=============================== Streets of Rage (Master System) Game (c) 1993 SEGA Music (c) 1991 Yuzo Koshiro This FAQ (c) 2001 Frank Provo Player's Guide - Version 1.06F Author: Frank Provo E-mail: frank@frankprovo.com =============================== The current version of this guide is always available in text format at: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ ================= Table of Contents ================= A. Plot / Introduction B. Characters & Moves C. Items, Weapons, and Scoring D. Enemies & Bosses E. Level Guide (8 Rounds) F. Closing Comments, etc. * WARNING: THIS GUIDE CONTAINS SPOILER INFORMATION * ====================== A. Plot / Introduction ====================== This city was once a happy, peaceful place.... until one day, a powerful secret criminal organization took over. This vicious syndicate soon had control of the government and even the police force. The city has become a center of violence and crime where no one is safe. Amid this turmoil, a group of determined young police officers has sworn to clean up the city. Among them are Axel Stone, Adam Hunter, and Blaze Fielding. They are willing to risk anything.... even their lives.... on the.... Streets Of Rage. The Master System version of Streets of Rage is a single player side-scrolling beat' em up. If you're familiar with the genre, the game is quite formulaic. Walk forward, pummel gangsters, use weapons, and watch the timer - you know the drill. Throughout this guide, I'll note some differences between the SMS version of the game and it's Genesis & Game Gear counterparts. It's actually much better than the GG version in terms of music, gameplay, and graphics, even if the collision detection is wonky. Since this version of the game was rental-only in the US and only sold as a consumer product in Europe and South America, you're either a very intrepid collector or playing the game on an emulator. Enjoy! ===================== B. Characters / Moves ===================== The Sega Master System version of Streets of Rage differs greatly from both the Game Gear and Genesis versions. First, unlike the GG version, Adam is present. Secondly, while enemy vitality in the GG and Genesis versions varies widely depending on the difficulty level, the SMS version's two difficulty levels provide only for easily dispatched or toughly dispatched enemies - which greatly effects the combos you can perform. See further sections for even more differences. Characters: Adam Hunter - Male - Age 23 - Ex-Cop Hobby: Bonsai Ability: Boxing Power: A Jump: A Speed: B Clothing: Black Jeans and Yellow Muscle Shirt Thanks to his flying kick and power, Adam is probably the best character for beginners. He's also the least frustrating. Axel Stone - Male - Age 22 - Ex-Cop Hobby: Video Games Ability: Martial Arts Power: A Jump: A Speed: A Clothing: Blue Jeans and White Muscle Shirt Axel is the front man of the Streets of Rage Series, but his wussy flying knee is a hindrance. He's not as fast as his speed rating suggests, either. Blaze Fielding - Female - Age 21 - Ex-Cop Hobby: Lambada Ability: Judo Power: B Jump: A Speed: A Clothing: Red Leather Jacket & Skirt Ensemble Other than her terrible lack of power and stamina, Blaze is quite speedy. Her near-infinite BBB combo is great. Thanks to her sweet jump kicks and sexy skirt, she's a fan favorite. Basic Moves: D-Pad = Move Around Pause, 2 = Summon Backup 'Napalm' Attack 2 = Jab Punch (Men), Karate Chop (Blaze), Pick Up/Use Item 1 = Jump 1, 2 = Jump Kick 1+2 = Rear Attack Grapple Moves: (get close to an enemy to grapple) Back = Release enemy (Electra, Shiva, Jack, Bosses) Swap Grapple for Tie Up (Garcia, Signal) 2, 2, 2 = Knee, Knee, Elbow (Men) or Kick Flip (Blaze) Back+2 = Throw 2, 2, Back+2 = Knee, Knee, Throw 1 = Shoulder Vault 1, 1 = Double Shoulder Vault (releases opponent) 1, 2 = Reverse Backdrop (STRONGEST THROW!) The vault (1) is very useful if you grab an enemy from behind, since it lets you flip in front of them to perform more than just a throw. Grab, flip, attack, flip, throw - yum. Tied Up Moves: (when an enemy grabs you from behind) 1 = Double Leg Kick (take out enemies in front) 1, 2 = Neck Throw (when you land from Leg Kick) Up+1 = Perform if you're thrown and you'll land on your feet Combos: (standing) 2, 2, 2, 2 = Two quick jabs, an uppercut, then a kick (normal mode grapple combo) 2, 2, 2, grapple, 2, 2 = 5 hits (hard mode grapple combo) 2, 2, 2, grapple, 2, 2, 1, 2 = 5 hits, vault, backdrop ============================== C. Items, Weapons, and Scoring ============================== There are a number of beneficial items and weapons scattered throughout Streets of Rage. Most are hidden within phone booths, metal drums, or behind similarly fragile objects. From time to time, an enemy may walk onscreen carrying an object. To pick up an object, stand over it and press the attack button. If it's a weapon, use the attack button to use it. Weapons, except the knife and Pepper Shaker, are unlimited use until they're knocked out of your hands. Items: Apple - Restores 50% of your life Beef Slab - Restores 100% of your life Cash Bag - $1,000 points Gold Bars - Three gold ingots worth $5,000 points 1UP - Grab the statue of our heroes for a free life Extra Special - Grab the toy car for a bonus 'call backup' attack You also earn an 1UP for every 50,000 points you accumulate. Weapons: Knife - A short range, sharp knife. ~5-6 uses, then you throw it. Bottle - Similar to the knife, only a bottle. Baseball Bat - A long range pummeling weapon. Stronger than a throw. Lead Pipe - Similar to the bat. Pepper Shaker - Toss at enemies to stun them. Scoring: You receive points for every hoodlum you vanquish. At the end of each level, you'll also earn a clear bonus: Clear Bonus - 20,000 points Time Bonus - 100 points/second Level Bonus - 10,000 points (+10,000 for each difficulty above normal) Player Bonus - 1,000 points/life (+1,000 for each difficulty above easy) You'll also receive a 5,000 point bonus for unused special attacks. ========== D. Enemies ========== Compared to the Genesis version, enemies in the Master System version of Streets of Rage are easier to dispatch. Most take only two punches and a throw to vanquish. However, they're all much more aggressive and the bosses cheat more - so things balance out. Also, you'll meet some of the bosses again in rounds five and six, and face ALL of them again in round 8. The SMS version of the game features a sixth, unique boss for level 6 - "The Penguin." Gang Members: Garcia - Blue, Green, or Brown pants and jacket Garcia is SOR's generic thug of choice. You'll encounter these guys on practically every level. In general, it only takes four punches or a three hit grapple combo to defeat them. They love to rush in with a three hit combo, so be ready to do a jumping kick. Signal - Yellow, Green, or Gray coat and boots Noted also for their spiky hair, these guys love to throw and aren't afraid to slide kick your feet from under you. Their damage rating is similar to Garcia. Shiva - Gray/Red or Grey/Blue suited Ninjas What a pain. They like to do standing and flying kicks. The best way to fight them is get in close and make the first move. The blue-trimmed ones are a bit more aggressive, but not much. Amusingly, the sole surviving Shiva from SOR1 lived on to become Mr. X's right hand man in Streets of Rage 2. Electras - Red, Black, or Gray dominatrixes with whips Electras are reserved combatants, as their only attack is a whip strike. However, they have massive range! They're not too worthy unless in a group. The red variant's vitality is slightly higher than Garcia & Signal, but the black ones take almost as many hits as Boomer, the first boss. They also have this sneaky habit of kneeling down for mercy and attacking when your back is turned. Approach from above or below and throw them. Jacks - Gray/Blue-trimmed freaks with spiked hair and axes Unlike the console version, grappling these guys while they're juggling axes doesn't damage you. In that case, walk up to them, grapple and do a two hit + throw combo. Sometimes their axes are on fire. Other than the bosses who crop up in later levels to invite a rematch, this is about it for regular enemies. Five people repeated 400 times. Bosses: Boomer - Blue-jeaned dock worker - ROUND 1 He carries a boomerang that he'll toss around from time to time. He also likes to kick. Since he's more apt to attack in close than in other versions of the game, your best bet is jumping kicks or grapple/throw combinations. His vitality