Streets of Rage 4 review — A brawl down memory lane

Here’s a nice thought: What if your childhood never ended? What if they just kept making games like they always did? Well, companies have tried that, and it hasn’t always worked out well. Sonic the Hedgehog 4 and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 are both miserable. So, is there any hope for Streets of Rage 4?

Developers Dotemu and Lizardcube worked together to produce Streets of Rage 4, which is launching April 30 on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One for $25. As the name suggests, it picks up where the original series left off. It’s a sidescrolling beat-’em-up, just like the series classic from the Sega Genesis. And as with any project like this, its creators are trying to walk a fine line between building something familiar and creating something that today’s gaming fans can enjoy.