Streets of Rage 3

Streets of Rage 3 (Bare Knuckle III in Japan) is a side-scrolling beat 'em up released by Sega in 1994 for the Sega Genesis. It is part of the Streets of Rage series. It was later released for the Japanese version of Sonic Gems Collection, for the GameCube and PlayStation 2, and re-released for the Wii Virtual Console on September 24, 2007.

Overview
Streets of Rage 3, packed in a 24 megabit (3 megabyte) cartridge, had several enhancements over Streets of Rage 2 such as a more complex plot, multiple endings, lengthier levels, better scenarios (with interactive levels and the return of traps like pits) and faster gameplay (with dash and dodge moves). Weapons could now only be used for a few times before breaking (though they could now be integrated with semi-special moves with certain characters), hidden characters were added and a few cutscenes were added to give the story depth. Max Thunder gave place to Dr. Zan, a cyborg, who was important for plot reasons.

Besides the fact that it was far more difficult than its predecessors, it has also been criticized for having an abrasive and noisy soundtrack, more experimental than the previous two which used more melodies and dance beats.

Storyline
This is the game's storyline, according to the Instructon Manual. These people will decide the fate of the city

Mr X: ''This mysterious crime boss may be out of sight, but he's not out of the city. He's lying low using a legitimate research company, RoboCy Coporation, as both a front for the Syndicate's business activities and the basis of his latest plan. He has brought in one of the world's most brilliant and eccentric roboticists - Dr Dahm - to create lifelike robots to replace key city officials. When the replacements are completed, Mr X can run the city by remote control. The Syndicate is using strategically placed bombs to divert the attention of the city police while Mr X deals with the city leaders, one by one.''

Blaze Fielding: ''An ex-cop who had helped overthrow Mr X twice before, Blaze now works as a private detective. When informed by Dr Zan that the next victim of the Syndicate's evil scheme will be her old friend, the Chief of Police, she immediately sets up a task force to go to his rescue.''

Dr Zan: ''A former RoboCy researcher converted into a cyborg during Dr Dahm's early experiments. Dr Zan probes a little too deeply into the corporate files and discovers what the secret research is really for. He knows the Syndicate must be stopped once and for all, but because of his criminal record he cannot approach the police. So he pays a visit to Blaze's agency and enlists her help.''

Axel Stone: ''After the Syndicate was defeated the second time, Blaze's old partner from the police moved far fom the city and set up a school of martial arts. The letter he receives from Blaze brings him back to the city at top speed.''

Adam Hunter: ''Not long ago, Mr X took out his anger on one of the three ex-cops responsible for his first defeat. Adam was kidnapped and held as bait for his friends, Axel and Blaze. Adam was rescued, and later rejoined the police force as a senior polic operative. He can't answer Blaze's call for assistance himself, but sends Skate instead.''

Eddie "Skate" Hunter: ''Since his last encounter with Mr X and his thugs, Adam's kid brother has grown smarter, stronger and faster. And he's ready to hit the Syndicate where it hurts.''

''Blaze, Axel, Skate and Zan... can they prevent the city from falling back into the hands of Mr X and his criminal organisation? Only you can help...''

The city that the Streets of Rage games are set is unnamed, but it seems to be based on New York. The box art of the US/Euro release of Streets of Rage features the Empire State Building in the background, and in the Round 2 of Streets of Rage 2, one can see the Twin Towers of the now destroyed World Trade Center in the skyline. The Twin Towers can also be seen in the box art of Streets of Rage 3.

Axel Stone
Curiously, (since there is a 6 feet 7 inches cyborg as a playable character), this time Axel is the "powerhouse" of the game (excluding Shiva and Ash which are superpowered). He is not anymore the Technique Master of the game, but he still remains a very good technician. His curiously low speed and his classically poor jumping ability are his downsides. His semi-special remains the "Grand Upper", this time renamed to "Bare Knuckle" and a little toned down.
 * Attributes: Ex-cop, Martial Arts Master; Special Attacks: Dragon Wing, Dragon Smash
 * Height: 6 ft (182 cm); Weight 165 lb (75 kg)
 * Power: 6/6; Technique: 5/6; Speed: 4/6; Jump: 2/6; Reach: 5/6;