is twice that of a red Electra - e.g. 6-8 hits. Zamza - Blue pants, red jacket, claws - ROUND 2 A WolverineTM wannabe. He's easy, provided you're patient. Similar to the first boss, you don't want to be on a diagonal plane from this one. Attack straight on or grapple from above/below. Don't jump into him - just play it straight. He has twice the stamina of Boomer. Abadede - Lots of Muscles - ROUND 3 Abadede is a fan-favorite. He's tall, muscular, and has only two attacks, a running uppercut and a throw. In this version of the game, his uppercut can damage you the entire time his arm is extended. He'll take about 20 punches or six throws to dispatch. To defeat him, get below him and grapple or stand about 2/3 of the way across the screen and punch like crazy. Big Ben - A fat man who breathes fire! - ROUND 4 Wow, he's actually easier to beat than in the Genesis version. His main attack is to run across the screen while breathing fire. To defeat him, sneak behind him and punch him silly, or grapple, flip over him, punch twice, tab back to release, grapple again, punch twice, repeat... You can also just sit in the corner with him off screen and pummel him. He'll go down after about 12 hits, provided you don't try to throw him. Mona & Lisa - Green Blaze look-alikes - ROUND 5 They're just not as tough as they are in the Genesis version. Regular jump kicks seem to work well enough. However, they're faster than their console counterparts, and will still backflip or throw you. The Penguin - Midget with Top Hat & Tails - ROUND 6 Woah - A special boss just for the Master System version. This guy looks like a cross between Gary Coleman and The Penguin from the Batman TV series. He's got a missile launcer strapped to his back, and his only attack seems to be to move from end to end, bending over, then launching a guided missle. Jump over the missles and kick him or sneak behind and throw him. Just jump a bit and you'll do okay. His stamina isn't that great. Mr. X - Green Armani suit - FINAL BOSS/ROUND 8 Mr. X is so cool that he's at the end of every Streets of Rage game. Wearing an expensive Armani suit, he barks orders to his minions from a throne of gold. When you face him, he'll send some Garcias out first, then stand up to deliver some pain. His main attacks are a machine gun blast from the upper or side of the screen and a charging rifle butt. The machine gun blasts are best dealt with in close, while the rifle dash can be dodged from below. Just wail on him. ============== E. Level Guide ============== Here is a guide for all 8 rounds of the game. Yes, 8. Unlike the paltry Game Gear version, the Master System version of Streets of Rage features all 8 levels from the Genesis counterpart. This guide was completed on normal mode. In general, the harder the difficulty, the lengthier the gangsters' life meters and the more gangsters appear. Note: Only bosses have visible life meters. *** ROUND 1 - City Street - Boss: Boomer *** Thugs: 27 - Garcia, Signal, Electra, Shiva Items: 6 - 2xApple, Lead Pipe, Bottle, Pepper Shaker, Beef Slab You begin the game in front of the Pine Pot restaurant. Walk ahead, by the time the screen stops, you'll be battling three Garcias and a Signal. Due to the system's sprite limitations, you'll only fight enemies two at a time - this is good to note. Ahead some more, you'll fight two more Signals - snag the apple from one phone booth. A bottle is in the other. At the next screen stoppage, you'll face four Garcias and two Signals. The next phone booth has a lead pipe, which you can use to dispatch the two Shivas who approach. Further ahead, you'll battle three Garcias and two Electras, but the trio of phone booths has an apple and a pepper shaker to help. By the time you snag the beef slab out of the next phone booth and get to the next screen stoppage, you'll have fought six more Garcias and two Electras. Once they're beaten, you have to fight the round 1 boss - Boomer. *** ROUND 2 - Inner City - Boss: Zamza *** Thugs: 30 - Garcia, Signal, Electra, Jack Items: 11 - Gold Bars, Pepper Shaker, 2xApple, Lead Pipe, 2xBottle, 1UP, Money Bag, Knife, Beef Slab Welcome to the gritty slum area. After a brisk walk leads you to the front of a ratty apartment building, two Garcias and two Signals will