useful than the upgraded versions. All of it just made it feel like the star moves were actually not part of the original game design. (In fact, I challenge anyone to play the game as is without using their star moves. You will probably find it to be a far tighter experience)
This goes double for the a lot of the secret stuff. i.e. were Shiva, Ash and Roo REALLY necessary for the game? Shiva was particularly egregious as he has a single move in his arsenal that can basically allow you to lockstun any enemy to death. A lot of these little things crop up with these extra characters and extra content that it honestly felt like someone at Sega saw the finished product and said, "we need Shiva to be playable, and kids like Street Fighter 2, right? So let's put some of THAT stuff in there" and there it was.
Keep in mind, this is not to say the game is BAD by any stretch. It just feels SLIGHTLY on the bloated side of things.
The Bottom Line
In the 90s, a lot of games went through a strange of cycle of innovation > refinement > bloat between sequels. Golden Axe went through it, street fighter went through it, JRPGs went through, and Streets of Rage was not immune.
To be fair though, it made it out far better than other franchises as it still produced a HIGHLY competent side scrolling beat 'em up. Might not the genre re-defining classic that was Streets of Rage 2, but still an immensely well executed brawler set in that magical time that is the 90s where it feels like gang violence had to be colorful, ridiculous, and full of metal punks.
by Elliott Wu (40) on Jun 8th, 2016 · Genesis
SOR 3, the most underrated game in the series.
The Good
Streets of Rage 3, is an excellent sequel to an outstanding series. In SOR3, the insidious Mr. X is back. This time out he seeks to destroy the city, that he once ruled. Axel, Blaze, and Skate are back with new comer Dr. Zan, to stop Mr. X once and for all. There are also three hidden playable characters. The graphics in this game are unbelievable. As close to arcade quality as the Genesis ever got. With all new "Blitz" moves, so you can bring your rage to the streets. As well as all-new enemies, and weapons. SOR3 also packs multiple endings adding to it's replay value. If this was to be the final installment in the series it would be a fine end indeed.
The Bad
SOR3's difficulty is unlike anything seen in the previous titles. For some reason when Sega of America, localized this game they upped the difficulty very-hard, became hard,hard to normal, etc. Adam is not playable, while not that big of a deal, I would have liked to seen him as a playable character.(As well as most other SOR fans.)
The Bottom Line
Imagine Final Fight or Double Dragon, with better story, graphics, gameplay, and in a nut shell you will have the Streets of Rage series.
by MasterMegid (723) on Feb 23rd, 2004 · Genesis
1994.. The coming of Playstation, The end of Genesis.
The Good
Have you ever sat down and thought.. OK I feel like achieving the near impossible?
Yes?!
Then try and find a copy of this game and completing it all in the same day!!
This game is very hard to find, especially in the U.K!
You can find it on the net for about $40+!
I have seen it retail for £83!!!! And thats alot for a game!
If you aren't wanting to achieve the impossible and are almost maybe getting a copy of your own.. then you have to think to yourself 'do I REALLY want this game?'
If you are a Streets of Rage fan the OF COURSE YOU WANT IT!!!
It was 8 years before I could play this game after hearing about it.
Streets of Rage 2 is an ultimate classic (definitely on the Mega-drive/Genesis top ten!) and I wanted more of the same - THE ULTIMATE SCROLLING BEAT 'EM UP!
Pressing the start button on the title screen gives me the same options and player set up as usual for the series, except one thing... THE most important thing..
THE MUSIC HAD CHANGED!!!!!!!!!
What did they do?! I thought ' its ok, maybe the in-game music is like the other games''
I was wrong.. but not disappointed at all!
The music (which is one of the main driving points of the series) is a combination Arcade style sounds mixed with Techno,Electro and Eclectic dance. Which basically means that it mixes you along with the rest of the game nicely!
The Bad
Um.. What happened to this being one of the last great games on the Genesis?
The game which could define Sega's console for what it achieved?!
Well, this game isn't anything special, no big differences. No Adam!
You get to play as a kangaroo and not the guy from the very first game?!
That wasn't a good idea really (I mean, COME ON! IT'S THE LAST STREETS OF RAGE!!)
Well, they DID make the game really hard!
OK, maybe thats not such a good thing..
People moaned about the second game being too easy, and now, too hard doesn't work!!
What could they of done?
I would of liked to see some classic bosses here, a long fight towards the end where you face every boss in the game one by one (like in the first and second game)
Some more music would of been great!
Adam back in it!
A more imaginative fighting system (maybe chose whether to hit with feet first or hands first..)
The Bottom Line
ITS STREETS OF RAGE 3!!!
If you loved the second game, then this is a fresh new look on the series, just don' expect much else to be different (Axel's jeans are black now..)
All what is different is the kangaroo, Dr Zan robot man, the music, Axel's jeans have gone black and his face is weird, no Max from the second game, no 3-4 player option..
Delete all those, and you got one cracking fighting game! If you haven't played ANY of the series, then you're going to like this ALOT! Even though it's a bit hard.
I think all Streets of Rage fans should write to Sega and beg for another (with classic gameplay and no silly plot or C.G cut-scenes!!) And also, unlock-able Streets of Rage 1, 2+3 for those who can't get a copy! Write to them! If they make it, then the cause was just. :)
by MrBee (28) on Mar 1st, 2004 · Genesis
The Good
Streets of Rage 3 features improved graphics, animation, music and sound effects along with new fighting moves and a few storyline plot twists. On the surface it would seem as if Sega simply took what was great about Streets of Rage 2 and made it better.
The Bad
During the video game wars between Nintendo and Sega, the later sought to portray itself as being cooler and less stuffier then the Big N. This was done in its ad campaigns as well in its products.
Sega gave approval for Galoob to produce a Game Genie for the Genesis and Game Gear. Sega allowed games made for their systems to contain graphic violence, blood, gore and even some scantily clad females. Yet, Sega's own Streets of Rage 3 was heavily censored for release outside of the Asian market; drastically changing the original storyline (harsh language and nuclear weapons) as well as some enemies characters who were gay or transsexual. Why these changes were made is not all together clear. Their was intense political scrutiny placed upon the video game industry in the early 1990's and, maybe, Sega decided to retool the game so as to avoid controversy. Yet, it does create some obvious plot holes, a less dramatic storyline and undermines the notion that (as the ads said) Sega does what Nintendo doesn't.
The Bottom Line
Streets of Rage 3 is an action packed, beat em' up that builds upon the successful elements of the first two games. Fans of the genre, should enjoy the ride. However, the decision by Sega to drastically alter the original plot and censor certain elements from the game was a bad decision, which has never been fixed.
by ETJB (431) on Feb 25th, 2010 · Genesis
Contributors to this Entry
Critic reviews added by Alsy, lights out party, SlyDante, Big John WV, Riemann80, Alex Fest, RhYnoECfnW, Tim Janssen, Kohler 86, Patrick Bregger, Omnosto, Wizo, Bozzly, Zelon.