Blaze Fielding
Along with Axel, one of the only characters to appear in all Streets of Rage games. This time she is the best technical fighter and the weakest one after Skate and Roo. Her stats are very balanced making her the all-rounder of the game. Her semi-special remains the Vertical Slash.
 * Attributes: Ex-cop, Judoka, Private Detective; Special Attacks: Embukyaku (Backflip), Kikousho (Fireball)
 * Height: 5 ft 6 in (170 cm); Weight: Unknown
 * Power: 4/6; Technique: 6/6; Speed: 4/6; Jump: 4/6; Reach: 4/6;

Eddie "Skate" Hunter
Named Sammy in Japanese version, he debuted in Streets of Rage 2. He is the second fastest character and the second best jumper (behind an animal though) but still the weakest of all. His semi-special is still the Dynamite Headbutt. Recommended only for experienced players.
 * Attributes: Rollerblader, Adam's little brother; Special Attacks: Double Spin Kick, Rolling Punches
 * Height: 4 ft 10 in (148 cm); Weight: 88lb (40 kg)
 * Power: 2/6; Technique: 4/6; Speed: 5/6; Jump: 5/6; Reach: 2/6

Dr Zan
Zan is a bizarre character, who logically should be the "powerhouse" of the basic characters instead of Axel. His reach is great, due to his cyborg hands, and could be compared only with Shiva's. His semi-special is a Dashing Charge, something like Max Thunder's special move Thunder Tackle, but of course less powerful. His animation is very strange; obviously the programmers wanted him to appear robotic in motion, but the overall effect is of sub-standard animation. However, his weapons usage is interesting, as weapons turn into a glowing ball of energy (which means he is equally competent with each weapon) that can be thrown.
 * Attributes: Doctor, Ex-criminal, Blaze's friend; Special Attacks: Electric Body, Electric Reach
 * Height: 6 ft 7 in (204 cm); Weight: 332lb (151 kg)
 * Power: 5/6; Technique: 3/6; Speed: 3/6; Jump: 3/6; Reach: 6/6

Gameplay
The gameplay features an large increase in pace from Streets of Rage 2. The heroes move and attack faster, but so do the enemies. Enemy attacks can also be avoided with new running and vertical-dodge moves, though most player attacks deal less damage than in the predecessor. The level timer has been removed, replaced with the 'power meter' (see below). The end-of-level 'Time bonus' has been replaced with a 'Life bonus', determined by the amount of life-bar a player has left.

A significant change is that special moves no longer always drain the player's life bar, thanks to the power meter. The power meter takes a few seconds to fill, and when empty, the player is weaker in attacking, and takes more damage when hit and when using special moves. When full however, the player attacks and defends at full strength, and use of a special move will not drain the player's life bar at all, though it will drain the power meter to empty again. However, although the power meter makes a large difference to the player's strength in Bare Knuckle 3, in Streets of Rage 3 the difference is barely noticeable. The change means special moves can be used much more often, extending a character's normal repertoire. Though this is balanced by the moves being weaker.

The player's semi-special (blitz) moves, athough initially much weaker than in the previous game, can be upgraded, with the 'power star' system. When a player gains 40,000 points on a single life, they receive a power star (maximum 3), which gives them a more powerful blitz attack. Losing a life will lose the player a power star, so they can be difficult to keep on the later stages.

Traps in the scenery make a return from Streets of Rage 1; enemies can once again be thrown into pits or off the side of an elevator. Trains and various electric/laser devices also make appearances. Other features to make a return from the first game in the series are co-operative attacks, and the inability to throw the heavy fire-breathers, where attempting to do so will fail, with the player taking damage.

There are also increases in enemy intelligence: more enemies can pick up weapons, or block attacks, some enemies employ co-operative attacks, and some enemies can even steal exposed food items.