come around to accost you. There are gold bars and a pepper shaker in the oil drum. Once the Signals are dispatched, three more Garcias, one with a knife, will come into the fray. Jeez. Right after that battle, an Electra will come out brandishing a whip, with another soon to follow. The two oil drums here contain a bottle and an apple. Use the bottle on the next two Garcias. Up ahead, the screen will stop, forcing you to fight four Signals. The drums here contain a money bag and a 1UP. As you continue walking, two more Garcias and two Electras will step to - the oil drums along the way contain a lead pipe and an apple. At the next screen stall, you'll have to fight three Jacks. Watch out for the axes they throw. Walk even further ahead and take out the four Garcias you'll face. The first oil drum is empty, but the second contains a meat slab. At the end of the street, you'll have to fight two Jacks, then two Electras, followed by Zamza, the WolverineTM man. Get behind him to beat on him. *** ROUND 3 - Beachfront - Boss: Abadede *** Thugs: 31 - Garcia, Signal, Electra, Shiva Items: 6 - Baseball Bat, 2xKnife, Apple, Gold Bars, Beef Slab One of my favorite levels. Walk forward and enjoy watching the undulating waves. Grab the bat out of the tires, then wallop the Shiva, two Signals, and four Garcias up ahead. As you walk along the next section and enjoy the signs in the background, you'll encounter four Garcias. The tires en route hold an apple and some gold bars. When the screen stops, you have to face three Shivas and three Garcias. Don't get too cocky - as you walk down the palm tree section of the beach, three Electras will step up to do battle. There's a beef slab in the tires. When the screen stops, you'll fight three Shivas. From this next point until the screen stops again, you'll fight six Garcias, two of whom have knives, followed by two Electras. After taking them out, it's time to fight the third boss, Abadede. Avoid his charging uppercut and attack from close behind. *** ROUND 4 - Unfinished Bridge - Boss: Big Ben *** Thugs: 31 - Garcia, Signal, Shiva, Electra Items: Pepper Shaker, 3xKnife, 1UP, 2xGold Bars, 2xApple, Beef Slab Throw the enemies into the pits in this level, if you need to. Walk ahead. By the time the screen stops you'll need to tackle three yellow Signals, followed by two black Electras, and then two more green Signals. Up ahead, the parking cone hides a pepper shaker, while two Garcias will beg to be thrown into the pit. One of them has a knife, if you want it. The next parking cone has some gold bars under it, which you can grab just before beating the lone Garcia here senseless. The screen will soon come to a stop, pitting you against two Signals, two Electras, and two Shivas. An apple in the parking cone should help. As you walk, you'll pass a section of three pits. The three parking cones contain a 1UP, gold bars, and an apple. Spaced through here, you'll battle two Garcias, one with a knife. Once you reach the large pit section, you'll have to bludgeon a Garcia and two green Signals. After hearing that horrible "GO" sound, walk ahead to face two Electras. There's a beef slab hidden under the parking cone just past the large pit. Past the pit, you'll face two more Electras, two Signals, two Garcias (one with a knife), and finally two more Signals. Then it's time to fight the fire breather, Big Ben. Don't get run over and don't jump into him. *** ROUND 5 - Aboard Ship - Boss: Mona & Lisa *** Thugs: 49 - Garcia, Signal, Electra, Shiva, Jack, Abadede Items: 14 - 8xKnife, Apple, 3xBeef Slab, Pepper Shaker, Extra Special Ugh! This level is long and you'll fight plenty of Electras, Shivas, and Jacks, as well as encounter Abadede again. Sigh... here we go. Down the deck you'll fight four green Garcias, two of whom are packing knives, followed by three blue Garcias. After that melee, two Shivas will try and keep you from damaging the ship's vents - which hide an apple and a pepper shaker. You'll fight another Shiva and four Garcias (two with knives) after that. Past that darn "GO" sound, you'll fight five Electras in pairs of two. There's a meat slab in the vent up ahead, but maybe you should hold off on it if you can. The screen will stop, forcing you to fight three Signals and three