
What’s more, Koshiro wrote this technological marvel on the PC-88 – a Japanese home computer system first released in 1981. Streets of Rage managed the revolutionary feat of credibly replicating contemporary electronic music on a non-CD gaming platform.

Streets of rage 2 original soundtrack full#
Inspired by these new influences, Koshiro even wrote his own programming language to harness the Sega Genesis’ full audio capabilities for the first Streets of Rage game.

A trip to LA in 1988 had introduced Koshiro to emerging styles of electronic club music – which would only take off in Japan two or three years later. However, Streets of Rage 2‘s most noteworthy feature is its music, with a whole range of electronic artists (including Jay-Z producer Just Blaze) influenced by Yuzo Koshiro’s groundbreaking work. With nearly flawless gameplay and outstanding visuals, Streets of Rage 2 might well be the greatest beat’em up released for the Sega Genesis – and one of the entire genre’s all-time greats. It didn’t stand out as a classic, though – but Streets of Rage 2 definitely got there. Its predecessor was a strong entry in the very crowded genre of early 90s beat’em ups. That’s precisely what happened with Streets of Rage 2.

If all goes well, the result is a product that doesn’t innovate, but makes a good thing even better. Often enough, sequels to successful games or movies follow a predictable path – repeat the formula that made the first outing a winner, but make sure to tweak and polish your approach. Streets of Rage 2 Soundtrack (Sega Genesis), Motohiro Kawashima / Yuzo Koshiro, 1992