Weapons
Use of weapons differs from Streets of Rage 2. Each weapon picked up has its own lifebar, meaning it can only be used for a few attacks before expiring. However, each weapon gives particular characters added special moves:
 * Knife: A usual kitchen knife. The most common weapon and the weakest along with Kunai. Blaze and Skate can perform special moves with it.
 * Lead Pipe: A strong, large pipe. Very good range and power from this weapon. Axel and Skate can use it to perform special moves.
 * Baseball Bat: A wooden bat, returning from Streets of Rage. Used exactly like the Lead Pipe, so Axel and Skate can use it to perform special moves.
 * Plank: A wooden plank, used exactly like the Lead Pipe and the Baseball Bat, so Axel and Skate can use it to perform special moves.
 * Katana: A Japanese sword made for Samurai warriors, with superior reach and power. Axel and Blaze can perform some impressive and damaging moves with this.
 * Kunai: A Japanese knife carried from Mr. X's Ninjas. It works exactly like Knife. Blaze and Skate are able to use this in special attacks.
 * Grenade: Causes a large amount of damage though has to be thrown accurately.

Secret Characters
There are three secret characters that can be unlocked, either by actions in-game or by Game Genie codes, and then selected when the player uses a continue. One of them, Ash, is only easily accessible in the Japanese version, Bare Knuckle 3. All the secret characters are unable to pick up and use weapons. In order of appearance:

Ash
Ash (appears in Japanese release only) is a minion of Mr. X's organization. A very tall man, wearing tight green pants, a necklace depicting the female symbol, and a purple waistcoat, he strikes effeminate poses, such as covering his mouth while laughing girlishly with his knees bent inward. His attacks consist mainly of grabbing and throwing his opponents. When defeated, he cries. Being a (rather offensive) homosexual caricature, he was cut from the U.S./European Streets of Rage 3.

He appears as a sub-boss at the of Round 1-2, after piloting a speedboat to drop off enemies throughout the level (Shiva drives the boat U.S./European version, and as a sub-boss he is replaced by a donovan thug).

When played, Ash has the most powerful punches, defeating enemies easier than the other playable characters (even Shiva), He uses a different colour palette from as an enemy, and uses the same voice samples as Blaze.

Shiva
An another one of the main bad guys, Shiva, is also unlockable. Even though he has a portrait in a cutscene it is not used when unlocked (on the character select screen and at the end of the stages). He combines voice samples from Axel with others of his own.

His moveset as playable is incomplete compared to the one he has as an opponent. As a playable character (often unlocked), Shiva has the fastest punches and attacks of every character, also the longest reach. Unfortunately, his special move is powerful but due to its short reach it rarely manages to strike the enemies effectively.

Roo
Roo, known as Victy in Japan, is a kangaroo wearing boxing gloves and green or blue pants. The party encounters this kangaroo in the downtown Atlas district that is Round 2, in which he is controlled by Bruce (known as Danch in Japan), a whip-wielding clown trainer. If the player manages to defeat Bruce before Roo, Roo will run off and is then unlocked. If the player reaches the end of Round 2-1 with Roo, he will still have to fight Roo as a mini boss. Unlike Ash and Shiva, Roo has a profile picture.

Roo is capable of different spinning attacks, and kicking while standing on his tail. He is somewhat more useful than Skate. Interestingly, he uses a lot of the same voice samples as Skate. His semi-special move resembles Zan's, but it's more impressive and effective.
 * Attributes: A fighting kangaroo; *Special Attacks: Backflip, Spinning Kick
 * Height: 5ft 3in (161 cm); Weight: 167 lb (76 kg)
 * Power: 3/6; Technique: 2/6; Speed: 6/6; Jump: 6/6; Reach: 3/6

Levels
In the instruction manual of the game there is an introduction for every level, as it is mentioned below.


 * Round 1: Harbour - Get your lead from the punks and begin your search at this coastal harbour!
 * Round 2: Nightclub - Fight your way through Syndicate-controlled streets and confront the criminal element at a local hotspot!
 * Round 3: Construction Site - Follow the Syndicate's trail through this hazardous construction site and watch for Donovan's revenge attack! A cargo elevator takes you to the roof where you will discover a vital clue!
 * Round 4: Subway - Move through this hidden subway tunnel being used for illegal cargo hauling! Confront an army of ninjas and their leader, the ninjitsu-magic wielding Yamato!
 * Round 5: Syndicate Hideout - You've reached the Syndicate Hideout! Battle your way to the top level where Mr. X awaits you.... or does he?
 * Round 6: Save the Chief of Police - You have three minutes to rescue the Syndicate's valuable hostage before a deadly nerve toxin is vented into the building. Can you rescue him in time? Good luck!
 * Round 7A: Syndicate Robot Factory (If the Chief of Police lives in Round 6) - You've arrived at the Syndicate Stronghold! After fighting your way through a trap-laden forest, you'll enter Dr. Dahm's laboratory where you'll confront a legion of X Robots! The battle ahead will be fierce, and you can expect to face Dahm and Mr. X one final time. But the evil mastermind has a hidden ace up his sleeve...
 * Round 7B: City Hall/White House (If the Chief of Police dies in Round 6) - An imposter has taken Petrov's place at a press conference at the White House! You must battle your way through and expose the Syndicate as the true culprits to the world's media!