Garcias (one has a knife). Wouldn't some beef come in handy during that? As you wander down the deck again, you'll come across two Shivas, two Garcias (one with a knife), and then four more Shivas. By now the screen will have stopped and you'll have to fight Abadede again. He's much stronger now - I'd try and stay behind him. Right after Abadede, you'll fight three Shivas. There's a beef slab in the vent. Down the way, you'll face two Garcias, one with a knife. When you get to the next vent (which contains an extra special item), the screen will stop - you get to fight four strong-variety Jacks. At least they attack in pairs. Take a breather and forge ahead. The next Garcia will have a knife, which you can use on the next three - one of whom will also have a blade. The vent here hides a beef slab, which four Signals and two Jacks will try to protect. After them, it's time to fight Mona & Lisa, the flipping twins. Don't try to fight them hand to hand. Use jump kicks from a distance or grapple in close. *** ROUND 6 - The Factory - Boss: "The Penguin" *** Thugs: 40 - Garcia, Signal, Electra, Shiva, Zamza, Big Ben Items: 14 - 4xKnife, Gold Bars, Money Bag, Apple, Pepper Shaker, 2xBeef Slab, Extra Special, 2x1UP, Lead Pipe This round is a little different than in the Genesis version. While the layout is mostly the same, the box crushers have been replaced by electric laser beams. That's quite silly. The boss here, Penguin, is also a new addition. He's nifty. As you step over the conveyor until the screen stops, you'll face two Garcias, followed by two red Garcias - one of whom has a knife. The first crate holds some gold bars, while the second, a money bag. Two more red Garcias will amble in eventually. The signs on the wall read caution. As you forge ahead, the Shiva you fight will live up to the warning. Further is another Shiva, as well as the first electrical security system. Get close to it and trigger it if you want it to hit the Shiva. To safely pass by, don't jump through it. Get close, wait until it goes off, then calmly walk through. You should barely avoid the subsequent charge. Another Shiva will appear once you're through, but an apple in the crate here should help. Once he's gone, two Electras will come out to whip it up. After her you'll need to fight Big Ben again. After Ben, you'll fight two more Garcias. Walk through the electric beams and prepare to have fun on the conveyors. You'll fight two Electras and two Signals here. The Electras from here on out kneel when you punch them, so grapples become more efficient. Once the screen moves again, a lone Garcia will stand against you. Blast him, then get the pepper shaker in the crate if you want. The next crate holds a beef slab. Two more Garcias will step up by this time, followed by three red ones (one with a knife) after. Then it's time to fight Zamza again. Since you've got an electrical system trying to kill you on the right of the screen, feel free to trigger it on him. After Zamza, you'll fight two Electras. There's an Extra Special in the first crate and a 1UP in the second. Two more Electras will visit at this time, followed by two Shivas up ahead at the electric beams. When the screen stops, you'll need to fight three Garcias. A lead pipe in the crate may help. Between when the screen gets going and past the dual electric beams, you'll face two Garcias and have the chance to snag a 1UP from a crate. The next crate has a meat slab in it, which a Garcia with a knife will try to protect. Walk further and the screen will stall. Here you will need to fight three Signals and then the warehouse boss, "The Penguin." Stay close. *** ROUND 7 - Freight Elevator - Boss: None *** Thugs: 42 - Garcia, Signal, Shiva, Electra Items: 1 - Knife Every time the elevator stops, you'll have to contend with a wave of gang members. Fight them as space allows, noting that you can throw them off the back of the elevator with insane ease. Wave 1: 6 yellow Signals Wave 2: 6 gray Shivas Wave 3: 6 red Electras Wave 4: 6 blue Garcias Wave 5: 6 gray/blue Shivas Wave 6: 6 green Signals Wave 7: 6 red Garcias (one with a knife) Once you make it to the top of the elevator, you've passed the round. *** ROUND 8 - Syndicate Headquarters - Boss: Mr. X *** Thugs: 44 - Garcia, Electra, Signal, Shiva, Jack, Boomer, Zamza, Abadede, Big Ben, "The Penguin," Mona & Lisa Items: 13 - 3xKnife, 2xApple, 1UP, 4xBeef Slab, 2xPepper Shaker, Lead Pipe Wow - not only is the final level in a glitzy penthouse, but you're walking left this time instead of to the right! I hope you're ready to kick some tail, because you'll battle every boss you've faced before prior to reaching Mr. X's suite. Note: You CAN'T summon backup here. From here until the screen stops, you'll face four blue Garcias, When it does stall, you'll face four red ones. After them, you'll fight Boomer again, the boss from round 1. He's twice as tough this time. Down the hall you'll face a series of two green Signals. The room service carts here hold a knife and an apple. Further down will be two black Electras and a 1UP hidden in a cart. Once they're gone, you'll have to fight the round 2 boss, Zamza, again. Two gray Electras will follow you as you walk down the hall. If you have the energy, waste 'em. If not, there's a beef slab in the room service cart down the way. Another Electra and two Shivas will take up the fight, followed by the round 3 boss, Abadede. Once the screen moves again, two Jacks will try and axe you something. Take them out. There's a pepper shaker in the first service cart, and a beef slab in the next. Another Jack and two Garcias with knives will come to play, followed by two Garcias without knives. Then you'll get to face Big Ben, the boss from round 4. As your reward for beating Ben, two black Electras will come to whip your itch up. There's a third one up ahead, and two carts which contain a meat slab and a lead pipe. Two gray Electras will appear once the screen stops and then you'll need to fight the boss from round 6, "The Penguin." Three Garcias, a pepper shaker, and an apple waiting up ahead. Further down is a beef slab - don't use it unless you need to. You'll have to fight five blue/gold Shivas and then the bosses of level 5, Mona & Lisa. Once you've beaten the flippy chicks, you'll find yourself in Mr. X's penthouse. Look at him, smugly sitting there in his Armani suit. Once you're in front of him, he will summon three waves of two attackers each: two Garcias, two Shivas, and two Signals. After that, it's time to battle Mr. X. Fighting Mr. X: Once he stands up, it's on. Mr. X is quite a doozy here compared to how he is in the console version. Usually, he'll run left to right across the screen trying to run you down. Sometimes though, he'll run offscreen diagonally and come back at the upper left or right - This is when you want to be in the other upper corner or right on top of him, because he'll shoot a bullet volley that covers two-thirds of the screen. You can't jump over it either. The best way to beat him seems to be just punch rapidly when he runs at you and repeat, throwing as necessary. His vitality isn't so huge, but he dishes out HUGE damage. Once he's knocked out, you've beaten the game. Ending: Penthouse crime scene Axel with a cop Our heroes at the police station Our heroes watching a sunset from the bridge =================== F. Closing Comments =================== My Story: I wrote this guide for two reasons. The first, I couldn't find a FAQ for the game anywhere. Secondly, I wrote a FAQ for the Genesis version and upon playing this version of the game found I enjoyed myself a great deal. If the Game Gear version of the game were this game instead of the watered down mess that it is, it'd have sold even better. Yuzo Koshiro's music is also reproduced much better in the SMS version of the game - even though it's the best on the Genesis. An SMS version of Streets of Rage 2 also exists, and is even easier to find than SOR1. It's not as smooth a conversion though. For other SOR FAQs and lots of cool stuff, visit: http://www.gamefaqs.com/ How to contribute to this guide: If you have some information you think should be included in this guide, or have any suggestions for improving it, please direct your comments to Frank Provo at frank@frankprovo.com. Tips, codes, hints, and pretty much anything Streets of Rage related is welcome. If I include information you contribute, I will gladly list your name, email address, and web site address at the end of this guide if you so desire. ..end..