Streets Of Rage Walkthrought
Down to business. A Streets of Rage walkthrough — yes, that classic Sega brawler — is built on the little things: how you slip into a grab, where to knock an apple out of a bin, when to burn the police special with the rocket strike. I’ll lead you cleanly, screen by screen. No romance — only what gets you through. Keep this in your back pocket: in Bare Knuckle it’s all about spacing, tempo, and knowing the rooms.
Level 1. Night street and waterfront
Step out — don’t rush. Drag the first group into the left third of the screen so the waves don’t sandwich you. Knife punks love diagonals — nudge up-right, let them whiff, then snap back with a quick string; pick up the knife and chuck it from range. Bins and kiosks break — apples heal and cash feeds your score (1UP isn’t far). Grab the lead pipe, but don’t tunnel — after two or three hits, shift position or you’ll get surrounded.
On the waterfront, timing beats raw power. Against long-reach grapplers (the ones who latch on with that vampire clinch), a meeting jump-in works great. Playing co-op? Hold a vertical line and don’t stand in a row: friendly fire in Streets of Rage is real, and a stray elbow nukes your HP. There’s usually a trash can before the boss — often with a chicken. Grab it before the fight, not during.
The boomerang boss loves a two-step: throw forward, return sweep. Stay mid-range, let the arc pass on a diagonal, clip him on the return — short string, step out. Don’t turtle at the wall: the return path will shave the corner. If they pin you, the police special works wonders — one salvo and the boss plus minions get rearranged.
Level 2. Bar and alleys
Ease into the bar — lights flicker and knife guys peel off your back. Go straight to the clinch: get in tight, one step and it’s elbows. From the hold, toss forward to keep momentum. Whip ladies (you’ll spot the sharp lunges) lose half their bite if you line them up vertically: stand slightly above/below and poke in on a dash, don’t let the whip swing on a diagonal. Shelves behind the counter break — apple or score cash inside.
In the alley, enemies arrive in clumps. Split the wave: tag two on the left, take a step back, finish the loners on the right. Electric lashes chunk hard — disarm with a throw: quick jab, grab, sweep. Before the boss, check the wall crates — there’s often a no-strings chicken.
The clawed acrobat boss hates straight trades. Catch his landings: he comes in, you half-step aside — jump-in from the flank, then bail. His slide is nasty by the wall — don’t pen him in. The police special is worth it if he shows up mixed with a normal wave.
Level 3. Beach and port
The sand subtly bogs you down — don’t overextend; work in short strings. Bottles and knives drop in bunches, but one extra pickup is an invitation to a street clinch from the crowd. On the pier, use the edge: two steps, grab, toss — free ring-out with zero risk. Remember: they can throw too — don’t hover on the lip.
In the port, mixed waves roll in: fast zig-zag knife runners and big guys with uppercuts. The trick is simple — keep the sprinters on screen, herd the heavies into one line; the pipe is great for crowd control. Before the pair of mini-bosses, snag a chicken from the crate by the containers — better early than in the scrum.
The distance-fighter duo crumbles when split: drag one up, one down, and work them one by one. Close in on a diagonal, bait the jump — meet with a jump-in, step back, re-engage. When one’s left, don’t get greedy with strings; they love wake-up counters.
Level 4. Bridge
The nastiest bits here are drive-by bikers and grenades. Listen for the rev: when it growls, shift half a body early and hit as they pass. On broken asphalt, any bump means a drop, so the ideal play is grabs at the edge and a back throw into the pit. Grenades are simple — step into the thrower, quick kick, and the nade lands at their squad’s feet.
The flamethrower boss wants to trade you for a burning carpet. Jump-in to the head, instantly turn and retreat half a screen — that keeps you clear of ground fire. If the flame’s already down, don’t hop it — arc around. Save the police car if they arrive as a pair: stacked burn zones turn the arena into a trap.
Level 5. Factory
Conveyors and presses are your friends if you set them up. Funnel enemies onto belts and toss them under the press. Just don’t linger yourself: one shove and you’re going for a ride. The shop has crates with chicken and sometimes a 1UP — usually on far platforms after a brief clear; don’t sprint past in a hurry.
The wrestler boss goes straight for a command grab — don’t allow it. Meet with two hits, backstep, two more. Point-blank he’ll scoop you — disaster. When he goes down, don’t pile on instantly: half of his damage happens on wake-up; circle and come in from behind. Bare Knuckle pays out patience.
Level 6. Ship
Narrow corridors and rails along the sides — space control beats long combos. Walk the wave along the deck, don’t let them wrap around you, and look for shoulder throws overboard. Knives are lethal in tight spots — keep a lane, pick and throw immediately, don’t hoard them “for later.” Pop barrels selectively — extra food doesn’t carry over, saving it for a mini-boss is clutch.
The fast provocateur loves a dash-grab. Stuff him with a jump-in or a short string plus sidestep. Don’t try to pin him at the edge — his jump counter will dump you instead. If needed, hit the special: on an open deck its blast covers the whole screen.
Level 7. Elevator and skyscraper floors
The elevator is a gift. This is where your Streets of Rage run turns into a ring-out show. Grab, back throw — and they’re gone. Just don’t dance on the very edge; leave a half-step buffer. Waves are dense, so grab food only when it’s truly critical. In co-op, make a plan: who throws and who covers — playing ping-pong at the edges gets punished by a stray friendly hit.
On the landings between lifts you’ll often get a pipe — your tool to keep the mob at arm’s length. Drop heavies with the pipe’s first touch, meet sprinters with a jump-in. Near the end, bosses may arrive as a duo: split them on a diagonal, work one down, and don’t let them pen you in a corner.
Level 8. Headquarters
Long corridors and elites with whips and knives — every mistake stings here. Move in “steps”: a yard forward, clear, another yard. The decor breaks — statues and stands hide apples/chicken, but don’t smash everything at once; stash “safety” pickups for a return through the hall. Versus elite karatekas, use a simple loop: bait a strike, sidestep, two-hit punish, disengage. Five-hit strings often get blown up — three hits and out is safer.
Before the final room, check it all: HP, where the last chicken sits, how many specials remain. Enemies love to drift in under your swing — hold center screen, don’t let them walk you to a corner, and remember SOR fundamentals: grab from two steps, throw into open space, control the pace. When the big brawl starts, don’t dive into the blender — strip the adds so you’re left one-on-one. And yes, in Streets of Rage sometimes a choice is a weapon too — you know the deal — but cool heads win.
This route works solo or in co-op: Streets of Rage rewards measured aggression. Check bins and crates, remember the apple/chicken, and save the police special for when the screen is packed. That way you won’t just clear it — you’ll clear it with style, the true Bare Knuckle way.