Several pre-release screenshots show that Round 7 originally contained a section where the players got to ride the motorcycles they are so often attacked by. This section was removed for the final version, but is still playable (though buggy and unfinished) with a Game Genie code in the Japanese version.

Boss Enemies

 * Shiva: The Boss of Harbour (Round 1)
 * Mona & Lisa: The Bosses of Nightclub (Round 2)
 * Axel (robotic replica): The Boss of Construction Site (Round 3)
 * Yamato: The Boss of Subway (Round 4)
 * Robot X: The Boss of Syndicate Hideout (Round 5)
 * Jet: The Boss of Save the Chief of Police (Round 6)
 * Robot Y: The Boss of Syndicate Robot Factory (Round 7A)
 * Shiva: The Boss of City Hall / White House (Round 7B)

Endings
The game has 4 different endings, they are listed below.
 * If you fail to save the general/chief, you play an alternate Round 7 (The City Hall/The White House). At the end of this, you have to face a stronger Shiva as the last boss, instead of Robot Y (known as Neo X in Bare Knuckle 3).
 * If you do rescue the general/chief, you play the real Round 7 (The Robot Facility). You are expected to defeat Robot Y within a time limit. If you beat it after the timer expires, the bombs will still detonate in the city, turning it into a complete ruin.
 * If you destroy Robot Y before the timer expires, the bombs are defused and the city is saved; this is the best (and true) ending of the game.
 * There is an "Easy mode" ending in the U.S./Euro versions where Robot X in Stage 5 is the last boss. After defeating him, you are told to play the next difficulty mode.

Regional differences
While translating this game from Japanese to American and European audiences, Sega of America altered it significantly. The most notable changes were that the miniboss character Ash was removed because he was a stereotyped homosexual, females were given more modest clothing, and the costume colors were changed. Axel is dressed like Adam, Blaze's clothes were changed from red to white, and Skate wears red and blue instead of red and yellow. Sega stated that these were changed to create "gender-neutral colors." The voice-effects were also changed, with most noticeably Axel's catchphrase of "Grand Upper" for his semi-special move being replaced with "Bare Knuckle".

The plot was rewritten, leaving many gaps in the narrative. In the original Bare Knuckle 3 the story dealt with a new explosive substance called Rakushin, discovered by a Dr. Gilbert (who later turns out to be Dr. Zan), and the disappearance of a military general. In the American and European versions of Streets of Rage 3, all references to Rakushin were removed, and the general was replaced by the chief of police, and a scheme to switch city officials with robot clones was invented. Another difference was if you didn't save the general, you had to head to the White House. This too was changed in the U.S./Euro version where instead if you didn't save the chief, then you had to head to the City Hall, although the building depicting the City Hall was still clearly the White House.

Also, Bare Knuckle 3, even on the highest difficulty setting, was significantly easier than Streets of Rage 3 on default difficulty.

A comprehensive list of all the changes between the versions, as well as a complete translation of the Japanese script, can be found at SOR online.

Trivia

 * The Japanese version of Sonic Gems Collection includes Bare Knuckle I, II, III (Streets of Rage 1, 2 and 3, respectively). These, along with Bonanza Bros., were excluded from releases outside Japan to obtain lower age ratings. If not, Sonic Gems Collection would have the E10+ rating.
 * The ninja characters named Mifune, Chiba and Kosugi are probably a reference to martial artist actors Toshiro Mifune, Sonny Chiba and Sho Kosugi.
 * The European box art, featuring Zan and Blaze in front of the New York skyline, was originally drawn by the magazine Mean Machines Sega, used as the front cover for the edition that featured a review of the game. Sega bought the rights to the image.